OUR MISSION
Social Science Works is a social enterprise driven by pregnant societal problems. To alleviate these problems, we try to develop and to apply usable knowledge. Our foci are democracy, participation, integration, populism and radicalization. We aim to further integration and civic participation, and to counter populism and radicalization. We try to develop new ways of meaningful citizen participation and to advance new strategies to strengthen civic and political competences.
WHO WE ARE
We are a heterogeneous, international group of social scientists, most of whom were educated in Germany and live in Berlin and Brandenburg. Our disciplinary backgrounds include sociology, political science, anthropology, economics, philosophy and communication science. More about our team here. And on our fellows here.
COMPETENCIES
Our core competencies include deliberative integration and democracy projects, democracy research, second opinions of existing research as well as scientific criticism and communication. On all these activities we publish blog-articles for the wider audience. On top of that we organize and implement deliberative projects and further education in our fields of expertise.
DELIBERATION
The theories and practices of deliberation play a pivotal role in our work. We see deliberation as an open and courteous exchange of ideas and values, which furthers the discovery, understanding, contextualization and development of preferences. Deliberation is not about transferring the undisputed, fixed preferences of individuals into collective decisions and policies; it is foremost about the joint development of substantiated preferences regarding the public cause. Concomitantly, deliberation strengthens the notions and emotions of political community, civility and citizenship that democracies need to thrive.
PROJECTS AND FURTHER EDUCATION
Every year we implement a growing number of deliberative projects for citizens, refugees, social workers, civil volunteers, civil servants, adolescents and schoolchildren. For an overview of our current and previous projects, visit the project page. For our further education on democracy, deliberation, discrimination and racism, and gender equality, visit the German part of this website here.
PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
Distinctive is our combination of theory and practice, developing, implementing and researching deliberation at the same time, and our connection between social and political science on the one hand and social and political philosophy on the other.
40+
Associates
150+
Publications
40+
Projects
3000+
Participants