SCAR EXCOM 2011 WP19: Report on SCAR Social Sciences and Humanities Popular

SCAR EXCOM 2011 WP19: Report on SCAR Social Sciences and Humanities

Executive Summary

Title: SCAR Social Sciences and Humanities

Authors: SCAR Action Group on the Human Element (AGHE): Toni Meloni (Italy, chair), Daniela Liggett (NZ, SCAR Social Sciences co-chair), Cornelia Lüdecke (Germany, SCAR History Group), Peter Suedfeld (Canada, invited expert), Bryan Lintott (UK, invited expert), Veronica del Valle (Argentina, invited expert), Mike Sparrow (SCAR Executive Director) and Renuka Badhe (SCAR Executive Officer).

Relevant URLs or references to other reports: (updated links)

SCAR History Group website: https://www.scar.org/science/historygroup/history-eg/

SCAR Social Sciences website: https://www.scar.org/science/hasseg/social-sciences/

AGHE meeting website: (link obsolete)

Introduction/Background: In recent years a community has developed with interests in the social sciences and the history of Antarctica. To date these initiatives have been approved on a case-by-case basis. As agreed by the SCAR Delegates in 2010, SCAR held a meeting to assess its activities in this area.

Recommendations/Actions and Justification:  

1. The AGHE recommends continuation of the Social Sciences Action Group up to and including 2012, with an agreed set of Terms of Reference (ToR). Several specific recommendations are included in this paper.
2. The AGHE recommends that the SCAR History Group become an Expert Group, with defined Terms of Reference. Depending on other financial constraints an increase in the History group’s budget of up to $5000 should be considered. Additional recommendations are included in this paper.
3. It is recommended that the Social and History groups be grouped under the umbrella “Social Sciences and Humanities”

Expected Benefits/Outcomes:  The Social Sciences and Humanities are always likely to be a relatively small part of SCAR’s portfolio. However, as recognized by ICSU, the complexity of the problems and questions that science, including Antarctic Science, attempts to find answers to warrants an interdisciplinary approach to enquiry. Inclusion of the Social Sciences and Humanities will provide added value to current “natural science” programmes.

Partners: IASC, International Arctic Social Sciences Association, International Social Science Council etc.

Budget Implications: $3000 per year for the Social Sciences AG; $3-5000 per year for the History Expert Group (request for additional $2,000 a year cf with current budgets for 2011 and 2012).