Technical Perspective: Synthetic Data Needs a Reproducibility Benchmark

The first national pattern of social studies curriculum was proposed by the National Education Association's Committee of Ten a century ago. Ever since, there have been disputes about what should be taught under the rubric of the social studies and how it should be taught. My aim in this chapter is to review theory and research on social studies curriculum and instruction and to argue that we cannot usefully discuss either curriculum or instruction in isolation from the other. I then go on to consider the implications of my analysis for current issues in social studies policy and practice. This review builds on earlier research reviews in social studies education (e.g., Armento, 1986; Hunkins, Ehman, Hahn, Martorella, & Tucker, 1977; Marker & Mehlinger, 1992; Metcalf, 1963; Shaver, 1991; Shaver & Larkins, 1973; Stanley, 1985b); however, its focus is the period since 1988, when the chapters for the last volume-length review of social studies were commissioned (Shaver, 1991). Although reference to theory and research published before 1988 is included to provide a context for discussion, no systematic history of social studies is attempted in this chapter. The period covered is brief, but, as should become apparent, it has been a time of major change in social studies theory, research, and policy. There has been an escalation of what Beverly Armento (1991) characterized as the quiet revolution in social studies research in the 1980s.

Whenever someone dares to suggest that social scientists should participate in shaping public policy, their argument is usually either completely ignored or met with the counterargument that such activities would threaten the intellectual integrity of scholars. What counts in the academic careers of social scientists is peer reviewed theoretical and methodological development. For anyone seeking tenure at a university, anything you have done that smacks of “policy relevance” is not considered a merit; sometimes it is even treated as a liability (Lepgold 2000:75). Social scientists, therefore, tend to shy away from the question of what is, or what should be, the relationship between social science and public policy. A noteworthy exception to this generalization is Lisa Anderson, Dean of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. Her intriguing new book, Pursuing Truth, Exercising Power: Social Science and Public Policy in the 21st Century, provides a...

The waste problem in Jakarta is a complex issue related to the large volume of waste, dependence on Bantargebang TPST, and the various environmental impacts caused. Waste from Jakarta brought to Bantargebang TPST reaches 6,500-7,000 tons daily. This TPST hurts the environment and the health of the surrounding community, as well as the risk of ARI, air pollution, groundwater pollution, and environmental aesthetics. As compensation for these negative impacts, the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government allocates compensation funds for affected communities. This is regulated in Article 10 letter (e) of DKI Jakarta Regional Regulation number 4 of 2019 which states that the community has the right to obtain compensation for the negative impact of waste landfills. Furthermore, the distribution, distribution, and criteria for compensation beneficiaries are regulated in the Cooperation Agreement (PKS) between the Governor of DKI Jakarta the Mayor of Bekasi, and the Bekasi City Environment Agency Work Plan (Renja) for 2021. This research aims to describe compensation in DKI Jakarta's waste management policy along with its distribution and highlight related regulations. This research is designed with a qualitative approach, the method used is a literature study, namely research journals, books, reviewing regulations, official government reports, and media coverage. The results show that the distribution of compensation has not been fully effective in improving the welfare of affected communities. This research fills the knowledge gap on Bantargebang TPST compensation distribution and offers a new analysis of waste management policy in DKI Jakarta from the perspective of social welfare science and social policy studies.

With tens of millions of hectares and hundreds of millions of lives in the balance, the debate over who should control South Asia?s forests is of tremendous political significance. This book provides an insightful and thorough assessment of important forest management transitions currently underway.? MARK POFFENBERGER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY FORESTRY INTERNATIONAL ?The contributions in this volume not only breathe life into the fi eld of writing and analysis related to forests, they do so on the strength of extraordinarily insightful research. Kudos to Springate-Baginski and Blaikie for providing us with a set of thoroughly researched, provocative studies that should be required reading not only for those interested in community forestry in south Asia, but in resource governance anywhere.? ARUN AGRAWAL, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF NATURAL RESOURCES & ENVIRONMENT, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, USA ?Makes a significant contribution to theory and practice of participatory forest management.? YAM MALLA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, REGIONAL COMMUNITY FORESTRY TRAINING CENTER FOR ASIA AND THE PACIFIC, BANGKOK ?This excellent and timely book provides thought-provoking insights to the issues of power and politics in forestry and the difficulties of transforming age-old structures that circumscribe the access of the poor to forests and their resources; it challenges our assumptions of the benefits of participatory forest management and the role of forestry in poverty reduction. It should be of interest to policy-makers and to all those who have been involved with the struggle of transforming forestry over the decades.? DR MARY HOBLEY, HOBLEY SHIELDS ASSOCIATES (NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING CONSULTANCY) ?A rare combination of extensive field study, social science insights and policy studies ? will be of immense value? DR N. C. SAXENA, MEMBER OF NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA In recent decades ?participatory? approaches to forest management have been introduced around the world. This book assesses their implementation in the highly politicized environments of India and Nepal. The authors critically examine the policy, implementation processes and causal factors affecting livelihood impacts. Considering narratives and field practice, with data from over 60 study villages and over 1000 household interviews, the book demonstrates why particular field outcomes have occurred and why policy reform often proves so difficult. Research findings on which the book is based are already influencing policy in India and Nepal, and the research and analysis have great relevance to forestry management in a wide range of countries. Published with DFID.

Grounded in the assumption that our worlds are inherently spatial, this conceptual article offers an invitation to meaningful dialog about how critical approaches to, and understandings of, space in the theorization, design, and purpose of social studies education research might offer another path forward (or productively sideways) for justice-centered scholarship. We aim to highlight the potential of spatialized ontologies, outline the spatial turn in education research, and articulate the relevance and potential of spatial justice for social studies research. The spatial justice invitation we offer entails four “entry points” (epistemological positions and theoretical perspectives, research questions and methodological approach, methods of data collection and analysis, and research representation and dissemination) alongside one reflexive “center point” (ontology and positionality) for social studies researchers to consider when employing spatial justice in their scholarship. Using the “case” of classroom censorship laws, this article offers generative ways of thinking about social justice in social studies educational research by providing novel directions for inquiry into pervasive issues. To this end, we argue that critical spatial frameworks are poised to invite inquiry and analysis of the social studies disciplines (e.g. economics, geography, history, political science) to advance both dialog and praxis of the liberatory aims of social studies research, teaching, and practice.

The research titled “The State of Knowledge in Social Studies Research in Thailand: Past and Future Trends” aims to investigate historical foundations, assess current status, and synthesize the body of knowledge to determine future directions for social studies research. The scope of the study covers the period from 1960 to 2024. A qualitative research methodology was employed, utilizing documentary research and content analysis of data retrieved from the Thai Digital Collection (TDC). The findings reveal that the development of Thai social studies research has been shaped by the "politics of knowledge production," which can be categorized into three distinct phases: 1) The 1960–1981 period: Knowledge production was centralized, focusing on national security ideologies and anti-communism within the context of the Cold War, with survey research serving as the primary methodology. 2) The 1982–2005 period: This era witnessed a decentralization of knowledge production to regional levels, aligning with globalization and the 1999 Education Reform. The focus shifted toward instructional innovation and Research and Development (R&D). 3) The 2006–2024 period: Amidst democratic regression and a resurgence of conservatism, research topics predominantly adopted the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy and state-sanctioned ideal citizenship as core themes, with R&D emerging as the most dominant methodology. The state of knowledge in Thai social studies tethered to the concepts of the ruling power. To transcend these limitations, future trends and directions should increase the proportion of qualitative and interdisciplinary research. Furthermore, research should be integrated with decentralization efforts to establish an ecosystem that promotes academic freedom, thereby truly responding to the diverse needs of society.

