TwoCents | The Existential Crisis of a Social Scientist

So... What Are You Really Studying?" This is an easy question to answer if you spend your days in high-tech labs, revolutionizing industries, or curing cancer. Not so much when your latest research topic is "Lady Gaga and Pop Art." Suddenly, everyone looks at you like you just said, "I analyze the migratory patterns of rubber ducks."Because let’s be honest—when it comes to the grand hierarchy of research, the natural and physical sciences are often the undisputed champions. Engineers are out there building AI systems that will either revolutionize industries or—depending on how many sci-fi movies you’ve seen—eventually overthrow humanity. Medical researchers are working tirelessly to cure cancer. Physicists are unlocking the mysteries of the universe, discovering black holes, dark matter, and other things that make the rest of us feel intellectually inadequate. Meanwhile, a social scientist is writing a 200-page dissertation on the perception of Turkish soap operas among Spanish audiences.WhenI first came across this particular dissertation, my reaction was immediate: Surely, there are more pressing matters in the world. Shouldn’t we be focusing on stopping pandemics, reversing climate change, or at the very least, preventing AI from launching a robot uprising?As a media studies researcher, I’d been having my own academic identity crisis. Every time I sat down to write a proposal, I felt the need to make it sound as serious and complicated as possible—as if stacking big words would make my research stand tall next to vaccine developers and quantum physicists. I wanted to be in the league of the "world-changers," not the "why-does-this-matter?" researchers.And that’s when I had to unlearn a deeply flawed perception:Social science isn’t less than—it’s just different.We like to measure impact in tangible results—lives saved, diseases cured, technologies built. But the truth is, scientific advancements are meaningless without human understanding. But how we communicate, interpret, and integrate these advancements into society? That’s a different kind of science—one that deals with culture, perception, and human behavior.The world’s biggest problems aren’t just about science and technology. They’re about people.A medical breakthrough only works if people trust and adopt it. AI needs ethical frameworks, policies, and human-centered design—all of which come from social research. Scientific progress without social understanding is just a faster way to repeat the mistakes of the past. And that’s why research on Turkish dramas actually matters. Because storytelling is power.The way we consume media influences how we view culture, politics, and even international relations. That Turkish soap opera might not cure cancer, but it might explain how cultural narratives shape diplomacy, migration trends, and public sentiment—all of which have real-world consequences.At the end of the day, knowledge isn’t a competition. Social science doesn’t exist to "support" natural science—it exists alongside it, shaping how discoveries become meaningful, ethical, and impactful. So, to my fellow social scientists: The next time someone raises an eyebrow at your research, just smile. The world might not always see our impact, but trust me—they feel it.

Other insights from Esther Omemu