How Social Science Creates the World

This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and UC Berkeley political scientist Professor Mark Bevir who is an internationally acclaimed expert in the theory of governance. This thought-provoking conversation explores how attempts to shoehorn political science into a natural science framework commonly fail and how correctly appreciating what social science is and does has a direct bearing on our everyday social lives. 


By adopting the false belief that the social world is composed of some unchanging, fundamental entities on par with atoms or molecules—be they markets or classes or what have you—we will have no means of recognizing, or even describing, what happens when circumstances change and a new social dynamic is created.


This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, One of a Kind, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:


Creating a Political Philosopher - From mathematics to social science

The Power of Philosophy - How to change the world

What is Political Science, Anyway? - Science vs. interpretation

Knowing One’s Limits - Distinguishing heuristic utility from a scientific truth

Missing the Boat - Beyond outdated dichotomies

Networks - What they are and how they arose

Analyzing Governance - How social science makes the world

The Mechanisms of Influence - Investigating social traction

From Theory to Practice - Appreciating a mix of strategies

Doing Things Better - The importance of listening

Starting Over - A lone wolf takes charge, at least theoretically

Going Global - Encouraging pluralism and open patterns




About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series 


This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in focused yet informal setting to give non-specialists a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks.