Research in Social Sciences and Technology Editorial: The Future of Social Sciences Bulent Tarman1 We have been facing with several challenges in all over the World. Global and local economies are facing threats as well as the increasing numbers of migrants that have not been seen for several decades (Tarman & Gurel, 2017; Tarman, 2008;2010a; 2010b). Resources are becoming scarcer and more expensive as we consume more. Technology and especially the internet and social networking are changing the way we work, interact and communicate (Geoghegan-Quinn, 2012; Yigit & Tarman, 2013;Tarman & Acun, 2010). “Social sciences began to take shape in the 19th century, but came into their own at the beginning of the 20th century, when a number of well-established disciplines, including economics, sociology, political science, history and anthropology really made their mark. Geography and psychology could be added to that list. However, only sociology, political science and economics have succeeded in consolidating their position in the social sciences mainstream. The others were virtually all marginalized. Moreover, powerful institutional barriers now separate the various disciplines.” (Aubert, 1999). Or as Schrage (2015) argue that the future of Social Science is with Private Companies: Maybe he is right with his claim that “Tomorrow’s most important discoveries into why people do what they do will most likely come from business innovation than university research. The best and most rigorous social science experiments will be done for profit.” As Toffler who has also been described as the "world's most famous futurologist" (1980) pointed 27 years ago the transitions we faced moving from the First Wave 1 Assoc. Prof., Editor-in-Chief, Research in Social Sciences and Technology Tarman Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 2(2), I-VI ii (Agricultural Age) to the Second Wave (Industrial Age) and last as we move into the Third Wave (Information Age). This is the post-industrial society. He says that most countries have been trying to transitioning from a Second Wave society into a Third Wave society since the 1950s when he wrote his book in 1980. His predictions regarding technology and communications, we can see have been fulfilled all around us. But it is time to ask what would be the fourth Wave? What would it be called? “Artificial Intelligence Age” or “Space Age” or what? Whatever it would be called the question must be where social sciences will stand in this Wave and what kind of role social scientist will carry and how much today’s social scientists are aware of this fact? The question of “Why is the study of social sciences so critical to our future?” has been asked number of times in the past! To speak of the future of the social sciences is not an easy task especially nowadays where the dynamics of the World has been dramatically changing which brings lots of crisis with pain at every level from local to global. The name of this change has been called as the “New Order of the World” as some of the players lose their power and importance while new players comes in to show themselves and claim that they are also important and cannot be ignored! But no body exactly knows which direction the World will evolve as Abbott indicates that “we live today in a puzzling world, where what used to be domestic issues have become international ones while conversely what used to be international issues have become domestic ones, as in the internal differences produced by massive immigration. That dual reversal does present obvious and important empirical issues.” I think just this part of the explanation is enough by itself to show why the study of social sciences so critical and important to our future because it is the field of social sciences to discuss under the scientific knowledge and provide a projection to understand the social, cultural, economic and political events for the humanity. Of course, the social sciences are Tarman Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 2(2), I-VI iii supposed to play an important part in addressing all of the societal challenges as they have been historically playing this role. This is such a comprehensive field that social scientists as educators, historians, sociologist, psychologist, economists or any other discipline of the social sciences are responsible to analyze the happenings to improve the society and humanity for the future. The social sciences are essential because they help us understand ourselves and why we do what we do. As Yunus Emre2 pointed several centuries ago: Knowledge (Wisdom) should mean a full grasp of knowledge: Knowledge (wisdom) means to know yourself, heart and soul. If you have failed to understand yourself, Then all of your reading has missed its call 3 . Therefore, one of the most important purpose of creating this platform to give chances to social scientists and researchers to share their findings of research with others to show what they do and why they do. Keeping this vital role of social sciences in mind, Research in Social Sciences and Technology (RESSAT) has been trying its best to create such a platform for the social scientists or scholars who think critically to contribute for the improvement of social sciences since its first issue. It is my pleasure to share with you this new issue (2/2) of RESSAT. I hope you will revel in reading and learning about the latest studies. In this issue, you will meet three new research studies and a book review. The studies that we think will contribute to the social sciences literature are as follow: The first research is carried by James E. Schul as titled “Clinical Entrepreneurship: A Student Teacher Assigning Desktop Documentary Making” The author of this study examined a student teacher’s assignment of a historical documentary project in the eighth grade U.S. History class. Results of this qualitative research reveal that this student teacher proposed the 2 Yunus Emre, (born c. 1238, Turkey—died c. 1320, Turkey), poet and mystic who exercised a powerful influence on Turkish literature. