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108 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Social issues are complex and multifaceted problems that affect individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. These issues can range from poverty and inequality to discrimination and environmental degradation. Writing an essay on a social issue can be a daunting task, but it can also be a rewarding experience that allows you to explore and analyze important topics that impact the world around you.

To help you get started, here are 108 social issues essay topic ideas and examples that you can use as inspiration for your next writing assignment:

• The impact of social media on mental health
• Income inequality and its effects on society
• Police brutality and the Black Lives Matter movement
• The rise of fake news and its impact on democracy
• Gender inequality in the workplace
• Climate change and its effects on vulnerable communities
• The opioid crisis and its impact on communities
• The criminal justice system and racial disparities
• Homelessness and poverty in America
• The refugee crisis and global migration patterns
• LGBTQ+ rights and discrimination
• The rise of nationalism and its impact on global politics
• Gun control and mass shootings in America
• Environmental racism and its effects on marginalized communities
• The impact of globalization on developing countries
• Mental health stigma and access to treatment
• Cyberbullying and online harassment
• The #MeToo movement and sexual harassment in the workplace
• Access to healthcare and the rising cost of medical care
• The impact of technology on social relationships
• Food insecurity and hunger in America
• The effects of gentrification on low-income communities
• Disability rights and accessibility
• The criminalization of poverty and homelessness
• Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities
• The rise of authoritarianism and threats to democracy
• The education achievement gap and disparities in schools
• Mental health challenges facing college students
• The impact of social isolation on mental health
• The influence of religion on social norms and values
• The effects of gentrification on cultural identity
• The impact of social media on political discourse
• The role of activism in social change
• Access to clean water and sanitation in developing countries
• The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem
• The effects of income inequality on public health
• The criminalization of drug addiction and mental illness
• The impact of climate change on indigenous communities

These are just a few examples of social issues that you can explore in your essay. Remember to choose a topic that you are passionate about and that you feel strongly about. Researching and writing about social issues can be a powerful way to raise awareness and advocate for change in the world. Good luck with your essay!

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The Biggest 15 Social Issues We Are Facing Today

No matter where we live, what communities we belong to or what we care about, we are affected by social issues. It’s the price of living in a society, and while challenges like poverty, climate change and discrimination can feel overwhelming, we have the power to take action. The first step is understanding what issues we’re up against. In this article, we’ll explore 15 of the biggest social issues facing the world today.

#1. The global housing crisis

Shelter is a human right, but hundreds of millions of people lack adequate, affordable housing. According to the World Bank, the housing crisis is global, and it could impact as many as 1.6 billion people by 2025. That number will only grow with time. By 2030, the world needs to build 96,000 new affordable homes per day to meet the needs of 3 billion people. What’s driving the global housing crisis? According to Albert Saiz in a paper for the MIT Center for Real Estate, economic factors like rising costs and income inequality are prevalent. Addressing these issues now is critical to protecting people in the future.

#2. Gender inequality

Societies have been working to improve gender inequality for centuries, but we still have a long way to go. Globally, women still make less money than men, have poorer health outcomes, have fewer opportunities and endure more gender–based violence. According to 2023 data, the global gender gap won’t close until 2154 . Even the most gender-equal country, which is Iceland , still has social issues to address. Some of the issues are recognized – women are still being subjected to physical and sexual violence – while there are gaps in data related to things like unpaid care, domestic work, gender and the environment, and so on.

#3. Climate crisis

The climate crisis is one of today’s most urgent social issues. Earth.org outlines a list of major climate events in 2023 , including severe droughts, wildfires, higher ocean surface temperatures and storms. That same year, the IPCC released a summary of its previous five reports, showing how human activity is causing severe damage to the planet, and, if trends continue, parts of the earth will become unlivable in just a few decades. The world can fight the climate crisis, but we have to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and turn to renewable energy sources.

#4. Overconsumption

Greenhouse gas emissions are a primary driver of climate change, but overconsumption is hurting the planet, too. Unfathomable amounts of food, clothing, plastic and other things are thrown into landfills and the ocean every day. However, it’s not a problem for everyone. According to research, just 20% of the world’s population is responsible for consuming 80% of the globe’s natural resources. The richest 500 million people release half of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. To break it down even further, if every person in the world consumed resources at the rate as people in Canada and the United States did, we would need at least five earths .

#5. Global hunger

Global food insecurity is a serious problem. According to data, about 735 million people endured chronic hunger in 2022, and with issues like climate change, the lingering effects of the pandemic and conflict, it will be very challenging to end hunger by 2030. Children typically suffer the most. When kids don’t get enough to eat, they become more vulnerable to diseases like measles, malaria and diarrhea. According to the World Food Programme, “hotspots” for hunger include Burkina Faso, Mali, South Sudan and Palestine.

#6. Threats to LGBTQ+ rights

At the same time as LGBTQ+ rights have expanded, certain countries have pushed back. In the summer of 2023, the first Ugandan was charged with “aggravated homosexuality,” a crime punishable by death. In its 2023 review, the Electronic Frontier Foundation also found an increase in anti-LGBTQ sentiment , including more laws that restrict privacy and freedom of expression, and censorship of LGBTQ+ websites. Even in places like the United States, which is seen by many as a haven for the LGBTQ+ community, legislative threats are on the rise .

#7. Reproductive justice

Reproductive justice, which includes things like abortion access and maternal health, is a social issue affecting every corner of the world. According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, most countries are expanding abortion rights, while just four – the United States, Poland, Nicaragua, and El Salvador – rolled back abortion rights . Globally, about 40% of women live in places with “restrictive” abortion laws. Related social issues include menstrual health, prenatal and maternal health, access to contraception and so on.

#8. Educational disparities

When people get a good education, they’re more likely to have higher incomes, better health, healthier children and other benefits. On a larger scale, education also helps countries achieve overall wealth and health. There’s been significant progress on closing the gender gap in education. According to a blog on the World Bank, boys and girls complete primary school at almost an equal rate . However, around 130 million girls are still being denied an education. Wealth also plays a role in educational disparities. In the United States, one study found that wealth affects a student’s chances of finishing college. On a global scale, wealth also impacts where a family lives and what school options are available, as well as tutoring opportunities, whether a student needs a job and much more.

#9. Health and healthcare

Health and the ability (or inability) to access good healthcare are major social issues. Unfortunately, healthcare systems around the world are struggling. COVID-19 continues to be a problem, but hospitals are also facing staff shortages and competition . Not everyone is affected equally. According to the World Health Organization, refugees and migrants experience worse health outcomes due to language barriers, cultural differences, discrimination and legal restrictions on what services they can access.

#10. Income inequality

Global income inequality fluctuates, but according to a 2023 Oxfam study , the world’s richest 1% took almost ⅔ of all the new wealth created since 2020. That gave them almost twice the amount of money held by the bottom 99%. Income inequality can cause serious problems , such as lower economic growth, worse social cohesion and political polarization. There are also ethical consequences to income inequality, which human rights and social justice advocates often discuss. Can society ever be truly good or free when only a handful of people hold all the wealth?

#11. Global unemployment (and underemployment)

High unemployment rates – and low-paying jobs – drive income inequality and poverty. In a 2023 report, the International Labour Organization found that the world is still experiencing slow employment growth . There was a slight recovery in 2021, but as the economy slows again, people are forced to take jobs that pay less, provide fewer hours and/or offer poor working conditions. South Africa, which is the most industrialized economy in Africa, also has one of the highest unemployment rates. According to Reuters, reasons include structural issues related to the shadows of colonialism and apartheid. To fight issues like poverty and gender inequality, countries need to address unemployment and low-paying jobs.

#12. Increased migration

People move all the time, but issues like war and climate change force people to leave their homes. Sometimes, they move within the borders of one country, but other times, they’re forced to take long, dangerous journeys to countries they’ve never visited. According to the Migration Policy Institute, “humanitarian migration” increased in 2023, while policies could impact elections in 2024. The social issues related to migration, such as the rights of migrants, affordable housing, health services and more, will all be relevant for the foreseeable future.

#13. Artificial intelligence

The presence of artificial intelligence has exploded in recent years, but the technology has several issues. Ethics is just one of them. According to a guide on UMA Libraries, AI has problems with gender and racial bias, plagiarism, generating fake news and supporting scams. It also takes a lot of energy to train and run AI programs, so as the use of AI increases, so will its carbon footprint . As the technology continues to develop, new regulations, legislation and guidelines will need to be created, as well.

#14. Debt bondage

Rates of labor trafficking have been increasing over the years. According to research, about ⅕ of those in forced labor trafficking are in debt bondage . Debt bondage is a very common type of trafficking where a person is forced to work off a loan. However, because the debt is often so high and they are paid so little, it’s impossible to escape the situation. Perpetrators also often have no intention of freeing the people they’re exploiting; debt bondage can even pass on to children. While bonded labor is technically illegal in some places, like India, it persists , especially in rural areas. Because trafficking is an illicit practice, it’s very difficult to get accurate numbers, but it’s most likely worse than what’s reported.

#15. Threats to journalism

By providing vital information to the public, journalists are essential to freedom of speech, freedom of expression, democracy and the protection of other human rights. In recent years, journalism has been under threat. According to the 2023 World Press Freedom Index , the environment for journalism was “bad” in seven out of 10 countries, while it was “satisfactory” in just three out of 10 countries. The reasons include a surge in fake news and propaganda. Journalists also face threats to their lives. UNESCO found that in 2023, there was a near doubling of deaths of journalists working in conflict zones. As conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine and other countries continue, the safety of journalism will remain a social issue.

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• A Research Guide
• Research Paper Topics

40 Social Issues Research Paper Topics

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List of 40 Social Issues Topics for College Students

• Religious gatherings and rituals
• Country-wide strikes and protest
• LGBTQ+ prides
• Worldwide flashmobs
• Social stratification
• Gender discrimination and anti-harassment movements
• The issues of orphanage kids
• Pornography and AI sex dolls
• Sex work or paid rape?
• Virtual reality
• Information overload: the society is overstressed with the amount of data
• Demographic crisis
• Beauty standards
• Social isolation of people with HIV/AIDS
• The fight against animal testing
• Internet safety
• Humanitarian missions
• Fighting racism
• The rights of ethnic minorities and native people
• Internet safety and cybercrimes
• The necessity of the death penalty
• Fighting poverty in the world
• Access to the drinking water in third world countries
• Free education for everyone: shall it be implemented?
• National identity versus globalization
• Women rights and trans people rights
• Obesity as an obstacle in social life. Fatshaming
• Civil rights: shall they be expanded?
• Abuse and neglect in asylums, orphanages, and care homes
• Church and state: shall they remain separate?
• The problem of bigotry in modern society
• Immigration and resocialization of the immigrants
• Sustainable consumption on a worldwide scale
• School violence
• Legalizing drugs: basic rights to choose or a danger to society?
• Social isolation. The hikikomori phenomenon
• Bullying at schools and colleges
• Kids transitioning: shall it be allowed?
• Advertisements: are they becoming too powerful?
• The global impact of the third world countries

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100+ Social Issues Research Paper Topics

There are many issues in society to write about, making social issue essay topics some of the most fun. However, choosing a social topic for an essay isn’t as easy as it sounds, especially when there are several social essay topics. The secret to choosing the best among the many social topics is knowing what makes the best social topics for an essay, the best.

This article will give you workable tips for choosing a great topic on specific social issues, argumentative essay topics , and social topics. We will also throw in 100 topics on social issues; they can serve as your social topic or inspiration for choosing.

What Are Top Tips for Choosing Social Topics to Write About?

What characterizes the best social issue topics, social issue topics list, fascinating research topics on social issues, interesting social commentary topics, interesting social issues on social media, ideas of social issues essay topics on health, socially significant topics to write on, social issues research topics for a professional paper on the environment, top-rated socially relevant topics, cool social issues to research on criminal justice, social problem topics for college students, issues in america to write about, argumentative essay topics on social issues, unique social issues to write a research paper on.

When it comes to social problems essay topics, the list is endless; there are so many social issues to talk about. However, not all social problem topics will make a great paper, and the wrong social issue topic can reduce your grade. Below are the top practical tips for choosing social issues topics for presentation.

• Choose easy social issues to write about – avoid trying to impress your professor by choosing complex social problems topics you can’t do justice to.
• Choose social problem topics or social media research topics that your audience can relate to and find interesting.
• When choosing from the myriads of social problems to write about, choose those with sufficient information. Also, you don’t want social problem essay topics you’ll have to walk miles to gather information on.
• Pick as many good social issues to write about as possible; chances are you will change issues essay topics midway. You don’t have to return to searching for current issues to write about.
• Source for articles that address problems in society to write about for an idea on how to write yours.

The “best” social topics, like social commentary essay topics, are those you’re passionate about. It would help if you cared about the social issue ideas you’ve decided to write on to do real justice to the paper. Writing an essay on them will be torture if you don’t care or know anything about social commentary ideas. Also, if your audience is clueless about a particular topic, consider omitting technical and social significance topics.

Interesting social topics are not hard to find if you know where to look. We will give you a social issues topics list here, but you can still find social issues ideas all over the internet. Find our social topics list below containing interesting and uncommon social issues for a distinction-worthy paper.

• Political polarization
• Racism in modern society’s healthcare
• Ageism: the new racism?
• The fairness of labor laws
• Fat-shaming in the corporate world
• Recovering addicts and social injustice
• Child pornography
• Prisoner rights violations: the types
• Making vaccinations mandatory
• Online education impact on obesity
• Increasing employment: the solution to poverty?
• Accessibility of healthcare in mobile clinics
• Women empowerment
• Social development in developing countries
• Overpopulation: a threat?
• How social networks impact friendship
• Age restriction on Instagram
• Social media effect on dependency
• Business Facebook accounts and digital ethics
• Cancel culture and mental health
• Restricting children from social media
• How to stay safe on the internet
• Freedom of speech on Twitter
• High cost of medical procedures
• Obesity in developed countries
• Abortion: legal or illegal?
• Drug addiction
• Hospices: should they be free?
• Why HIV in seniors remains unrecognized
• Dying with dignity
• Pro-life movement origins
• The social acceptance of autism
• Effect of malnourishment on children’s psyche
• Impact of fad diets
• Discrimination against older adults
• Acceptability of homeopathic treatment for children
• The scarcity of and state of available healthcare facilities in rural areas
• Poverty and health problems
• Ensuring global access to drinking water
• Implementing sustainable technology in agriculture
• Benefits of studying the environment
• Urban gardening and food security
• Deteriorating environment effect on labor conditions
• Religion and nature
• Global warming impact on South America
• Effect of racial profiling
• Prevalence of hate speech
• Discrimination against the LGBT community
• Modern feminism: the negative impact on society
• Pregnancy termination: morality vs. legality
• Food culture
• Emotional intelligence: impact on family life
• Harmful effects of financial illiteracy
• The perception of “Defund the police.”
• Evidence of structural racism
• The internet’s influence on human trafficking
• Legalizing prostitution
• Civil disobedience goals
• The consequences of restoring prisoners to society
• Influence of prejudices on criminal justice mechanics
• Prominent civil rights violations in developing countries
• Gender blindness
• Gender dysphoria
• The Khmer Rouge
• Social media and racist bias
• Justification of human rights limitations during a crisis
• How governments can secure freedom of speech
• Can satire be harmful?
• Protection of stateless persons
• Can illegal immigrants be pardoned?
• War on drugs: the negative side effects
• The importance of bipartisan cooperation
• College loans: are they worth it?
• Fake news: a severe problem?
• Charter schools vs. public schools
• The Great New Deal: pros and cons
• Gentrification in America
• Ableism effects in the US
• Death penalty: a just punishment?
• Healthcare: a fundamental human right?
• The right to own a gun
• Does history repeat itself?
• Commercials in kids’ programs
• Fiction vs. nonfiction: which is the better read?
• Video games should be a sport
• Hot dogs: have they caused more harm than good?
• Eating dessert before dinner
• Homework: is it too much?
• Should gym classes be required?
• The essentiality of feminism
• Free healthcare for everyone
• Exploring space: is it worth it?
• Parents’ role in childhood obesity
• Woman vs. man: who is more emotional?
• The effects of campaign finance reform
• Should illegal immigrants be granted residency?

With this list of social topics and others you’ll find on the internet, you can’t be short of social issues to talk about. Choosing the best social issues topics is essential for writing a great research paper,or write dissertation for me ranging from social change topics to social awareness topics. Considering the vast amount of community issues to write about, our tips on choosing from the best social relevance topics will come in handy. If you need professional writing services, you can contact our experts.

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300 Social Issues Research Topics to Impress Your Professor and Get A

Researching social issues holds immense importance in our quest for knowledge and progress. It allows us to delve deeper into the complexities of society, unraveling the underlying causes, impacts, and potential solutions. However, the significance of a good research topic must be considered, which sets the stage for a high-scoring and impactful research endeavor. If you have difficulty finding a good social issue research topic, check out these lists from the experts working with a professional  paper writing services  provider.

Table of Contents

Comprehensive list of Unique Social Issue Research Topics

Scroll down and go through our list of unique topics and pick one that sparks your interest. Here you go with the first one: 

Women’s Social Issues Research Topics 

It’s crucial to look into the various aspects of women’s social issues if we want to get a better understanding of gender inequality. Here are some ideas to help you dig deeper into this topic.

• Prejudice against women in corporate culture
• Problems of pregnant women working in the corporate
• Harassment in educational institutes against women
• What strategies can governments adopt to ensure equal rights for women?
• Raising awareness of the problems of pregnant women
• How to develop a respectful attitude towards women and gender minorities in companies?
• Ill-treatment of women in the government sector
• Writing on essay topics related to problems with Syrian female immigrants
• The Role of Women in economic life and the World of Work
• Women’s political and electoral training
• Women in old homes: Research and Interviews for Problems and Concerns
• Toxic Masculinity in the Workplace: what can women do?
• Developing a workplace culture for fair treatment of every gender
• Role of Government in solving problems related to Women
• The economy of the United States: Income inequality in the U.S.
• Building a world where women have equal opportunities and fair treatment
• Essay Topics Related to Problems of Women in New York
• Financial problems for single mothers
• Women dealing with social issues in New Mexico
• Condition of Mexican immigrant women in the United States
• Women’s health: Key performance indicators, problems and obstacles
• Securing Women’s Rights with the Help of international law
• Education of women: The rights and responsibilities
• Better living conditions for older women
• A research study of the problems of pregnant women in California
• Health and welfare of older people, especially women
• Improving the quality of life for single mothers with better opportunities

Children’s Social Issues Research Topics 

It’s important to tackle the social issues that affect kids to create a better, more nurturing future for the next generation. Here are some interesting topics on this subject to get started with  writing your research paper . 

• School Bullying and social networks
• Problems and issues with children with a single parent
• A research study on the problems of children in foster homes
• How can we make foster care better and safer for children?
• Delinquency trends in children among marginalized communities
• modernity and technology at the cost of the destruction of childhood
• Issues that children from Mexican households in America have to face
• What are the advantages of multiculturalism in kindergarten?
• Problems of Assault and Molestation of Children
• Why Are Young People Committing Crimes These Days?
• Cyberbullying and Toxicity on social media
• Violence among children and young people
• Rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and improving their lives
• Illness and disability among kids living in developing countries
• The lack of tolerance among the teenagers
• Child labor in developing countries
• Psychology of kindergarten education
• School is a chance for every kid to learn tolerance and harmony
• Children facing with lack of empathy and bullying on social media
• The use of new technologies in education and adaptability in children
• Problems of immigrant children
• Child development and behavior

Social Issues Research Topics About Labor Rights

It’s essential to look into the social issues surrounding workers’ rights and fight for their well-being. Labor rights are the foundation of having fair and decent working conditions. Here are some topics if you want to research such subjects.

• The legal responsibility of entrepreneurs
• Workplace accident management
• Increased flexibility via remote working options
• Mental health problems caused by workers after the COVID pandemic
• The principle of equality today is related to labor rights
• Change wages or salaries
• Labor problems caused by the Covid pandemic
• Employees having to deal with additional work pressures
• Role of labor unions in social justice for Laborers
• Mental health problems in the Workplace
• What can we do to offer ideas for improvements in labor laws
• The desire to maintain a healthy work-life balance
• Hate speech and domestic violence against marginalized groups in large companies
• Academic paper for immigration disruptions in Canada and USA
• The employer’s right to manage employees and the abuse of it
• Role of human resources in identifying and solving problems of labor
• The job of the government and schools is to offer their members better career prospects
• Problems and issues related to a minimum period of employment
• The technology skills gap leads to problems with the laborers
• Improving the well-being of the company for its members
• Change wages or salaries impact and consequences
• How the global pandemic and Working from home changed the World
• Recruiting methods from passive to active: how to prepare
• Global labor shortages: problems and consequences
• What are the reasons for the labor shortage?
• Writing assignment about laborers dealing with the effects of long Covid
• Why is it essential for companies to take a public stand for social issues
• Mental health problems for workers in the field
• Relevant examples of social issues related to labor and employment
• How to empower workers against social injustice?

Social Issues Research Topics for the Environment

It’s important to dig into how social issues and the environment are connected when we’re trying to handle big problems like climate change, running out of resources, etc. Here are some  research topics  to think about.

• Health risks associated with the general environment and their perception and representation
• Climate change knowledge and expertise on health risks
• Health inequalities resulting from environmental and social factors
• What Role can environmental law play in protecting the environment at sea?
• Deforestation and chronic pollution are destroying biodiversity
• Importance of green energy conversion
• The Law of the Environment and sustainable development
• The Management of Pollution in Environmental Law
• Toward a better understanding of atmospheric pollution
• Utilizing environmental technologies and learning about them
• Waste and material resources of the World
• The destruction of ozone affects the environment and health
• Nature’s resources are being destroyed. What can we do as researchers to prevent this?
• Is it still imperative to preserve the environment during wartime?
• Combating armed conflict while preserving the environment
• The tourism industry and pollution management
• Environmental factors that affect cancer risk
• Cost-benefit analysis of the action based on legal or socioeconomic criteria
• Analyzing how different environmental factors contribute to the risk
• Investigating a variety of environmental issues and sectors
• Regions and specific areas of environmental perception
• The effects of climate change and global warming
• Factors contributing to a healthy environment
• The relationship between human rights and environmental law
• In environmental law, pollution management is a constant
• Worldwide implementation of sustainable development
• How consumption trends and international news can help the environmental cause

Social Issues Research Topics Related to Covid Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed how we live and has spotlighted all kinds of social issues that need to be looked into and solved. So, if you would like to research social issues related to the recent pandemic, check out this list for current social issues for research paper:

• Social panic caused after the COVID-19 breakdown
• Problems and social issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
• COVID-19 and financial problems on the rise
• Impact of COVID-19 on the people with middle class
• Police Procedure and criminal justice during the COVID-19
• The aftermath of COVID-19 has resulted in a social dilemma and economic disruption
• An influential aspect of the pandemic is mental health
• The Impact of social and territorial inequalities on health
• The ethical issues raised by the pandemic
• Writing research papers on social media’s Role during COVID-19
• Children and adolescents’ mental condition during the pandemic
• Problems in healthcare and Management of chronic diseases
• Disruption in modern society by the COVID-19
• How our social media accounts helped us during the darkest hours of covid
• Ensuring the delivery of criminal justice during covid
• Impact of COVID-19 on family life
• Role of the Pandemic in the Promotion of remote education
• Avoiding social media addiction during the quarantine

Social Issue Topics Related to American Society

Checking out the social problems in the U.S. gives us a great understanding of how complicated, varied and hard they can be for people and different communities. Here is another list of topics on social issues. 

• Environment perception in specific areas and regions
• Climate change and global warming effects
• The factors that contribute to a healthy environment
• Cancer risk factors in the environment
• Workplace toxic masculinity: what can women do?
• The global labor shortage: problems and consequences
• Why does the U.S. have a shortage of labor?
• Workers dealing with the effects of Covid
• Problems related to mental issues among field workers
• Law and human rights concerning the environment
• Management of pollution is a constant concern in environmental law
• Impacts and consequences of changes in wages or salaries
• How to prepare for passive to active recruitment
• The problem of child labor in developing countries
• Kindergarten Education and Psychology
• Tolerance and harmony can be learned in school by every child
• Lack of empathy and bullying on social media among children
• Technology in Education and Children’s Adaptability
• Legal or socioeconomic cost-benefit analysis of the action
• A major social issue in the modern age is poverty
• Government’s Role in solving social problems
• Sustainable Development of the World
• Trafficking in drugs and Mexican cartels
• A culture of fair treatment for all genders in the Workplace
• Nature’s resources are being depleted.
• Management of pollution in the tourism industry
• How can we use social media to improve society and resolve social problems?
• A lack of respect for marginalized communities in the professional environment can be seen in several ways.
• Understanding social issues and the problems associated with them
• Materials and waste from around the World and the Impact they have on the environment
• The depletion of ozone is detrimental to the environment and human health
• Insights into the political and electoral training of women
• Taking a closer look at Women’s Problems and Concerns in old homes: Research and Interviews
• Issues and problems related to the minimum period of employment and the minimum wage
• The technological skills gap is causing labor shortages shortly
• Enhancing the well-being of the members of the company as a whole

Interesting Social Injustice Topics for College Students

As college students, exploring and engaging with interesting social issues topics expands our intellectual horizons and empowers us to become agents of change in our communities and beyond. Particularly when you include social problems examples. Here is another list of interesting topics.

