Our Story
We are Social Scientists with a distinct philosophical bent grounded in the Human Science tradition. Human Science, we believe, provides a framework for doing social change based on understanding why people believe what they do. It offers insights for engaging with those who have different perspectives about our social conditions and democratic values.
JoAnn McAllister, PhD
Jim Smith, MA
Jim grew up in rural Northern California where a love of the outdoors and nature were instilled at an early age. His family was poor but made do and got by. He graduated with a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from Humboldt State University in 1971. He was active in the civil rights movement and anti-war movement in the 1960’s and 1970’s. After a 35-year career in financial services, he retired. As a founding member of Montana Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing (PHWFF), he worked with veterans and became deeply familiar with their issues.
Jim received his MA in Human Science in 2015 from Saybrook University where his thesis was “The Role of Nature in Healing Victims of Trauma.” He is a co-founder of the Human Science Institute which is based in Helena, Montana. He believes that the role of every progressive person is to become engaged in civil and political life in order to insure a more diverse and democratic world.