Purpose and background

The Global Social Network (GSN) is an international research initiative dedicated to advancing our understanding of social norms, how they differ across societies and evolve over time. Drawing inspiration from projects such as the World Values Survey and the International Social Survey Programme, the GSN goes a step further: each study is purpose-built around specific, theoretically grounded research questions and generates a rich, truly global, open dataset that is published and used by researchers worldwide.

Since its foundation in 2019, the network has finished four data collections and published findings in prestigious journals such as Nature Communications, the Journal of the Royal Society, and Communications Psychology.

A defining strength of the GSN is its network structure. Unlike conventional panel-based surveys, the GSN can reach societies that are difficult or impossible to access through standard research infrastructure, offering a truly global and less Western-centric picture of the world. Local research collaborators enable translation into regional dialects, broader representation, and culturally sensitive adaptations, thereby ensuring that questions are interpreted as intended rather than distorted by a one-size-fits-all approach.

For policymakers, researchers, and journalists alike, the GSN offers rigorous, globally grounded evidence on one of the most fundamental questions of our time: In an era of growing polarisation, understanding the norms that bind and divide societies has never been more urgent.

Hosting institution

The GSN is hosted by the Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS), an independent research institute in Stockholm, Sweden.

Leadership

The GSN is led by Professor Kimmo Eriksson at the Institute for Futures Studies, assisted by an international steering committee consisting of Giulia Andrighetto, Michele Gelfand, Paul Van Lange, and Pontus Strimling.