• Developing better relationships with public institutions to solve problems
• The Role of social work in the Management of health problems
• Corporations discriminate against marginalized communities in the U.S.
• Sociology of the popular classes
• The reasons for the low human development index in African countries
• Social issues caused by class differences
• Drugs and anarchist behaviors
• Religious Differences and biased approaches to employment strategies
• Mexican cartels and the problem of drug trafficking
• Poverty is one of the most significant social issues in the Modern World
• Role of the Government in solving social issues
• How can we use social media to improve society and solve social issues?
• Prejudice against marginalized communities in the professional environment
• Understanding the problems related to social issues
• Role of problem-solving and understanding the root cause of social issues
• Major social issues in developing countries
• Role of Education in ending violence in Society
• Class Differences and the Impact on the human development index
• Differences in health facilities for different classes
• Social Norms and the Role of the Community
• Causes and solutions to human trafficking on the Mexican borders
• Human development index in India
• How to solve the poverty problem?
• What is the problem of social media bullying, and how to avoid it?
• How does financial illiteracy lead to a lack of development in developing countries?
• Impact of Terrorism on Society
• How to solve the terrorism problem?
• Mafia problems in the USA and how to deal with them
• Biased treatment of marginalized communities in the government sector
• The increasing problem of drug addiction
• Ethics and Artificial Intelligence: Emerging social issues
• Role of social media in increasing social issues

Police and Social Justice Research Papers Topics

Let’s unveil a curated collection of current social issues for a research paper. Here’s the list:

• Children’s safety and protection: The security job is of the utmost importance
• School bullying is a serious issue that needs to be addressed
• A few heartrending social issues examples 
• Using the Internet to disseminate terrorist content: a serious issue related to Cybersecurity
• Digital Platform Security Certification – A Guide to Cybersecurity Certifications
• The protection of minors in alcohol-serving establishments
• Concerns regarding cyber security in the United States
• An analysis of the spatial pattern of terrorism in the USA over the past two decades
• New York crime analysis, a look at the crime situation in the City
• Security technologies face several obstacles when it comes to their implementation
• Having the versatility to specialize and the specialization to be versatile in security matters
• Investigative requisitions from the judicial police
• Relationships between the police and the public: The need for improvement
• Conflict Management and Prevention in Communities
• The principle of secularism in sports must be respected
• Stopping the illicit trade in tobacco products
• Towns with small populations and cybersecurity
• Taking care of historical monuments
• Providing support to victims of aggression
• An analysis of the roadside check system in developing countries
• The challenges of reception at a police station for public security
• A system for protecting housing from illegal encroachment
• Anti-abuse and anti-fraud measures
• A diversity of expectations and feedback from the inhabitants
• Taking public security work seriously in terms of its relational dimension
• The issue of external assistance in the area of internal security
• Putting social networks to the test in terms of police ethics

As you have reached the conclusion paragraph of the blog post, you must have picked a topic or two to work for your social issue research paper. Most of the lists have focused on social issues today as they could be very interesting for the readers. Plus, there are a plethora of good topics for you to count on. Just remember that a good research subject must be able to answer, what is a social problem, what is a social issue, and more. Still if you are struggling with picking up a good topic, feel free to count on the expertise of  our writers .

What is an interesting social issue research topic?

What is research about social issues, how do i choose a social research topic.

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155 Social Problems Essay Topics & Research Questions to Write about

Are you looking for the best social issues topics? You’re at the right place! StudyCorgi has prepared a list of social problems research topics and questions for your speech, essay, and other writing assignments. You’ll find titles about inequality, teenage pregnancy, violence, hunger, and other problems facing contemporary society.

⚠️ 7 Social Issues Topics 2024

✅ easy social issues to write about, 🏆 best social issues essay topics, 👍 good social problems research topics & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting social issues research topics, 💡 simple social issues topics for project, ❓ research questions on social issues, 🔎 current research topics on social issues, 🗣️ social issues topics for speech.

• Poverty as a Social Problem
• Migration as a Social Problem
• Violence: The Social Problem
• Juvenile Delinquency as Social Problem Within Education Institutions
• Bullying: A Serious Social Problem
• Social Problem Analysis: Social Inequality in Education
• Social Problems Related to Alcohol and Drugs

If you need to write a paper on social issues and wonder what social problems to write about, here are a few easy options you can consider:

• Social Problems Assignment: Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency or illegal behaviors committed by underage children is a significant social problem in the United States and worldwide.
• Social Deviance Contribution to Social Problems The paper examines the forms that social deviance may acquire contributing them to social issues, that is criminal and non-criminal deviance.
• Oppression as a Social Problem The paper defines oppression in terms of marginalization, exploitation, powerlessness, cultural imperialism and violence: the key facets of oppression according to Iris Young.
• Social Problems of People with Disabilities People living with disabilities go through several challenges in life because society is yet to appreciate their presence.
• Substance Abuse: The Cause of Social Problems Substance abuse is a contributing factor to social problems but cannot be said to be the one that is most responsible.
• The Use of Statistics in Evaluating Social Problems Statistics are an important tool for researchers and policymakers when analyzing particular social-related issues. The types of statistics are objective or subjective.
• Educational Institutions’ Social Problems: Juvenile Delinquency Juvenile delinquency is the problem that profoundly affects educational institutions as its representatives are people involved in education the most.
• America’s Social Problems Through the Song “Cookie Jar” by J. Johnson The song Cookie Jar is a song written by Jack Johnson song talks about the blame game that is going on and in American society.
• Social Problems and Policy: Youth Unemployment and Mental Health In the history of the US, the federal and state governments have been at the forefront to facilitate effective social programs.
• Addressing Teenage Obesity in America The paper states that adolescence is one of the most crucial developmental phases of human life during which the issue of obesity must be solved.
• The Social Problem of Bullying and the School System The present paper focuses on the connection between the social problem of bullying and the school system, describing each of these concepts.
• Social Problem and Policy Analysis Human rights and social work perspectives show how standardized testing promotes inequality and increases the barriers for non-white individuals.
• Modern Social Problems Through the Sociological Imagination Prism This paper aims to discuss the concept of the sociological imagination and its significance in understanding contemporary social problems.
• Benchmark as Social Problems The impact of social phenomenon, for instance, social inequality, vulnerable population and other problems with politics, on poverty from a macro and micro perspectives.
• Solving Social Problems With a Nudge The speaker’s perspective is on the human mind’s diversity and complexity, making people manufacture irrational behavior, perpetuating poverty, corruption, and discrimination.
• Social Problems in Wilson’s “Fences” Play People who have been subjected to social oppression have a good chance of developing mental health problems in the future.
• Social Problem of Inequality Studies of social inequality included non-urban areas and social inequality factors that had not been included in previous studies.
• Analyzing Social Problems: Health Disparities This discussion will examine the unequal access to healthcare and its cause, investigate its prevalence, describe vulnerable populations.
• Juvenile Delinquency as Social Problem of Vulnerable Populations The theme of this paper is such a problem of vulnerable populations as juvenile delinquency, its interconnection with other social problems, and possible ways of its solution.
• World Poverty as a Global Social Problem Poverty and the key methods helping to reduce it attract the attention of numerous researchers in different areas of expertise.
• Queer (LGBTQ) Community as a Social Problem in Canada The Canadian government has shown interest in LGBTQ matters in recent years. Canadian queer persons are more likely to be victims of violent crime.
• The Social Problems Behind the Military Suicide
• How Overpopulation Causes Social Problems?
• Ethical and Social Problems of Genetic Engineering
• The Economic and Social Problems of the 1930s
• Social Problems Among College Students
• Alphonso Pinkney’s Black American: Chronic Social Problems
• Race and Gender Impact on Social Problems
• Behavior and Social Problems in Classrooms
• Social Problems About School Drop Outs
• Current Political and Social Problems of Pakistan
• Social Problems Associated With Street Gangs
• Social Problems and the Theories of Emile Durkheim
• Unemployment and Social Problems in the Post-war United States
• Social Problems and Issues in Pakistan
• Sociology and Various Social Problems
• The Major Social Problems Facing the Teenagers of Today
• Values, Social Problems, and Balanced Development in Malaysia
• Political, Economic and Social Problems of France
• Social Problems Associated With Health and Happiness
• The Environment and Social Problems
• Social Problems Amongst the Homeless
• Mauritius: Tourism and Social Problems
• Social Problems Affecting Youth Today and Ways To Solve Them
• Nature and Social Problems
• Social Problems and Drug Abuse
• Critical Social Problems Affecting African Americans
• Social Problems Arise From the Views and Values of the Society
• Connection Between Social Problems and Urbanization
• Unemployment Social Problems Faced by China and West
• Social Problems Among Youth in Malaysia
• The Covid-19 Related Social Problems The paper discusses the Covid-19 pandemic that has caused devastating social disruption where millions of individuals have fallen into extreme poverty.
• Social Problem: Hunger in the United States Hunger problem, income gap, race discrimination, poverty in rural regions, and COVID-19 outbreak have severe effects on the hunger problem.
• Americas Social Problems Nowadays The article explains the social, economic, political, technological, and legal impacts of war and how the global community can address the reality of terrorism.
• American Modern Social Problem The United States is not renowned to having one of the best systems of health care worldwide, rather the U .S. is known for its best system in emergency care worldwide.
• Meth Epidemic as a Social Problem: Film Analysis Drug consumption has become a major social problem for many states in the US as many drug users and addicts consider meth as their top choice.
• Development of Children’s Friendship and Social Problems This analysis was reached upon following a close thirty-minute observation of infants, and it suggests various types of behaviors presented by children in play.
• The Role of Social Workers in Addressing Teenage Obesity The social worker should be the bridge uniting obese individuals and society advertising social changes, and ending injustice and discrimination.
• Policies for Social Problems Social problems dominate in different parts of the world. Good policies should be devised to make it possible to pronounce dominant sociological problems.
• The Most Crucial Social Problems To conclude, it is essential not to forget about less fortunate people who have nothing to eat and nowhere to live.
• Social Problems Within Educational Institutions It is necessary to understand and analyze the connection between various social problems within U.S. educational institutions.
• Analyzing Social Problems – Case Study: Jake Levy The analysis of Jake Levy’s case led to lobby the state legislature to start a suicide prevention program for veterans who are getting mental health services.
• Perspectives on the Central Social Problem in Modern Society Social ills plaguing modern society have been a basic concern for many prominent philosophers throughout the ages.
• Potential Threat of Coronavirus as a Social Problem in Haines City, Florida SARS coronavirus is only a potential threat for Haines City so far, but preventing misinformation and potential panic is still an important social problem.
• Social Problems: Exploring the Main Types There are four main social problems; crime, violence, drug abuse, and environmental problems. The other social problems are very closely related to the above.
• Childhood Obesity: Medical Complications and Social Problems The children have also suffered from the adverse effects that have been instilled into our society. Obesity has become a common problem in children of American and European countries.
• American Social Problems of Women and the Elderly The issues of social discrimination experienced by women and elderly people have their roots in two fundamental perspectives of social life.
• Modern American Social Problems The essay lists the current American social problems and describes the key point of each problem the society faced nowadays.
• American Social Problems: Family and Education The family and education are major socializing agents in society and to be particular the United States of America.
• Rawls vs. Nozick on Social Problems and Criminal Justice The essay reflects on the articles of Rawls and Nozick to compare their key points and determine whose theory is most applicable to social problems and criminal justice.
• Global Warming: Solving a Social Problem Global warming may be a cause of the cooling in some parts of the world. Global warming can slow down ocean heat transport which becomes the reason for cooling in some regions.
• The Issue of Adolescent Pregnancy as a Major Social Problem The purpose of this study is to investigate the issue of adolescent pregnancy as a significant challenge that affects society across the globe.
• Texting and Driving: Social Problems Texting and driving refers to the act of receiving, reading and sending text messages while operating a motor vehicle, which is a hazardous practice that causes many fatalities.
• Social Problems Exam Practice
• PRS and Its Social Problems
• Social Problems and Legalization of Marijuana
• The Increasing Social Problems of Violence in the 20th Century
• Child Abuse – Social Problems
• Social Problems and Solutions Chart
• The Social Problems Facing Homeless Youth
• Social Problems Are Due to Society’s Tolerance of Immorality
• Realist and Constructivist Approaches to Social Problems
• Social Problems During the Industrial Revolution
• Emile Durkheim and Social Problems
• Literature During the Old Times Until Now Contribute To Address Social Problems
• Substance Abuse and Social Problems
• Public Education and the Impact of Social Problems
• Social Problems Facing Our US Veterens
• Physiological and Social Problems in the Middle East
• Social Problems and Homelessness in Savannah, Georgia
• Technical and Social Problems of Nuclear Waste
• Social Problems Associated With Interfaith Marriages
• Technology and Social Problems
• Social Problems Affecting Students and Schools in the US
• Ethnography: Social Problems
• Social Problems Affecting Society, Big and Small
• Appalachia: Culture and Social Problems
• Social Problems Associated With Racial Discrimination
• Political, Economic, and Social Problems in India
• Social Problems Behind Sexual Deviance
• Poor Neighborhoods Give Rise to Social Problems
• Literary Realism and Social Problems
• Prevalent Social Problems That Impacts Society
• What Are the Ethical and Social Issues of Genetic Engineering?
• What Social Problems Occur in Substance Abuse?
• What Are the Main Social Issues among the Youth in Malaysia?
• What Are the Social Problems behind War Suicide?
• What Are the Economic and Social Issues of Women Entrepreneurs in Turkey?
• What Are the Incentives for Solving Social Problems?
• What Business and Social Problems Does Data Center?
• Why Do Poor Neighborhoods Give Rise to Social Problems?
• What Are the Reasons for the Social Problems of Adolescents?
• What Are the Economic and Social Issues of the Caribbean?
• What Social Problems Arise Because of Society’s Tolerance for Immorality?
• What Are the Various Social Issues Faced by Black Women in the American South?
• How Social Problems Caused by the Elizabethan Poor Law of 1601?
• What Are Pakistan’s Current Political and Social Problems?
• What Are the Common Social Problems Affecting Society?
• What Is the Influence of Literary Realism on Social Problems?
• What Business and Social Problems Does Data Center Power Consumption Cause?
• How Does the Media Impact Social Problems?
• What Social Problems Are Revealed in the Great Gatsby?
• What Are the Social Problems Associated with Interfaith Marriages?
• Should the State Pay More Attention to Solving the Pressing Social Problems of Our Time?
• What Is the Connection between Social Policy and Social Problems?
• What Are the Social Problems Faced by Homeless Youth?
• What Are the Physiological and Social Problems in the Middle East?
• Online misinformation and its effects on society.
• Racial bias and discrimination in policing.
• The impact of populism on democracies.
• Factors perpetuating the gender pay gap.
• The influence of climate change on vulnerable populations.
• The impact of automation on the job market.
• The effects of cyberbullying on adolescents.
• The social consequences of rapid urbanization.
• Youth unemployment and social exclusion.
• Social implications of genetic modification technologies.
• Strategies to prevent cyberbullying and online harassment.
• The impact of social media on youth.
• Access to quality education for all.
• The importance of safeguarding personal information online.
• Encouraging youth to get involved in the democratic process.
• The influence of technology on social interactions.
• Ways to combat human trafficking.
• Raising awareness of human rights violations in conflict zones.
• The effects of social media on body image.
• Why should guns be prohibited?

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These essay examples and topics on Social Problems were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 21, 2024 .

Research Topics & Ideas: Sociology

50 Topic Ideas To Kickstart Your Research Project

If you’re just starting out exploring sociology-related topics for your dissertation, thesis or research project, you’ve come to the right place. In this post, we’ll help kickstart your research by providing a hearty list of research ideas , including real-world examples from recent sociological studies.

PS – This is just the start…

We know it’s exciting to run through a list of research topics, but please keep in mind that this list is just a starting point . These topic ideas provided here are intentionally broad and generic , so keep in mind that you will need to develop them further. Nevertheless, they should inspire some ideas for your project.

To develop a suitable research topic, you’ll need to identify a clear and convincing research gap , and a viable plan to fill that gap. If this sounds foreign to you, check out our free research topic webinar that explores how to find and refine a high-quality research topic, from scratch. Alternatively, consider our 1-on-1 coaching service .

Sociology-Related Research Topics

• Analyzing the social impact of income inequality on urban gentrification.
• Investigating the effects of social media on family dynamics in the digital age.
• The role of cultural factors in shaping dietary habits among different ethnic groups.
• Analyzing the impact of globalization on indigenous communities.
• Investigating the sociological factors behind the rise of populist politics in Europe.
• The effect of neighborhood environment on adolescent development and behavior.
• Analyzing the social implications of artificial intelligence on workforce dynamics.
• Investigating the impact of urbanization on traditional social structures.
• The role of religion in shaping social attitudes towards LGBTQ+ rights.
• Analyzing the sociological aspects of mental health stigma in the workplace.
• Investigating the impact of migration on family structures in immigrant communities.
• The effect of economic recessions on social class mobility.
• Analyzing the role of social networks in the spread of disinformation.
• Investigating the societal response to climate change and environmental crises.
• The role of media representation in shaping public perceptions of crime.
• Analyzing the sociocultural factors influencing consumer behavior.
• Investigating the social dynamics of multigenerational households.
• The impact of educational policies on social inequality.
• Analyzing the social determinants of health disparities in urban areas.
• Investigating the effects of urban green spaces on community well-being.
• The role of social movements in shaping public policy.
• Analyzing the impact of social welfare systems on poverty alleviation.
• Investigating the sociological aspects of aging populations in developed countries.
• The role of community engagement in local governance.
• Analyzing the social effects of mass surveillance technologies.

Sociology Research Ideas (Continued)

• Investigating the impact of gentrification on small businesses and local economies.
• The role of cultural festivals in fostering community cohesion.
• Analyzing the societal impacts of long-term unemployment.
• Investigating the role of education in cultural integration processes.
• The impact of social media on youth identity and self-expression.
• Analyzing the sociological factors influencing drug abuse and addiction.
• Investigating the role of urban planning in promoting social integration.
• The impact of tourism on local communities and cultural preservation.
• Analyzing the social dynamics of protest movements and civil unrest.
• Investigating the role of language in cultural identity and social cohesion.
• The impact of international trade policies on local labor markets.
• Analyzing the role of sports in promoting social inclusion and community development.
• Investigating the impact of housing policies on homelessness.
• The role of public transport systems in shaping urban social life.
• Analyzing the social consequences of technological disruption in traditional industries.
• Investigating the sociological implications of telecommuting and remote work trends.
• The impact of social policies on gender equality and women’s rights.
• Analyzing the role of social entrepreneurship in addressing societal challenges.
• Investigating the effects of urban renewal projects on community identity.
• The role of public art in urban regeneration and social commentary.
• Analyzing the impact of cultural diversity on education systems.
• Investigating the sociological factors driving political apathy among young adults.
• The role of community-based organizations in addressing urban poverty.
• Analyzing the social impacts of large-scale sporting events on host cities.
• Investigating the sociological dimensions of food insecurity in affluent societies.

Recent Studies & Publications: Sociology

While the ideas we’ve presented above are a decent starting point for finding a research topic, they are fairly generic and non-specific. So, it helps to look at actual sociology-related studies to see how this all comes together in practice.

Below, we’ve included a selection of recent studies to help refine your thinking. These are actual studies,  so they can provide some useful insight as to what a research topic looks like in practice.

• Social system learning process (Subekti et al., 2022)
• Sociography: Writing Differently (Kilby & Gilloch, 2022)
• The Future of ‘Digital Research’ (Cipolla, 2022).
• A sociological approach of literature in Leo N. Tolstoy’s short story God Sees the Truth, But Waits (Larasati & Irmawati, 2022)
• Teaching methods of sociology research and social work to students at Vietnam Trade Union University (Huu, 2022)
• Ideology and the New Social Movements (Scott, 2023)
• The sociological craft through the lens of theatre (Holgersson, 2022).
• An Essay on Sociological Thinking, Sociological Thought and the Relationship of a Sociologist (Sönmez & Sucu, 2022)
• How Can Theories Represent Social Phenomena? (Fuhse, 2022)
• Hyperscanning and the Future of Neurosociology (TenHouten et al., 2022)
• Sociology of Wisdom: The Present and Perspectives (Jijyan et al., 2022). Collective Memory (Halbwachs & Coser, 2022)
• Sociology as a scientific discipline: the post-positivist conception of J. Alexander and P. Kolomi (Vorona, 2022)
• Murder by Usury and Organised Denial: A critical realist perspective on the liberating paradigm shift from psychopathic dominance towards human civilisation (Priels, 2022)
• Analysis of Corruption Justice In The Perspective of Legal Sociology (Hayfa & Kansil, 2023)
• Contributions to the Study of Sociology of Education: Classical Authors (Quentin & Sophie, 2022)
• Inequality without Groups: Contemporary Theories of Categories, Intersectional Typicality, and the Disaggregation of Difference (Monk, 2022)

As you can see, these research topics are a lot more focused than the generic topic ideas we presented earlier. So, for you to develop a high-quality research topic, you’ll need to get specific and laser-focused on a specific context with specific variables of interest.  In the video below, we explore some other important things you’ll need to consider when crafting your research topic.

Get 1-On-1 Help

If you’re still unsure about how to find a quality research topic, check out our Research Topic Kickstarter service, which is the perfect starting point for developing a unique, well-justified research topic.

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149 Social Issues Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best social issues topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on social issues, ⭐ simple & easy social issues essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about social issues, ❓ social issues questions examples.

