Social Sciences
Explore faculty and student work in economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, and other disciplines shaping our understanding of society.
An Original Magna Carta, Hidden in Plain Sight
A rare original surfaces at Harvard at an “almost providential” moment.
by Nina Pasquini
Can MOOCs Predict the Future of Online Education?
Harvard and MIT experiences suggest a more constrained vision for massive free courses.
by Jonathan Shaw
From the Archives: Harvard’s Womanless History
Completing the University’s self-portrait
A Missive from Harvey Mansfield
The Kenan professor of government’s story of a dissertation published 44 years after it was accepted
The Innovation Engine
Economist William Kerr argues for streamlining immigration to attract high-skilled talent from abroad.
by John A. Griffin
The Teddy Bear Effect
Cherubic features benefit black male CEOs, but not other groups, underscoring the complexity of social disadvantage.
by Erin O'Donnell
Ulysses S. Grant
Brief history of the image of a hero: 1822-1885
by Elizabeth D. Samet
Artificial Intelligence and Ethics
Ethics and the dawn of decision-making machines
by Jonathan Shaw
Uses—and Abuses—of Austerity
Economists revisit an unsettled economic policy.
by Idrees Kahloon
From the Archives: Who Wants to Be an Entrepreneur?
The Business School’s new take on teaching management
by John S. Rosenberg
Diversity and Diminishing Tax Revenues
Can public goods survive white flight?
by Marina N. Bolotnikova