Not exactly a source, but from my person experience I have seen people believing in social science results with a fervor that matches religious people believing in religious material. Questioning a study, even with valid reasoning, causes one to receive treatment that compared to questioning religious teachings. Bringing up an alternative study, if it disagrees with the person's own leanings, is comparable to quoting the wrong religious book to a religious individual. Having significant experience in both religious communities and the social sciences, there feels to be a lot of overlap and I personally see nothing wrong with seeing it as serving as a replacement religion for those who have left the classical ones behind.
Now to clarify, I am not saying it is psedoscience or some conspiracy by the elites. I think it happens, to give an overly summarized summary, because religion fills a spot in the average's human psyche that when empty people seek to fill with something else and social sciences are similar enough to serve as a good replacement. As for the reliability of the science, there is a reproducibility problem and the social sciences are plagued with issues to a far greater extent than the hard sciences. That doesn't mean it is fake, but that studies, especially those with little variations and replications, need to be taken with a measured serving of salt.
Interesting perspective for sure, and I think I can agree that people seem to get incredibly invested in some of these studies and subsequently defend them, as you described, with a religious fervor.
My bigger issue with the parent comment was more aimed at the matter-of-fact "it's the elites" statement, which I have little patience for. Using a conspiracy to justify your thoughts that something else is a conspiracy is a bit circular.
People believe in "science" with the same fervor. The scare quotes are because someone will point to a study as definitive - the final answer - and use it as a blugeon (even if the subject is far from settled or the science itself questionable).
Science is a method of inquiry, it's not a tool to "win" a debate. I think you are just observing human nature, in this case reflecting in the so-call social sciences but can manifest in relation to hard science as well.
In both cases people are inclined to support what already matches their world view (which they project with their thoughts and actions and are reflected back filtered through their belief systems).
Now to clarify, I am not saying it is psedoscience or some conspiracy by the elites. I think it happens, to give an overly summarized summary, because religion fills a spot in the average's human psyche that when empty people seek to fill with something else and social sciences are similar enough to serve as a good replacement. As for the reliability of the science, there is a reproducibility problem and the social sciences are plagued with issues to a far greater extent than the hard sciences. That doesn't mean it is fake, but that studies, especially those with little variations and replications, need to be taken with a measured serving of salt.