This portfolio of work seeks to develop a critical social and behavioural science for, and of, the evidence-based healthcare landscape in South Africa, Africa and more broadly.

What do we mean by “social and behavioural science” (SBS)?

The social and behavioural sciences include a range of disciplines e.g. anthropology, psychology, sociology, economics with a broad shared focus on understanding individual thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and social practices. In the context of public health, SBS offers insights into the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of health and illness, and is increasingly valued as part of a complex, people-centered approach to tackling multifaceted public health challenges.

What do we mean by “critical”?

A ‘critical’ SBS seeks to reimagine dominant ways of understanding by analysing power structures and relations; unsettling widely held assumptions in public health and uncovering the roots to health problems that lie within social systems and institutions.

For more information on the various research, capacity building and knowledge translation activities of our SBS portfolio, click here