Social Sciences

Explore faculty and student work in economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, and other disciplines shaping our understanding of society.

Why America’s Strategy For Reducing Racial Inequality Failed

Harvard professor Christina Cross debunks the myth of the two-parent Black family.

by Saima Sidik

The Causes of Long COVID

Trying to understand infections’ persistent effects—and to develop cures

by Jonathan Shaw

Public Health Messaging in a Pandemic

How much intervention is too much, or not enough, when addressing a politically and socially diverse population?

by Isabel Mehta

Telling Humanity’s Story through DNA

Geneticist David Reich rewrites the ancient human past.

by Jonathan Shaw

Fracking’s Deadly Toll

Harvard researchers find that fracking shortens the lives of elderly Americans living downwind of unconventional oil and gas wells.

by Daniel Oberhaus

Why Aid Cuts Didn’t End Worker Shortages

Why cutting jobless aid during the pandemic didn’t send workers scrambling for work

by Erin O’Donnell

Can Infrastructure Remedy Social Ills?

A Design School class suggests how “social infrastructure” can meet societal needs.

by Nancy Walecki

“No Going Back to Normal”

Addressing the complexities of children’s mental health

by Jacob Sweet

“Ukraine Today, Taiwan Tomorrow?”

The East Asian implications of the Russia-Ukraine War

by Jacob Sweet

Harvard Horizons Spotlights Seven Scholars

Ph.D. students discuss subjects from aliens to infrastructural aesthetics.

by Jacob Sweet

Authoritarian Regimes’ AI Innovation Advantage

Unfettered access to personal data may give Chinese companies an edge in artificial intelligence.

by Daniel Oberhaus