In this episode, Tom Emery talks with Professor Tim Reeskens and Associate Professor Mark Boukes about two of the world's longest-running surveys on social change. Together they explore what decades of data reveal about shifting attitudes toward politics, religion, trust, family, and identity, and whether today's debates about polarisation and cultural divides hold up against the evidence. The conversation also looks at how these surveys are adapting to declining response rates, digital trace data, and the AI era, and what they might tell us about where societies are heading next.
Affiliations:
- Tim Reeskens – Professor of European Values and Societies in the Department of Sociology at Tilburg University. Country lead, European Values Study
- Mark Boukes – Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Science at the University of Amsterdam. Country lead, World Values Survey
- Dr. Tom Emery – Executive Director of ODISSEI, the Dutch National Infrastructure for Social Science; Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration and Sociology of Erasmus University, Rotterdam
What is ODISSEI Podcast?
ODISSEI is the National Research Infrastructure for Social Sciences in the Netherlands, providing access to data, expertise, and computational tools for researchers. With a network of 51 member organizations and key partners like CBS, DANS, eScience Center, SURF, and Centerdata, ODISSEI supports the growing field of computational social science.
In each episode, we cover topics like data access, research tools, and collaborative efforts that shape our understanding of society. Tom Emery, the Executive Director, engages experts in informal conversations, offering listeners an accessible look at how social science infrastructure supports innovative, impactful research.
Follow us on Bluesky and Linkedin and reach out to us via info@odissei-data.nl.