• Youth Unemployment as a Social Issue Different factors have led to the high levels of youth unemployment, with the most widely studied of them being the skills that are available to the unemployed youths.
• Social Issues: Choosing a Life Partner This process involves the identification of a friend to determine if potential partners share some aspects in life before the friendship can grow to a relationship and if the relationship works for the partners, it […]
• Social Issues in “Frankenstein” Film Frankenstein’s monster represents the mangled and depressed soldiers returning from the war only to find an economy in crisis, given that the Great Depression was in the offing after the war.
• Social Issues in “Gattaca” by Andrew Niccoland In the movie, another family rivalry is witnessed in the case where Vincent was the main suspect in the killing of an administrator; and when Anton offered to help, Vincent asked him to stay away […]
• Social Issues in the Film “Grease” In the first instance, when Danny and Sandy meet for the first time in the school, Danny is compelled to play the bad boy character the group is identified with.
• Homelessness as a Global Social Issue In the US, homelessness is on the increase because of economic melt- down and foreclosures. Moreover, differences in perception of homelessness by liberal and conservative on homeless have increased homelessness in the US.
• Tragic Love and Social Issues in Giovanni Boccaccio’s Decameron In that regard, such distinction led to that love relationships were held in secret, and considering the origins of the lovers in both tales, it can be stated that the finale of these love stories […]
• Anthropology in Solving Global Social Issues Artists were moving in the same direction, which excluded the possibility to understand and assess other examples of the art of other nations.
• Social Issues Affecting Women Women and family Stability/Disintegration The role of women in family stability and disintegration is another social issue affecting women in society. Women are considered as the core managers of stability and security in the family.
• Social Issues in the “Thelma and Louise” Movie The film focuses on the scenes and events that show the experience of females. In other words, “Thelma and Louise” ruined the stereotypical representation of women, which was revolutionary for that time.
• Social Issues in “Be Right Back” Episode of “Black Mirror” Series In one of the scenes of the episodes, in her conversation with the copy of Ash, she says that the android does not have a history of its life; it is just an image without […]
• Social Issues in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello” The social environment of England at the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth century was characterized by great attention to social class, citizens’ jobs, and their reputation.
• Social Issues: Arranged Marriages Even though research has shown that some arranged marriages result in loving and stable relationships, I think it is important to give individuals the freedom to choose their partners and decide whether they are prepared […]
• Social Issue: The Death of the Whitney Houston In addition to giving a precise of the aforementioned story, the next discussion also elaborates the story by relating it to sociological imagination and the concept of social perspectives.
• Homelessness as a Social Issue Research further indicates that the group is at a high risk of suffering from addiction in an effort to contain stress and ignominy associated with homelessness.
• What Defines Us as Human? – Social Issues Although the particular features of the people’s skeletal structure and other physical qualities cannot be discussed as determining to speak about persons as human, it is important to focus on differences in the mental and […]
• Social Issues of Families in Poverty With the tightened budget, parents of the families living in poverty struggle to make ends meet, and in the course of their struggles, they experience many stresses and depressions.
• Social Issues: Smartphones’ Positive Impacts In the past, it is expensive to make calls. In the past, it is not convenient to make calls using payphones.
• Social Issues: Charitable Donations These factors include awareness of the need to contribute, solicitation, selflessness, cost of the benefit, status in the society, and personal values.
• Social Issues; Crime and Poverty in Camden This has threatened the social security and peaceful coexistence of the people in the community. The larger the differences between the poor and the rich, the high are the chances of crime.
• Communist Manifesto, Time and Social Issues The primary issue of the manifesto is the vagaries in which the bourgeoisie subject and subjugate the proletariat, all in the struggle for private property.
• Social Issues in First-World Nations The third social issue that affects a large number of first-world countries is the quality and accessibility of healthcare. However, it is possible to make a gradual positive change through the cooperation of governments and […]
• Philosophy and Perspective of Social Issues In addition, the critical thinking method can also be used to analyze the belief that the government is the cause of social issues. Philosophy is a discipline that can help us to think more critically […]
• Moral, Ethical, and Social Issues However, the spectrum of their research is fundamentally different, and in the case of the Press, it concerns dirty work and society’s response to it.
• Education Establishments’ Role Regarding Social Issues However, the universal nature of these issues and their broad influence create an environment in which members of education establishments begin to question the extent of their involvement in them.
• Social Issues Related to Detroit’s Demographics: The Urban Crisis This refutes the widespread knowledge that suggests racial divides and social initiatives in the 1960s were the cause of the urban decline.
• Journal Editors’ Role Regarding Social Justice Issues Journal editors can involve professionals from social justice forums such as civil rights lawyers in their journals as well as reduce the complexity of the presentation of social justice article contents.
• Social Issue Analysis: The Trauma Lens of Police Violence It is the most visible manifestation of the struggle for justice, and the police are usually expected to support the victims of injustice.
• The Impact of Social Issues on the Development of Adolescence For example, boys have high esteem when they experience changes in their voices, while girls may feel shy due to the growth of their chest region.
• Tobacco as a Social Injustice Issue African Americans are a minority population in the U.S.singled out to endure the health challenges related to tobacco use hence a social injustice.
• Ageism and Financial Insecurity as Social Issues The two main social issues impacting the rights of older individuals are ageism and financial insecurity. Many older people are capable and eager to work beyond the standard set, but the chances are limited.
• The Review of Social Issues Film One of the most important concerns for my future life is the ability to raise and care for children properly. The issue of elderly domestic abuse is considered to be one of the most serious […]
• Race as a Social Construct: Issues of Barriers Since it occurs in the conditions of scarcity of resources essential for the survival of citizens, the varying degree of access to them can be determined on the basis of racial background.
• Social Issues in the “In Plain Sight” Art Project The artists from the In Plain Sight project are united by the goal of raising public awareness about causes such as immigrant detention and the US culture of incarceration.
• Immigration: Social Issue Feeling Analysis From the global perspective, the most influencing countries in the world use visa and other conditions of entering the country as a migration regulating tool.
• International Social Welfare Issue Analysis That is why it is very important for social workers and all socially conscious people to promote the ideas of social welfare and make people understand why it matters. To conclude, the issue of social […]
• Modern Healthcare Aspects in the United States: Managing Historical and Social Issues Today, the system is trying to manage various issues such as malnutrition among older adults that is increasing, the role of nurses and the importance of their diversity, and the growing costs of the services.
• Whistleblowing as a Social Issue in the Workplace The only hindrance to whistleblowing in society or the public is the authenticity of the information and how it will be received generally.
• Management of Obesity and Social Issues That Emerge With Its Development The article by Omole focuses on recent shift in the management of obesity and the social issues that emerge with its development, namely, the culture of fat-shaming, by considering some of the alternatives toward evaluating […]
• Key Social Issues Affecting Criminal Justice Professionals The absence of a decline in this percentage suggests that the criminal justice system has not been effective in addressing this issue. The criminal justice system has failed to decrease crime rates due to the […]
• Police Brutality: Social Issue This paper explores the issue of police brutality and seeks to shed light on the perceptions of the public, especially the black minority.
• Domestic Terrorism: A Comparative Analysis with Hate Crimes In my opinion, people could be driven by some factors or they could be conditioned throughout their lives to engage in domestic terrorism. They may also say that they feel unrecognized in the management of […]
• Global Digital Divide as a Social Issue That is, if societies around the globe are able to bridge the gap between those who have and those who do not in relation to information technology, then the development problems would be minimized at […]
• J.A. McPherson and G.G. Marquez Novel’s: Urgent Social Issues The black waiter Doc and the Colonel are forced to live in a cruel world and adapt to the dominant system.
• Should Drugs Be a Health, Social Issue or a Legal, Criminal Issue? They are classified depending on the mode of action and the response induced in the body. In order to get information from the participants the following questions will be asked: What drug do you use?
• Professors and Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom He analyzes the statement issued by the American Association of University Professors’ Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure, “Freedom in the Classroom,” which he says seems to defend professors against attacks by the right […]
• Social Issues in Kuwait: Immigration Workforce Among the frequently highlighted issues in the country, one is the low productivity among the local workforce due to the high influence of favoritism and nepotism in promotions and merits.
• S. Hay’s and Feagin’s Works on Social Issues The work of the Sharon Hay’s “Flat Broke with Children” was assembled in a milieu characterised by the decline of the widely hailed welfare reform policies which had seen the diminishing of welfare rolls from […]
• Should Professors Be Allowed to Advocate Their Views on Political or Social Issues in the Classroom? In the recent past, professors have been accused of several faults, and it was because of these faults that it was deemed necessary to put a cap on the extent to which professors can excise […]
• Marriage and Family Problems as Social Issues Sociology as a discipline has an extremely wide range of interests and it is next to impossible even to enumerate them, however the issue that has always been of the utmost importance for the sociological […]
• Social Stratification Issues Solving If that is not the case, we meet different forms of institutional discrimination which can take different forms such as discrimination of children, gender discrimination, race and class discrimination.
• Social Issues in Business I see housing as business and as quoted “business involves the exchange of services for money, making money, and dealing with other people’s needs and demands” in the book ‘A better way to think about […]
• Social Inequality Issue Analysis Thesis Social inequality is a system and systematic worked as the framework of society and its functionality. What is acknowledged to be a hierarchical social structure are essentially confined to the primary units of economic […]
• Gender Pay Gap as a Multifaceted Social Issue The gender pay gap is defined as the average gross hourly earnings of men and women who are working. Secondly, political and economic causes and outcomes of the issue have to be considered.
• Identity and Social Class Issue A social class provides the child with a sense of identity, a set of values, and the motivational base for his later actions, while the school provides him with the knowledge and skills necessary to […]
• Domestic Violence as a Social Issue It is one of the main factors which stimulate the study’s conduction, and among the rest, one can also mention the number of unexplored violence questions yet to be answered.
• Masculinity as a Social Norms Issue However, the advancements that occurred with the rise of the LGBT movement and the empowerment of women now challenge established ideas.
• Pollution as a Social Issue and Mass Media’s Role The reason why plastic pollution gained traction only during the 21st century is directly connected to the invention of the Internet and the technological advances in electronics.
• Community Psychology in Addressing Social Issues Based on the lecture, we learned about the disparity between the rich and the poor, a domain that is associated with marginalization and stigmatization.
• Social Issues in Education: Applying Theory In the year 2000, the Ministry of Education banned any form of corporal punishment in all schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• Social Issues of the Immigration Journal The authors studied the impacts of multiculturalism of the period 1980s to 1990s on institutional forms of immigrants in the Netherlands.
• Social Issues in Karl Marx’s Letter to John Mayer In your letter, it seems that those in power do not listen to you and your generation. This is one sure way of attaining power that is vital for you and your generation to change […]
• Social Issues in McMinden, Fictional Town The concepts of social stratification, division of labor, and social distance discussed in the essay appear to be connected by cause-and-effect relation.
• Socialist vs. Capitalist Approach to Social Issues Capitalism also refers to a system where the economy is independent of the state. In a Socialist economy, the intellectual property belongs to the government.
• Policy Changes and Social Issues The second step within the model is associated with the political stream, in which the previously identified problem is reviewed between communities of policy experts who possess knowledge of the problem.
• Rhetoric: Social Issues’ Influences on US Children Such an approach does not allow the readers to be 100% sure that this information is true to life and makes the statement rather weak.
• Economic and Social Issues in Japan The events of March 11 contributed to widespread changes in the Japanese society and government. In the midst of the March 11 disaster, a political reformation occurred.
• Social Issues in “Born into Brothels” Film It is possible to apply the feminist theory to consider a family featured in the film. In Shanti’s family, this is also the case, and her mother is afraid of her daughter’s future as the […]
• Alcoholism as a Social Issue and Its Effect on Families Such children tend to think that they are the causes of the problem, which would end up affecting them psychologically. Since children are not helped to get out of the horrifying scenarios, they end up […]
• Workplace Gender Bias: Social Injustice Issues Such situations make companies to classify its workforce based on the class systems17 that involve a consideration of the individual’s achievement and performance at the workplace.
• Social Issues in “Too Young to Wed” by Cynthia Gorney In the case of 10-year-old Ayesha who was married off to a 50-year old, the women in the family tried to stop the marriage.
• The Social Cost Issue The concept of “social cost” is applied in the economic analysis and estimation of most impacts. The writer observes the economic implications of such impacts on the social realm.
• Public Policies Addressing Social Issues in the USA The best form of policy that the US government uses to control lead poisoning in children is the increased awareness to prevent the use of lead in household paints.
• Social Issues in Self Help in Hard Times by Zinn The following are the main points from the chapter 15 of the Self Help in Hard Times book that were determined as Zinn’s main points of interest: The first main point of Zinn in this […]
• Social Issues in the “Leaving the Streets: Stories of Canadian Youth” The authors of the book are inclined to support the idea that to exit the street life successfully, the street youth should become oriented to the principles of the street disengagement and to breaking all […]
• Natural Disasters and Global Social Issues The hurricane led to a major shift in the social arrangement of the populations in the worst affected areas. This led to a significant loss of jobs in the affected areas.
• US Public Policies Social Issues In view of this, the article is useful since it provides readers with brief and structured information regarding the differences that The Affordable Care Act makes.
• Social Issues of Genital Cosmetic Surgery for Women The labia minora is the main target, and it aims at reducing the size of these lips to avoid protruding beyond the labia majora.
• Single Mothers’ Social Issues The little consideration given to single women living in poverty distorts the women and their families. The single mothers who have a heavy burden of caring for their children need help from the government.
• Intercollegiate Sports: Social and Cultural Issues A primary goal of this essay is to evaluate the impact of social and cultural issues on the ability to handle stress in the future while being a contestant of one of the intercollegiate sports.
• Social Issue of Sexual Assault: Definition and Forms Sometimes it’s not only the ordinary people that are in the dark, even the most important figures that are seen as the role models to the society happen to be in the dark about some […]
• Social Issues: Monogamy in Our Life This sort of relations is considered to be the only legal type of bond in the majority of states all over the world.
• Social Issues: Abortions Prohibition With this in mind, it is possible to say that the question of abortion is a very keen issue which sets the table for a great number of different debates. However, it is said that […]
• Social Issues: Levels of Conversation Impact The results of a conversation depending on the levels of communication between the parties that are involved. In this level of conversation, a self-fulfilling relationship may be developed particularly if the people involved in the […]
• Social Issues: Equity Among the African Demographics Combined with the problem of poverty and lack of educational resources, it takes a truly monstrous scale, affecting not only the lives of women in a number of regions of Africa, but also the entire […]
• Social Issues: Science Versus Indigenous Ways of Living The opinion of science seems to have become the only credible source of knowledge in a contemporary world, and for a good reason with the recent technological breakthrough and the advent of the era of […]
• Social Issues: “A critical Mess” by Scott Rowan In his argument, Rowan, the president of Sherpa Multimedia, explains the pains and frustrations that the Chicago community undergoes when the cyclists take to the streets demonstrating their riding skills and claiming that it is […]
• Social Issues: Child Observation in Khalifa Park It was noticed that there was a marked difference in the games boys and girls play and their reactions to winning and losing the games.
• Social Issues: Urban Livability and Sustainability In achieving this choice in the United States, for instance, the Federal and State governments should allocate resources according to the development index of the cities in the continent.
• Social Issues: Non-Mainstream Body Modification The rise of many art styles and body modifiers, the increase in tattoo parlors dealing in non-mainstream art, and the emergence of websites, books, and magazines containing body art practices led to the rise of […]
• Social Issues: Ethnicity-based Jury Nullification This was because most of the jurists were whites, and they believed that whites had the freedom to treat other races the way they pleased.
• Social Issues: Hollywood Effects on Suburban Families The actions of the people who lived in the suburbs were largely influenced by the media. On the other hand, the suburban male was the provider and the protector of the house.
• The Discussion of WikiLeaks as a Social Issue The circulation of information on the Internet with the help of the media is the characteristic feature of the developing globalization.
• Social Issues: Demographic Transition Definition Phase two is considered to be the foundation of demographic transition, where there is a quick decrease in the mortality rate.
• Social Issues: Corporal Punishment To begin with, people that support corporal punishment say they do so because they believe that a child needs spanking to learn a discipline.
• Social Issues: Teen Pregnancy Lastly, there are no good role models to teach children the importance of abstinence, and this has led them to believe that they should engage in premarital sex to become famous.
• Social Issues: Police Protection of the Ku Klux Klan The situation when the police protected the Ku Klux Klan while gassing and arresting the demonstrators can seem to be unexpected and controversial because people are often inclined to associate the Ku Klux Klan with […]
• Social Issues: Rites and Ceremonies in People Life The life of a person as the member of the group or community is associated with definite rites and ceremonies which are followed to respond to the traditions, and cultural values developed during the centuries […]
• Social Issues: Leisure Lifestyle Erickson confirmed through research that leisure activities originate from the mind, and an individual is motivated to engage in it whenever he or she feels that it would be beneficial.
• Social Issues: The Art of Living in Solitude The status of a single person is part and parcel of the modern reality for an increasingly large number of people and at the same time the major cause for psychological and social problems for […]
• Social Issues of Human Behavior: Nature and Nurture On the other hand, the nurture view asserts that behaviors are developed and persist according to the upbringing and the environment the individual grows up in.
• Social Issues: Appropriateness of Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the sphere of education can be discussed as the appropriate approach to evaluate the admissions of college students because it can guarantee the equal access to the limited educational resources for students […]
• Social Issues: Gentrification in Harlem Thus, gentrification in Harlem during the period of 2000-2012 is characterized by changes in the community’s demographics, household income, and economy connected with the arrival of wealthier residents, increased investment, promoted economic and business activities, […]
• Social Issues: How Identities are Constructed? In modern times, many people identify themselves with their countries of birth, and this makes them eligible for citizenship rights and other social and economic privileges that are offered by their countries.
• Social Issues: Game Theory in Daily Life In effect, game theory can be said to be a basis for making rational decisions whereby the given decisions create impacts on the decision making the ability of other entities in the group, while also […]
• Social Issues: Common Sense and Intuition One of the most noteworthy ideas in the book was the suggestion that, in as much as people try to act or say otherwise, from a subconscious point of view, the majority is actually practicing […]
• Social Issues: Gender Segregation The Code recognizes the “inherent dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination”.
• Social Issues in the Book “The Academic Illusion” by Ken Robinson In the introductory part of the article, the author focuses on how intelligence is measured. In the last part of the article, the author persuades human beings to change how they perceive education.
• Social Issues: Property Ownership White views nature from a different standpoint to Forster’s; while he appreciates nature and the serenity of the place, Forster view of his wood is in terms of monetary value.
• Social Issues: Alcoholism as a Mode of Addiction Every single case of alcoholic dependence described in the lecture is perfectly consistent with the existing model, each piece of evidence falling into its place and, therefore, allowing the audience to have an entire picture […]
• Social Issues: Challenges Facing Young Immigrants It is against this backdrop that this essay seeks to explore the challenges facing young immigrants in the United States and the proactive measures that can be taken to rescue this vulnerable group in transiting […]
• Social Issues: the Freak Shows Popularity This appetite is what drives freak show organizers to find persons with severe deformities to satisfy the curiosity of the public.
• Social Issues: Muslim Immigrants in the UK Since the study aims at exploring Muslim immigrants in the UK, it will focus on the struggles of Muslim immigrants in the UK, the policies the UK government uses towards Muslim immigrants, and terrorism challenges […]
• Social Issues: Freak Shows The shows gave audiences something they craved, and the audiences gladly paid the organizers for putting up the shows. The second reason for the popularity of freak shows is the financial returns associated with the […]
• Immigration as Social Issue in Australia The research will explore the element of trans-nationalism that is likely to be the case with most of these immigrants and its impacts on their continued stay in Australia.
• Native Americans: Social Issue In addition, the references of the natives by the mainstream society have led to the under development and have prevented the evolution of the Indian Americans.
• Sufficient Justifications of the Legitimacy of Religious Positions on Social Issues Beale points towards the spiritual, historical and divine origins of the bible and utilizes this as the reinforcing factors behind his belief in the bible’s inerrancy and infallibility.
• Social Issue: Concepts of Sociological Imagination and Sociological Perspectives Sociology is a subject that offers insight into behavior of individuals and groups of people in a society and its scope covers established relationships between people in a society, the effects of such relationships on […]
• White Privilege Social Issue Due to subtle nature of the racism in the modern society, the whites perceive it as just a social factor that differentiate people into privileged and unprivileged classes in the society.
• Social and Political Issues The military has been used by the corporations and the wealthy individuals to protect the interests of the nation, which are actually the interests of the corporations and the wealthy.
• Social Issues in the “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee The phrase ‘to kill a mocking bird’ stands out as a metaphor in the book To kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
• Gandhi’s contribution towards contemporary social issues Gandhi appreciates the existence of difference in the name of God amongst the Muslims, Hindus and Christians. In order for the concept of non-violence to be applicable, Gandhi is of the opinion that it is […]
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64 Examples of Social Issues Topics for 2024

May 21, 2024

Writing assignments asking students to engage with social justice/social issues topics target skills vitally important to success in college and beyond. They require writers to demonstrate critical, ethical, and dynamic thinking around demanding topics that present no quick and easy solution. Often, they will call for some amount of research, building textual and media literacy and awareness of the research process. In other words, these kinds of essays can be valuable in teaching students how to think and learn for themselves. But another, underappreciated learning outcome of these essays has to do with their function as communication.

This last feature can be easy to overlook in the context of writing assignments. Questions of audience, authority, and impact seem less significant when you know your teacher must read your essay. However, taking these questions seriously can not only enhance your odds of writing an excellent essay, but could also foster skills instrumental to real-world writing situations.

This article provides a list of social justice topics carefully selected to demonstrate the range and scale of available subjects. It also explains how you might approach writing about these issues with an eye for defining them and understanding the audience. Identifying a great topic that interests you enough to write about is an important early step. But what’s equally or even more important is to understand how to write about it clearly, directly, and persuasively.

How to Write a Successful Essay Grappling with Social Issues Topics

Writing about social issues topics is best improved through asking questions about purpose, context, and outcome. Why this topic and not another? Who is the audience, what do they know, and where might they stand on an issue? What are the typical ways others address the issue? What knowledge, perspective, or plan of action has been missing from that conversation? Why is this topic important to think about? Why is this essay important to read? These questions are crucial to delimiting which social justice topics to focus on and the strategy for writing about them. Answering them in the process of selecting a topic and developing a writing plan can help achieve the following components of good essays:

1) Defining the Issue

A frequent problem with student writing involves tackling questions or issues that are overly broad or vaguely defined. When selecting from social issues topics, it’s actually a smart strategy to think small. Rather than purporting to solve world peace, essays work better when drilling down into more localized and easily defined issues. This will help to communicate clearly what the issue is, convince the reader of its relevance, and successfully indicate that a short piece of writing could meaningfully contribute to the conversation around the issue.

2) Finding and Using Evidence

In many cases, essays on social issues topics will require some amount of research. When incorporating secondary evidence, it’s vital to find sources that are relevant to the topic and signal their credibility. However, even if research is not formally required, it can help toward establishing the purpose of a piece of writing within a larger discussion. Looking toward how others typically address an issue can help toward understanding whether an essay should aim to fill a gap in knowledge, supply a missing perspective, or outline actions that have not been proposed.

Successful Essay Grappling with Social Issues Topics (Cont.)

3) understanding audience.

Student essayists are not overly incentivized to think about questions of audience. However, understanding audience can help toward both defining an issue and acknowledging the purpose of writing. The most important thing to reflect on is the audience’s reason for reading a piece of writing. Why should they care about this social issue and what the essay will say about it? Understanding the reason for reading will help toward envisioning the ideal reader. Then, the essay’s language and arguments can be tailored to what that ideal reader already knows about the topic and their likely attitudes and beliefs.

4) Making an argument

This step follows the others and builds upon each. After clearly defining an issue that is appropriate in scope, an essay should clearly state its purpose or position. It should then interpret relevant evidence to support that position or fulfill its purpose. Then, it should aim to convince the audience by organizing evidence and reasoning into paragraphs structured around topic sentences that support the purpose or position. As these steps make clear, the argument is the essay. Making an argument entails justifying the act of writing itself, as well as the reader’s decision to follow the writer in focusing on an issue from a unique vantage point.

The following list of examples indicates some of the range of social issue essay topics. When considering these or other examples, writers should consider how they can foster purposive essays that understand how they are entering and changing the conversation around the issue.

Example Social Issues Topics – Tech and Labor

Artificial intelligence and digital technology.

• The environmental impact of emerging AI technologies and industries.
• Whether AI is a paradigm-shifting revolution or part of a long, gradual history of technology-assisted creative or technical work.
• The biases that exist in AI systems and data and ways of redressing them.
• The emergent use of AI tools in modern warfare.
• How a specific political movement or group of activists has embraced digital communication technologies to advance a cause.
• How digital self-publishing has affected trends and systems in the publishing industry.
• How social media algorithms promote addictive behaviors and their effect on minors.
• A surprising or disturbing effect of government and corporate digital surveillance practices.

Social Issues Topics (Continued)

Economic and labor issues.

• Causes and effects of unionization in industries connected to the gig economy.
• Disparities in wages between men and women affecting a key industry like tech.
• How changes in minimum wage policies affect other wage earners.
• The impact of globalization on labor rights and standards in the film industry.
• Comparing the outcomes of universal basic income and guaranteed minimum income as novel social welfare programs.
• How faculty and graduate student unionization movements respond to shifting labor and ideological conditions at universities.
• What geographical factors and/or trends in property ownership shape income inequality within a select area?
• Job fields under threat by automation and AI and strategic responses to the prospect of job replacement.

Example Social Issues Topics –Education and the Environment

• The effects of the COVID pandemic on textual and media literacy in children and young adults.
• How educators are responding to the challenges and opportunities of generative AI.
• Areas of learning affected by bans on “critical race theory” and LGBTQ-related topics in schools.
• How digital culture has affected the attention spans of young learners.
• The sources of increased student debt and its effects on the culture of higher education.
• The history and educational role of political protest on college campuses.
• How the end of affirmative action could affect the role colleges have played in promoting wide social mobility.
• The source of debates around “school choice” and how it is changing the face of education.

Environment and Sustainability

• Geopolitical tensions salient to the transnational effort to combat climate change.
• Protest and advocacy strategies adopted by environmental advocates and different ways of measuring their effectiveness.
• Solutions for the disproportionate environmental burdens on marginalized communities.
• Whether mass consumer behavior or the practices of the economic elite are most responsible for climate crises.
• Comparing the effectiveness of political optimism and pessimism in efforts to redress climate change.
• Environmental challenges that result from destructive practices of modern warfare including ecocide.
• Global meat consumption, its contribution to climate change , and proposed solutions.
• The benefits and drawbacks of green capitalist and “de-growth” movements as radically contrasting approaches to combatting climate change.

Example Social Justice Topics – Human Rights and Geopolitics

Human rights and equality.

• How the end of Roe v. Wade has changed the political landscape around women’s reproductive rights.
• Whether cultural or legal solutions could work best to prevent violence against women.
• The alliance between feminists and political conservatives that has emerged in the clash over LGBTQ rights.
• How news media outlets have influenced widespread political efforts to curtail the rights of transgender people.
• Tensions between private corporations and governments around diversity and inclusion efforts.
• The effect of enhanced police oversight by civilians on the disproportionate use of force against minority communities.
• Barriers to housing, employment, or health services faced by people with disabilities.
• How exploitative work practices affecting minors exist despite legal efforts to curtail them.

International and Geopolitical Issues

• How migrant crises have influenced new border and immigration policies.
• How contemporary proxy wars differ from earlier methods of international conflict.
• Tensions that exist between global humanitarian aid agencies and actors in Global South countries that receive aid.
• How efforts to ensure affordable access to medicines across the world were affected by the COVID pandemic.
• How globalization has changed the world distribution of wealth inequality.
• Weighing the humanitarian costs of solar and electric energy production against those of the oil industry.
• How cultural differences around gender and sexuality influence global movements for women’s equality and LGBTQ rights.
• How authoritarian and/or religious political movements have become internationalized.

Example Social Justice Topics – The Legal System and Government

Justice and legal system.

• Restorative justice alternatives to traditional carceral approaches in the legal system.
• Efforts to eliminate cash bail and their potential effect on disparities in pretrial detention and bail practices.
• Legal challenges that new technologies have created in terms of defining or prosecuting crime.
• Methods of preventing and prosecuting police brutality and harassment.
• How the locations of prisons affect local communities and economies.
• Ways to combat mass incarceration through rethinking policing and sentencing standards.
• Academic, professional, and legal services in prisons and their effect on imprisoned populations.
• Mental health challenges present in the legal and carceral systems.

Politics and Governance

• Methods of global governance that have emerged to address transnational challenges like climate change and public health.
• Questions related to freedom of speech principles that have emerged in the digital age.
• Mutual aid efforts that address areas of public need that have been unaddressed through traditional political methods.
• How participatory media encourages broader civic engagement and government transparency.
• Political solutions for addressing the phenomena of food deserts or food apartheid.
• Responses of local governments to sharp increases in homelessness after the COVID pandemic.
• The internationalization of culture wars and political polarization around issues relating to race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.
• Philosophies about the conflict between ideals of multicultural openness and respect for cultural differences.

