WISERD is pleased to support two events as part of the annual Festival of Social Science run by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
The week-long festival (29 October – 5 November), now in its ninth year, celebrates some of the country’s leading social science research, showcasing the valuable work of the UK’s social scientists and demonstrates how their work has an impact on all our lives.
Both events take place on Wednesday 2nd November, one in Cardiff and one in Aberystwyth.
The Cardiff event ‘Who are we? From local to global citizens’, organised by the Cardiff School of Social Sciences, aims to promote the use of quantitative social science among schools in South Wales.
More than 100 Key Stage 4 students from nine local schools will learn about what social scientists attempt to discover about different groups in society and the different ways in which they try to find out. The results from an online survey, which was launched four weeks prior to the event, will be discussed at the workshops during the day and compared to similar surveys carried out in other parts of the world.
Mark Drakeford, Professor at the School of Social Sciences and AM for Cardiff West, will talk at the event about the contribution of social science and quantitative methods to understanding social life. He will also discuss how the sense of Welsh identity and use of the Welsh language vary by gender, age group and region.
At Aberystwyth, ‘Connecting Social Science and Science in Environmental Policy’ will bring together social scientists, scientists and policy-makers to discuss how social science and science perspectives can be integrated to inform environmental policy.
The workshop will aim to highlight the contribution of social science research to environmental policy-making and its integration with scientific evidence. Speakers at the event will include representatives from the Welsh Government, Forest Research Wales, and the Countryside Council for Wales.
This year’s Festival of Social Science has over 130 creative and exciting events aimed at encouraging businesses, charities, government agencies; and schools or college students to discuss, discover and debate topical social science issues. Press releases detailing some of the varied events are available at the Festival website. You can also follow updates from the Festival on Twitter using #esrcfestival.