
Over the last decade, governments nationally and globally have emphasised the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education. In doing so, they have either purposefully or inadvertently devalued the social sciences and the creative arts. This devaluation leads to serious issues for students, families, communities, and nations. Devoid of the capacity to think both critically and holistically, education and decision-making become compartmentalised. STEM studies often place higher emphasis on the tools and their products rather than the thinking processes and the broader implications of decisions. In this regard, STEM can be limiting.
STEM is, at its core, the study of tools and their applications. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics equip us with instruments to solve problems and develop new solutions. However, to use these for the benefit of society, a strong foundation in social sciences is essential. Decision-makers—whether bureaucrats, educators, or policymakers—must understand history, power, social cohesion, responsibility, and human behaviour. Without this perspective, the application of STEM knowledge can lack ethical direction.
Consider this:
Science, technology, and mathematics engineered the atom bomb—but politics and diplomacy dropped it. The decision-makers used what STEM enabled to kill hundreds of thousands of people in an instant. Where was the critical thinking in this critical incident?
Or take this:
What is the point of developing sustainable energy if governments refuse to subsidise it? Science and technology provide solutions to a climate crisis largely caused by industrial advancements. Yet, without informed decision-making, these solutions can be hindered or rendered useless by short-sighted policies. Those who control resources in the pursuit of scientific breakthroughs can make decisions that harm communities, nations, and the world at large.
Scientific advancements are expanding at an unprecedented rate, but without caution informed by historical lessons. Many social sciences educators are increasingly alarmed. They may ask: “What is the use of hypersonic missiles in space when we cannot protect children from technologies designed to spread misogyny, racism, anger, and misinformation?” Or, “Why aim to create a biosphere on Mars when we cannot keep our oceans free of plastic?”
Social Sciences in Everyday Impact
Look at large-scale infrastructure projects. Engineers design bridges, tunnels, and highways, often funded through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The commercial imperative behind these projects results in decades of inflation-indexed tolls, widening the divide between those who can afford to use them and those who cannot.
Or consider the financial sector. Banks use mathematics to maximise profits and leverage financial power. Yet, they often fail to protect vulnerable customers from scams, even as they claim to have the world’s most secure systems. In Australia, scam losses per capita are higher than in the USA or UK, despite banks promoting their so-called resilience. Bank executives, who excel in profit calculations, might benefit from studying social sciences to understand how corporate greed fuels social discord and erodes trust in institutions. Instead of a performative night spent sleeping rough for charity, CEOs could experience a scam firsthand and navigate their own institution’s restorative processes. Perhaps then they would gain deeper insight into designing better fraud protections.
The Role of Precaution
Scientific inquiry follows a structured process: develop a theoretical model, predict, observe, and explain. This reductionist thinking is effective for understanding causation—such as predicting the effects of burning fossil fuels, observing climate change, and explaining how global warming fuels extreme weather events. The recent wildfires in California and the record floods in Australia are stark reminders of this.
Social sciences approach problems differently: observe human behaviour and systems, explain underlying motivations, and predict future outcomes based on these observations. Applying this methodology to today’s challenges would encourage greater precaution in decision-making.
Striking a Balance
Educators who value history and human nature may argue that an education system prioritising precaution over unchecked speculation is a wiser approach than the current STEM-heavy focus.
A more balanced emphasis on social sciences could equip students with the tools to analyse shifting geopolitics, assess leadership decisions, and consider long-term consequences for communities. Education could ask: “What do political leaders and their advisers do, and why? How do their decisions affect ordinary people? Should critical thinking—shaped by social sciences—play a larger role in education than STEM?”
A world that values science but ignores its social consequences risks repeating the mistakes of the past. Balancing STEM with the social sciences ensures that innovation is not just driven by what we can create, but by an understanding of whether we should.
(The views expressed are those of the author’s. Mohan Dhall is a Lecturer in Education at UTS, the CEO of the Australian Tutoring Association (ATA) and the Global Professional Tutors Association (GPTA). He is also a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders)
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