SOCIAL SCIENCES AND CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES: BETWEEN TRADITION AND INNOVATION

Abstract

Social sciences emerged in the 19th century as a response to the profound transformations brought about by modernity, providing conceptual and methodological tools to understand social organization, culture, power, and inequalities. Since then, they have become essential for analyzing both the persistence of social structures and the ruptures that characterize different historical periods. In the 21st century, this field faces new and complex challenges: intensified globalization, migratory flows, technological changes that redefine social interaction, planetary-scale environmental crises, and persistent social inequalities. These phenomena demand the incorporation of innovative and interdisciplinary methodologies, as well as the articulation between tradition and innovation. This article discusses the relevance of contemporary social sciences, highlighting the importance of classical theoretical legacies and new theoretical and methodological perspectives for understanding and intervening in complex, constantly changing societies. Interdisciplinarity, epistemological pluralism, and methodological innovation are emphasized as crucial strategies for responding effectively to contemporary social, political, economic, and environmental challenges. By integrating these approaches, social sciences maintain their critical and reflective function while contributing to the construction of more just, democratic, and sustainable societies.