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Part of a written symposium on Soc Sci & Soc Policy. Some cautionary thoughts are expressed re soc sci's contribution to the future. It may be taken for granted that the need for soc sci will be great & growing. It is utopian, however, to expect that soc sci will be able to solve all problems of society. The soc sci's are unevenly adapted to assuming interventionist roles. There are diff's in the universe of rewards & penalties with which each is suited to deal. Soc sci'ts as a group operate under greater handicaps than do physical sci'ts. Professional discipline is weak, with the result that soc sci'ts are not under a strong compulsion to confirm or refute their own findings as well as those of others. Hence fallacies may stay alive & ideological considerations may help give shape to the views of soc sci'ts in respect even of their own specialties. While quantification is improving soc sci, it is often not adequately integrated with the underlying theoretical structure. It is possible, however, that growth in affluence will increase the importance of the goals espoused by the humanities. It may be recognized that the humanities can be mobilized in defense of the worth of the individual & in support of the importance of the life of the mind, both of which are endangered in an interventionist world. Reports on past interventionism of soc sci'ts are discussed, esp the Moynihan Report. Soc sci has so far not been up to the demands made upon it. Reduction of the immediate impact of the state & the large foundation upon the shape & purpose of the soc sci would conduce to its improvement & make soc sci ready to meet the analytical & policy-oriented challenges that lie ahead. M. Maxfield.

In 'Big Ideas in Social Science', David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton put many of society's burning questions to 18 of the world's leading social scientists including Steven Pinker, Ann Oakley, Lawrence Sherman, Kate Pickett, Robert J. Shiller and Doreen Massey. The result is a collection of thought-provoking discussions that span the fields of sociology, politics, economics, criminology, geography and many more. From the people who brought us the 'Philosophy Bites' series, this volume is a fascinating and accessible introduction to the key ideas and findings of the social sciences

Probability theory is concerned with measurements of regularities which emerge when uncertain individual events are observed in the aggregate. 2 hypothetical examples of the use of probability theory in studying patterns of variation are presented: (1) variations of some quantity over time--is there a discernable pattern & if so, what can be deduced from it, & (2) mobility processes, where individuals move (or do not move) from one state to another. Both the interplay between data & theory & practical applications are demonstrated. 2 objections to the statistical approach to social phenomena are discussed: (A) that it is indifferent to human values, & (B) that it is concerned with small scale phenomena rather than major problems. 5 Figures. J. N. Mayer.

Max Weber wrote these methodological essays in the closest intimacy with actual research and against a background of constant and intensive meditation on substantive problems in the theory and strategy of the social sciences. They were written between 1903 and 1917, the most productive of Max Weber's life, when he was working on his studies in the sociology of religion and Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Weber had done important work in economic and legal history and had taught economic theory. On the basis of original investigations, he had acquired a specialist's knowledge of the details of German economic and social structure. His always vital concern for the political prosperity of Germany among the nations thrust him deeply into discussion of political ideals and programs. Weber's methodology still holds interest for us. Some of its shortcomings, from the contemporary viewpoint, may be attributed to the fact that some of the methodological problems that he treated could not be satisfactorily resolved prior to certain actual developments in research technique. These few qualifications aside, the work remains a pioneering work in large scale social research, from one of the field's masters.

Specialized journals examine the teaching and learning of the social sciences in Higher Education . These include, for example, the highly regarded Teaching Sociology, or, more recently the Journal of Political Science Education, Journal of Legal Education and International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, to name but a few. These journals capture a significant amount of knowledge and experience. However, there is little coherence in terms of research and a lack of a well-developed academic sub-discipline around Higher Education in the social sciences. Furthermore, most of the discourses within the cited journals.

This paper considers the actual problem of correlation of economics with other sciences, and namely with social sciences. The evolution of processes to solve the provisioning problem takes place in a social context. As a result, the economy is a subsystem and is interrelated with a variety of other social subsystems. These subsystems include economic, political, religious, social, geographic, demographic, legal, and moral systems. From the ancient times economics was treated as part of philosophy and religion.