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
Harvard's eugenics era
When academics embraced scientific racism, immigration restrictions, and the suppression of “the unfit”
Brief life of Federalist politician Caleb Strong, by Richard D. Brown
Brief life of an exemplary politician: 1745-1819
Comparing the end of the death penalty in France and America
An historian tracks the death penalty’s persistence in America.
Jacqueline Bhabha critiques the world's response to migration crises
Harvard human-rights expert Jacqueline Bhabha critiques the inadequate response to the world’s migration crises.
Brief life of formidable anthropologist Cora Du Bois, by Susan C. Seymour
Brief life of a formidable anthropologist: 1903-1991
Harvard’s new dean of Engineering and applied sciences outlines goals
School of engineering positioned to tackle big, cross-disciplinary societal problems, says new dean.
Reviews of four books on what ails American higher education
American higher education and its discontents
Profile of Harvard Law professor Jon Hanson
A law professor plumbs social problems.
Michael Porter of HBS on the Social Progress Index
Measuring the economic growth of nations is not enough, says Harvard Business School’s Michael Porter.
by Laura Levis
Results of Sexual Conduct Survey released by Harvard and AAU
President Drew Faust calls results “deeply troubling” for Harvard and higher education.