UC Berkeley’s flagship institute for social science research

Our purpose is captured in our name: we provide an organizational framework—a “matrix”—that supports cross-disciplinary research pursued by social scientists across the University of California, Berkeley campus and beyond.

Book Talk

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Event Date: May 5th, 2026
4:00pm-5:15pm

The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us

Join us on May 5 for a talk on "The Irrational Decision: How We Gave Computers the Power to Choose for Us," by Benjamin Recht, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences at UC Berkeley. The conversation will be moderated by Marion Fourcade, Professor of Sociology and Director of Social Science Matrix.

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Grants and Opportunities

Published June 2, 2020

2020 Social Science Division Distinguished Teaching and Service Awards

Raka Ray, Dean of the Division of Social Sciences, honors instructors for overcoming challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic

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COVID-19

Article

Published May 6, 2020

Disaster Preparedness and Seeking Equity Amidst COVID-19

An interview with Sarah Vaughn, Assistant Professor in the UC Berkeley Department of Anthropology, on how different communities prepare for and respond to pandemics and disasters.

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Health

Published April 29, 2020

Berkeley Interpersonal Contact Study

Researchers from the UC Berkeley Department of Demography use survey methods to measure the effect of "social distancing."

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Inclusion

Published April 22, 2020

COVID-19 is Blind to Legal Status, but Can Disproportionately Hurt Immigrants

 COVID-19 is blind to legal status, but can still disproportionately hurt immigrants, argue Jasmijn Slootjes and Irene Bloemraad from the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative.

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COVID-19

Published April 17, 2020

Student Futures and Life Under COVID-19

Michael Watts writes that innovative solutions are needed to support students and universities in the era of COVID-19.

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Health

Published April 13, 2020

Hand-washing in the Time of COVID-19

In the era of COVID-19, the public health directive to "wash your hands" is a challenge for people with limited access to clean water, writes UC Berkeley researcher Isha Ray.

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