Society is our laboratory
Head of department Lars Tønder gives his take on why social science is important for understanding the world around us. His point is simple: knowledge needs to go out and live. This is especially important in a time characterised by war, climate change, technological upheaval and growing uncertainty about the future of democracy.
We cannot wall ourselves up in a laboratory and turn away from the society we are a part of. Society is our laboratory, for better or worse.
As social scientists, we work at the centre of the dynamics we seek to understand.
We investigate why societies develop the way they do and the consequences of political and social decisions. But our task does not stop there. We also have a responsibility to give something back. That's why we stand in the doorway between the university and the society around us.
Our research should not only create insight; it should also contribute to the public conversation. This responsibility applies to everything from health policy and green transition to security and defence policy. When areas are closed for national interests and shrouded in secrecy, there is a particular need for an open and informed debate based on the best available knowledge. Otherwise, we as citizens, researchers and decision-makers risk losing trust in both the decisions and the institutions that make them. It is therefore an important part of our role as social scientists to reach out and contribute to the public.
We do this when we participate in debates, stand for interviews, collaborate with external partners or meet citizens at Folkemødet. The balance between the closed and the open is not static. It is constantly being negotiated. And it needs to be.
Our task is not only to produce knowledge, but also to make it accessible. Research must not become an elite project detached from the society it is supposed to help understand. This also applies to specific research projects. Some researchers are working on how intelligence services can function legitimately in a democratic society.
Others investigate the role of journalism in everyday life:
How do we avoid echo chambers?
How do we ensure that the media remains close to citizens?
Still others are researching the automation of war and the use of artificial intelligence in military systems.
What happens to our ethical responsibility when decisions are increasingly made by technology?
These are questions that call for both analysis and public debate. This is where social science can help to qualify the conversation.
Why can democracy feel slow and distant?
How do we get more citizens to engage?
Our task as a department and faculty is not necessarily to provide ready-made answers. Our job is to sharpen the questions.
We investigate why societies develop the way they do and the consequences of political and social decisions. But our task does not stop there. We also have a responsibility to give something back. That's why we stand in the doorway between the university and the society around us.
Our research should not only create insight; it should also contribute to the public conversation. This responsibility applies to everything from health policy and green transition to security and defence policy. When areas are closed for national interests and shrouded in secrecy, there is a particular need for an open and informed debate based on the best available knowledge. Otherwise, we as citizens, researchers and decision-makers risk losing trust in both the decisions and the institutions that make them. It is therefore an important part of our role as social scientists to reach out and contribute to the public.
We do this when we participate in debates, stand for interviews, collaborate with external partners or meet citizens at Folkemødet. The balance between the closed and the open is not static. It is constantly being negotiated. And it needs to be.
Innovation is also about democracy
When we talk about innovation, it's often about patents, technologies and commercialisation. But innovation is also about how we develop our society and our democracy. Historically, the social sciences have helped shape both the welfare state and, more recently, the green transition. That role is an obligation. It also applies when we analyse power structures, elites and institutions.Our task is not only to produce knowledge, but also to make it accessible. Research must not become an elite project detached from the society it is supposed to help understand. This also applies to specific research projects. Some researchers are working on how intelligence services can function legitimately in a democratic society.
Others investigate the role of journalism in everyday life:
How do we avoid echo chambers?
How do we ensure that the media remains close to citizens?
Still others are researching the automation of war and the use of artificial intelligence in military systems.
What happens to our ethical responsibility when decisions are increasingly made by technology?
These are questions that call for both analysis and public debate. This is where social science can help to qualify the conversation.
Democracy requires questions
We live in a time characterised by major challenges: war and security policy, climate and green transition, pressure on the welfare society and new technological developments. These challenges require high-level knowledge and close collaboration with the outside world. As a society, we have the right to ask questions and be critical. It is often in the meeting between research and practice that the most important questions arise: Why do many people experience less trust in society?Why can democracy feel slow and distant?
How do we get more citizens to engage?
Our task as a department and faculty is not necessarily to provide ready-made answers. Our job is to sharpen the questions.