SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH AND SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION: REFLEXIVITY, DECOLONIZATION, AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Abstract

Social Science Research is viewed as an essential tool to grasp social realities. Yet, social science in the larger processes of social transformation remains an intensely contested concept, especially in societies characterized by inequality, asymmetrical social relations of power, and marginality. This chapter critically discusses social science research not just in a narrow and essential sense but in the normative and epistemological context of the social world. Bringing in classical and contemporary perspectives from social theory, this chapter discusses the development of social science research from the perspectives of positivist and interpretive theory to more contemporary approaches like critical and participatory theory. The chapter further interrogates the dominance of Western epistemologies in social science research and situates Indian sociological traditions as part of the necessary counterpoints emanating from lived realities. Given its main attention to evidence-based policymaking, program evaluation, and interventions at the community level, this voices skepticism about a priori assumptions regarding the linear relationship between research, policy, and social transformation. Based on field-informed perspectives and empirical studies related to policy implementation, caste and gender inequalities, and participatory research, this chapter uncovers ethical tensions between data extraction and community ownership in which it is entangled. It argues that societal change cannot be reduced to short-term or rhetorical claims of transformation, but instead calls for long-term accountability, recognition of the voices of the marginalized, and shared ownership of social problem-solving.