LSE Presents: The People vs the Social Sciences
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About this Event
LSE Presents: The People vs the Social Sciences
With public trust in democracy at the lowest it has been in decades; in a time of mounting social discontent and increasing inequality particularly between the rich and poor, the healthy and sick, old and the young; the homed and the homeless who is it that we can look to for help in such uncertain times?
It is said knowledge is power yet what is it that the economists, political scientists, policy makers, lawyers and social science researchers offer us in terms of a way forward? What information and tools, can, should or have they provided us, the people, in order to tackle some of the complex problems arising in society today?
On Tuesday 10 March STICERD and the Department of Economics in partnership with the Department of Law and School of Public Policy will look to answer some of these questions by putting the social sciences on trial for the crime of failing society.
In the form of a mock trial, presided over by a ‘judge,’ the prosecution will argue the case on behalf of the people, while the professors will defend their science. The jury (the live audience) will also have the opportunity to question witnesses. The trial will decide whether the social sciences, as an area of research, commentary and investigation has failed society.
The verdict will be live at 20:00 in the Old Theatre, LSE
The hashtag for this event will be #LSETrial
This is a free public event.
The Cast:
Judge: Professor Conor Gearty, LSE Department of Law
Paul Sullivan: Manager , School of Public Policy LSE
Lawyers for the Prosecution: Paul Kirby, Zinc; assisting Counsel Rachel Middlemass, Research Impact Manager LSE
Lawyers for the Defence: Professor Julia Black, Strategic Director of Innovation LSE; assisting Counsel Professor in Practice ,School of Public Policy LSE
Witnesses for the Prosecution: Professor Tony Travers, Department of Government LSE; David Halpern, Chief Executive of the Behavioural Insights Team, Professor Oriana Bandiera, Director of STICERD LSE
Witnesses for the Defence: Rachel Glennerster, Department for International Development; Professor Richard Blundell, UCL; Hetan Shah, The British Academy
Jury of the People: live audience (in the room and online via live stream)
