River restoration initiatives are now widespread across the world. The research efforts undertaken to support them are increasingly interdisciplinary, focusing on ecological but also societal issues. Based on a review of previous contributions, this chapter provides an overview of research in human and social sciences in the field of river restoration. It illustrates how, in three decades, such approaches have evolved and strengthened within the restoration sciences. The scientific community working on societal issues has structured itself, often regionally and circumstantially, to contribute to, critically assess, and improve restoration policies and practices. Our scientific literature review highlights this research field and is structured along three thematic axes: (i) human–river interactions, especially perceptions and practices of rivers and how these interactions can be changed by restoration projects; (ii) critical analysis of political processes, with a particular interest in governance and decision-making, and a specific emphasis on the question of public participation in restoration projects; and (iii) evaluation of the economic benefits of river restoration. All these scientific contributions on societal issues are based on survey methods, documentary analysis, or economic valuation, which are introduced in dedicated inserts. Finally, we discuss how these research efforts and the diversity of researchers’ positions contribute to improve restoration approaches in practice.