Understanding social change, and the forces that strengthen and divide societies, is at the centre of the challenge before social science research and its contribution to a successful society.
The rapid and far-reaching changes that are happening in society have immense implications for how individuals view their place in that society, and the extent to which people are included or excluded in the political, cultural and social life of their communities. Inequalities, poverty, employment, ethnicity and crime are all key issues in this theme.
The development, delivery and impact of public policy in these and other fields - such as transport, housing and immigration - are also major subjects for social research, offering a wide scope for developing methods to ensure that the insights and evidence of research are properly exploited.
More generally, this theme promotes the further development of methods for complex social analysis which will enhance our ability to understand society and how it is changing. Of importance here is the role of comparative research which compares communities and social groups within as well as between countries.