This bibliometric analysis investigates global research trends on littering and environmental negligence in Asia over a 25-year period, from 2000 to 2025. The study aims to explore the development of scholarly attention in this field, identify major thematic areas, and assess the role of technology, tools, and education in shaping the academic discourse. Despite the growing urgency of waste-related environmental issues in the region, systematic evaluations of the academic response remain limited. To address this gap, data were extracted from the Scopus database using a structured search strategy focused on the keywords "technology", "tools", and "education". After applying inclusion criteria based on language, document type, and publication year, a total of 986 articles were selected for analysis. The dataset was processed and refined using Scopus Analyzer, OpenRefine, and VOSviewer software, enabling detailed mapping of publication trends, co-authorship networks, subject area distribution, and keyword co-occurrence. Results show a significant increase in publication output from 2015 onwards, with peak activity observed between 2021 and 2025. Most contributions came from the disciplines of environmental science, agricultural and biological sciences, and earth and planetary sciences, with limited representation from social sciences, behavioural research, and policy studies. Southeast Asian countries, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, were among the top contributors, though varying in levels of international collaboration. Keyword analysis revealed dominant themes related to ecological impact, marine litter, and decomposition, with emerging interest in microplastics and environmental education. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the research landscape on environmental negligence in Asia and highlights the need for more interdisciplinary engagement. The findings offer direction for future studies and policy development aimed at advancing sustainable waste management practices through integrated scientific and educational approaches.

This chapter aims to dig deep into how science education and policy evolved during colonial India and how after independence the government made efforts to streamline the science education and initiated policy measures. The developments are categorized into four sections- evolution in the Ancient period; pre independence colonial period; post-independence till the era of liberalization; and post liberalization phase. The thinking does not only narrate the evolution and development of science education but also diagnoses the inherent issues and seeks to provide policy measures for the state and civil society to radically change the approaches in the existing system. The science policy studies can help in integrating various branches of science along with social sciences for a proper perspective of science. In developing science policy when social scientists are cooperating with scientist it helps develop a common language. Social scientist can also be an important link between the policy planners and scientist by persuading them to take the science and technology with a developmental perspective. A scientist having a policy oriented approach could create public awareness of the role of science and technology in society. Awareness could also involve consequences of such major decisions and their impact on man, society and environment. They could also be useful in pointing major gaps that exist in the area of research and development. Science and technology must not alienate tradition and culture. Science policy must integrate traditional values and culture with technology. This is possible through incorporating aspects of the traditional scientific and technological culture into current innovations for social development.

ABSTRACTThis article analyses the history of the European Social Survey (ESS) and its relationship to changes in European research policy, using Bourdieu’s field-analytical approach. It argues that the success of the ESS relied on three interwoven processes that we can understand theoretically in terms of the establishment of homological structures and the formation of conjunctural alliances between the field of European social-scientific research and the field of European policy. The three interwoven processes that I depict are: first, the production of a European field of social research, connected to both European and national scientific institutions; second, the establishment of European Union (EU) institutions and organisations that were able to identify and link up with social researchers; and third, the formation of conjunctural alliances between the two fields (social science and EU research policy) and the appearance of actors able to move capital between them.

Discussions of Max Weber's essay on “The `Objectivity' of Knowledge in Social Science and Social Policy” and Michael Oakeshott's reflections “On the Theoretical Understanding of Human Conduct” have seldom included a detailed textual analysis of the arguments. Such an analysis is important, because these essays not only thoroughly addressed the issue of the nature of social scientific inquiry but uniquely confronted and illuminated two fundamental and endemic paradoxes which have been particularly prominent at crucial junctures in conversations about the identity and role of fields such as political science. These paradoxes, however, arise from the very nature of metapractices and, specifically, from the complex cognitive and practical relationships among philosophy, social science, and practices such as politics.

