Burton Howard Burton 
How Social Science Creates the World – A Conversation with Mark Bevir [EPUB ebook] 

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:I. Creating a Political Philosopher – From mathematics to social science II. The Power of Philosophy – How to change the world III. What is Political Science, Anyway? – Science vs. interpretation IV. Knowing One’s Limits – Distinguishing heuristic utility from a scientific truth V. Missing the Boat – Beyond outdated dichotomies VI. Networks – What they are and how they arose VII. Analyzing Governance – How social science makes the world VIII. The Mechanisms of Influence – Investigating social traction IX. From Theory to Practice – Appreciating a mix of strategies X. Doing Things Better – The importance of listening XI. Starting Over – A lone wolf takes charge, at least theoretically XII. 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 a 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. For other books in this series visit our website: https://ideasroadshow.com/.