Introduction to the Symposium on National Security and Social Science

• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X221115068
• Published date: 01 January 2023
• Date: 01 January 2023
• Subject Matter: Symposium: National Security and Social Science

https://doi.org/10.1177/0095327X221115068

Armed Forces & Society

2023, Vol. 49(1) 3 –6

© The Author(s) 2022

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DOI: 10.1177/0095327X221115068

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Symposium: National Security and Social Science

Introduction to the

Symposium on National

Security and Social

Science

Donald Stuart Travis1 and Patricia M. Shields2

Abstract

This Symposium on the role of social science in security policy responds to Michael

Desch’s 2019 book Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social Science on

National Security. Four articles consider Desch’s position that the social sciences

are becoming increasingly irrelevant in security policy. Yagil Levy and Peter Feaver

challenge Desch’s perspective. Alan Okros and Rebecca Jensen largely concur

with Desch’s perspective. Rebecca Schiff asserts that Desch’s analysis fell short

by overlooking the divisive role of university activism and political narratives in his

discourse.

Keywords

defense policy, political science, sociology, Michael Desch

The four articles in this research forum represent a collegial response to a keynote

address given by Notre Dame Professor Michael Desch delivered at the biannual

conference of the Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society in Reston,

Virginia, in November 2019. Professor Desch’s (2019) message, drawn from his

recently published book Cult of the Irrelevant: The Waning Influence of Social

Science on National Security, directly challenged the mission and purpose of Armed

1The Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, Chicago, IL, USA

2Texas State University, San Marcos, USA

Corresponding Author:

Donald Stuart Travis, The Inter-University Seminar on Armed Forces and Society, 6404 Tinkling

Springs Ct. Manassas, VA 20112, USA.

Email: afsjournal@iusafs.org

1115068AFSXXX10.1177/0095327X221115068Armed Forces & SocietyTravis and Shields

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