Final Thoughts – Social Issues Topics

The above social justice topics provide a sense of the large range of urgent issues an essay might topic. However, it’s best to reflect on how a piece of writing can define an issue so as to make clear that it is capable of doing something meaningful with it. That could entail looking for similar, more niche issues to address. Or it could mean deeper thought about an issue for which the writer anticipates they could provide missing information, perspectives, or plans of action. While many readers care about many topics, it’s vital to understand how an essay can create a tangible relationship with an ideal reader. Only then can a writer spur others to think or act in novel and potentially transformative ways.

Additional Resources

• Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• Debate Topics
• Argumentative Essay Topics
• 60 Senior Project Ideas for High Schoolers
• 101 Topics for the Science Fair 
• 100 Creative Writing Prompts 
• High School Success

Tyler Talbott

Tyler holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Missouri and two Master of Arts degrees in English, one from the University of Maryland and another from Northwestern University. Currently, he is a PhD candidate in English at Northwestern University, where he also works as a graduate writing fellow.

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Social Issues Topics: Exploring the Challenges Shaping Our World

Did you know that social issues are not just distant problems affecting others? They are deeply intertwined with our lives and have a profound impact on our daily experiences, shaping the very fabric of our society. From systemic inequality to environmental degradation, these issues have the power to shape the course of history and determine the well-being of generations to come. Get ready to dive into the fascinating realm of social issues topics! In this article, we'll explore their complexities, understand why they matter, learn how to write compelling essays about them and discover a captivating list of the most important social issues examples of our time. This thought-provoking journey will challenge our beliefs and inspire us to take meaningful action for a better future. So, let's dive in and get started!

What Are Social Issues

Social issues are the threads that intricately weave through the fabric of our society, demanding our attention, empathy, and action. They are the challenges and complexities that affect individuals, communities, and even entire nations, often leaving a profound impact on people's lives. These issues stem from the interconnectedness of our world, where various factors like politics, economics, culture, and individual experiences intersect, creating a tapestry of social problems that need to be addressed.

Social issues encompass a wide range of concerns, encompassing everything from poverty and inequality to gender discrimination, environmental degradation, and access to healthcare and education. They represent the barriers that prevent individuals from thriving, the disparities that hinder progress, and the injustices that undermine equality and human rights.

Take poverty, for example. It is not merely a lack of financial resources; it is a pervasive condition that robs individuals of their dignity, opportunities, and hope for a better future. Poverty intertwines with education, as limited access to quality education perpetuates the cycle of disadvantage. It intersects with healthcare, as inadequate medical services disproportionately affect the most vulnerable members of society. And it connects with inequality as wealth disparities widen and prevents social mobility.

As per our essay writing service , to address social issues today, it is crucial to recognize that they are not isolated problems. They are intertwined and interdependent, requiring holistic solutions that encompass multiple dimensions. It takes collective efforts from individuals, communities, governments, and organizations to foster change. Raising awareness, advocating for policy reforms, and promoting equality are essential steps toward ensuring that marginalized groups benefit and creating a more just and equitable society.

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Understanding the Importance of Social Issues in Today's World

Social issues are not abstract concepts confined to textbooks or news headlines. They are pressing challenges that affect real people and demand our attention. By actively engaging with these issues, we have the opportunity to shape a more equitable and compassionate world for ourselves and future generations.

The importance of social issues in developing countries lies in their impact on human rights, well-being, and social progress. By addressing these issues, we strive to build inclusive societies where everyone has equal opportunities and can live a dignified life. It is not only a matter of justice and compassion but also essential for sustainable development and peaceful coexistence.

Moreover, social issues highlight the power of collective action and advocacy. They remind us that we have a shared responsibility to stand up for what is right and work towards positive change. Thanks to the advancements in technology and communication, it is now easier than ever to raise awareness, mobilize communities, and bring about transformative social movements. Social media platforms have become powerful tools for amplifying marginalized voices and shedding light on systemic injustices.

How to Write an Essay About Social Issues

So you've got an assignment on social issues essay topics, huh? Don't worry; we've got your back! Writing about social issues may seem like a tough nut to crack, but trust us; it's a crucial part of academic writing. Social issues are basically problems that affect a whole bunch of people in society. We're talking about everything from politics and economics to education and health and so much more. But hey, no need to stress! Our custom writing experts are here to give you some awesome tips to help you rock that essay and make it super interesting. Let's dive in, shall we?

Choose Your Topic Wisely

Let's begin by taking the first step, my friend! It's all about choosing a topic for research papers that resonates with your heart and feels like a natural fit for your mind. When you opt for a subject that genuinely sparks your personal interest, the research and essay writing process, complete with the proper format of academic paper , will become a delightful adventure.

Engage in brainstorming sessions to generate ideas and conduct thorough investigations to gather factual information. Now, here's a nifty trick: if the chosen issue seems a bit overwhelming with its multiple dimensions, no worries! Just narrow down your focus to a specific aspect. For example, if you're tackling poverty, you can zoom in on the causes, the consequences, or even strategies to alleviate it. The world is your oyster, so let's get cracking!

Support Your Opinion with Examples

When you're writing a research paper about examples of social issues, it's really important to include research and data that support your position. This helps the reader understand why your perspective is necessary and what evidence you have to back it up. For instance, if you're discussing the impact of poverty, you can provide statistics on the number of people in need, how poverty and health problems affect education, and the connection between poverty and crime. Including these kinds of details, just like in economics essay topics , will make your essay more persuasive and engaging.

Keep It Simple

Ensuring your essay is simple and easy to understand is crucial. Instead of using complex words, opt for simpler alternatives that convey the same meaning effectively. By keeping your essay readable, you make it more engaging and easier for the reader to follow. Avoid employing jargon or technical terms that might confuse your audience. Instead, use plain language and take the time to explain any intricate terms or concepts, making the essay accessible to all readers. Following these guidelines on how to write an essay on social issues will help you effectively communicate your ideas and engage your audience.

Revise and Edit

Before you submit your essay, it's important to take a few steps to ensure its quality. Start by checking its structure, making sure it flows smoothly and logically. Verify that your arguments are well-supported and presented in a cohesive manner. Give your essay a thorough review to catch any spelling or grammar mistakes. Additionally, pay attention to formatting, ensuring consistency throughout the entire piece. It can be beneficial to have someone else read your essay and provide feedback as well. Taking these precautions will help you present polished and well-crafted topics for essays .

Social Issues Essay Example

For students seeking a practical example of a well-structured and insightful social issues essay, the pursuit of global citizenship stands as a compelling topic to explore. Through this example, you can gain inspiration and guidance for your own social issues essays, understanding how to construct a compelling argument and convey the importance of promoting positive change in society.

5 Social Issues of Today

Today's society is facing a multitude of social issues that have a significant impact on people's lives. Here is a list of some of the most pressing social issues that affect people worldwide:

• Climate change and global warming : The effects of climate change are already being felt around the world, with rising sea levels, more frequent natural disasters, and changes in weather patterns. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and other human activities are contributing to this issue, and it is essential that we take action to reduce our carbon footprint.
• Income inequality : The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, with the wealthiest 1% of the world's population owning more than half of the world's wealth. This inequality can lead to social unrest, and it is important that we address this issue by promoting fair wages, progressive taxation, and other policies that support economic equality.
• War : Armed conflicts continue to plague different regions around the world, resulting in significant humanitarian crises. Wars not only cause immense suffering, displacement, and loss of life but also have far-reaching consequences on infrastructure, economies, and social stability.
• Gender equality : Despite progress in recent years, gender inequality remains a significant issue in many parts of the world. Women still face discrimination in the workplace, unequal pay, and limited access to education and healthcare. It is crucial that we continue to work towards gender equality and empower women to achieve their full potential.
• Mental health issues and addiction : Mental health issues and addiction are becoming increasingly prevalent in today's society, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. The stigma surrounding mental health can prevent people from seeking help, and it is important that we raise awareness and provide access to affordable and effective treatment options.

Social Issues Essay Topics

Are you feeling stuck while searching for fascinating subjects or a comprehensive list of social issues that can also serve as perfect dissertation topics ? We understand the challenge you're facing, but don't worry! Selecting the right topic is crucial for crafting an exceptional essay and earning your degree from a reputable American college or university. To ignite your creativity, we've compiled a comprehensive list of captivating social issues for you to explore. Get ready to dive in and discover that perfect idea for your next academic project!

👀 Interesting Social Issues Essay Topics

• Income inequality and its impact on modern society.
• The role of social media in shaping public opinion and activism.
• Mental health stigma and its effects on individuals and communities.
• The challenges faced by refugees and their integration into new societies.
• The impact of technology on interpersonal relationships.
• Gender inequality and the fight for gender equity.
• The effects of climate change on vulnerable communities.
• The basic ethical principles of genetic engineering and human enhancement.
• The impact of globalization on cultural identity.
• The role of education in reducing poverty and social inequality.
• The criminal justice system and its approach to rehabilitation versus punishment.
• The implications of automation and artificial intelligence on employment.
• The impact of media portrayal on body image and self-esteem.
• The effects of racial discrimination and strategies for achieving racial equality.
• The challenges and opportunities of multiculturalism in contemporary society.

🎲 Peace and War Topics

• Causes and origins of the Russia-Ukraine war: Explore the underlying factors that led to the outbreak of the conflict, such as historical, political, and ethnic tensions.
• International response to the Russia-Ukraine war: Analyze the reactions and actions taken by various countries, regional organizations, and global institutions in response to the conflict.
• The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the challenge of achieving lasting peace.
• The Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan: Historical context, current status, and potential solutions.
• The ongoing tensions in the Korean Peninsula: Assessing the prospects for peace and denuclearization.
• The Syrian Civil War and its Regional and global implications.
• The Israel-Palestine conflict: Historical background, current dynamics, and prospects for peace.
• The war in Afghanistan: Challenges, consequences, and prospects for stability.
• The conflict in South Sudan and the impact on regional security.
• The war on terror: Assessing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies and the implications for civil liberties.

🔬 Social Science Topics

• The impact of microaggressions on marginalized communities and its implications for mental health.
• Exploring the social and cultural factors that influence body image dissatisfaction among different ethnic groups.
• The role of social capital in fostering community resilience and disaster preparedness.
• Investigating the relationship between cultural heritage preservation and sustainable development.
• Analyzing the influence of social networks on political participation and civic engagement.
• Exploring the social implications of virtual reality technology on empathy and perspective-taking.
• Investigating the role of humor and laughter in social interactions and psychological well-being.
• Analyzing the effects of eco-anxiety on environmental attitudes and behavior.
• The impact of social media accounts activism on social movements and policy change.
• Exploring the cultural and societal implications of the sharing economy and collaborative consumption.

🏙 Migration and Immigration Topics

• The experiences and challenges faced by LGBTQ+ migrants and refugees.
• Analyzing the role of migrant remittances in economic development and poverty reduction in sending countries.
• Exploring the impact of immigration policies on family dynamics and the well-being of immigrant families.
• Investigating the role of social networks in facilitating successful integration of immigrants into host societies.
• The effects of climate change-induced migration and its implications for global governance and social justice.
• Analyzing the influence of cultural identity preservation among second-generation immigrants.
• The impact of labor migration on gender roles and dynamics within migrant communities.
• Exploring the role of language acquisition and proficiency in the social integration of immigrants.
• Investigating the intersections of migration, health, and access to healthcare services.
• Analyzing the economic, social, and cultural contributions of immigrant entrepreneurs to host countries.

🌳 Environmental Social Issues Essay Topics

• The intersection of environmental justice and social equity: Analyzing the disproportionate impacts of environmental degradation on marginalized communities.
• The role of indigenous knowledge and practices in sustainable resource management.
• The impact of consumerism and overconsumption on the environment and social well-being.
• Exploring the social and economic implications of climate-induced migration and displacement.
• The influence of environmental education and awareness on individual and collective environmental behaviors.
• Analyzing the relationship between environmental degradation and public health, focusing on air and water pollution.
• The role of corporate social responsibility in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing social concerns.
• Investigating the social implications of plastic waste and exploring strategies for reducing single-use plastics.
• The impact of urbanization on ecosystems and the social well-being of urban communities.
• Analyzing the social dimensions of renewable energy transitions and the equitable distribution of benefits.

💖 LGBT Topic Ideas

• The historical evolution of LGBT rights movements: From Stonewall to present-day advocacy.
• Exploring the experiences and challenges faced by transgender individuals in healthcare systems.
• Analyzing the representation of LGBT characters in media and its impact on social perceptions.
• The intersectionality of race, gender, and sexuality in the LGBT community.
• Investigating the effects of conversion therapy on the mental health and well-being of LGBT individuals.
• Exploring the experiences of LGBT youth in educational settings and the impact of supportive environments.
• The role of LGBT support organizations and community centers in fostering social inclusion and well-being.
• Analyzing the impact of religious beliefs and attitudes on the acceptance of same-sex marriage.
• Exploring the experiences and challenges of older LGBT adults and the importance of inclusive care and support systems.
• The impact of policies and legislation on LGBT rights and equality, both nationally and internationally.

🏛 Social Justice Essay Topics

• Exploring the concept of reparations for historical injustices and its role in achieving social justice.
• The impact of language and communication barriers on access to justice for marginalized communities.
• Analyzing the social justice implications of algorithmic bias in artificial intelligence systems.
• Examining the role of art and creative expression in advancing social justice movements.
• The intersection of disability rights and social justice: Challenges and advancements.
• Exploring the impact of gentrification on communities and strategies for promoting equitable development.
• Analyzing the role of restorative justice in addressing harm within educational institutions.
• The impact of colonialism on indigenous communities and the pursuit of social justice.
• The role of community organizing in promoting grassroots social justice initiatives.
• Examining the social justice implications of mass incarceration and advocating for criminal justice reform.

🔗 Discrimination and Prejudice Topics

• The effects of racial profiling on marginalized communities and its implications for social justice.
• Analyzing the psychological mechanisms underlying implicit bias and its impact on decision-making processes.
• The intersectionality of discrimination: Exploring how multiple forms of discrimination (race, gender, sexuality, etc.) intersect and compound.
• Discrimination and prejudice in the workplace: Examining challenges and strategies for promoting diversity and inclusion.
• Exploring the effects of religious discrimination on individuals and communities.
• The impact of ageism on older adults and strategies for combating age-related discrimination.
• Analyzing the social and psychological consequences of fat shaming and weight-based discrimination.
• Discrimination against individuals with disabilities and the importance of accessibility and inclusive practices.
• The role of the media in perpetuating stereotypes and its influence on discrimination.
• Examining the effects of prejudice and discrimination on mental health and well-being.

🔪 Violence Topics 

• The role of violence in sports: Examining the impact of aggression and its consequences in athletic competitions.
• Violence against healthcare workers: Analyzing the prevalence, causes, and strategies for ensuring safety in healthcare settings.
• The impact of violence on refugee and displaced populations: Exploring the challenges and interventions for addressing violence in these contexts.
• Violence in the digital realm: Investigating online harassment, cyberbullying, and the psychological effects on victims.
• The relationship between animal cruelty and violence towards humans: Exploring the link and implications for social well-being.
• The effects of violence in video games: Analyzing the debate and research surrounding its potential influence on real-life aggression.
• The role of violence in hazing rituals and initiation ceremonies: Understanding the dynamics and potential harm caused.
• Exploring violence in marginalized communities: Addressing the underlying factors and strategies for promoting community safety.
• Silent Suffering: Unmasking the Reality of Domestic Violence
• Violence in the workplace: Examining the impact of bullying, harassment, and assault on employees and organizational well-being.

👩‍🦯 Humanity Topics

• The power of empathy and compassion in fostering understanding and social harmony.
• Exploring the ethics of artificial intelligence and its impact on human dignity and autonomy.
• The role of forgiveness in healing personal and societal wounds.
• Analyzing the concept of human rights and its universality across different cultures and contexts.
• The pursuit of global citizenship and its potential for promoting peace and cooperation.
• Exploring the intersection of technology and humanity: Examining the benefits and challenges of the digital age.
• The impact of cultural diversity on societal progress and innovation.
• Analyzing the concept of altruism and its role in creating a more compassionate world.
• The importance of intergenerational connections and the wisdom of older generations in shaping our future.
• Examining the concept of identity and the balance between individuality and collective belonging.

Wrapping Up

Social issues are like a cosmic web, connecting countless lives worldwide. This article has been your guide, exploring their intricacies and significance while equipping you to create a powerful social issues essay. Remember, every essay has the power to inspire change.

And here's a little nugget of wisdom: some of the most remarkable social movements in history were sparked by a single person's words on paper. Yes, you heard that right! So, my friend, now you know how to start an essay , so get ready to unleash the power of your pen and leave your mark on the world. Together, we can be the catalysts for a brighter tomorrow!

Are You Ready to Challenge the Status Quo?

Order your eye-opening social issue essay now and ignite a revolution!

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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The 9 Major Research Areas in Social Psychology

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Mitchell Funk / Getty Images

Social Cognition

Violence and aggression, prosocial behavior, prejudice and discrimination.

• Social Identity

Group Behavior

Social influence, interpersonal relationships.

Social psychology is a branch of psychology that studies a wide range of subjects related to social behavior. This includes studying how people interact, factors that affect social perceptions, the formation of attitudes, and how groups influence individuals.

Research in social psychology is often focused on subjects that fall within three broad areas:

• Social influence : Social influence refers to the ways in which our opinions and behavior are affected by the presence of others. This includes studies on topics such as conformity, obedience, and social pressure.
• Social perception : Social perception refers to the ways in which we form impressions of other people. This includes research on topics including first impressions, stereotyping, and prejudice.
• Social interaction : Social interaction refers to the ways in which we interact with other people. This includes research on topics such as communication, aggression, and altruism.

This article discusses some of the major areas of research in social psychology. It also explores some examples of the types of research that social psychologists might conduct within these subject areas.

Social cognition is concerned with the processing, storage, and application of social information. For example, research in this area of social psychology may focus on the development and use of social schemas. 

Schemas are our general ideas about the world, how things are, and how things work. In the case of social schemas, these ideas relate to how we expect people to behave in different situations.

These mental categories allow us to function without constantly stopping to interpret everything around us. We also develop associations between related schemas, which play an important role in the thought process and social behavior.

One area of social cognition research concerns person perception , which is how people form impressions of others. 

First impressions are the judgments we form about someone based on limited information. Studies have shown that first impressions happen within mere milliseconds and are based on several cues, such as facial expressions, body language, voice, and the beliefs held by the observer.  

Understanding how people acquire and process social information allows researchers to better explain how it can affect social interactions and individual behavior.

Attitudes and Attitude Change

Another major research area in social psychology involves the study of attitudes . Social psychologists are interested in the components of attitudes, how attitudes develop, and how attitudes change.

Attitudes are evaluations of people, objects, or issues. They can be positive (e.g., "I like chocolate") or negative (e.g., "I dislike taxes"). Various factors contribute to the development of attitudes, including upbringing and experiences, although genetics also appears to play a role in shaping them.

Researchers have identified three core components of attitude: an affective component, a behavioral component, and a cognitive component. Often referred to as the "ABCs of attitude," these elements describe how we feel, behave, and understand.

Some other characteristics of attitudes that researchers may be interested in include:

• How they are best measured : Some attitudes can be measured through self-report questionnaires, but others might be better measured using tools like facial expression or arousal levels.
• Factors that affect their strength : Attitudes can vary considerably in terms of their intensity. The strength of these attitudes directly impacts the degree to which they will guide their actions. Direct experiences and frequent exposure to the attitude can impact its strength.
• How attitudes affect behavior : Researchers are also interested in understanding how and when these attitudes influence people's actions. For example, social psychologists might explore how attitudes develop through exposure to social media sources and how those attitudes relate to real-world actions.

Attitudes are an important research topic in social psychology because they impact how people view and interact with others.

What causes violence and aggression ? While many different factors play a role, social psychologists are interested in understanding the social influences that shape violent behavior.

Research in this area looks at numerous social factors that may cause aggression, including:

• Situational variables that might contribute to aggression
• Non-physical types of aggression such as name-calling or gossiping
• How aggression is learned via modeling, such as witnessing adults or children engage in aggressive or violent behaviors
• How violence in the media affects behavior in the real world
• Strategies that can be effective in the reduction of aggression and violence
• The role social learning plays in producing aggressive behaviors and actions
• How public policy can be used to curb violent behavior

Research into the epidemic of gun violence is an example of how social psychologists are trying to understand the variables that contribute to a problem, and then utilize that knowledge to come up with actionable solutions.

Prosocial behavior is another major research area in social psychology. Prosocial behaviors are those that involve helping and cooperating.

Researchers often look at why people help others, as well as why they sometimes refuse to help or cooperate. The bystander effect is an example of a social phenomenon in the subject area of prosocial behavior.

Much of the research in the area of bystander effect was prompted by the murder of a young woman named Kitty Genovese. This case captured national attention when reports suggested that neighbors had witnessed her attack and murder but failed to call the police for help.

Later reviews of the case indicate that few (if any) of the neighbors had a clear view of the scene and were unaware of what was happening. Nevertheless, the case became mythologized in psychology textbooks and prompted a surge of interest in prosocial behaviors.

Research inspired by the Genovese case produced a great deal of information on prosocial behavior and how and why people choose—or sometimes refuse—to help others.

Prejudice, discrimination, and stereotypes exist in any social group. Social psychologists are interested in the origins, causes, and effects of these attitudes and social categorizations.

Some questions that social psychologists explore include:

• How does prejudice develop?
• Why are stereotypes maintained in the face of contrary evidence?
• How can prejudice be measured?
• What factors contribute to the formation of prejudice and discrimination?
• Are there effective ways to reduce prejudice and discrimination?

For example, researchers have found that several factors contribute to the development of prejudice, including stereotypes, social categorization, and social influences. Another factor that plays a part is the outgroup homogeneity bias, or the tendency to view people outside of our social group as being more homogenous than members of our own group.

By learning more about the psychology of prejudice and discrimination, researchers can look for solutions to help help prevent it from happening.

Self and Social Identity

Our perceptions of social identities and ourselves are another important research area in social psychology. Some of the questions that researchers explore include:

• How do people come to know and understand themselves?
• How do these self-perceptions affect our social interactions?
• How does belonging to different social groups shape individual identity?
• How do intersecting group members influence self-perception and self-identity?

Social psychologists are interested in learning more about how this inner life influences our outer lives and social world. Self-awareness, self-esteem, self-concept , and self-expression are only a few factors that influence our social experience.

For example, social comparison is a process that can impact how people view themselves. Upward social comparison involves comparing the self to others who are perceived as higher in status and ability, while downward social comparison focuses on making comparisons to those who are lower in status or ability.

Upward comparisons can leave people feeling like they don't measure up, damaging self-esteem. Downward comparisons, on the other hand, can help enhance self-esteem.

By learning more about how social identities and self-perceptions interact, social psychologists are better able to understand how social factors can influence how individuals feel about themselves and their identities.

Group behavior is defined as the actions, feelings, or thoughts of a collective of people. Such groups involve two or more people who share something in common such as identity, purpose, and belief.

The behavior of groups is one of the largest research areas in social psychology. Most people realize that groups tend to behave differently than individuals. These group behaviors are sometimes beneficial but can also be detrimental.

Social psychologists often look at topics such as:

• Group dynamics
• Group decision making
• Cooperation
• Group influence

Norms are an example of an aspect of group behavior that can guide how group members think, behave, or act. Norms are standards that emerge and guide how another member judge one another.

Social psychologists are also interested in the role of social influence on behavior and decision-making. Topics such as the psychology of persuasion , peer pressure, conformity , and obedience are only a few of those studied in this area of social psychology.

One example of research in this area of social psychology was Milgram's obedience studies conducted during the 1960s. The experiments found that when ordered by an authority figure, participants were willing to deliver what they believed were dangerous and painful electrical shocks to another person. While the shocks were staged, the research suggested that many people were willing to go to great lengths to obey authority.

Research has helped reveal the power of social influence and has uncovered ways to help people resist influence.

Social relationships play a major role in shaping behavior, attitudes, feelings, and thoughts. Social psychologists study how these interpersonal relationships affect people by looking at attachment , liking , love , and attraction.

Some research questions that social psychologists might explore include:

• How important are interpersonal relationships to individual well-being?
• What factors play a role in attraction?
• How do interpersonal relationships influence helping behaviors in groups?
• How do close relationships affect individuals?

Close relationships are relationships in which we feel a strong sense of connection and intimacy with another person. Studies on close relationships have shown that they are associated with many benefits, such as increased happiness and satisfaction with life.

A Word From Verywell

Social psychology is a rich subject that explores how social perception, social interaction, and social influence affect both groups and individuals. Researchers in this field are interested in various topics, including attitudes, attraction, close relationships, and helping behavior. By learning more about these subjects, social psychologists can add to our understanding of social behavior and its effect on individual well-being.

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Stolier RM, Hehman E, Keller MD, Walker M, Freeman JB. The conceptual structure of face impressions . Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A . 2018;115(37):9210-9215. doi:10.1073/pnas.1807222115

Markovitch N, Netzer L, Tamir M. Will you touch a dirty diaper? Attitudes towards disgust and behaviour [published correction appears in Cogn Emot . 2016;30(3):i].  Cogn Emot . 2016;30(3):592–602. doi:10.1080/02699931.2015.1020049

Olson JM, Vernon PA, Harris JA, Jang KL. The heritability of attitudes: A study of twins . J Pers Soc Psychol . 2001;80(6):845-60. PMID: 11414369.

