Why Social Science Matters, Issue 4

When C-SAP invited me to produce the next in the series of ‘Why Social Science Matters’ about Scottish higher education, there was no doubt that the First Year would be the topic. As an educational matter it is of concern to colleagues within the higher education sector at large, but it is also very much a sociological concern that touches upon issues of social inclusion, identity formation, (de)personalisation and pedagogy, and globalisation and internationalisation. What follows therefore, is very much a ‘thought-piece’ and personal view that stems from my immersion in Scottish higher education. I should also wish at this point to acknowledge the support of C-SAP in producing this work as well as the Quality Assurance Agency (Scotland) with whom I have been conducting work on the First Year. What follows is an amalgam of ideas and themes that I have addressed over the past year in various other guises and writings.