The Social Insight: Bridging Concepts and Lived Realities
Social realities are not isolated facts; they are embedded in layers of influence—from family and local norms to global movements and structural inequalities. They are formed and transformed through interactions, power dynamics, and the narratives we talk about ourselves and others.
Understanding how people live, interact, and navigate the world lies at the heart of The Social Insight. It reveals patterns of human behaviour, social structures, and the invisible threads connecting individuals, communities, and institutions. These connections are co-constructed through relationships, shaped by histories, and constantly evolving within dynamic contexts.
“Stop calling me Resilient – What does it really mean to call someone resilient and who benefits from it?. Learn more
Thriving Together: Why You Need “Social Resilience – A Primer for All” on Your Shelf Today. Learn more
Rethinking Democracy: The Urgent Need for Inclusive and Respectful Discourse. Learn more
The Tidö Agreement drags Sweden’s social welfare sector into ethical crisis. Learn more
COFUND Münster: Rethinking migration, diaspora, and citizenship for a global future – The University of Münster’s COFUND Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme (2024–2029) is rethinking migration, diaspora, and citizenship by supporting outstanding researchers worldwide to explore new ideas, cross borders, and build global networks for the future. Learn more
Social insight helps us understand not only what is happening, but also how, why, and for whom. It encourages us to see the world through multiple lenses, question assumptions, and co-create knowledge rooted in lived experience and aimed at meaningful change.
Current Focus
Social Resilience and Migration
Social resilience is one of today’s most vital and fast-evolving research areas. As communities face migration, crises, and shifting identities, understanding how they adapt and rebuild is essential. At The Social Insight, let us explore this dynamic field. Whether you’re just curious or deeply engaged, dive into powerful stories, eye-opening interviews, and grassroots research that sparks conversation, challenges perspectives, and brings untold insights to light.
Social resilience is a dynamic, socially and politically embedded process, nurtured through relationships with institutions, organisations, and civil society, collectively shaping lived experiences and well‑being amid challenges.
Resilience is inherently social, emerging through networks (bonding, bridging, and linking), shared trust and belonging, and equity‑driven participation. We foster resilience by building inclusive, connected, and supportive relationships across diverse social contexts.
Resilience arises from the social, political, economic, and cultural environments shaping our lives. Coping, adaptation, and transformation occur within these contexts, highlighting how interconnected structures and conditions helps to endure challenges, foster change, and sustain well‑being.
Social Resilience is a social phenomenon characterized by social experiences and social practices in the face of political, economic, cultural, and social (PECS) environmental changes and challenges (Qamar, 2023).
Social Resilience – What exactly do we mean by social resilience? Definitions of social resilience vary widely, often focusing narrowly on the ability to “withstand” or “bounce back” from adversity. However, it is more than.. Learn More
Resilience Nexus – Resilience emerges from networks, trust, values, and equity—solidarity and inclusive action strengthen communities against environmental and social threats.. Learn More
Social Resilience and Migration – Social resilience, viewed through a life‑course lens, emerges dynamically across status, networks, support, and visibility, shaping migrants’ adaptive transformations.. Learn More
Insights & Conversations – Conversations with researchers and professionals making complex social science insights simple and relatable. Learn More
“I was trying to get a sense of body politics as itself an important thing to look at the body, how you experience development, and what sorts of practices were around the body that was often not even discussed or seen as invisible or not important to development“ Wendy Harcourt
“Rather than simply celebrating resilience as a virtue (in liberal governance), I critiques its instrumentalization. Resilience is now framed not as a collective good but as an individual obligation: the ability to adapt, survive, and thrive amid adversity without demanding structural change.” Julian Reid
“We should also be aware of the misuse of individual resilience … Is it useful to place greater emphasis on individual or community resilience in an environment dominated by precariousness and structural vulnerabilities” Zeliha Öcek
Articles & Essays (Frames) – A space for sharing perspectives across research, culture, society, and community. Learn More
Stop calling me RESILIENT – while resilience sounds like a good thing, its popular conceptualization as ability or capacity or personal characteristics to withstand and bounce-back draws a line between resilient and non-resilient. Learn More
Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway – Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway exposes cultural clashes in parenting, questioning gender roles, childcare practices, and the need for cultural sensitivity in foster care systems. Learn More
Rethinking Democracy – Rethinking Democracy calls on political leaders to move beyond divisive rhetoric. True democracy thrives on inclusive language, equal dignity, and rejecting all extremism without targeting specific communities. Learn More