Van Ryzin MJ, Dishion TJ. From antisocial behavior to violence: a model for the amplifying role of coercive joining in adolescent friendships .  J Child Psychol Psychiatry . 2013;54(6):661–669. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12017

Kassin SM. The killing of Kitty Genovese: What else does this case tell us?   Perspect Psychol Sci . 2017;12(3):374–381. doi:10.1177/1745691616679465

Rhodes M, Mandalaywala TM. The development and developmental consequences of social essentialism .  Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci . 2017;8(4):10.1002/wcs.1437. doi:10.1002/wcs.1437

Hjerm M, Eger M, Danell R.  Peer attitudes and the development of prejudice in adolescence .  Socius Sociolog Res Dynamic World . 2018;4:1-11. doi:10.1177/2378023118763187

American Psychological Association.  Outgroup homogeneity bias .

Drury J, Carter H, Cocking C, Ntontis E, Tekin Guven S, Amlôt R. Facilitating collective psychosocial resilience in the public in emergencies: Twelve recommendations based on the social identity approach [published correction appears in Front Public Health . 2019 Jun 27;7:181].  Front Public Health . 2019;7:141. doi:10.3389/fpubh.2019.00141

Rahman T. Extreme Overvalued Beliefs: How Violent Extremist Beliefs Become "Normalized" .  Behav Sci (Basel) . 2018;8(1):10. doi:10.3390/bs8010010

Russell NJC.  Milgram's obedience to authority experiments: Origins and early evolution .  Br J Soc Psychol . 2011;50:140-162. doi:10.1348/014466610X492205

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Top 20 Current Global Issues We Must Address

What are the most pressing issues in the world today? What will demand the most attention in the next 5, 10, and 20+ years? In this article, which frequently refers to the World Economic Forum’s 17th Edition of the Global Risks Report, we’ll highlight 20 current global issues we must address, including issues related to climate change, COVID-19, social rights, and more. While it’s hardly a comprehensive discussion, it’s a solid introduction to the kinds of concerns facing our world today.

#1. Poverty

In fall 2022, the World Bank will update the International Poverty Line from $1.90 to $2.15. This means anyone living on less than $2.15 is in “extreme poverty.” Why the change? Increases in the costs of food, clothing, and shelter between 2011-2017 make the “real value of $2.15 in 2017 prices equal to $1.90 in 2011 prices. As for the World Bank’s goal to reduce extreme poverty to 3% or less by 2030, the pandemic has made it even harder. Extreme poverty isn’t the only poverty we have to contend with. 62% of the global population lives on less than $10/day. While there’s been progress over the years, the end of poverty is still far off.

Learn more about tackling poverty with an online course: Poverty & Population: How Demographics Shape Policy (Columbia University)

#2. Climate change

The IPCC released its sixth report in 2022. In its summary for policy-makers, the report’s authors outlined a series of near-term, mid-term, and long-term risks. If global warming reaches 1.5°C in the near term (2021-2040), it would cause “unavoidable increases in multiple climate hazards,” as well as “multiple risks to ecosystems and humans.” In the long term, climate change will present major health issues, premature deaths, risks to cities and settlements , and other dangers. Mitigation is desperately needed – and fast. Because of climate change ’s connection to other issues on this list, it’s one of the most serious challenges facing humanity.

Learn more about climate change with an online course: Science and Engineering of Climate Change (EDHEC Business School)

#3. Food insecurity

According to the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises , which is produced by the Global Network against Food Crises, the number of people in crisis or worse is the highest it’s been in the six years since the report has existed. Close to 193 million people were experiencing acute food insecurity in 2021, which is an increase of almost 40 million since 2020. This represents a staggering 80% increase since 2016. Causes include “economic shocks,” like an increase in global food prices. Domestic food price inflation in low-income countries also rose a lot. “Weather-related disasters” are also a big driver. For 15.7 million people in 15 countries, it was the primary driver of acute food insecurity.

Learn more about food insecurity with an online course: Feeding the World (University of Pennsylvania)

#4. Refugee rights

According to UNHCR, the war in Ukraine sparked the fastest-growing refugee crisis since WWII. Almost 6 million (as of May 10, 2022) people have fled. The UNCHR’s Refugee Brief , which compiles the week’s biggest refugee stories, has recently described situations in places like Somalia, where thousands of people were displaced due to severe drought. Between January and mid-April, more than 36,000 refugees from Nigeria, Mali, and Burkina Faso arrived in Niger. These are only a few examples of the refugee crises, which endangers already marginalized groups – like women and children – and puts them at an increased risk of trafficking , violence, and death.

Learn more about refugee rights with an online course: Refugees in the 21st Century (University of London)

#5. COVID-19

The WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2022. It will continue to be a major issue for the world. The WEF’s Global Risks Report 2022 discusses COVID’s effects at length , including major economic recovery disparities and social erosion. According to a January 2022 article from NPR , there are also issues with vaccinations as many countries continue to have trouble getting doses. Distribution, vaccine hesitancy, healthcare systems, and other problems also factor into low vaccination rates. While we may never know the exact impact, the WHO estimates that between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021, there were around 14.9 million excess deaths linked to COVID-19.

Learn more about the impact of COVID-19 with an online course: Life After COVID-19: Get Ready for our Post-Pandemic Future (Institute for the Future)

#6. Future pandemic preparation and response

COVID-19 taught the world the importance of prepardeness. In a Harvard blog , Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the WHO, outlined the lessons the world should take to heart. The first: science has to guide policy. The politicization of the pandemic led to a lot of unnecessary damage. Another lesson is that science must pair with equity or it can actually make inequalities worse. This is obvious when looking at how low-income countries struggled to get the vaccines while wealthier countries stocked up. More resilient healthcare systems are also a must, as well as more coherent, global plans on how to respond. The world must also invest in research on contagious diseases, zoonotic diseases, the effectiveness of outbreak responses, and more.

Learn more about future pandemic response with an online course: Pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response (Politecnico di Milano)

#7. Healthcare

The healthcare industry has experienced major shifts due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Economic Forum, there’s been new investments and innovations, especially from the technology and telehealth sectors. In 2021, $44 billion was spent on health innovation. The world will be seeing the effects of these innovations for years to come, though equity will no doubt be a major issue. In places like the United States, the pandemic also reaffirmed how broken healthcare systems can be. In an MIT News blog , Andrea Campbell, a professor of political science, says the pandemic revealed a “dire need” for investments in public-health infrastructure, as well as a need to expand healthcare access and insurance coverage.

Learn more about health inequity issues with an online course: Addressing Racial Health Inequity in Healthcare (University of Michigan)

#8. Mental health

Globally, almost 1 billion people have some form of mental disorder. The pandemic made the world’s mental health worse. According to a scientific brief from the WHO , there’s been a 25% increase in anxiety and depression worldwide. Causes include social isolation, fear of sickness, grief, and financial anxieties. Health workers were also severely impacted, as well as young women and girls. The brief also highlights how the pandemic disrupted many mental health services, including services for substance abuse. Countries need to ensure access to mental health services as part of their COVID-19 recovery plans and beyond. It’s an economic decision, as well. The Lancet states that anxiety and depression alone cost the global economy around $1 trillion a year.

Learn more about mental health with an online course: The Science of Well-Being (Yale University)

#9. Disability rights

According to the WHO , over 1 billion people have some form of disability. Half can’t afford healthcare. They’re also more likely to live in poverty than those without a disability, have poorer health outcomes, and have less access to work and education opportunities. Human Rights Watch lists other discriminations disabled people face, such as an increased risk of violence. There’s been progress regarding disability rights, but many countries lack strong protections. The world still has a long way to go to ensure equality for those with disabilities.

Learn more about disability rights with an online courses: Disability Awareness and Support (University of Pittsburgh)

#10. LGBTQ+ rights

Members of the LGBTQ+ community face discrimination in many forms. According to Amnesty International , discrimination can target sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics. Even in more progressive countries like the United States, people face violence and discrimination. According to the Human Rights Campaign, more than 300 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were proposed in 2022. At least a dozen states are considering legislation that forbids schools from discussing or using a curriculum that covers sexual orientation and gender identity. Considering the United States’ influence in the world, this attack on LGBTQ+ rights will likely have consequences that need to be addressed.

Learn more about LGBTQ+ issues with an online courses .

#11. Reproductive justice

Reproductive justice – which encompasses more than just abortion rights – is threatened by legislation, lack of funding, lack of education, and restricted healthcare access. In most places, wealth is a big determinant of whether a person can access reproductive services. It’s better in some places than others, but as we’ve seen with other issues on this list, even “progressive” countries like the United States are experiencing major shifts. In June 2022, the Supreme Court is expected to overrule Roe v. Wade , a milestone court case that protected a pregnant woman’s right to abortion. The impact would be immediate and will likely influence other countries.

Learn more about reproductive justice and women’s rights: International Women’s Health and Human Rights (Stanford University)

#12. Children’s rights

Children are a very vulnerable group. In 2019, around 5.2 million children under five from mostly preventable and treatable causes. 2.4 million were newborns under 28 days old. Leading causes include preterm birth complications, pneumonia, and malaria. According to UNICEF, the climate crisis also represents a severe threat to kids. Around 1 billion kids live in “extremely high-risk countries” that are hit by the worst effects of climate change. 920 kids have trouble accessing clean water and 600 million are exposed to vector-borne diseases like malaria. Child labor also remains an issue. At the beginning of 2020, around 160 million were forced into labor while COVID-19 put 9 million more kids at risk. That’s almost 1 in 10 children globally. Almost half are in dangerous environments. As is often the case, the other issues on this list – climate change, poverty, COVID, gender equality, etc – factor into children’s rights.

Learn more about children’s rights: Children’s Human Rights – An Interdisciplinary Introduction (University of Geneva)

#13. Gender equality

Global gender equality has gradually improved over the years, but data from the 2021 Global Gender Report shows that the end of the global gender gap is still 135 years away. The pandemic played a huge role in reversing positive trends as women were hit harder financially. According to Oxfam , women experienced a 5% job loss while men experienced 3.9%. That means women lost about $800 million in 2020. This is a low estimate since it doesn’t count the informal economy, which includes millions of women. Women are also more likely to live in poverty, more affected by gender-based violence, and more affected by climate change.

Learn more about gender equality: Gender Analytics: Gender Equity through Inclusive Design (University of Toronto)

#14. Cybersecurity

The WEF’s Global Risks Report 2022 (page 9) listed cybersecurity vulnerabilities as a concern. The reason is rapid digitalization, which was triggered in part by COVID-19. Many “advanced economies” are now at a higher risk for cyberattacks. GRPS respondents identified cybersecurity failure as a critical short-term risk. In 2020, malware and ransomware attacks went up by 358% and 435%. There are a few reasons for this, including better (and easier) attack methods and poor governance. Cyberattacks have a swath of serious consequences and erode public trust. As countries become more dependent on digitalization, their cybersecurity needs to keep up.

Learn more about cybersecurity: IBM Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate (IBM)

#15. Disinformation

Rapid digitalization comes with many issues, including the lightning-fast spread of disinformation. The WEF report describes deepfakes, an accessible AI technology, and its potential to sway elections and other political outcomes. Disinformation doesn’t need to be sophisticated to be successful, however. Through social media posts and videos, twelve anti-vax activists were responsible for almost ⅔ of all anti-vaccine content on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Their content flooded the internet with the type of harmful, fear-mongering disinformation that played a significant role in vaccine hesitancy and political radicalization. Because disinformation travels faster online than the truth, it’s a global issue that should be addressed.

Learn more about tackling disinformation: Communicating Trustworthy Information in the Digital World (University of Rotterdam)

#16. Freedom of the press

According to the Varieties of Democracy Institute (as reported in The Economist ), about 85% of people live in a country where press freedom has gone down in the past 5 years. After peaking at .65 in the early 2000s and 2011, the global average dropped to .49 in 2021. Major countries like China, India, Russia, Brazil, and Turkey saw significant declines. Journalists and news organizations face threats like violence, imprisonment, lack of funding, and coordinated online attacks and harassment. A free press is essential to a functioning democracy. Without press freedom, all human rights are at risk.

Learn more about freedom of expression: Human Rights for Open Societies (Utrecht University)

#17. Debt crises

In the WEF Global Risks Report (page 7), respondents named debt crises as one of the most pressing issues over the next decade, though respondents believe they will become most serious in just 3-5 years. COVID-19 is a big reason why. Government stimulus was necessary, but many countries are now left with debt burdens. For corporate and public finances in large economies, debt burdens can lead to defaults, bankruptcies, insolvency, and more. This is a far-reaching issue as it affects budgets for areas like healthcare and green energy.

Learn more about the debt: Finance for everyone – Debt (McMaster University)

#18. Corruption

Corruption encompasses a host of actions such as bribery, election manipulation, fraud, and state capture. The World Bank Group names corruption as a barrier to ending extreme poverty and “boosting shared prosperity” for the poorest populations. When it comes to addressing poverty, climate change, healthcare, gender equality, and more, corruption gets in the way. Because corruption is a global problem, global solutions are necessary. Reform, better accountability systems, and open processes will all help.

Learn more about tackling corruption: What is Corruption: Anti-Corruption and Compliance (University of Pennsylvania)

#19. Authoritarianism

According to Freedom House, global democracy is eroding. That includes countries with long-established democracies. In their 2022 report, the organization reveals that global freedom has been declining for the past 16 years. 60 countries faced declines in the last year. Only 25 saw improvements. Only 20% of the global population lives in Free countries. China, Russia, and other authoritarian countries have gained more power in the international system, while countries with established democracies – like the United States – are losing their freedoms. What can be done? Freedom House says success “requires a bold, sustained response that establishes support for democracy and countering authoritarianism.” Governments and citizens engage and stand for democracy.

Learn more about tackling authoritarianism: Citizenship and the Rule of Law (University of London)

#20. Global cooperation

Addressing the issues in this article is not an easy task. True progress is only possible through global cooperation, a fact which is woven through the WEF report. Everything from addressing cybersecurity threats to humanitarian emergencies to protecting democracy depends on strong cooperation between countries. As the report says in its preface: “Restoring trust and fostering cooperation within and between countries will be crucial to addressing these challenges and preventing the world from drifting further apart.” The challenges threatening global cooperation are just as clear as the need, however, which makes it one of the most serious issues of the day.

Learn more about global cooperation: Global Diplomacy: the United Nations in the World

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About the author, emmaline soken-huberty.

Emmaline Soken-Huberty is a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon. She started to become interested in human rights while attending college, eventually getting a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and climate change are of special concern to her. In her spare time, she can be found reading or enjoying Oregon’s natural beauty with her husband and dog.

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• Affirmative Action
• Affordable Care Act
• Alternative medicine
• America's global influence
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• Charter schools
• Childhood obesity
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• Labor unions
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• #MeToo movement
• Minimum wage
• Misinformation
• Net neutrality
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• Online anonymity
• Organic food
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• Prescription drug addiction
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• Reparations
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• Ukraine and Russia
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• Voter ID laws
• Voting fraud and security
• White nationalism
• Women's rights
• Zero tolerance policies

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Top 100 HumSS Research Topics [Recently Updated]

The field of Humanities and Social Sciences, commonly referred to as HumSS, encompasses a wide range of academic disciplines focused on studying human society and culture. HumSS covers everything from literature and history to sociology and psychology. This field is crucial because it helps us understand the complexities of human behavior, societal structures, and cultural expressions. HumSS research topics involve various methodologies, both qualitative and quantitative, to analyze and interpret the human experience.

What Are The Common Problems In The HumSS Strand?

Table of Contents

In the Humanities and Social Sciences (HumSS) strand, common problems may include:

• Limited Funding: Securing resources for research projects and academic programs can be challenging due to competition with STEM fields.
• Interdisciplinary Integration: Integrating various disciplines within HumSS to address complex societal issues effectively can be difficult due to institutional silos.
• Ethical Considerations: Ensuring ethical research practices, especially when dealing with human subjects or sensitive cultural topics, requires careful navigation.
• Data Access and Analysis: Accessing relevant data sources and employing appropriate analytical methods, particularly in the age of big data, can pose challenges for HumSS researchers.
• Public Perception and Impact: Communicating the relevance and impact of HumSS research to the broader public and policymakers can be challenging, leading to perceptions of the field as less practical or valuable compared to STEM disciplines.
• Inclusivity and Diversity: Ensuring diversity and inclusivity in research topics, methodologies, and perspectives within HumSS remains an ongoing challenge, with underrepresentation of certain groups and perspectives.

Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts among researchers, institutions, funding agencies, and policymakers to support the advancement of HumSS research and its contributions to society.

Top 100 HumSS Research Topics: Category Wise

• How men and women are shown in today’s stories.
• Comparative analysis of Shakespearean tragedies and comedies.
• Postcolonial themes in Caribbean literature.
• The influence of mythology in modern fantasy literature.
• Digital storytelling: Exploring narratives in new media.
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on society.
• Women’s suffrage movements around the world.
• Decolonizing history: Rethinking colonial narratives.
• How propaganda influences what happens in history.
• Cultural exchanges along the Silk Road.
• Ethical implications of artificial intelligence.
• Existential themes in contemporary cinema.
• The philosophy of happiness across cultures.
• Environmental ethics and sustainable development.
• Analyzing the concept of justice in political philosophy.

Arts and Culture

• Street art as a form of social commentary.
• Cultural appropriation in the fashion industry.
• The evolution of hip-hop music as a cultural movement.
• Indigenous art and its portrayal of identity.
• The impact of globalization on traditional crafts.

Social Sciences

• Social stratification and mobility in urban societies.
• The sociology of protest movements.
• The changing dynamics of family structures in the digital age.
• Cross-cultural perspectives on marriage and relationships.
• Social media and its influence on interpersonal relationships.
• Cultural variations in perception and cognition.
• Mental health stigma in different cultural contexts.
• The psychology of forgiveness and reconciliation.
• Parenting styles and their impact on child development.
• Cross-cultural studies on the experience of grief and loss.

Political Science

• Comparative analysis of democratic systems worldwide.
• The role of media in shaping political opinions.
• Political polarization and its impact on governance.
• International cooperation in addressing climate change.
• The rise of populism in contemporary politics.
• The economics of inequality and poverty alleviation.
• Behavioral economics and decision-making processes.
• The economic impact of migration on sending and receiving countries.
• Sustainable development and economic growth.
• The role of microfinance in empowering marginalized communities.

Anthropology

• Cultural variations in rites of passage ceremonies.
• The anthropology of food: Cultural significance and rituals.
• Exploring indigenous knowledge systems and practices.
• Evolutionary perspectives on human behavior.
• Cross-cultural studies on gender identity and expression.

Interdisciplinary

• How religion and politics come together in today’s world.
• Digital humanities approaches to analyzing historical texts.
• Environmental justice movements and their sociopolitical implications.
• Globalization and how it affects who we are and keeping special traditions alive.
• The psychology of social movements: Understanding collective behavior.
• The ethics of artificial intelligence in healthcare.
• Cultural representations of mental illness in literature and film.
• The political economy of natural resource management.
• Indigenous rights and environmental conservation efforts.
• The impact of globalization on indigenous languages and cultures.
• Urbanization and its effects on social cohesion and community dynamics.
• Cross-cultural perspectives on aging and elderly care.
• The sociology of education: Inequalities in access and outcomes.
• Political polarization in online communities: Echo chambers and filter bubbles.
• Economic development strategies in post-conflict societies.
• The philosophy of technology: Ethical considerations in AI and robotics.
• Gender stereotypes in media representations: A cross-cultural analysis.
• The role of art therapy in promoting mental health and well-being.
• The political economy of humanitarian aid and development assistance.
• Cultural relativism versus universal human rights: Debates in anthropology.
• Social media activism and its impact on social change.
• Cultural factors influencing health-seeking behaviors.
• The psychology of prejudice and discrimination: Intergroup dynamics.
• Economic globalization and labor migration patterns.
• Indigenous ecological knowledge and sustainable resource management.
• Urban planning and social justice: Creating inclusive cities.
• The impact of globalization on traditional agricultural practices.
• Cultural dimensions of conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
• The psychology of resilience: Cultural variations and coping mechanisms.
• Economic implications of climate change adaptation strategies.
• Diaspora communities and transnational identities.
• Cultural heritage preservation in the face of globalization.
• The intersection of religion and environmental ethics.
• The sociology of leisure and consumption patterns.
• Digital ethnography: Studying online communities and virtual cultures.
• Gender mainstreaming in development policies and programs.
• The psychology of environmental activism and sustainability behaviors.
• Economic development and gender equality: Bridging the gap.
• Indigenous land rights and environmental conservation efforts.
• Cultural diversity in healthcare practices and patient outcomes.
• Social capital and community resilience in times of crisis.
• The anthropology of pilgrimage: Sacred journeys across cultures.
• The politics of memory: Commemoration and historical narratives.
• Economic globalization and its impact on cultural industries.
• Cultural variations in approaches to conflict resolution.
• Digital privacy rights and ethical implications in the information age.
• The psychology of intercultural communication and misunderstandings.
• Economic theories of entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Indigenous knowledge systems and sustainable agricultural practices.
• Cross-cultural perspectives on environmental activism and advocacy.
• Social entrepreneurship and its role in addressing social challenges.
• The anthropology of religion: Rituals and beliefs in diverse cultures.
• Economic inequalities and their impact on social cohesion.
• Cultural representations of disability in literature and media.
• The intersectionality of race, gender, and class in social justice movements.

Emerging Trends and Contemporary Issues in HumSS

The landscape of HumSS research is continually evolving, influenced by new technologies, global interconnectedness, and contemporary societal challenges.

• Digital Transformation in HumSS Research

Digital tools and methods are revolutionizing HumSS research. For example, digital archives and databases allow for unprecedented access to historical documents and literary texts. Furthermore, tools for visualizing data assist researchers in spotting patterns and trends that were hard to see before.

• Interdisciplinary and Cross-Cultural Studies

Increasingly, researchers are recognizing the value of interdisciplinary approaches that draw on multiple fields to address complex issues. Cross-cultural studies, which compare and contrast different cultures, provide valuable insights into universal human experiences and diverse cultural practices.

• Globalization and Its Effects on HumSS

Globalization affects every aspect of human life, from economics to culture. Researchers in HumSS examine how global interconnectedness influences cultural identities, economic systems, and social structures.

• Ethical Considerations in HumSS Research

As HumSS research often involves human subjects, ethical considerations are paramount. Researchers must navigate issues related to consent, confidentiality, and the potential impacts of their work on communities and individuals.

Methodologies in HumSS Research

In HumSS research, different methods are used depending on the questions and data involved.

Qualitative Methods

• Ethnography: This immersive research method involves spending extended time with a community to understand their practices and beliefs from an insider’s perspective.
• Case Studies: In-depth studies of a single case (such as an individual, group, or event) provide detailed insights that can illuminate broader trends.
• Interviews and Focus Groups: These methods gather detailed information through direct conversations with individuals or groups.

Quantitative Methods

• Surveys and Questionnaires: These tools collect data from large numbers of people, allowing researchers to identify trends and correlations.
• Statistical Analysis: This involves analyzing numerical data to find patterns and test hypotheses.
• Experimental Designs: Controlled experiments test the effects of specific variables on human behavior or social phenomena.

Mixed Methods

• Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches: Mixed methods research integrates both qualitative and quantitative data to provide a more comprehensive understanding of a research question.
• Triangulation in HumSS Research: This technique uses multiple methods or sources to cross-check and validate findings.

Digital and Computational Methods

• Digital Humanities Tools: These include text analysis software, digital mapping, and online archives that facilitate new types of research in the humanities.
• Big Data Analysis in Social Sciences: Analyzing large datasets, such as social media activity, to uncover trends and patterns in human behavior.

Challenges and Opportunities in HumSS Research

HumSS researchers face several challenges, but these also present opportunities for innovation and growth.

• Funding and Resource Allocation:

Securing funding for HumSS research can be challenging, as these fields often compete with STEM disciplines for limited resources. However, successful research can demonstrate the value of HumSS in addressing societal issues, potentially attracting more support.

• Balancing Depth and Breadth in Research:

Researchers must find a balance between deeply exploring specific topics and addressing broader questions. This often requires interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative methodologies.

• Addressing Biases and Ensuring Inclusivity:

HumSS research must strive to be inclusive and avoid biases that can distort findings. This involves critically examining the researcher’s perspective and engaging with diverse communities.

• Dissemination and Impact of HumSS Research:

Effectively communicating research findings to a broad audience is crucial for maximizing impact. This includes publishing in accessible formats and engaging with policymakers, educators, and the public.

HumSS research topics that help us understand the human experience in all its complexity. From literature and history to sociology and economics, these disciplines offer valuable insights into our past, present, and future. As researchers continue to innovate and explore new methodologies, the importance of HumSS in addressing global challenges and fostering a deeper understanding of humanity will only grow.

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How do researchers approach societal impact?

Benedikt Fecher

1 Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, Germany

2 German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin), Berlin, Germany

Marcel Hebing

3 DBU Digital Business University of Applied Sciences, Berlin, Germany

Associated Data

The data underlying this study are available on Kaggle (DOI: 10.34740/kaggle/dsv/2366092 ).

