Social Criticism
Populism in France: An overview of its history, narratives, and relationship with the media
The last elections (legislative and European) in France have highlighted more than ever the success of populist parties and strategies in French politics, on the left as well as on the right. The aim of...
Indifference to refugees in Germany: observations and explanations
Since 2022, Social Science Works has published a large number of interviews with refugees in Germany. There were several motives for conducting these interviews. By learning more about the newcomers’ backgrounds, we hoped to help...
Developing a social enterprise devoted to democracy, deliberation and respect in a progressively hostile and indifferent environment: Experiences and observations of a social science trying to work in the eastern part of Germany
As citizens increasingly lose trust in politics and society, it becomes more important than ever for state and civilian organizations to be reliable, predictable, transparent, and decent. When citizens become more and more difficult to...
Social media are useless for civic and political participation: experiences with a project in Germany
The political participation of young people in general and rural youth in particular is not optimal. Consequently, they are underrepresented in politics, which in turn affects the extent to which their interests are reflected in...
Charles Lindblom on the Market, Elites, Inequality and our Inability to Think Clear
Charles Lindblom (1917 – 2017), one of the most important political scientists of the twentieth century, published in 2000 The Market System : What it is, how it works, and what to make of it...
Loneliness, unhappiness, consumerism and its political consequences: observations and predictions of Robert E. Lane
Twenty years ago, the American political psychologist Robert E. Lane (1917 – 2017) published The Loss of Happiness in Market Democracies (2000). In it, he showed that Westerners (and Americans in particular) were increasingly unhappy...
Opportunists in Political Education for Democracy, Freedom and Respect: The Long Road of Democratization.
In 2020, Germany has been celebrating 30 years of German unification and 30 years of democracy, pluralism and respect in the former Deutsche Demokratische Republik. Even when a dictatorship is taken over by a rich...
All the lonely people – the epidemic of loneliness and its consequences
As we walk the streets of our cities and pass by a stranger heading in the opposite direction, we often avert our eyes, turn slightly to the side, glance down, or pull out our phones...
The Crisis of Masculinities – A Brief Overview
The so-called crisis of masculinity has drawn much attention and concern by politicians, academics, the public, and most dominantly, the media. This crisis is characterised by a widely perceived fear, uncertainty, and hysteria about the...
How The EU Referendum Campaign Poisoned The UK’s Political Discourse
The message on my phone said: “I’m so, so sorry”. That’s how I learnt that the UK had voted to leave the European Union. This is something I had feared from the moment the UK...
How NYE Turned German Political Debate Upside Down
At Social Science Works we seek to engage with contemporary political debate and offer solutions to its most pressing problems by applying social scientific thought. In this blog, co-founder Sarah Coughlan and Niklas Kossow explore...
Some Countries Are More Corrupt Than Others And We Shouldn’t Be Afraid To Say So
At Social Science Works we are interested in giving second opinions on research, to help enable policy makers make informed choices about policy and empower decision makers to make the best possible use of science...
What To Do Against Clientelism, Nepotism & Corruption?
“Manus manum lavat” – One hand washes the other. One Facet Of The Vicious Exchange In The EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood. Corruption kills. Sometimes it kills human lives, but most of the time it kills trust...