Conclusion

Fundamentally, the subject matter of the social sciences is dynamic – because society and the social world are constantly changing, moving and becoming something new. Social science looks systematically and rigorously at familiar aspects of everyday life, and then asks probing questions, such as:

• What ideas and concepts help us to better understand society and the social world? Is there a need to develop fresh ideas and concepts, to suit new developments and changing social conditions?
• What forms does inequality take in society? Who is affected, and in what ways?
• How are issues such as inequality addressed in other societies – and what can we learn and apply from these examples?
• What sources of data and information can we trust in answering these questions?
• What methods help us to generate reliable and meaningful data about the social world?

By asking penetrating questions in this manner, social scientists can begin to understand how society works. Furthermore, social scientists are frequently motivated to go beyond merely understanding these issues, and aspire to use these insights to begin helping to solve social problems. For example, many social scientists are keen to contribute to the reduction of harm, inequality and marginalisation.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course D112 You and your world: introducing the social sciences [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .