Social sciences

Using data from social networks to understand and improve systems

Researchers in IDSS are learning how ideas evolve over networks, quantifying the influence of individuals in networks, and making better predictions.

April 7, 2016

“Relatively small shocks can become magnified and then become shocks you have to contend with [on a large scale],” says MIT economist Daron Acemoglu.

How network effects hurt economies

Study reveals how woes in one industry can harm others, too.

April 6, 2016

Students selected as Burchard Scholars are some of MIT's liveliest undergraduates. They are unafraid to wrestle with new ideas.

35 exceptional MIT students named Burchard Scholars for 2016

Sophomores and juniors who excel in the HASS and STEM fields are honored.

January 29, 2016

"Even when you have great technology, you need some incentive for people to reduce pollution. We need to find ways to make the benefit of reducing pollution felt by the ones who are paying the cost of reducing pollution." —Ariel Zucker, MIT doctoral student in economics

Incentives matter

Working with the Tata Center, two MIT economics students are testing projects to reduce industrial pollution in India.

January 29, 2016

“I think the flexibility of having the opportunity to discover what you're interested in, to pursue these things, and to create a space for yourself where you can feel comfortable was what drove me to MIT,” Larissa Senatus says.

Larissa Senatus learns about the world by doing

Mechanical engineering major hopes to bring hands-on learning opportunities home to Haiti.

January 13, 2016

MIT Department of Political Science celebrates 50 years of rigor, relevance, and impact

November 30, 2015

Illuminating urban planning

Jennifer Light studies how Cold War military analysis and New Deal resource analysis shaped cities.

November 23, 2015

"Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age" (Penguin Press) by Sherry Turkle (pictured)

3 Questions: Sherry Turkle on “Reclaiming Conversation”

MIT professor talks about our need for face-to-face dialogue, in families, classrooms, and workplaces.

November 17, 2015

MIT named No. 1 university worldwide for social sciences

Times Higher Education ranks MIT’s social sciences the best in the world.

November 9, 2015

(From left) Serena Parekh, Jennifer Leaning, Nahuel Arenas, and Ali Al Jundi

Facing the global refugee crisis

At MIT event, scholars and relief workers warn current problems could be “the tip of the iceberg.”

October 22, 2015

Hundreds of MIT students explore fields at the 2015 TOUR de SHASS

Academic expo connects students with MIT-SHASS faculty and courses.

September 16, 2015

Sabine Iatridou and Kai von Fintel, MIT professors of linguistics

Sabine Iatridou and Kai von Fintel named fellows of the Linguistics Society of America

Fellowship marks the highest honor in the field of linguistics.

August 27, 2015

2015 TOUR de SHASS takes place September 10

Students meet faculty and explore options in MIT's humanities, arts, social science fields.

August 25, 2015

MIT chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Society inducts 80 new members

Seniors combine the very best of humanities and science scholarship.

August 5, 2015

MIT Institute for Data, Systems, and Society launches

IDSS will address challenges and opportunities in complex systems.

July 1, 2015

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