Social Sciences
Explore faculty and student work in economics, sociology, political science, anthropology, and other disciplines shaping our understanding of society.
Jason Furman to Lead Center for Business and Government
The new director of Harvard Kennedy School’s Mossavar-Rahmani Center bridges economic research and policy.
Inevitable Mistakes, Avoidable Harm
The culture of medicine has long tried to keep doctors from making mistakes by indoctrinating them to believe that they shouldn’t make...
Born Digital
Forty years ago they were “Born Free,” 20 years ago they were “Born in the U.S.A.,” but today kids are born digital, and...
by Paul Gleason
Interest Rate Insight
Wondering what in the world is going on with the economy lately? Let Sebastian Mallaby explain.
When Farmers Met Foragers
A question mark has long hovered over human transitions from hunting and gathering to farming: did agriculture spread by communication—in...
Litmus Test for a Law
Until the mid 1980s, victims of domestic abuse who called the police could expect the officers to do little more than tell the abusive spouse to...
Taking Stock of Celebrity
For Anita Elberse, whose latest research investigates the impact of big-name stars on films’ revenues, pop culture and rigorous analysis...
Girl Power
When Dan Kindlon watches the Tigers play softball, he sees the legacy of feminism for girls. “My daughter’s concentrating on...
The Rise of Faculty Centrism
Politically, U.S. professors are less liberal than many people believe, but their ranks also include fewer conservatives than in the early...
Bruce Western
Photograph by Jim Harrison Bruce Western His interest in prisons began “almost by accident,” says the new director of the Kennedy...
Making a Case against the Courts
How will Americans know that their Supreme Court is truly dedicated to interpreting the Constitution as the Founding Fathers would wish?...