In the wake of COVID-19, policymakers leaned heavily on STEM fields to steer public health decisions – while sidelining social sciences. Drawing on their comparative research into three European science advisory bodies, Sebastian Ludwicki-Ziegler and Lise Moawad argue that integrating social studies into policy is essential not just in crisis, but at all times – and offer concrete steps to achieve more balanced, interdisciplinary policymaking.

Increased use of social studies

Despite an increased interest in integrating social studies into policymaking, little is known about how they are utilised in parliamentary structures dedicated to assessing science and technology (Parliamentary Technology Assessment, or PTA, structures) and whether there were changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on France, Germany and the United Kingdom, our research highlights the uneven representation of social studies in science and technology assessment processes and their outputs during the observation period (March 2020 to February 2022). We investigated the PTA structures using Pitkin’s concept of representation (1967) as an analytical framework. To answer the research questions, we employed document analysis and prosopography to study three PTA structures: the Office parlementaire d’évaluation des choix scientifiques et technologiques (OPECST) in France, the Büro für Technikfolgen-Abschätzungen beim Deutschen Bundestag (TAB) in Germany, and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) in the UK.

During the pandemic, social studies, when used, were seen as providers of ready-to-use methods and approaches, such as surveys. However, they played a significant role when ethical issues became more prevalent in public debates.

Our findings show that OPECST, TAB and POST made increasing use of social studies in their online outputs between March 2020 and February 2022. Yet despite this increase, references to social studies were usually complementary to STEM and very rarely featured in a leading role. During the pandemic, social studies, when used, were seen as providers of ready-to-use methods and approaches, such as surveys. However, they played a significant role when ethical issues became more prevalent in public debates. For instance, PTA structures have prominently considered social studies’ perspectives when debating issues surrounding the handling of private data for track-and-trace systems, the use of vaccine passports, and matters of public distrust towards science. Overall, social studies are dedicated to social issues and rarely go beyond them.

Uneven representation

This uneven representation of social studies was also mirrored in the expertise of institutional members of OPECST, TAB and POST. TAB shows significant deficits compared to the other two, since it did not appoint parliamentarians who are accountable to citizens (formalistic representation) but instead operates as an independent scientific unit under contract with the Bundestag. Additionally, French and British structures were symbolically representative, as designated officeholders were put in place who “stood for” social studies. However, TAB is the only PTA structure where most officeholders, beyond the “happy few” social studies experts, also have some background in social studies (descriptive representation). As for substantive representation, in which officeholders serve the “best interests” of social studies, we found it to be the most blurred area in our three PTA structures. It was outside the scope of our study to determine with certainty if the members of PTA structures “representing” social studies genuinely advocate for their integration in TA processes.

Understanding social context to solve problems

Despite being often cast aside in favour of STEM fields, social studies can play a crucial role in addressing complex ethical and societal issues involving emerging technologies. Their unbalanced disciplinary representation is therefore problematic, potentially undermining the democratic legitimacy of PTA structures. Support for all forms of science is necessary to adequately respond to increasingly complex crises with robust and equitable solutions. This became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when public trust in science was closely tied to public trust in politics.

Social studies should be called upon not only in times of crisis. Any scientific or technological fact is conceived, created and disseminated within a social context, which must be considered along with the fact itself.

But social studies should be called upon not only in times of crisis. Any scientific or technological fact is conceived, created and disseminated within a social context, which must be considered along with the fact itself. Interdisciplinarity, and even transdisciplinarity, are crucial for making the social embeddedness of science visible. Research and academia have a profound influence on public life and societal outcomes, a fact that may not always be apparent unless we actively seek it out.

Interdisciplinarity is key

TAB and OPECST should emulate POST’s fellowship programme to encourage PhD students from diverse backgrounds (social studies and STEM) to become part of the policymaking process. This would support TAB to consider a greater variety of topics and issues in their work, providing more ground for interdisciplinarity, while helping to counter STEM’s dominance in OPECST. POST could designate even more space for social studies among permanent staff and encourage interdisciplinarity among them. These recommendations are also applicable to other PTA structures beyond those reviewed, whether they are already established or in the process of being established. Ensuring the involvement of a broader spectrum of disciplinary perspectives in these structures would help to rebuild trust among political stakeholders. Just as important, it would present insights from social studies as a high-level type of knowledge, on an equal rather than a secondary footing with evidence provided by STEM.

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This post draws on the authors’ article Social studies, technology assessment and the pandemic: a comparative analysis of social studies-based policy advice in PTA institutions in France, Germany and the UK during the COVID-19 crisis (Open Access) published in Evidence & Policy.