Based on a communication-centered approach, this article examines how researchers approach societal impact, that is, what they think about societal impact in research governance, what their societal goals are, and how they use communication formats. Hence, this study offers empirical evidence on a group that has received remarkably little attention in the scholarly discourse on the societal impact of research—academic researchers. Our analysis is based on an empirical survey among 499 researchers in Germany conducted from April to June 2020. We show that most researchers regard societal engagement as part of their job and are generally in favor of impact evaluation. However, few think that societal impact is a priority at their institution, and even fewer think that institutional communication departments reach relevant stakeholders in society. Moreover, we show that researchers’ societal goals and use of communication formats differ greatly between their disciplines and the types of organization that they work at. Our results add to the ongoing metascientific discourse on the relationship between science and society and offer empirical support for the hypothesis that assessment needs to be sensitive to disciplinary and organizational context factors.

Introduction

Until the 1970s there was no doubt among policymakers that public investment in research would have a positive societal impact. The social contract for science at that time meant that science was granted an unusual degree of autonomy in return for widely diffused benefits to society and the economy [ 1 ]. It was only from the late 1980s onward that researchers were increasingly expected to account for their achievements in evaluation exercises [ 2 – 4 ]. Initially, these focused on intra-scientific (and often bibliometric) impact. In the last decade, however, policymakers have begun to focus more on the societal impact of research and hence on what academic research offers for the economy, society, culture, public administration, health, environment, and overall quality of life [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]. Noteworthy examples indicating the gradual shift from scientific to societal impact in research governance include the Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the United Kingdom or the Excellence in Research for Australia Framework (ERA) [ 7 – 9 ]. In the Netherlands, a region with some of the most developed examples of impact governance, the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO), and the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) have implemented guidelines for the evaluation and improvement for research, the Standard Evaluation Protocol (SEP). The SEP is used by research institutions to evaluate research units and focuses strongly on relevance for society as well as research quality [ 10 , 11 ]. Societal impact is also a key component in European research funding [ 12 – 14 ].

In Germany, where the present study was conducted, there is no evaluation exercise comparable to the REF, ERA, or SEP. The topic has, however, been prominently discussed: Referring to the announcement that the next EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation will focus more on the societal benefits of research, the Alliance of Science Organisations stated in 2018 that any such evaluation should be differentiated and tailored to the demands of science [ 15 ]. In 2019, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) published a policy paper in which it stipulated that societal impact must become part of the academic reputation logic [ 16 ]. In 2020, it set up a think tank to work out how societal impact could be evaluated [ 17 ]. Also in 2020, the Alliance of Science Organizations issued an agreement containing four fields of action; this highlighted, among other things, scientific freedom and the need to anticipate disciplinary differences. The German Council of Sciences and Humanities, an advisory body to the German federal government, called for “more recognition for knowledge and technology transfer” [ 18 ]. The German Rectors’ Conference, the umbrella organization of German universities, decided at its general assembly (November 14, 2017) that knowledge transfer is a priority for universities [ 19 ]. Besides these developments at the level of science governance in Germany, there are a multitude of institutional initiatives and strategy developments underway. For instance, the Leibniz Association, a union of 96 nonuniversity research institutes, adopted a new mission statement for the transfer of scientific knowledge to society, the economy, and politics in 2019 [ 20 ].

Although there is no evaluation exercise in Germany comparable to the REF in the UK, it is evident that the topic has gained momentum in Germany in recent years as well. In light of complex societal challenges and the further integration of German research bodies into the European research area, the societal impact of research will likely become an even more prominent concern in research governance in the near future. If, as stated above, the old social contract granted science relative freedom in return for widely diffused benefits for society, the new social contract for science imposes accountability for the freedom granted to science [ 21 – 23 ]. This development has been criticized by the scientific community. For example, many associations for the social sciences and humanities in Germany expressed concern that the BMBF initiative does not take into account the current state of science communication research [ 24 ].

If societal impact is to be a new paradigm of science governance, it is important to better understand how societal impact emerges. In this article, we address this question from the perspective of researchers, that is, we ask what their views on societal impact are, what their goals are, and what formats they use to achieve them. Our analysis is based on a survey among 499 researchers in Germany conducted from April to June 2020. Here, we report the key results of this study and reflect on potential implications for science governance. Our results add to the ongoing scholarly discourse on societal impact by offering empirical evidence on a group that has received surprisingly little attention in the scholarly study of societal impact—academic researchers.

Societal impact in research

Two scholarly discourses are particularly relevant for the subject of this study: 1) the discourse in communication and science and technology studies (STS) on the relationship between science and society and 2) the discourse on societal impact measurement in scientometrics and evaluation research. In the following, we will delineate these two discourses and reflect on their implications for this study.

Relationship between science and society: From deficit to dialog

Before the first large-scale impact agendas were implemented, scholars in STS critically examined the nature and role of science in society, drawing on novel concepts of academic knowledge creation such as “Mode 2” [ 25 , 26 ], “academic capitalism” [ 27 ], “post-normal science” [ 28 ] or “Triple Helix” [ 29 ]. Although these concepts differ in their objectives, they generally assume a form of scientific value creation that is no longer self-sufficient and is increasingly interwoven with society. While these conceptualizations do not employ societal impact as an evaluative paradigm, they have paved the way for new thinking about the relationship between science and society. These explorations of the role of science in society were, however, primarily theoretical in nature. Later, entire lines of (communication) research addressed how the public deals with science, for example, the public understanding or awareness of science (PUS, PAwS), scientific literacy, or more recently the public engagement with science and technology (PEST) and the science of science communication [ 30 – 33 ]. In general, research in this area has shifted away from viewing society as an inactive recipient of knowledge—for example, in the so-called “deficit model of science communication” [ 34 ]—and towards envisaging more complex and interactive forms of knowledge creation and dissemination [ 3 , 35 – 37 ].

While there is a considerable body of literature on how the public perceives research, less attention has been paid to the institutional conditions for engagement and how researchers themselves deal with the public. Regarding these institutional conditions, scholars have observed a certain decoupling of central communication infrastructures at institutions and the researchers working there [ 38 , 39 ]. Others have pointed to the increased legitimation pressure exerted by research organizations and the increase in PR and marketing [ 40 ]. When it comes to researchers’ dealings with the public, scholars have focused on a) the relationship between science and specific publics—for instance, the media [ 41 , 42 ] or politics [ 41 ], b) the relationship between science and the broader public [ 41 , 43 – 45 ] or c) the communication practices of single disciplines [ 46 , 47 ]. Here, recurring themes include researchers motivations for engaging with the public [ 48 , 49 ], teaching and training [ 50 , 51 ], and institutional conditions [ 52 , 53 ]. Much research on the interfaces between science and society consists of various relevant case studies. Yet, there is a lack of comparable empirical evidence on one particularly decisive group of actors in the dialogical rationale, that is, academic researchers. This explains why, in this study, we focus on researchers and how they approach societal impact.

Measuring societal impact: From economic to broader societal benefit

In scientometrics and the wider field of evaluation research, the shift towards societal impact as an assessment paradigm in science governance has been accompanied by critical reflections. Martin, for example, asked pointedly whether the creation of the REF would create a “Frankenstein monster,” because the costs of conducting the evaluation might outweigh the benefits [ 8 ]. Others have argued that evaluations of societal impact are prone to methodological shortcomings [ 23 , 54 ] and might have unintended behavioral effects [ 55 , 56 ]. In addition, there are two further points of criticism concerning the concept of societal impact: On the one hand, critics point to the inadequate representation of the complexity of science, for example, because impact logics of the natural sciences are used as a yardstick for evaluations [ 6 , 57 ]. In contrast, impact assessments have been described as failing to do justice to transfer activities in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) [ 58 – 60 ]. In recent years, new approaches have been developed that specifically address the SSH [ 6 , 61 , 62 ]. On the other hand, criticism is directed towards the representation of society, whose benefit has often been reduced to economic indicators (e.g., revenue, jobs) and not the broader societal impact [ 5 , 63 ]. However, some evaluation exercises have broadened their scope to include the wider benefits to society [ 2 ].

Recent models for societal impact have tried to incorporate dialog into their conceptions of societal impact. An example of this is Jong et al.’s concept of productive interactions, which proceeds from the assumption that current productive interactions between researchers and societal stakeholders will improve the probability of future societal impact [ 64 ]. In this regard, interactions are deemed productive if encounters between researchers and societal stakeholders lead to knowledge that is academically sound and socially valuable [ 62 , 64 ]. The concept indicates that two quality regimes—a scientific and a societal—are important for deciding on the productiveness of a dialog. It should be noted that science is part of society and both the sciences and their publics have differing ideas about robustness and usefulness [ 32 ]. The notion of societal impact as an (effect of) dialog is useful in the context of this study, because it allows us to move from pure utilization and reception research to examining the anticipated societal impact of researchers. Drawing from the wider field of evaluation research, we examine how academic researchers anticipate the broader societal impact of their research.

Conceptualization of societal impact in this study

Building on the discourse in evaluation research, we refer to broader societal impact, i.e., the benefits that research holds for the economy, individual wellbeing, the environment, and culture [ 2 , 14 ]. According to Bornmann, three main strands of societal impact can be distinguished: First, societal impact as a product (i.e., as an artifact that embodies scientific knowledge), second, societal impact as use (i.e., the adoption of academic knowledge by societal stakeholders), and third, societal impact as benefits (i.e., the effects of the use of research) [ 2 ]. Here we focus on the latter—we consider the desired societal benefits that researchers associate with their work (goals, RQ2) and the formats they use to communicate about their research (formats, RQ3). To further differentiate societal benefits and formats, we conducted a qualitative prestudy (see Method section). To gain a better understanding of how researchers perceive societal impact as a paradigm in research governance, we included questions to elicit respondents’ opinions on the role of societal impact at their institutions and in their work, on whether societal impact should be given more weight in evaluations, and on whether their institutional communication departments are reaching relevant societal stakeholders [ 38 , 39 ] (opinions, RQ1).

Explanatory dimensions

Drawing on De Jong and colleagues and in line with the metascientific discourse on the conception of the relationship between science and society, we see societal impact as the effect of interaction between scientific and societal stakeholders [ 61 , 62 , 64 ]. We hence used a framework for communication inspired by Cohn’s concept of theme-centered interaction [ 65 , 66 ] and Luhman’s notion of meaning [ 67 , 68 ] when deriving our explanatory variables. We differentiated between three dimensions of explanatory variables:

• The content dimension is defined by the researcher’s disciplinary background and their self-assessment as to whether their research is applied or basic. It can be assumed that researchers’ approaches to societal impact varies between disciplines [ 58 – 60 ]. We assumed that a researcher’s disciplinary background would affect their choice of societal goals. We further expected to find differences between researchers who considered themselves applied and those who considered themselves basic researchers—societal impact might play a greater role for applied researchers [ 69 – 73 ]. We therefore assumed that applied researchers would be more supportive of societal impact evaluations and would also be more active in using communication formats.
• The organizational dimension is defined by the type of research organization (i.e., universities, universities of applied sciences, nonuniversity research institutions). The organizational factors influencing societal impact have, with notable exceptions [ 52 , 53 ], been little researched so far. Here, we were particularly interested in differences between various types of public research institutions in Germany (see Method section below). We assumed that researchers at independent institutes would be more active than university researchers in using communication formats because they usually do not have teaching obligations. We further expected researchers who worked at applied science universities to be more active in using collaboration formats.
• The individual dimension is defined by the sociodemographic factors of age, gender, and academic status. Gender and age differences in connection with human agency have been widely researched in the social sciences, also as they pertain to scholarly communication [ 74 – 80 ]. How these relate to researchers’ engagement with society is still little understood. Academic status may have an influence on the use of communication formats, in the sense that high-status academics may be most active in advisory roles.

Research questions

By looking at these dimensions, we aimed to understand how these factors might influence the interaction between scientific and nonscientific actors in terms of the opinions researchers hold, the societal goals they pursue, and the formats they use to communicate about their research. Three research questions guided our analysis and structured the presentation of the results; when analyzing each question, we use our three dimensions of explanatory variables (i.e., content, organization, individual) to structure and compare the results.

• RQ1 : What are researchers’ opinions on societal impact? What differences can be identified along the three dimensions (i.e., content, organization, individual)?

In particular, we were interested in researchers’ perspectives on a) societal engagement as a part of scientific activity, b) whether societal impact should be considered more in research evaluation, c) the performance of institutional communication departments in reaching relevant societal stakeholders, and d) the importance of knowledge transfer at the institutions.

• RQ2 : Which societal goals do researchers aim to achieve with their research? How do these differ along the three dimensions (i.e., content, organization, individual)?

We used the 13 goals that we identified by coding the REF use cases as a framework (e.g., supporting legislative decision making, driving technical innovation, preserving cultural heritage, or protecting the environment).

• RQ3 : Which formats do researchers use to achieve societal impact? How do these differ along the three dimensions (i.e., content, organization, individual)?

Again, we used our coding of the REF use cases as a framework and took a close look at educational offerings, consulting, events, PR, social media, and collaborations.

The institutional review board and data protection officer of the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society approved this study. Informed written consent was obtained from the participants in this study. The data was analyzed anonymously. To answer the research questions, we conducted a survey from April to June 2020 among 499 scientists in Germany. In the following, we describe the instrument and its distribution, the sample design, and the analysis of the data. The survey instrument, the aggregated data, and the prestudy (qualitative analysis of REF case studies) can be found on the project’s website ( https://www.impactdistillery.com/2020-impact-survey/ ). The survey was part of a BMBF-funded research project addressing the question of societal impact and its measurability in the social sciences and humanities ( https://www.wihoforschung.de/de/impaqt-2631.php ).

We designed a standardized instrument, consisting of six sections (A: sociodemographics, B: work context, C: knowledge transfer, D: teaching, E: research, F: general questions, G: personality). Here, we report on the largest section (C: knowledge transfer), which covers our three RQs, and use questions from sections A, B, and F for the explanatory analysis.

RQ1 was covered by a set of items (C1) addressing researchers’ attitudes towards societal impact—i.e., their opinions regarding the importance of knowledge transfer as part of scientific activity and at their institutions, their opinions towards a stronger weighting of societal impact in research evaluation, and the performance of their institution’s communication department in reaching relevant societal stakeholders. We used a 5-point Likert scale (from strongly disagree to strongly agree) to elicit agreement or disagreement with a statement.

RQ2 (goals) and RQ3 (formats) were implemented as multiple-choice questions (C3 and C5). The answer categories were based on a structuring content analysis of the REF impact case studies, which we carried out as a prestudy in spring 2019. In 2014, the UK became the first country to assess the societal impact of research as part of a national assessment. The REF evaluates societal impact via case studies, which are narratives that describe how research conducted at a higher education institution created a wider societal benefit. Of course, REF impact case studies are written to succeed in the evaluation in question [ 81 ]. Nevertheless, as researchers’ expressions of impact, they provide a suitable textual data basis for developing goal and format categories [ 82 , 83 ]. The REF case studies are available in a public database ( https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/ ). The case studies were analyzed by two coders separately and frequently discussed in the research group in order to achieve intercoder reliability. The main categories of the content analysis were reflected in the questions on societal goals (i.e., What societal impacts do you want to achieve with your research?; 13 items—RQ2) and communication formats (i.e., Which transfer formats have you already used to communicate your results?; 6 items—RQ3). Each question allowed further responses in an open text field—from the few additional responses and the high response rate, we concluded that the identified categories were robust.

To ask about sociodemographic factors (sections A & B), we re-used questions that had already proved useful in a previous survey [ 77 , 80 ]. The range of disciplines we asked about (A5) was based on the classification of the German Research Foundation [ 84 ].

To evaluate the quality and reliability of the survey, we conducted two rounds of pretests. The first round involved topic experts (i.e. fellow meta-researchers) and methodological experts who reviewed both the content and the design of the survey. The second pretest round involved researchers from different disciplines who completed the survey, focusing on its usability and providing us with a first dataset for preliminary analysis and optimization. As a result, we revised descriptions and shortened the survey.

Sample design and distribution

We designed a semi-convenience sample, which means that in principle any researcher with the link to the survey could participate. However, we personally invited certain researchers so that we could adequately cover the explanatory dimensions (i.e., the different organizational settings, disciplines, and career stages in Germany). With this in mind, we applied the following distribution strategy: We contacted the faculty heads of 60 German universities and 60 universities of applied science ( Fachhochschulen ; in the following, we use the short form “applied universities”) and asked them to distribute the survey to researchers in their faculties. We selected the universities and applied universities based on the number of students and chose the 20 largest and the 20 smallest as well as 20 medium-sized ones. Additionally, we contacted the directors of each institute within the biggest German non-university research organizations (in the following shortened to “independent institutes”), i.e., the Max Planck Society, the Leibniz Association, the Helmholtz Association, and the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft. We also contacted the German Research Association’s (DFG) graduate schools. Despite these efforts, our sample was not probabilistic and we assumed a certain self-selection bias due to the topic of the survey. Second, because the sample consisted of researchers in Germany, the transferability of the results to other research and innovation systems is limited.

The distinction between different types of research organizations (i.e., universities, applied universities, independent institutes) is important for this study. Independent institutes are characteristic of the German research system. They are typically independent of universities and focus on specific fields of research; scientists at these institutions are not obliged to teach. These institutes are typically organized within the Max Planck Society, the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres, the Fraunhofer Society, and the Leibniz Association. Researchers from independent institutes should in theory be able to devote more resources to transfer activities than researchers at universities and applied universities, as this latter group has teaching obligations. Applied universities are Germany-specific tertiary education and research institutions. They are rather transfer-oriented and usually specialized in certain fields (e.g., arts, technology, or business). Researchers from applied universities typically have the most extensive teaching obligations. However, due to their applied approach, societal impact should presumably play a more central role for researchers at these kinds of institutions.

We conducted the online survey from April to June 2020. Participants were invited with an initial email and one reminder, both including a request to distribute the survey among colleagues.

Sample description

Overall, 841 people started the survey, 534 of whom completed it (63%). In this paper, we focus on those who stated that their primary work location is Germany, leaving us with 499 valid (59%) cases to analyze.

Fig 1 provides an overview of the sample. Our distribution system had the desired effect—respondents from all disciplines and institutions took part. Regarding sociodemographic characteristics, the genders were equally distributed (50% male, 49% female, and 1% others). For ages 18 to 29 there were almost twice as many female as male researchers in the sample, while there were almost twice as many males as females in the 50 to 59 age group. For the 60+ group, there were approximately three times more male than female researchers in the sample (we excluded others due to the small sample size of 1%). This, however, corresponded roughly to the general gender distribution in German academia [ 85 , 86 ].

(1) To what extent do researchers from the three disciplinary groups (natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities) consider their work as basic or applied research? (2) Distribution of the disciplinary groups across the prevailing institutional types. (3) Distribution of the researchers’ sex across age groups. (4) Distribution of disciplinary groups for male and female researchers. The number of participants with other sex was so small that they were not included in these graphs.

60% of our participants worked at universities, 28% at independent institutes, 10% at applied universities, and only 2% at other forms of institutions; hence, when analyzing the organizational dimension, we focused on the three largest types of organizations. Furthermore, we found that 34% were PhD candidates, 25% were postdocs, 11% were academics without a PhD, 25% were professors and 5% were others. Regarding the disciplinary background, we used the classification of the German Research Association (DFG) and merged the disciplines into three groups: 41% of the respondents were from the natural sciences, 35% were from the social sciences, and 26% were from the humanities [ 84 ].

We found very little empirical research that looked at how researchers approach societal impact. Therefore, we conducted an exploratory analysis and focused on descriptive methods. Most of the results are presented as bivariate distributions that cross-tabulate the three dimensions from our conceptual framework with our research questions. For RQ1 (opinions on science communication), we asked respondents about evaluations because these would have practical implications for their working lives. With this particular dependent variable, we calculated a regression model (OLS) to analyze multivariate effects in more detail.

Some of the questions we analyzed were implemented as a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree). In general, we considered agreement as the last two answer categories of the scale (agree + strongly agree) and report on this.

In the research section we present the results for the three research questions alongside the three dimensions of the independent variables, i.e., the content dimension, the organizational dimension, and the dimension of a researcher’s individual characteristics.

RQ1—opinion: Individual commitment without an institutional mandate

Overall, 89% of the respondents agree that public engagement is part of scientific activity. 53% agree that societal impact should be given more weight in research evaluations. Only 27% of respondents think that knowledge transfer plays an important role at their institution and that their communication department is reaching relevant stakeholders in society.

Across all disciplinary groups, the respondents largely agree that public engagement is part of scientific activity (from 86% in the natural sciences, 91% in the humanities, to 93% in the social sciences). Respondents vary in their opinions on whether societal impact should be given more weight in research evaluations: Only 40% of the respondents from the natural sciences agree compared to 65% for the social sciences and 58% for the humanities. Applied researchers are more in favor of societal relevance being given greater consideration in evaluations than basic researchers (see Fig 2 ). Only 15% of respondents from the humanities are convinced that their institutional communication departments are reaching relevant stakeholders in society, compared to 30% of natural scientists and 31% of social scientists.

The responses are differentiated by how much the researchers consider their work to be basic or applied research and the three disciplinary groups. The original question text was “How strongly do the following statements apply to you?.” We combined the approving answer categories to calculate the approval rates.

Researchers at applied universities agree that societal relevance should have more weight in evaluation more often than those at independent institutes and universities—the approval rates are 62%, 49%, and 53% respectively. Researchers at universities show the lowest agreement to the statement that knowledge transfer plays an important role at their institution: Only 19% approve compared to 36% at applied universities and 37% at independent institutes. Furthermore, researchers at universities particularly disagree with the statement that their communication departments are able to reach relevant stakeholders in society: Only 15% approve compared to 28% at applied universities and 44% at independent research institutes.

Both male and female researchers regard public engagement as part of scientific activity (89% and 90%). However, female researchers agree that societal relevance should be part of research evaluation more often than male researchers (62% compared to 44%). There are noteworthy differences among academic status groups: 60% of doctoral researchers but only 42% of postdocs and 47% of professors in our sample agree that societal relevance should have more weight in evaluation. Age does not seem to affect opinions on whether public engagement is part of scientific work.

Because of the differences outlined above, we decided to conduct a regression analysis (see Table 1 ). This confirms the descriptive observations: Humanities scholars (p = 0.01) and social scientists (p<0.01) are significantly more likely to agree that societal relevance should be part of research evaluation compared to natural scientists. Furthermore, female researchers (controlled for discipline), applied researchers, and younger researchers are significantly more in favor of including societal relevance in research evaluation.

How does the discipline, gender, age, a, applied-research focus, and the opinion that science communication is an academic task influence a researcher’s opinion on whether or not societal relevance should be taken into account when evaluating research. The regression model was calculated using ordinary least squares. The reference category for the discipline is the natural sciences.

This shows that researchers are generally in favor of societal impact and regard public engagement as part of scientific activity. Fewer researchers, but still many, agree that societal impact should have more weight in research evaluations. However, this assessment differs depending on the researcher’s discipline, their applied or basic research focus, their gender, and their age. It is noteworthy that researchers (especially at universities) do not think that knowledge transfer plays an important role at their institution and that institutional communication departments are reaching relevant societal stakeholders. From this, we infer that societal impact is understood as an individual task for which there is no institutional mandate.

RQ2—goals: Disciplines define societal goals

Overall, researchers’ most important societal goal is to contribute to education (69%), followed by stimulating public discourse (55%). Equal proportions of respondents—37% each—regard contributing to informed political decision-making and to the physical and mental wellbeing of the population as a societal goal associated with their work. Given the choice of the 13 societal goals identified in the qualitative coding exercise, less than 10% of respondents selected contributing to national and/or international security and creating an entertainment offering; we hence excluded these in reporting. Fig 3 provides an overview of the societal goals the respondents could choose from by disciplinary group.

The radar chart illustrates which goals researchers from our three disciplinary groups pursue when communicating with nonscientific audiences. The numbers are based on the question “What social effects do you most likely want to achieve with your research? With my research, I would like to …”. The original question contained two more options (“… contribute to national and/or international security.” and “… create an entertainment offering.”), but these were chosen by less than 10% of the respondents and are therefore excluded.

It is striking that the disciplinary groups have quite different impact profiles: Scholars from the humanities tend to have culture- and discourse-oriented goals, social scientists have discourse-, social-justice-, and policy-oriented goals, and natural scientists have technology-, health-, and environment-oriented goals. Making a contribution to education is by far the most common impact goal across all disciplines (87% for the humanities, 70% for the social sciences, 58% for the natural sciences). For humanities scholars and social scientists, stimulating and supporting public discourse is among the top societal goals (80% for humanities scholars and 74% for social scientists). Furthermore, 62% of humanities scholars consider preserving cultural heritage a goal of their activities; 54% of social scientists consider strengthening the position of disadvantaged groups to be an impact goal. The main goal for natural scientists is to drive technical innovation (59%), followed by making a contribution to education (58%), and contributing to the physical and mental wellbeing of the population (46%). The differences between applied and basic researchers in terms of their societal goals are negligible.

When looking at the different types of organizations, it is noticeable that researchers from applied universities are most economically oriented: 41% of the researchers from universities of applied sciences indicate that they want to contribute to economic value creation (19% at nonuniversity institutions and 17% at universities). In contrast, researchers from independent institutes are most the policy-oriented ones: 54% of the researchers from independent institutes aim to contribute to political decision-making (31% at universities and 37% at applied universities).

