What Do Social Scientists Do? Geography
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) resource gives information about career options for people who study geography. It starts by defining the subject, including its component parts of human and physical geography. Human geography includes studies of cultures, population, economies, health and medicine, rural and urban…
Society Now: UK by Numbers
The 'UK by numbers' series focuses on key areas, such as population, energy and health, and provide important and up-to-date statistics about the UK. The documents are taken from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) magazine, Society Now. Population This issue gives statistics for the composition of the UK's…
Where Would Social Science Be Without Maths?
A poster for teachers to use within the classroom, produced by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). On the front is a timeline featuring prominent figures who developed the use of statistics, with accompanying teachers’ notes on the back. The timeline looks at landmark events in social science from 1662, when John…
What Do Social Scientists Do? Sociology
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) resource gives information about careers related to sociology. It starts with a definition, explaining the ways in which sociologists study the effects of social issues and the way society is organised. The resource then lists career possibilities for sociologists using their analytical…
Britain at a Glance
These two Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) pages give statistics and key facts about the British population in 2007 and 2008. These statistics give a picture of the UK's population growth rates and age distribution, percentages of ethnic minorities, where we live and work, our income and spending habits, health, education…
Carbon Emissions
This opinion piece addresses the question "China and India are right to resist binding emissions targets" and was written to provoke debate and discussion about the issue of carbon emissions. It was written by an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded researcher, for the Debating Matters competition. The…
The Science of Social Interaction
The Science of Social Interaction document is a one-page summary of some recent Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research into the area of human interaction. As our society becomes ever more interconnected, with each person experiencing hundreds of social encounters every day, the way we communicate is very important.…
Fat is Not a Four-letter Word
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at how obesity is viewed by the general public and how the war on obesity could lead to discrimination on the grounds of a person's size and intolerance towards the over-weight. The briefing examines the possibly doubtful science that can colour opinions…
Do Models Need to Be Thin to Sell Moisturiser?
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at the effectiveness of advertising and whether it really is necessary for advertisers to use very thin models to sell their products. Counter to this view, research shows that women are just as likely to buy a product if the model is of average size. The…
This Sporting Life - and Questions to Think About
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing looks at how middle class people take the need to exercise more personally than others. Although the need for exercise is generally recognised, research shows that more highly educated people are more likely to participate in regular exercise. The briefing explains…
What Is Healthy? What Is Beautiful?
This Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) school briefing discusses fat as a class issue, as well as a feminist issue. Research shows that middle class families are more likely to be health-conscious eaters, and chances are the shops in their neighbourhoods offer a wider range of healthy food. The resource looks at the facts…
Ageing
This opinion piece was written by an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded researcher to provoke debate and discussion about the issue of ageing. The piece was written for the Debating Matters competition, which the ESRC sponsors, and discusses vital questions about whether extending the human lifespan should be welcomed…
Genomics
From the Economic and Social Research Council (ERSC), this briefing explores how understanding genomics may offer potential benefits to society, but also looks at how we might use and regulate that knowledge. The resource describes the possible applications of synthetic biology. The emerging personal genomics industry is discussed…
Population Growth
From the Economic and Social Research Council (ERSC), this briefing provides figures on global population growth and highlights the key issues in population management and the factors that influence fertility rates. Case studies illustrating a number of different approaches to population control around the world are described, including…
Performing Under Pressure
This resource looks at how people create strategies to help them cope with pressure and stressful situations such as performing in front of others or taking examinations. Psychologists have looked at how sportsmen and women cope with pressure to see if the strategies they use would also work for ordinary people. As an experiment,…