The Importance of Strong Social Sciences
In Aotearoa New Zealand and around the globe, social sciences help us understand the world and human experience. They give us the tools to make sense of our past, navigate complexity in the present, and plan for better futures. At the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO, we believe this work is more important than ever.
UNESCO has long recognised that the social and human sciences are essential to its mission of building inclusive and peaceful societies. We echo that belief. In New Zealand, insight is not just something found in textbooks—it lives in language, culture, the arts, whakapapa, and everyday experience. These interconnected ways of knowing help us navigate complexity and foster resilience. The social sciences are fundamental to a country’s ability to fulfil is aspirations. Growth, productivity, economic development, prosperity and sound policy-making each rely on the critical social sciences of economics, statistics, demography and of course, education.
Social sciences are central to our mandate and intersect powerfully with our cross-cutting themes – supporting climate action, safe digital environments, strong social cohesion, indigenous knowledge systems, and literacy and lifelong learning. Each of these areas addresses major global challenges, and each is enriched by the knowledge, research and critical thinking social sciences provide. For example, research grounded in Mātauranga Māori has informed oceans’ research and sustainable environmental practices in many conservation projects, while digital equity studies have shaped policy responses to online safety. These complex challenges illustrate a critical attribute and benefit of ensuring strong social sciences; successful problem-solving requires a multidisciplinary approach.
Social sciences ask meaningful questions. They help us understand important questions of our time – how we engage with technology ethically, foster connection in increasingly polarised societies, raise children and care for our elderly, and understand how history and culture shape who we are and the choices we make. Social sciences teach us that no issue exists in isolation and that good decisions are grounded in people, place, and context. Even measures of economic growth, such as employment and equity are, at the local level, not just financial indicators—they are deeply social issues that require nuanced, people-centred approaches.
While their value can at times be hard to quantify in the short term, social sciences bring real and lasting impact. Social sciences are evidence-based and research-driven, which is essential for developing responsive and effective policy. They underpin sectors such as health, education, housing, urban planning, infrastructure needs, workforce requirements and community development, among many others. They bring depth, accuracy and relevance to policymaking. And they support innovation by keeping human wellbeing at the centre. Knowledge, in this sense, is not just a driver of the economy; it is also a foundation for a just, creative, and connected society. We need to move beyond narrow definitions and create space for all knowledge systems to coexist, inform, and strengthen each other.
When we centre human experience, context, and connection, we lay the groundwork for wiser decisions and stronger communities. By nurturing the social sciences, and the many diverse ways of knowing that inform them, we create the conditions for societies not just to grow, but to thrive in ways that are both sustainable and equitable.
