Search  

Equality, diversity and inclusion

Scotland’s welfare system and LGBTQ+ rights: Is social security really progressive for all?
by Lee Gregory, Eleanor Formby and Peter Matthews  |  23rd June 2026

Lee Gregory, Eleanor Formby and Peter Matthews discuss how Scotland's rights-based social security system has improved the experiences of many LGBTQ+ claimants, while persistent discrimination and weakening political support continue to undermine genuine equality.…Read more

Are LGBTQIA+ prisoners more vulnerable in custody?
by Scott Thomas and Jonathan Glazzard  |  15th June 2026

Scott Thomas and Jonathan Glazzard, authors of 'The Queer World of Prison', discuss how LGBTQIA+ prisoners face heightened risks of discrimination, isolation, violence, and inadequate support in prison, highlighting the need for systemic reforms, inclusive policies, and better staff training to ensure their safety and wellbeing.…Read more

Five myths of meritocracy in the modern workplace
by Lee Elliot Major and Anne-Marie Sim  |  9th June 2026

Drawing on research for 'Cracking the Class Code', Lee Elliot Major and Anne-Marie Sim argue that success in elite workplaces is shaped not only by talent and hard work but also by hidden class-based cultural norms that influence who is seen as credible, authentic and deserving of advancement.…Read more

Pride events at risk in times of far-right backlash and corporate withdrawal
by Francesca Romana Ammaturo  |  2nd June 2026

Francesca Romana Ammaturo, author of 'The Politics of Pride Events', argues that Pride events have become vital spaces for LGBTQIA+ visibility and resistance worldwide, but growing political hostility and declining support make grassroots solidarity essential to their survival.…Read more

After lockdown streaming, disabled audiences were shut out again

Magda Romanska, author of 'Digital Access to the Performing Arts', highlights how the pandemic proved that digital theatre could dramatically expand access for disabled and marginalised audiences, but most institutions abandoned streaming after reopening, revealing persistent inequalities in cultural access.…Read more

The sexualisation of restaurant spaces: Food, desire and the male gaze
by Jonatan Leer and Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager  |  31st March 2026

Jonatan Leer and Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager, authors of 'Food Porn', discuss how restaurants have long used sexualised imagery, staff roles, and nostalgic or ironic aesthetics to intertwine desire with dining, subtly reinforcing gendered power dynamics as part of the overall experience.…Read more

Britain’s workforce productivity is lagging: Lessons from 150 years of skills policy

Tom Bewick, author of 'Skills Policy in Britain and the Future of Work', argues that Britain’s long-running skills crisis reflects a recurring pattern of under investment, social inequality, and an over relianc on market-led, voluntary training systems that have repeatedly failed to keep pace with economic change.…Read more

What is it for? Asking big questions about society and its institutions

George Miller discusses the What Is It For? book series, inspired by Gauguin’s existential questions, arguing that in an age of global “polycrisis,” critically examining the purpose of institutions can help us imagine better alternatives, even if it cannot solve problems outright.…Read more

Remembering empire, rethinking modernity
by Gurminder K Bhambra  |  3rd March 2026

Gurminder K. Bhambra, editor of 'The Modern World After Colonialism', draws on Chinua Achebe’s insight to argue that dominant social-science narratives overlook colonial histories, and that re-centering empire is essential to rethinking modernity.…Read more

Why digital violence remains a threat to artists
by Samantha Parsley  |  14th January 2026

Samantha Parsley, author of 'Minor Keys', argues that gender-based digital violence forces women and gender-expansive electronic music artists to undertake exhausting, unpaid “ameliorative work” that harms their wellbeing, visibility and career progression, and calls for collective responsibility and allyship to address it.…Read more