Next week, the Lithuanian EU Presidency conference "Horizons for Social Sciences and Humanities" will take place in Vilnius ( http://horizons.mruni.eu/conference-theme/ ). It reacts on the so-called "integrative approach" by the European Commission in preparing the "Horizon 2020" research funding program, and more precisely its third pillar, the "societal challenges". Seven such challenges have been predefined by Commission (in collaboration with European Parliament and European Council). The question is, however: What does integration of social sciences and humanities actually mean? Can "SSH" really contribute to "societal challenges"? And what is required to make this possible? Before the conference takes place, I am curious to hear your opinion. (For further details, see also my commentary on the ERA blog.)
http://era.ideasoneurope.eu/2013/09/18/funding-research-in-europe-new-horizons-for-social-sciences-and-humanities/
Some universities would have only HUMANITIES faculty and will not have a SOCIAL SCIENCE faculty - in some countries those are considered the same!!
"What does integration of social sciences and humanities actually mean? Can "SSH" really contribute to "societal challenges"? And what is required to make this possible?"
These are very good questions, and, in the scientific-environmental field of which I am part, they probably sum up most of our unresolved programmatic, methodological, and epistemologocial challenges. My perception is that prior to answer to these questions we need to debate about what we understand as science in our field, and from that, agree about possible outcomes for the science-policy interface. Although this statement would seem obvious in most social science and humanities circles, it started to receive recognition among us only recently.
In the environmental field, the Vienna Convention, the CBD, and the UNFCCC can provide three good different stories and three different models of how science and, in particular, the "SSH", can contribute to "societal challenges". Because each of these institutions shows very different stories and outcomes of SSH involvement, and science/technology-policy interfaces, and because they may be understood in terms of quite different models of policy making and political mobilization, they may also be useful to inform your discussion.
The "SSH" will have dynamic interface of the societal challenges in the 21st century on the integration of science and technology. The Space Age will be totally different approach to study the "SSH" you can find the answer in this book :
http://www.amazon.com/2013-Contemporary-Republic-Philosophy-Culture/dp/1490386793
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