Social Sciences

The 'Fraternal Kiss' mural, by Soviet artist Dmitri Vrubel, emblematic of the Cold War, appeared on the Berlin East Side Gallery, Berlin Wall, 1990. Image credit - Freepenguin, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

26 March 2018

Confronting cultural history leads to stronger European identity

The act of confronting a troublesome past can be challenging by itself, and the Germans even have a word for it — Vergangenheitsbewältigung. Roughly one-third of current EU Member States spent decades behind the Iron Curtain, and many experienced one-party government for decades, but researchers see confronting uncomfortable history as part of a new common European identity — a shared experience that can bring people closer together.

The Holy Aedicule in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was restored with the help of a high-resolution 3D model. Image credit - Flickr/Jorge Láscar, licensed under CC BY 2.0

social sciences

21 March 2018

Digital innovation can enhance cultural heritage, hears conference

Digitalisation has a role to play in the conservation and promotion of modern-day cultural heritage but should enhance real-life experiences, rather than replace them, experts say.

The end of a conflict marks only the beginning of a restoration period. Image credit - Fernand and Cuville, public domain

social sciences

19 March 2018

Peacebuilding in conflict zones demands people-centric approach

The challenge of how to rebuild society following conflict is a difficult question that arises all too frequently, but recent studies have demonstrated that putting people at the centre of the process and enabling cooperation on politically neutral issues can help build peace.

Dr Margarete van Ess says that educating people on the importance of cultural heritage can help preserve it. Image credit: I. Wagner, German Archaeological Institute

social sciences | interview

13 March 2018

War can destroy cultural heritage twice – in conflict and in clean-up

People can inadvertently destroy cultural heritage for a second time when cleaning up conflict sites after a war ends, according to archaeologist Dr Margarete van Ess, who says that databases and education are the best basis for safeguarding sites for the future.

Geographically defined products such as Parma ham help to assess the social and cultural value of a landscape. Image credit - Pxhere/1165797, licensed under CC0 Creative Commons

environment | social sciences

06 March 2018

Ancient farming techniques could help mitigate climate change effects

High technology is being deployed to uncover long-forgotten irrigation systems and other features concealed in landscapes that farmers developed hundreds of years ago to nurture their land.

Scientists believe that rock art sites were chosen for their visual and acoustic properties. Image credit - Curt Harrell

social sciences

01 March 2018

Shelters with echoes thought to be preferred sites for prehistoric rock art

The acoustic qualities of a rock shelter may have been a key factor in its selection as a site for rock art and indicate a spiritual significance to the practice, according to a recent study, while scientists are also looking into whether some caves were chosen as artistic sites because of the view.

Teleworking can make people happier and more productive, but can also lead to feelings of isolation and job fatigue if implemented badly. Image credit - Pxhere, licensed under CC0 1.0

social sciences

26 February 2018

Working from home could make you happier – especially if you're married

Married people who work from home report feeling happier than they were before doing so, and the reason could be that it allows for a fairer distribution of chores, according to a scientist studying the impact of teleworking on wellbeing.

Prof. Seán Ó Riain has been studying how workplaces have changed since 1995. Image credit - Maynooth University

interview | social sciences

21 February 2018

Era of flexible work requires new universal services – Prof. Seán Ó Riain

The future of work is here – and it’s defined by flexibility, autonomy and pressure, according to Prof. Seán Ó Riain from Maynooth University, Ireland, who has been studying how workplaces have changed since 1995. He says we need to rethink public services to help people balance work and family in this new era.

Lifelong learning opportunities can prolong your working life, according to researchers. Image credit - Pxhere

social sciences

01 February 2018

Early career decisions could affect when you retire

Policies to extend working life should not exclusively focus on older people as the decision on when to retire is influenced by the course of a person's career, according to researchers investigating the factors affecting how long people work.

Photography studios in Nepal use aspirational backdrops, such as an idealised landscape, to allow people to shed their day-to-day identities and imagine a different life. Image credit - Prof. Christopher Pinney/ PhotoDemos

social sciences

25 January 2018

Picturing the political imagination

Nepal’s 10-year civil war ended in 2006 but it still looms large in the political consciousness. Now, a new collection of photographs is exploring how people use the medium to express their political identities and their dreams for the future.