<p>High data collection costs and complicated data access regulations increase the demand for synthetic data. Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) are a novel generative framework with great potential for high quality synthetic data generation. GANs formulate the true distribution of data implicitly, and the success of GANs are often measured based on the similarity of generated data to this true distribution. GANs were originally designed to work with continuous data. However, many important real-world datasets such as medical images involve discontinuous distributions. GAN training for discontinuous distributions is relatively more challenging, as the training procedure often suffers from instability and mode collapse issues. This dissertation focuses on designing novel GAN architectures to generate representative synthetic image data, and proposes new structures to alleviate GANs' mode collapse issue. As part of this thesis, novel applications of image data generation with GANs have been also investigated for important problems arising in the telecommunication industry and medical domain. Specifically, we first explore various GAN structures to generate engineered electromagnetic surfaces. We consider the continuous approximation of the data and explore the capabilities of feed-forward and convolutional GANs for synthetic data generation. Next, we introduce a novel GAN architecture to address the problem of mode collapse in GAN training. The proposed structure incorporates a third network that penalizes the generator for generating low diversity samples. Lastly, we study the challenging problem of object generation in 3D space using GANs, and we propose extensions to existing 3D GAN structures to generate connected 3D volumes. Additionally, we explore a more challenging version of this 3D volume generation problem by generating connected volumes packed with spheres. This research has applications in radiosurgery treatment planning, and the proposed 3D GAN structure can help generate rare, unseen 3D tumor volumes and information on how to treat these tumors. Accordingly, our analysis contributes to overcoming data scarcity issues (e.g., due to privacy considerations) for an important practical problem in the medical domain.</p>

Synthetic data, generated using generative AI techniques, closely mimics the characteristics of real data while enhancing privacy for sensitive health data. This study evaluates synthetic tabular data based on fidelity and utility for predictive models. Fidelity is measured through univariate distribution and bivariate differential pairwise correlations, while utility is measured by comparing machine learning model performance trained on synthetic and real data. Results show highly similar model performance on synthetic and real data. We also explore the potential of using synthetic data for hyperparameter tuning. Our findings reveal a strong correlation between prediction accuracy on synthetic and real data, suggesting that hyperparameters optimized using synthetic data can be effectively applied to models trained on real datasets for optimal results.

The United States government does not have a social science policy, but the interaction between government agencies and the large body of American social scientists produces emphases and directions. Both social scientists and government agencies are loosely organized in a pluralistic and flexible fashion without central control despite several administrative attempts to supply it. Federal support for social science is largely centered in four agencies which provide two-thirds of the funds, although the diversity of agency support provides considerable flexibility. Social scientists have found it advantageous to ally themselves with physical scientists in seeking support, with one result being the encouragement of empirically oriented research rather than humanistic research or politically controversial subjects. Three non-governmental organizations play special roles in social science policy; through study committees and advisory groups they provide emphases and development of uses of social science. Three recent reports from these organizations have made a number of policy recommendations, including: greater representation of social science at high levels of science policy-making; more use of collected data, but without infringing on individual privacy; development of social indicators; improvement of education in social science; increased international collaboration among social scientists; development of applied-behavioral-science schools; inclusion of behavioral science studies in curricula of professional schools. The principal emphasis of the recommendations is bringing social science into closer conjunction with the practical affairs of the society.

Human need is a central but contested concept in social policy and the social sciences. This book provides an accessible overview of the subject using concepts from many disciplines. It presents a unique integrative model that shows how the main approaches may be reflected in social policy goals. The author engages with recent debates which advance our understanding of human need, including human wellbeing and 'happiness'; poverty, social exclusion and global inequality; human difference, the diversity of needs and the concept of human capabilities. Most crucially, the book explores how human needs may be translated into rights and how these can be informed by a politics of human need. The book offers essential insights for students of social policy, but will also be of interest to other social science disciplines, policy makers and political activists.

In the final chapter of a book dealing with so many fundamental aspects of social administration, there is no need for me to define or defend it as a subject of academic study, or to be over-worried about its boundaries. While we would all agree that ‘The quality of our understanding of current problems depends largely on the broadness of our frame of reference’, we have also had demonstrated to us that understanding of the many different ways in which social policies are being, or could be, implemented depends on our willingness and ability to subject these ways to much more detailed analysis. But whether we are principally concerned with the frame of reference or the practical possibilities of different forms of administration, we are now confident enough in the core, the main focus, of our studies in social policy and administration to welcome the important contribution to be made to almost any aspect of them, by political scientists, economists, sociologists, lawyers and others.