Young researchers (age group 18–29 years, mostly PhD students) reported less often that they aim to contribute to public discourse (37% in comparison to 65% for 30–39-year-olds) or political decision-making (21% in comparison to 48% for 40–49-year-olds). When it comes to gender, male researchers are more inclined to pursue goals that are also related to their disciplines and vice versa. For example, technical innovation is a goal for 43% of male researchers and for 20% of female researchers. Female researchers are more interested in supporting minorities (41%) than male researchers (25%). The academic status of the respondents did not have any noteworthy effects on their goals.

From this, we conclude that societal goals are best explained by the disciplinary backgrounds of researchers. While natural scientists chose goals in the spheres of environment and health as well as innovation and economic value creation, social scientists’ goals centred more on civic society and social justice as well as politics and public discourse. Humanities scholars also chose discourse-oriented goals and focused on societal goals in the cultural sphere. Despite the differences in the definition of societal goals, it is noteworthy that making a contribution to education ranks among the top three goals for every disciplinary group. It is also evident that researchers from applied universities tend to be more economically oriented, while researchers from independent institutes tend to be more policy-oriented.

RQ3—formats: University researchers are the least active

The only transfer format that more than half of the respondents (68%) had used in the past are events (i.e., including public lectures, exhibitions, expert panel discussions). The second most used communication format is public relations (i.e., comment pieces in newspapers or interviews)—45% of respondents have used these in the past. This is followed by educational offerings in schools and for civil society (43%), social media communication (38%), advisory formats (33%), and collaborations with nonscientific partners (33%).

It is evident that humanities scholars especially use social media to communicate about their research: 55% of humanities scholars approve of such methods compared to 33% of natural scientists and 38% of social scientists. Social scientists have the most experience with advisory formats: 50% have used them compared to 28% of humanities scholars and 24% of natural scientists. Comparing applied and basic researchers, we noted that basic researchers hardly ever offer advisory formats (14% for basic researchers vs. 47% for applied researchers) or collaborations (17% for primarily basic researchers vs. 39% for primarily applied researchers).

Researchers from applied universities are the primary users of advisory formats: 57% of researchers at applied universities have used advisory formats compared to 40% of researchers at independent institutes and only 26% of the researchers at universities. Only 28% of the researchers from universities have used collaboration formats, compared to 53% of researchers from applied universities and 35% of researchers from independent institutes. As Table 2 shows, university researchers have remarkably low scores on every communication format.

Concerning researchers’ individual characteristics, the analysis shows that social media platforms are used more by younger scientists. Less surprisingly, the older a researcher is, the more likely it is that he or she has ever used a format. Regarding gender differences, more male than female researchers have used advisory formats: 43% of male researchers have done so compared to 24% of female researchers.

To conclude, we find that researchers use a variety of formats to communicate results. There are, however, some interesting differences in usage: Humanities scholars particularly tend to communicate their research via social media. Social scientists are most experienced when it comes to advisory formats. Researchers from applied universities are especially likely to have used advisory and collaboration formats. Younger researchers use social media to communicate about their research more than older researchers, and male researchers particularly tend to use advisory formats. In general, it is noteworthy that university researchers are the least active group for almost any of the formats.

Discussion and conclusions

Societal impact, and hence what academic research offers the economy, society, culture, public administration, health, environment and overall quality of life, is gaining in importance in science governance [ 2 , 5 , 6 ]. Likewise, the topic is on the top of the agenda of prominent policy makers and research organizations in Germany, where our study took place. If science is to be assessed based on its contribution to society, the conditions under which social impact arises should be clear. This article contributes to this discourse by addressing researchers’ perspectives on societal impact, that is, their opinions on societal impact (RQ1), the societal goals they associate with their research (RQ2), and the formats they use to engage with society (RQ3). For this reason, we conducted a survey among 499 researchers in Germany from April to June 2020.

Regarding researchers’ opinions, it is remarkable that the majority of researchers (89%) consider societal engagement to be part of scientific activity. More than half of the researchers (53%) agree that societal impact should be given more weight in evaluations. Even though the majority of researchers regard public engagement as part of scientific work, they are not equally positive about whether societal impact should have more weight in evaluations. One reason for this discrepancy may be that researchers fear that evaluations will lead to additional work or that they will not adequately record their transfer activities [ 23 , 60 , 64 ]. In addition, it is striking that only 27% of the respondents assume that knowledge transfer plays an important role at their institution; also 27% n believe that the institutional communication department is managing to reach relevant stakeholders in society. Humanities scholars (15%) and university researchers (15%) particularly doubt that their communication departments are reaching relevant societal stakeholders. This mirrors previous findings suggesting a certain decoupling between central transfer infrastructures and researchers [ 38 , 39 ] and leads us to hypothesize that there is a certain mismatch between individual and institutional commitment.

Regarding the societal goals that researchers associate with their work, it is noteworthy that contributing to education is by far the most important goal (picked by 69% of the respondents) across all groups, followed by stimulating public discourse (55%) and contributing to informed political decision-making (37%). Moreover, it is apparent that societal goals are subject to disciplinary considerations: We show that scholars from the humanities have culture and discourse-oriented goals, social scientists have discourse-, policy- and social-justice-related goals and natural scientists have innovation- and health-related goals. This supports many theoretical reflections about the epistemic conditions for societal impact and the different roles that disciplines occupy in society [ 36 , 56 , 87 ]. We also find that young researchers (age 18–29) are less keen on stimulating public discourse than older ones (37% in comparison to 65% for 30–39-year-old researchers) or informing political decision-making (21% for young researchers compared to 48% for 40–49-year-old researchers). This can likely be explained by the experience that older researchers have acquired, which might make them especially well placed to influence public and political decision-making.

As far as the formats used for societal outreach are concerned, the most commonly used ones are events (used by 65% of the respondents), followed by public relations via media (45%), and educational formats for schools and civil society groups (43%). Humanities scholars especially use social media to communicate results (55% compared to 33% of natural scientists and 38% of social scientists). Basic researchers do not use advisory formats (14% vs. 47%) or collaborations (17% vs 39%) anything as often as applied researchers. Note that university researchers report remarkably low usage of any communication format compared to researchers at applied universities or at independent institutes. This might be explained by the fact that university researchers have teaching obligations not faced by those at independent institutes and thus less time for engagement activities. However, researchers from applied universities typically have a higher teaching workload. As far as researchers’ individual characteristics are concerned, it is notable that social media is used more by younger researchers, indicating that social media will likely become more important as a means of engagement.

While our results are mainly of a descriptive nature and we do not make normative assumptions about the subject of our research (i.e. “it is good to have more impact”), we can still draw some practical conclusions: First, considering the discontent with institutional communication departments, it might be worthwhile to implement decentralized support structures on the mesolevel of research organizations. This could more adequately address the complexities of the sciences and their many publics [ 5 , 6 , 57 , 63 ]. The findings further suggest that, where applicable, organizational factors (e.g., institutional investments in transfer, training offerings, support infrastructures) should be more strongly incorporated into assessments of societal impact—for example. through formative evaluations [ 88 ]. Second, our results suggest that it is strongly advisable that evaluation exercises are responsive to disciplinary differences. For example, if economic and technical impact were the sole basis for assessing societal impact, social sciences and humanities scholars would be discriminated against [ 6 , 63 ]. Our framework for societal goals and our results can also be the basis for disciplinary self-understanding (e.g., in learned societies), in that they can stimulate a normative discussion about good transfer and its evaluation. Third, considering the comparatively low importance of social media as a means of communicating about research, care should be taken not to overuse online discourse as a way of easily generating impact proxies. Moreover, our findings contribute to an informed discussion in science governance about the constraints of impact evaluation and might help impact officers and communication professionals at universities to reflect on strategies.

Our results add to the ongoing scholarly discourse on societal impact. We think that our results could bring two relevant but still separated discourses closer together, that is, the discourse on impact evaluation and the discourse on science communication/public engagement. It makes sense for critical evaluation research to make use of empirical work on the exchange between science and society. Vice versa, it makes sense to examine how evaluation policies for societal impact might affect researchers’ communication behavior. We further provide initial evidence on potentially relevant research perspectives. This concerns the organization of societal impact at scientific institutions. In addition, we suggest that national innovation systems should be studied comparatively in order to understand the impact of policies and to study more closely the relationship between transfer practices and societal impact in specific disciplines.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Natalya Sokolovska, Sascha Schönig, and Elias Koch for their help in coding the REF impact case studies. We would also like to thank Gert G. Wagner and Ricarda Ziegler for their friendly feedback.

Funding Statement

B.F. received funding by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (01PW18008A; 01PW18008B; https://www.wihoforschung.de/de/impaqt-2631.php ). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Data Availability

• PLoS One. 2021; 16(7): e0254006.

Decision Letter 0

24 Mar 2021

PONE-D-21-03474

How Do Researchers Achieve Societal Impact? Results of an Empirical Survey Among Researchers in Germany

Dear Dr. Fecher,

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Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Yes

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Reviewer #1: No

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Reviewer #1: Yes

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Reviewer #1: The research topic of the study is relevant both academically and socially. The authors bring out the important question how researchers understand their efforts to engage in non-academic organizations and institutions and their possibilities to achieve social impact via their research organizations. They point out rather interesting results. Statistical research on research impact is clearly underdeveloped and needs more studies like this. However, the manuscript has several major problems in methodical soundness and in the theoretical framework, which is not connecting to the results or to the academic discussion about research impact.

There are four major problems that the paper needs to address:

1. The whole analysis section is missing regarding the statistical analysis. The reader cannot see how the authors conducted the study. There is only one section where the authors uses a regression analysis, while the whole analysis is descriptive. It needs a good reason to ground such an analytical choice. The statistical description requires re-phrasing and the tables need reformulations. It is rather difficult to understand the authors’ writing through these expressions and the table.

2. Because the questionnaire of this research is self-designed, there should be description of its validity and reliability, which are now missing.

3. Because the method, analysis and results are insufficiently presented, I strongly recommend to ask an expert in statistics to re-check and revise these sections. I believe such expertise would help to improve the readability, validity and reliability of this article.

4. The theoretical framework relating to science communication in the manuscript does not connect to the results of the study. The discussion section lacks correspondence to academic discussion about research impact. There are several theoretical approaches to social impact of research or science communication and the authors should point out what point of view their hypothesis and results are supporting. The interpretation of the results lacks a meaningful theoretical framework, although the study presents a framework for science communication. I recommend to structure a hypothesis vis-à-vis science communication and interpret the results by this framework for the study.

I suggest some minor recommendations here:

- I recommend that a professional language service would proof read this article.

- The title of the paper corresponds weakly to the study, as the paper studies people’s opinions and understanding of their engagement, not how they actually achieve impact.

- The study utilizes the categories of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) from the United Kingdom. However, the REF cannot be argued to be without normative assumptions when it is a result of policies. The utilization in analysis needs some theoretical justification for using such criteria for impact.

- Basic and applied distinction is not always clear and divergent disciplines may have differing opinions about this. Use of such distinction needs theoretical support.

- The questionnaire has a section considering respondent’s personality. I cannot see this data in the paper and the meaning of such data for the paper.

- What do the authors mean by: "...by the socio-demographic factors: gender, status, and age."? In addition what “status”, do you mean employment status? Please, be more specific of these terms.

- Expression “In relation to the engagement with society” is unclear. It can be read that research is not part of society.

- Did you select the universities according to your criteria for the selection among all universities in Germany?

- Your description of semi-convenient/convenient sample is not consistent in the paper.

- The result section is rather long, and some parts are quite repetitive. Shortening it could make it more reader-friendly.

- Description of the REF coding needs to be placed in the method section.

- Table 2 title needs to be more specific.

- Table 3 is missing completely.

- What does “sustainable strategy for impact” mean in this context?

- What is specific impact in relation to disciplines? I don't think reference to a policy paper is relevant in discussion part. It should have discussion with the science communication literature or impact literature.

- In the appendix figure, there is a wrong title for the bar chart: basic vs. applied.

Reviewer #2: Thanks for the opportunity to review your manuscript entitled "How do researchers achieve societal impact? Results of an empirical survey among researchers in Germany" in which you have identified and argued for an important research gap. I really enjoyed reading the manuscript and my main comments and suggestions below are merely about elaborating and developing your text a bit more.

Consider the following in your revision of the paper:

INTRODUCTION

In the section SOCIETAL IMPACT IN RESEARCH p 10 ff you may problematize and position your study

more by (i) a deeper description existing research of the different concepts of academic knowledge

creation see e.g., Olsson et al 2020, (2020). A conceptual model for university-society

research collaboration facilitating societal impact for local innovation. European Journal of Innovation

Management. https://doi-org.ezproxy.server.hv.se/10.1108/EJIM-04-2020-0159 and (ii) earlier

research on measuring and defining research impact e.g., De Jong, et al (2014) “Understanding

societal impact through productive interactions: CT research as a case”, Research Evaluation, Vol. 23

No. 2, pp. 89-102; Greenhalgh, T., Jackson, C. et al (2016), “Achieving research impact through co-

creationin community-based health services: literature review and case study”, The Milbank

Quarterly, Vol. 94 No. 2, pp. 392-429; Matsumoto, M., et al (2010), “Development of a model to estimate the economic impacts of R&D output of public research institutes”, R & D Management, Vol. 40 No. 1, pp. 91-100. Issues of co-creation in university-society collaboration is also something you may find interesting see e.g., Larsson, J. and Holmberg, J. (2018), “Learning while creating value for sustainability transitions: the case of challenge lab at Chalmers university of technology”, Journal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 172, pp. 4411-4420, and Olsson et al 2020 as above.

AIM – there is a slight difference between the aim on page 5 and page 19.

RQ1 includes the words engagement, evaluation and press departments that need further explanation and linked to earlier research in the introduction section.

This is also reoccurring in the Method section p. 7 as the importance of communication and

performance of communication department- is there any earlier research on these aspects then it should be mentioned in the Introduction.

P. 6 define status in the individual dimension.

P. 12 The status groups -presented differently throughout the paper. A logical presentation of the groups is recommended along with an early definition in the paper of how you define a ‘researcher’.

The age of 18 seem to be very young to be included in the group of researchers?

Methodology and results are presented and illustrated in a proper way.

Fig 1 Institutional types- may the categories by merged into three categories instead?

The manuscript ends with a Discussion – add Conclusion in the heading or add another subsection entitled Conclusion. There are very few references in your Discussion. Return to your earlier refences in the Introductions section and compare your findings to earlier research.

Good luck with your revision!

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Reviewer #1:  Yes:  Juha-Pekka Lauronen

Reviewer #2: No

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Author response to Decision Letter 0

Dear Dr. Rozylowicz, dear colleagues,

we were delighted about the positive and helpful reviews we received. We substantially revised the manuscript accordingly.

Submitted filename: response_PONE-D-21-03474.docx

Decision Letter 1

28 May 2021

PONE-D-21-03474R1

How Do Researchers Approach Societal Impact?

The revision greatly improved the paper, and both reviewers had positive comments. However, there is a need for some minor adjustments for greater clarity and better reproducibility. Please try to include the suggestions in your paper, and, if not suitable, please answer in detail why. Also, please proofread the paper carefully before submitting it.

Please submit your revised manuscript by Jul 12 2021 11:59PM. If you will need more time than this to complete your revisions, please reply to this message or contact the journal office at gro.solp@enosolp . When you're ready to submit your revision, log on to https://www.editorialmanager.com/pone/ and select the 'Submissions Needing Revision' folder to locate your manuscript file.

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Reviewer #1: (No Response)

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously?

4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

6. Review Comments to the Author

Reviewer #1: PONE-D-21-03474R1

The paper and its methodical choices have improved significantly, and that is why, I suggest only some minor revisions by pointing out small possible improvements and recommendations. The study design still has some minor questions related to validity and reliability, which could be clarified and elaborated more. The findings and conclusions of the study are a bit trivial because they do not debate openly with the previous literature and the background literature of the study. Connection to the previous debate could elevate the substantial value of the paper.

1. Pretests: The authors explain that they have done pretests for reliability, but they do not elaborate what result the test provided for reliability, though they explain what they did based on those tests.

2. In the sample design, the authors describe that they selected the universities based on number of students. Why do they not rely it on researchers, teachers and other staff of scholars when the study is about researchers’ attitudes?

3. In the page 19, the expression sounds ambiguous: “Fewer researchers, but still many,…”

4. In the results section (RQ 1) the authors conclude that: “It is noteworthy that researchers (especially at universities) do not think that knowledge transfer plays an important role at their institution and that institutional communication departments are reaching relevant societal stakeholders. From this, we infer that societal impact is understood as an individual task for which there is no institutional mandate.

It is a bit unclear in this argument whether it means understanding of these institutions or the understanding of the researchers in the survey. If this means only the research staff’s attitudes, I suggest to formulate the conclusion differently, so that it is clear that it describes only the staff’s believes. Of course these two dimensions could be compared preferably.

This conclusion of neglected organizational aspects of impact requires information about the actual knowledge transfer activities of the survey institutions, and how much emphasis they have on impact evaluation and practices. Now the authors provide information about general policy recommendations and considerations, but this does not describe what kind of practices the universities have regarding impact requirements, their organization and evaluation, and their relationship with the survey attitudes.

Perhaps, the authors could provide some basic information of how impact is considered in the university and research work in Germany.

5. The claim “but these were chosen by less than 10% of the respondents

and are therefore excluded” is mentioned twice in the same context.

6. In the results (RQ2), the authors claim that “It is striking that the disciplinary groups have quite different impact profiles: Scholars from the humanities tend to have culture- and discourse-oriented goals, social scientists have discourse-, social-justice-, and policy-oriented goals, and natural scientists have technology-, health-, and environment-oriented goals.

This claim is one of the main results in the paper. However, there is nothing striking in this argument according to common knowledge of disciplinary practices and recent studies on research impact and public engagement. Perhaps, the authors could emphasize how these findings support previous understanding of the characteristics of these disciplines and their public engagement.

7. Then the authors conclude that: “From this, we conclude that societal goals are best explained by the disciplinary backgrounds of researchers.”

Because several authors have already pointed out this argument in recent literature (e.g. Benneworth) and in older classics (e.g. Weiss), the authors could elaborate this statement by linking it to recent literature, which is worried about impact policies neglecting such disciplinary goals and their importance.

8. The results (RQ3) bring out education offerings as an important perception of impact. I was wondering why this does not seem to consider the education of the institutions themselves, as they provide a great number of new graduates for employment each year.

9. Usually some sort of limits of the study should be brought out in the conclusions.

10. The conclusions seem a bit unfinished. Maybe the main conclusion is that disciplines have had their own impact goals in relation to contemporary society all along, and now all the responsibilities are suddenly pressured against researchers without proper institutional structures. On the other hand, what are the impact goals of the organizations and do they correspond to disciplines’ goals? As I pointed out in the sixth comment, linking the findings to recent studies on the disputes about impact goals and neglection of disciplinary goals, to older discussion about the difference between research utilization of various academic fields and to the structural/organizational levels of research impact could benefit and increase the value of the paper.

10. The authors point out: certain mismatch between individual and institutional commitment. However, what are the actual institutional demands from individuals?

11. I find this interesting: "Humanities scholars especially use social media to communicate results."

Perhaps, the authors could speculate a bit why the survey has such a surprising result.

12. This is unclear: researchers have teaching obligations not faced by those at independent institutes and thus less time for engagement activities. However, researchers from applied universities typically have a higher teaching workload.

What does this mean regarding engagement activities?

13. I find this statement unnecessary, as the paper clearly has a normative tone: While our results are mainly of a descriptive nature and we do not make normative assumptions about the subject of our research (i.e. “it is good to have more impact…

14. “The findings further suggest that, where applicable, organizational factors (e.g., institutional investments in transfer, training offerings, support infrastructures) should be more strongly incorporated into assessments of societal impact”

I don’t understand how the authors came to this conclusions. Why should they be part of assessments of impact? Why is impact assessment the perfect way to promote public engagement? There are also other ways to organize and promote knowledge in society.

15. This gives a misleading impression that innovation is same than impact: “In addition, we suggest that national innovation systems should be studied comparatively in order to understand the impact of policies and to study more closely the relationship between transfer practices and societal impact in specific disciplines.”

Some minor notions:

- “An example of this is Jong et al.'s concept of productive interactions…”

Productive interactions is a concept of Spaapen and van Drooge (2011).

- “According to Bornmann, three main strands of societal impact can be distinguished:”.

This is probably de Jong et al. (2014) interpretation based on Bornmann’s conceptualization.

- The instrument: “Nevertheless, as researchers’ expressions of impact, they provide a suitable textual data basis for developing goal and format categories”

Some studies (Watermeyer et al.) have shown that the REF case studies construct unsophisticated imaginaries of impact. This problematics could be mentioned regarding the evaluation competition.

Reviewer #2: (No Response)

7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article ( what does this mean? ). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

Author response to Decision Letter 1

14 Jun 2021

Again, thank you for this valuable and constructive feedback which we feel added substantially to the quality of the paper!

Submitted filename: Response_to_reviewers_PONE-D-21-03474.docx

Decision Letter 2

18 Jun 2021

PONE-D-21-03474R2

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Mariana Fuentes - Changing the currency of conservation

Leveraging collective action and environmental literacy to address complex sustainability challenges

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• Nicole M. Ardoin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3290-8211 1 ,
• Alison W. Bowers 2 &
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Developing and enhancing societal capacity to understand, debate elements of, and take actionable steps toward a sustainable future at a scale beyond the individual are critical when addressing sustainability challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity, biodiversity loss, and zoonotic disease. Although mounting evidence exists for how to facilitate individual action to address sustainability challenges, there is less understanding of how to foster collective action in this realm. To support research and practice promoting collective action to address sustainability issues, we define the term “collective environmental literacy” by delineating four key potent aspects: scale, dynamic processes, shared resources, and synergy. Building on existing collective constructs and thought, we highlight areas where researchers, practitioners, and policymakers can support individuals and communities as they come together to identify, develop, and implement solutions to wicked problems. We close by discussing limitations of this work and future directions in studying collective environmental literacy.

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Introduction

For socio-ecologically intertwined issues—such as climate change, land conversion, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and zoonotic diseases—and their associated multi-decadal timeframes, individual action is necessary, yet not sufficient, for systemic, sustained change (Amel et al. 2017 ; Bodin 2017 ; Niemiec et al. 2020 ; Spitzer and Fraser 2020 ). Instead, collective action, or individuals working together toward a common good, is essential for achieving the scope and scale of solutions to current sustainability challenges. To support communities as they engage in policy and action for socio-environmental change, communicators, land managers, policymakers, and other practitioners need an understanding of how communities coalesce and leverage their shared knowledge, skills, connections, and experiences.

Engagement efforts, such as those grounded in behavior-change approaches or community-based social marketing initiatives, that address socio-environmental issues have often emphasized individuals as the pathway to change. Such efforts address a range of domains including, but not limited to, residential energy use, personal transportation choices, and workplace recycling efforts, often doing so in a stepwise fashion, envisioning each setting or suite of behaviors as discrete spheres of action and influence (Heimlich and Ardoin 2008 ; McKenzie-Mohr 2011 ). In this way, specific actions are treated incrementally and linearly, considering first the individual barriers to be removed and then the motivations to be activated (and, sometimes, sustained; Monroe 2003 ; Gifford et al. 2011 ). Once each behavior is successfully instantiated, the next barrier is then addressed. Proceeding methodically from one action to the next, such initiatives often quite successfully alter a series of actions or group of related behaviors (at least initially) by addressing them incrementally, one at a time (Byerly et al. 2018 ). Following this aspirational logic chain, many resources have been channeled into such programs under the assumption that, by raising awareness and knowledge, such information, communication, and educational outreach efforts will shift attitudes and behaviors to an extent that, ultimately, mass-scale change will follow. (See discussion in Wals et al. 2014 .)

Numerous studies have demonstrated, however, that challenges arise with these stepwise approaches, particularly with regard to their ability to address complex issues and persist over time (Heimlich and Ardoin 2008 ; Wals et al. 2014 ). Such approaches place a tremendous—and unrealistic—burden on individuals, ignoring key aspects not only of behavioral science but also of social science more broadly, including the view that humans exist nested within socio-ecological systems and, thus, are most successful at achieving lasting change when it is meaningful, relevant, and undertaken within a supportive context (Swim et al. 2011 ; Feola 2015 ). Individualized approaches often require multiple steps or nudges (Byerly et al. 2018 ), or ongoing reminders to retain their salience (Stern et al. 2008 ). Because of the emphasis on decontextualized action, such approaches can miss, ignore, obfuscate, or minimize the importance of the bigger picture, which includes the sociocultural, biophysical, and political economic contexts (Ardoin 2006 ; Amel et al. 2017 ). Although the tightly trained focus on small, actionable steps and reliance on individual willpower may help in initially achieving success with initial habit formation (Carden and Wood 2018 ), it becomes questionable in terms of bringing about a wave of transformation on larger scales in the longer term. For those decontextualized actions to persist, they require continued prompting, constancy, and support in the social and biophysical context (Schultz 2014 ; Manfredo et al. 2016 ; Wood and Rünger 2016 ).

