Social Science in the 2010s

Study Notes

Social science is a field of study that focuses on human behavior, relationships, attitudes, and how these things have changed over time. It is a discipline that is both quantitative and social, and it is applied in various fields, such as business, politics, and social work. The social sciences include anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, and sociology. In the 2010s, these fields saw a lot of great studies that have taught economists, political scientists, sociologists, and philosophers about the world.

Economics: The 2010s featured a lot of political science suggesting that democracy was not just eroding but that rational voters did not exist. Voters, political scientists Donald Kinder and Nathan Kalmoe concluded, are not ideological and do not have stable political beliefs; they tend to take their cues from elites rather than vice versa. Gabriel Lenz found that voters make irrational inferences about candidates based on economic conditions those candidates have. Larry Bartels and Christopher Achen argued that voters make irrational inferences about candidates based on economic conditions those candidates have, to some pushback.
Sociology: Sociologists often spend a lot of time comparing their discipline to economics and debating how they managed to become so different. Sociology should look to political science, not economics, as it can better analyze the social and political contexts

Description

Explore the major findings and debates in economics and sociology during the 2010s. Delve into studies on voter behavior, irrational inferences, political contexts, and the influence of elites in democratic systems.