The Scientific Study of Society

This book presents an abstract discussion of social science, in a period when science in all forms is under attack, does little to inform the debate on its role and progress. Moreover, there is a strong and growing tendency for work that is far from scientific to go under the label of social sciences. The Scientific Study of Society undertakes the novel approach of reviewing the journal literature on six different topics by each of the five social sciences, and so highlights the contrasting approaches of each of the disciplines. Recent work by anthropologists, economists, political scientists, social psychologists and sociologists on crime, migration, the family, housing, money and religion is examined. The topics are of concern to policy makers and the book argues that policy makers should make wider use of scientific knowledge in addressing these and other social issues.