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yunus-Emre 3 Reference: Halman, Talat Sait. 1993. Yunus Emre: Selected Poems Translated by Talat Sait Halman. Ankara: Ministry of Culture https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yunus-Emre Tarman Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 2(2), I-VI iv documentary project to the cooperating teacher, who supported the student teacher as she integrated it. Second research is conducted by the researchers from University of Central Florida. “Advance Placement and The Achievement Gap in the 21st Century: A Multiple Linear Regression of Marginalized Populations in AP Enrollment” is done by Bittman, Davies, Russell and Goussakova. This study focused on the analysis of the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) enrollment of marginalized populations’ (i.e., African American, Hispanic, and poor students) limited access and the schools’ efforts to bridge the gaps. Results show that the focus on AP enrollment rates for minority students has led to increased rates of minorities successfully completing advanced coursework, but there is still a need for similar focus on high poverty schools. The third study placed in this issue examines the McLuhan's words, how Facebook is considered a "message" as well as a "cool" or "hot" medium with the title of “McLuhanian Perspective of Facebook” by Aldardasawi. The author attempts to address the reasons why people are very attached to such a virtual social life. A book review is placed as the last work in this issue. Emin Kilinc reviewed the following book for us: Wilkins, A. (2016). Modernising school governance: Corporate planning and expert handling in state education. New York, NY: Routledge. 172 pp., ISBN- 9781138787476. This book is a part of Routledge Research in Education Policy and Politics series which aims to enhance readers understanding of key challenges and facilitate on-going academic debate within the influential and growing field of education policy and politics by Routledge. I would like to thank everyone and express my special appreciation to the people who contributed to make this issue ready for you. I especially would like to thank all authors and Tarman Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 2(2), I-VI v reviewers for their contribution to RESSAT. I hope you will both enjoy and be challenged by the articles in this issue. I also look forward to seeing your contribution to the development of RESSAT in the future. Sincerely, Bulent TARMAN, (Ph.D) Editor-in-Chief, RESSAT Tarman Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 2(2), I-VI vi References Abbott, A. (2015). “The Future of the Social Sciences.” 37th Marc Bloch Lecture. École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. Paris, June 18. Retrieved Nov. 13, 2017 (http://home.uchicago.edu/aabbott/Papers/Marc%20Bloch%20Lectu re%20Pre%20Trans.pdf). Aubert, Jean-Eric (1999). Into the future with social sciences, OECD Observer, No: 217/218, Summer 1999. Retrieved on 10.11.2017 from http://oecdobserver.org/news/archivestory.php/aid/58/Into_the_future_with_social_sciences.h tml Geoghegan-Quinn, M. (2012). The future of social sciences and humanities in Horizon 2020, British Academy Review, No. 19 (January 2012). Retrieved on 11.11.2017 from https://www.britac.ac.uk/sites/default/files/BAR19-07-GeogheganQuinn.pdf Halman, T. S. (1993). Yunus Emre: Selected Poems Translated by Talat Sait Halman. Ankara: Ministry of Culture. Schrage, M. (2015). Why the Future of Social Science Is with Private Companies, Harvard Business Review. Retrieved on 11.14.2017 from https://hbr.org/2015/09/why-the-future-of- social-science-is-with-private-companies Toffler, A. (1980). The Third Wave, Bantam Books, USA. Tarman, B (2008) The European Union and the Modernization of the Turkish Education System, Cambria Press. New York, USA. Tarman, B. (2010a). Socio-Cultural Transformation: Western-oriented Modernization of Turkey, VDM Publishing House. (ISBN: 978-3-639-19096-0) Tarman, B. (2010b). Global Perspectives and Challenges on Teacher Education in Turkey, International Journal of Arts & Sciences (IJAS), 3(17): 78-96, United States. Tarman, B. & Acun, I. (2010). Social Studies Education and a New Social Studies Movement, Journal of Social Studies Education Research. (1),1. 1-16. Tarman, B. (2016). Innovation and education, Research in Social Sciences and Technology, 1 (1), 77-97. Tarman, B. & Gürel, D. (2017). Awareness of Social Studies Teacher Candidates on Refugees in Turkey, Journal of Social Studies Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.jssr.2016.11.001 Yigit, M.F & Tarman, B. (2013). The Impact of Social Media on Globalization, Democratization Citizenship, Journal of Social Science Education, 12(1), 75-80. http://home.uchicago.edu/aabbott/Papers/Marc%20Bloch%20Lecture%20Pre%20Trans.pdf http://home.uchicago.edu/aabbott/Papers/Marc%20Bloch%20Lecture%20Pre%20Trans.pdf http://oecdobserver.org/news/archivestory.php/aid/58/Into_the_future_with_social_sciences.html http://oecdobserver.org/news/archivestory.php/aid/58/Into_the_future_with_social_sciences.html https://www.britac.ac.uk/sites/default/files/BAR19-07-GeogheganQuinn.pdf https://hbr.org/2015/09/why-the-future-of-social-science-is-with-private-companies https://hbr.org/2015/09/why-the-future-of-social-science-is-with-private-companies