This episode, we speak with Barbara Risman about her call for a Council of Social Science Advisors featured in her Spring 2009 One Thing I Know column for Contexts. We talk about how policy might be different if social scientists played a greater role and also about sociology and socialism.

If you’re interested in the idea of a Council for Social Science Advisors, and you’re heading to San Francisco for the ASA’s this weekend, be sure to attend Open Forum: Does the Obama Administration Need a Social Science Scholars Council? A Public Forum, Saturday August 8 at 2:30 pm.

This episode also includes a discussion of a discovery on health & unemployment.

Also: let us know what you think of the podcast so far by taking our survey! It’s very short & your feedback will help us figure out what’s working, what’s not working & how we can best steer the Contexts Podcast Juggernaut into the Future!

Download episode #17 now!