The prestige of social sciences today

contradictions in the expansion of the market for interpreting the social world in contemporary Brazil

Abstract

Social sciences have always faced society's skepticism. In recent years, they have been under attack, calling into question the confidence of their practitioners regarding their social prestige. This article argues that academic social sciences have lost the monopoly they once held in the broader field of social sciences, as there has been a recent expansion in the market for interpreting the social world. The implications of this shift are still uncertain. However, based on a wide range of empirical data, I argue that it is more likely that academic social sciences have gained relevance as a source of legitimacy for non-academic or semi-academic social scientists. Therefore, there has been an increase in the prestige of social sciences in contemporary times rather than a reduction in their importance.