Less common in practice are theoretically based initiatives that embrace the holistic nature of the human experience, which occurs within complex systems spanning time and space in a multidimensional, weblike fashion (Bronfenbrenner 1979 ; Rogoff 2003 ; Barron 2006 ; DeCaro and Stokes 2008 ; Gould et al. 2019 ; Hovardas 2020 ). These systems-thinking approaches, while varying across disciplines and epistemological perspectives, envision human experiences, including learning and behavior, as occurring within a milieu that include the social, political, cultural, and historical contexts (Rogoff 2003 ; Roth and Lee 2007 ; Swim et al. 2011 ; Gordon 2019 ). In such a view, people’s everyday practices continuously reflect and grow out of past learning and experiences, not only at the individual, but also at the collective level (Lave 1991 ; Gutiérrez and Rogoff 2003 ; Nasir et al. 2020 ; Ardoin and Heimlich 2021 ). The multidimensional context in which we exist—including the broader temporal and spatial ecosystem—both facilitates and constrains our actions.

Scholars across diverse areas of study discuss the need for and power of collective thought and action, using various conceptual frames, models, and terms, such as collective action, behavior, impact, and intelligence; collaborative governance; communities of practice; crowdsourcing; and social movement theory; among many others (Table 1 ). These scholars acknowledge and explore the influence of our multidimensional context on collective thought and action. In this paper, we explore the elements and processes that constitute collective environmental literacy . We draw on the vast, relevant literature and, in so doing, we attempt to invoke the power of the collective: by reviewing and synthesizing ideas from a variety of fields, we strive to leverage existing constructs and perspectives that explore notions of the “collective” (see Table 1 for a summary of constructs and theories reviewed to develop our working definition of collective environmental literacy). A primary goal of this paper is to dialogue with other researchers and practitioners working in this arena who are eager to uncover and further explore related avenues.

First, we present a formal definition of collective environmental literacy. Next, we briefly review the dominant view of environmental literacy at the individual level and, in support of a collective take on environmental literacy, we examine various collective constructs. We then delve more deeply into the definition of collective environmental literacy by outlining four key aspects: scale, dynamic processes, shared resources, and synergy. We conclude by providing suggestions for future directions in studying collective environmental literacy.

Defining collective environmental literacy

Decades of research in political science, economics, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and the learning sciences, among other fields (Chawla and Cushing 2007 ; Ostrom 2009 ; Sawyer 2014 ; Bamberg et al. 2015 ; Chan 2016 ; Jost et al. 2017 ) repeatedly demonstrates the effectiveness, and indeed necessity of, collective action when addressing problems that are inherently social in nature. Yet theoretical frameworks and empirical documentation emphasize that such collective activities rarely arise spontaneously and, when they do, are a result of preconditions that have sown fertile ground (van Zomeren et al. 2008 ; Duncan 2018 ). Persistent and effective collective action then requires scaffolding in the form of institutional, sociocultural, and political economic structure that provides ongoing support. To facilitate discussions of how to effectively support collective action around sustainability issues, we suggest the concept of “collective environmental literacy.” We conceptualize collective environmental literacy as more than collective action; rather, we suggest that the term encapsulates action along with its various supporting structures and resources. Additionally, we employ the word “literacy” as it connotes learning, intention, and the idea that knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors can be enhanced iteratively over time. By using “literacy,” we strive to highlight the efforts, often unseen, that lead to effective collective action in communities. We draw on scholarship in science and health education, areas that have begun over the past two decades to theorize about related areas of collective science literacy (Roth and Lee 2002 , 2004 ; Lee and Roth 2003 ; Feinstein 2018 ) and health literacy (Freedman et al. 2009 ; Papen 2009 ; Chinn 2011 ; Guzys et al. 2015 ). Although these evolving constructs lack consensus definitions, they illuminate affordances and constraints that exist when conceptualizing collective environmental literacy (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine [NASEM] 2016 ).

Some of the key necessary—but not sufficient—conditions that facilitate aligned, collective actions include a common body of decision-making information; shared attitudes, values, and beliefs toward a motivating issue or concern; and efficacy skills that facilitate change-making (Sturmer and Simon 2004 ; van Zomeren et al. 2008 ; Jagers et al. 2020 ). In addition, other contextual factors are essential, such as trust, reciprocity, collective efficacy, and communication among group members and societal-level facilitators, such as social norms, institutions, and technology (Bandura 2000 ; Ostrom 2010 ; McAdam and Boudet 2012 ; Jagers et al. 2020 ). Taken together, we term this body of knowledge, dispositions, skills, and the context in which they flourish collective environmental literacy . More formally, we define collective environmental literacy as: a dynamic, synergistic process that occurs as group members develop and leverage shared resources to undertake individual and aggregate actions over time to address sustainability issues within the multi-scalar context of a socio-environmental system (Fig.  1 ).

Key elements of collective environmental literacy

Environmental literacy: Historically individual, increasingly collective

Over the past five decades, the term “environmental literacy” has come into increasingly frequent use. Breaking from the traditional association of “literacy” with reading and writing in formal school contexts, environmental literacy emphasizes associations with character and behavior, often in the form of responsible environmental stewardship (Roth 1992 ). Footnote 1 Such perspectives define the concept as including affective (attitudinal), cognitive (knowledge-based), and behavioral domains, emphasizing that environmental literacy is both a process and outcome that develops, builds, and morphs over time (Hollweg et al. 2011 ; Wheaton et al. 2018 ; Clark et al. 2020 ).

The emphasis on defining, measuring, and developing interventions to bring about environmental literacy has primarily remained at the individual scale, as evidenced by frequent descriptions of an environmentally literate person (Roth 1992 ; Hollweg et al. 2011 among others) rather than community or community member. In most understandings, discussions, and manifestations of environmental literacy, the implicit assumption remains that the unit of action, intervention, and therefore analysis occurs at the individual level. Yet instinctively and perhaps by nature, community members often seek information and, as a result, take action collectively, sharing what some scholars call “the hive mind” or “group mind,” relying on each other for distributed knowledge, expertise, motivation, and support (Surowiecki 2005 ; Sunstein 2008 ; Sloman and Fernbach 2017 ; Paul 2021 ).

As with the proverbial elephant (Saxe, n.d.), each person, household, or neighborhood group may understand or “see” a different part of an issue or challenge, bring a novel understanding to the table, and have a certain perspective or skill to contribute. Although some environmental literacy discussions allude to a collective lens (e.g., Hollweg et al. 2011 ; Ardoin et al. 2013 ; Wheaton et al. 2018 ; Bey et al. 2020 ), defining, developing frameworks, and creating measures to assess the efficacy of such collective-scale sustainability-related endeavors has remained elusive. Footnote 2 Looking to related fields and disciplines—such as ecosystem theory, epidemiology and public health, sociology, network theory, and urban planning, among others—can provide insight, theoretical frames, and empirical examples to assist in such conceptualizations (McAdam and Boudet 2012 ; National Research Council 2015 ) (See Table 1 for an overview of some of the many areas of study that informed our conceptualization of collective environmental literacy).

Seeking the essence of the collective: Looking to and learning from others

The social sciences have long focused on “the kinds of activities engaged in by sizable but loosely organized groups of people” (Turner et al. 2020 , para. 1) and addressed various collective constructs, such as collective behavior, action, intelligence, and memory (Table 1 ). Although related constructs in both the social and natural sciences—such as communities of practice (Wenger and Snyder 2000 ), collaborative governance (Ansell and Gash 2008 ; Emerson et al. 2012 ), and the collaboration–coordination continuum (Sadoff and Grey 2005 ; Prager 2015 ), as well as those from social movement theory and related areas (McAdam and Boudet 2012 ; de Moor and Wahlström 2019 )—lack the word “collective” in name, they too leverage the benefits of collectivity. A central tenet connects all of these areas: powerful processes, actions, and outcomes can arise when individuals coalesce around a common purpose or cause. This notion of a dynamic, potent force transcending the individual to enhance the efficacy of outcomes motivates the application of a collective lens to the environmental literacy concept.

Dating to the 1800s, discussions of collective behavior have explored connections to social order, structures, and norms (Park 1927 ; Smelser 2011 /1962; Turner and Killian 1987 ). Initially, the focus emphasized spontaneous, often violent crowd behaviors, such as riots, mobs, and rebellions. More contemporarily, sociologists, political scientists, and others who study social movements and collective behaviors acknowledge that such phenomena may take many forms, including those occurring in natural ecosystems, such as ant colonies, bird flocks, and even the human brain (Gordon 2019 ). In sociology, collective action represents a paradigm shift highlighting coordinated, purposeful pro-social movements, while de-emphasizing aroused emotions and crowd behavior (Miller 2014 ). In political science, Ostrom’s ( 1990 , 2000 , 2010 ) theory of collective action in the context of the management of shared resources extends the concept’s reach to economics and other fields. In education and the learning sciences, social learning and sociocultural theories tap into the idea of learning as a social-cognitive-cultural endeavor (Vygotsky 1980 ; Lave and Wenger 1991 ; Tudge and Winterhoff 1993 ; Rogoff 2003 ; Reed et al. 2010 ).

Collective action, specifically, and collective constructs, generally, have found their way into the research and practice in the fields of conservation, natural resources, and environmental management. Collective action theory has been applied in a range of settings and scenarios, including agriculture (Mills et al. 2011 ), invasive species management (Marshall et al. 2016 ; Sullivan et al. 2017 ; Lubeck et al. 2019 ; Clarke et al. 2021 ), fire management (Canadas et al. 2016 ; Charnley et al. 2020 ), habitat conservation (Raymond 2006 ; Niemiec et al. 2020 ), and water governance (Lopez-Gunn 2003 ; Baldwin et al. 2018 ), among others. Frameworks and methods that emphasize other collective-related ideas—like collaboration, co-production, and group learning—are also ubiquitous in natural resource and environmental management. These constructs include community-based conservation (DeCaro and Stokes 2008 ; Niemiec et al. 2016 ), community natural resource management (Kellert et al. 2000 ; Dale et al. 2020 ), collaboration/coordination (Sadoff and Grey 2005 ; Prager 2015 ), polycentricity (Galaz et al. 2012 ; Heikkila et al. 2018 ), knowledge co-production (Armitage et al. 2011 ; Singh et al. 2021 ), and social learning (Reed et al. 2010 ; Hovardas 2020 ). Many writings on collective efforts in the social sciences broadly, and applied in the area of environment specifically, provide insights into collective action’s necessary preconditions, which prove invaluable to further defining and later operationalizing collective environmental literacy.

Unpacking the definition of collective environmental literacy: Anchoring principles

As described, we propose the following working definition of collective environmental literacy drawing on our analysis of related literatures and informed by scholarly and professional experience in the sustainability and conservation fields: a dynamic, synergistic process that occurs as group members develop and leverage shared resources to undertake individual and aggregate actions over time to address sustainability issues within the multi-scalar context of a socio-environmental system (Fig.  1 ). This definition centers on four core, intertwined ideas: the scale of the group involved; the dynamic nature of the process; shared resources brought by, available to, and needed by the group; and the synergy that arises from group interaction.

Multi-scalar

When transitioning from the focus on individual to collective actions—and, herein, principles of environmental literacy—the most obvious and primary requisite shift is one of scale. Yet, moving to a collective scale does not mean abandoning action at the individual scale; rather, success at the collective level is intrinsically tied to what occurs at an individual level. Such collective-scale impacts leverage the power of the hive, harnessing people’s willingness, ability, and motivation to take action alongside others, share their ideas and resources to build collective ideas and resources, contribute to making a difference in an impactful way, and participate communally in pro-social activities.

Collective environmental literacy is likely dynamic in its orientation to scale, incorporating place-based notions, such as ecoregional or community-level environmental literacy (with an emphasis on geographic boundaries). On the other hand, it may encapsulate environmental literacy of a group or organization united by a common identity (e.g., organizational membership) or cause (e.g., old-growth forests, coastal protection), rather than solely or even primarily by geography. Although shifting scales can make measuring collective environmental literacy more difficult, dynamic levels may be a benefit when addressing planetary boundary issues such as climate change, biodiversity, and ocean acidification (Galaz et al. 2012 ). Some scholars have called for a polycentric approach to these large-scale issues in response to a perceived failure of global-wide, top-down solutions (Ostrom 2010 , 2012 ; Jordan et al. 2018 ). Conceptualizing and consequently supporting collective environmental literacy at multiple scales can facilitate such desired polycentricity.

Rather than representing a static outcome, environmental literacy is a dynamic process that is fluctuating and complex, reflective of iterative interactions among community members, whose discussions and negotiations reflect the changing context of sustainability issues. Footnote 3 Such open-minded processes allow for, and indeed welcome, adaptation in a way that builds social-ecological resilience (Berkes and Jolly 2002 ; Adger et al. 2005 ; Berkes 2007 ). Additionally, this dynamism allows for collective development and maturation, supporting community growth in collective knowledge, attitudes, skills, and actions via new experiences, interactions, and efforts (Berkman et al. 2010 ). With this mindset, and within a sociocultural perspective, collective environmental literacy evolves through drawing on and contributing to the community’s funds of knowledge (González et al. 2006 ). Movement and actions within and among groups impact collective literacy, as members share knowledge and other resources, shifting individuals and the group in the course of their shared practices (Samerski 2019 ).

In a collective mode, effectiveness is heightened as shared resources are streamlined, waste is minimized, and innovation maximized. Rather than each group member developing individual expertise in every matter of concern, the shared knowledge, skills, and behaviors can be distributed, pursued, and amplified among group members efficiently and effectively, with collective literacy emerging from the process of pooling diverse forms of capital and aggregating resources. This perspective builds on ideas of social capital as a collective good (Ostrom 1990 ; Putnam 2020 ), wherein relationships of trust and reciprocity are both inputs and outcomes (Pretty and Ward 2001 ). The shared resources then catalyze and sustain action as they are reassembled and coalesced at the group level for collective impact.

The pooled resources—likely vast—may include, but are not limited to, physical and human resources, funding, time, energy, and space and place (physical or digital). Shared resources may also include forms of theorized capital, such as intellectual and social (Putnam 2020 ). Also of note is the recognition that these resources extend far beyond information and knowledge. Of particular interest when building collective environmental literacy are resources previously ignored or overlooked by those in power in prior sustainability efforts. For example, collective environmental literacy can draw strength from shared resources unique to the community or even subgroups within the larger community. Discussions of Indigenous knowledge (Gadgil et al. 1993 ) and funds of knowledge (González et al. 2006 ; Cruz et al. 2018 ) suggest critical, shared resources that highlight strengths of an individual community and its members. Another dimension of shared resources relates to the strength of institutional connections, such as the benefits that accrue from leveraging the collective knowledge, expertise, and resources of organizational collaborators working in adjacent areas to further and amplify each other’s impact (Wojcik et al. 2021 ).

Synergistic

Finally, given the inherent complexities related to defining, deploying, implementing, and measuring these dynamic, at-times ephemeral processes, resources, and outcomes at a collective scale, working in such a manner must be clearly advantageous to pressing sustainability issues at hand. Numerous related constructs and approaches from a range of fields emphasize the benefits of diverse collaboration to collective thought and action, including improved solutions, more effective and fair processes, and more socioculturally just outcomes (Klein 1990 ; Jörg 2011 ; Wenger and Snyder 2000 ; Djenontin and Meadow 2018 ). These benefits go beyond efficient aggregation and distribution of resources, invoking an almost magical quality that defines synergy, resulting in robust processes and outcomes that are more than the sum of the parts.

This synergy relies on the diversity of a group across various dimensions, bringing power, strength, and insight to a decision-making process (Bear and Woolley 2011 ; Curşeu and Pluut 2013 ; Freeman and Huang 2015 ; Lu et al. 2017 ; Bendor and Page 2019 ). Individuals are limited not only to singular knowledge-perspectives and skillsets, but also to their own experiences, which influence their self-affirming viewpoints and tendencies to seek out confirmatory information for existing beliefs (Kahan et al. 2011 ). Although the coming together of those from different racial, cultural, social, and economic backgrounds facilitates a collective literacy process that draws on a wider range of resources and equips a gestalt, it also sets up the need to consider issues of power, privilege, voice, and representation (Bäckstrand 2006 ) and the role of social capital, leading to questions related to trust and reciprocity in effective collectives (Pretty and Ward 2001 ; Folke et al. 2005 ).

Leveraging the ‘Hive’: Proceeding with collective environmental literacy

This paper presents one conceptualization of collective environmental literacy, with the understanding that numerous ways exist to envision its definition, formation, deployment, and measurement. Characterized by a collective effort, such literacies at scale offer a way to imagine, measure, and support the synergy that occurs when the emphasis moves from an individual to a larger whole. By expanding the scale and focusing on shared responsibility among actors at the systems level, opportunities arise for inspiring and enabling a broader contribution to a sustainable future. These evolving notions serve to invite ongoing conversation, both in research and practice, about how to enact our collective responsibility toward, as well as vision of, a thriving future.

Emerging from the many discussions of shared and collaborative efforts to address socio-environmental issues, our conceptualization of collective environmental literacy is a first step toward supporting communities as they work to identify, address, and solve sustainability problems. We urge continued discussions on this topic, with the goal of understanding the concept of collective environmental literacy, how to measure it, and the implications of this work for practitioners. The conceptual roots of collective environmental literacy reach into countless fields of study and, as such, a transdisciplinary approach, which includes an eye toward practice, is necessary to fully capture and maximize the tremendous amount of knowledge, wisdom, and experience around this topic. Specifically, next steps to evolve the concept include engaging sustainability researchers and practitioners in discussions of the saliency of the presented definition of collective environmental literacy. These discussions include verifying the completeness of the definition and ensuring a thorough review of relevant research: Are parts of the definition missing or unclear? What are the “blank, blind, bald, and bright spots” in the literature (Reid 2019 p. 158)? Additionally, recognizing and leveraging literacy at a collective scale most certainly is not unique to environmental work, nor is adopting literacy-related language to conceptualize and measure process outcomes, although the former has consistently proven more challenging. Moreover, although we (the authors) appreciate the connotations and structures gained by using a literacy framework, we struggle with whether “environmental literacy” is the most appropriate and useful term for the conceptualizations as described herein; we, thus, welcome lively discussions about the need for new terminology.

Even at this early stage of conceptualization, this work has implications for practitioners. For scientists, communicators, policymakers, land managers, and other professionals desiring to work with communities to address sustainability issues, a primary take-away message concerns the holistic nature of what is needed for effective collective action in the environmental realm. Many previous efforts have focused on conveying information and, while a lack of knowledge and awareness may be a barrier to action in some cases, the need for a more holistic lens is increasingly clear. This move beyond an individually focused, information-deficit model is essential for effective impact (Bolderdijk et al. 2013 ; van der Linden 2014 ; Geiger et al. 2019 ). The concept of collective environmental literacy suggests a role for developing shared resources that can foster effective collective action. When working with communities, a critical early step includes some form of needs assessment—a systematic, in-depth process that allows for meaningfully gauging gaps in shared resources required to tackle sustainability issues (Braus 2011). Following this initial, evaluative step, an understanding of the components of collective environmental literacy, as outlined in this paper, can be used to guide the development of interventions to support communities in their efforts to address those issues.

Growing discussion of collective literacy constructs, and related areas, suggests researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working in pro-social areas recognize and value collective efforts, despite the need for clearer definitions and effective measures. This definitional and measurement work, in both research and practice, is not easy. The ever-changing, dynamic contexts in which collective environmental literacy exists make defining the concept a moving target, compounded by a need to draw upon work in countless, often distinct academic fields of study. Furthermore, the hard-to-see, inner workings of collective constructs make measurement difficult. Yet, the “power of the hive” is intriguing, as the synergism that arises from communities working in an aligned manner toward a unified vision suggests a potency and wave of motivated action essential to coalescing and leveraging individual goodwill, harnessing its power and potential toward effective sustainability solutions.

See Stables and Bishop’s ( 2001 ) idea of defining environmental literacy by viewing the environment as “text.”

The climate change education literature also includes a nascent, but growing, discussion of collective-lens thinking and literacy. See, for example, Waldron et al. ( 2019 ), Mochizuki and Bryan ( 2015 ), and Kopnina ( 2016 ).

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Maria DiGiano, Anna Lee, and Becca Shareff for their feedback and contributions to early drafts of this paper. We appreciate the research and writing assistance supporting this paper provided by various members of the Stanford Social Ecology Lab, especially: Brennecke Gale, Pari Ghorbani, Regina Kong, Naomi Ray, and Austin Stack.

This work was supported by a grant from the Pisces Foundation.

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Ardoin, N.M., Bowers, A.W. & Wheaton, M. Leveraging collective action and environmental literacy to address complex sustainability challenges. Ambio 52 , 30–44 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-022-01764-6

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It is important to adopt a flexible approach when choosing a topic to investigate. The goal when writing any paper is to choose a research problem that is focused and time-limited. However, your starting point should not be so narrowly defined that you unnecessarily constrict your opportunity to investigate the topic thoroughly. A research problem that is too narrowly defined leads to any of the following problems :

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In general, an indication that a research problem is too narrowly defined is that you can't find any relevant or meaningful information about it. If this happens, don't immediately abandon your efforts to investigate the problem because it could very well be an excellent topic of study. A good way to begin is to look for parallels and opportunities for broader associations that apply to the initial research problem. A strategy for doing this is to ask yourself the basic six questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why.

Here is an example of how to apply the six questions strategy to broadening your topic. Let's use the research topic of how to investigate ways to improve trade relations between Peru and Bolivia as an example. Ask yourself:

• Who? -- are there other countries involved in the relations between these two countries that might want to challenge or encourage this relationship? Are there particular individuals or special interest groups [e.g., politicians, union leaders, etc.] promoting trade relations or trying to inhibit it? [remember to ask either the individual who question, the collective who question, or the institutional who question].
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Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research . Fourth edition. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press, 2016; Coming Up With Your Topic. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College; Getting Started With Your Research: A Self-Help Guide to Quality Information, Jean and Alexander Heard Library. Vanderbilt University; Strategies for Broadening a Topic. University Libraries. Information Skills Modules. Virginia Tech University.

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As part of a new series profiling participants in SSRC’s Criminal Justice Innovation Fellowship program, Romaine Campbell talks about his research on police and prison policies. This is a cross-posting with  Arnold Ventures .

Recently, the Social Science Research Council (SSRC), with support from Arnold Ventures (AV), launched the Criminal Justice Innovation (CJI) Fellowship program , which supports early-career researchers who are exploring what works to make communities safer and the criminal justice system fairer and more effective. 

“These CJI fellows will spend the next three years investing in their own policy-relevant research, as well as conducting policy analyses for AV that will directly inform our work,” Jennifer Doleac , executive vice president of criminal justice at AV, says. “We are eager to know if particular policies and programs are working, and this group of researchers will figure that out. I’m thrilled to get to work with these brilliant, talented scholars.”

According to Anna Harvey , president of the SSRC, this new fellowship program will uniquely foster innovative and rigorous causal research on criminal justice policies. “By supporting ‘people, not projects,’ the CJI fellowships will give these exceptional young researchers the time and freedom to pursue novel and creative approaches to evaluating criminal justice policies and practices. We can’t wait to see what they produce,” she says. 

In part one of a new series profiling the CJI fellows, AV spoke with Romaine Campbell, a Ph.D candidate in economics at Harvard University whose work addresses racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Romaine Campbell: Police Behavior and Community Safety

A labor economist by training, Campbell will produce research as a fellow through the CJI fellowship program over the next two years before joining the faculty at Cornell University’s Brooks School of Public Policy. His research will focus on how federal scrutiny impacts police behavior and community safety, as well as the effects of higher education in prison on the outcomes of people who are incarcerated, among other topics. 

Campbell, who is originally from the Caribbean, says that he has seen how rigorous empirical research can help to explain the things that are important for his community. “A lot of my work looks at how we can improve law enforcement in the United States,” he says. “Policing serves an important role in ensuring the public safety of communities, but increasingly we’re aware of the social costs that can sometimes come with policing. My work examines policies that can help balance the important work that officers do with trying to mitigate the harms that come out of the excesses of policing.”

In 2023, Campbell published a working paper on the results of federal oversight of policing in Seattle. Using administrative data from the Seattle Police Department, the paper found that federal oversight resulted in a 26% reduction in police stops in the city — mostly by reducing stop-and-frisk style stops. Importantly, that reduction had no impact on the rates of serious crime or other community safety measures. 

As part of the new fellowship, Campbell expects to expand his work on the impacts of police oversight. By working with other police departments across the country, he will explore how officers respond to federal investigations, how it affects their behavior, and what types of policing are actually effective for crime reduction. Some policymakers, Campbell notes, have expressed concerns that adding oversight to police departments causes them to pull back from policing, which can damage community safety. As such, policies are needed that reduce the harms of policing while also allowing officers to address serious crime and build trust with the communities they serve. “As our society considers the best ways to improve policing,” he says, “it’s going to be important to document the types of policies that can achieve this without having deleterious effects for communities.” 

Additionally, working in partnership with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, Campbell and colleagues intend to explore the impact of Brady Lists — public-facing records of information about police misconduct, decertification, use-of-force reports, and other metrics — to understand how prosecutors use such information in charging decisions in their cases. 

Separately, Campbell and colleagues plan to launch a project to understand how the provision of higher education in prison affects short- and long-term outcomes of people who are incarcerated, especially their social and economic mobility. He will focus on Iowa, where agreements with the state’s department of corrections, department of education, and workforce development agency will provide him with the necessary data. 

Campbell says that rigorous research is important for decision-making about public policy in the criminal justice system. “When you operate in public policy spaces, you really want to build out evidence-based policy,” he explains. “We can all have our feelings and intuitions about what will happen when a policy goes into effect, but the gold standard should be to implement policies that are supported by data.”

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