In the news

What stories will the British, or more particularly, the English, tell themselves about their country and identity, once Brexit has been enacted? It is doubtful whether the 1922 creation of a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will endure. Ireland, colonised by the English in 1169, is an independent country remaining in the Read More

Can financial systems restore social and economic justice in societies? This short video, adapted from Good Finance by Vedat Akgiray, introduces the book and begins to explore ways in which our current concept of finance can be revised for the good of society. Good Finance, by Vedat Akgiray is available on the Policy Press website. Order here Read More

The new ban on abortion in Alabama takes millions of women across the US a step closer to losing fundamental rights to control their fertility. But we also have an Alabama situation on our own doorstep,: it’s called Northern Ireland. …Read more

In 1973, Horst Rittel and Melvyn Webber published a paper in Policy Sciences contrasting the ‘tame’ problems of science (resolvable through the calm application of scientific rationality) with the ‘wicked’ problems of the social world. One of the ten reasons why social problems are often wicked – difficult to decode and resistant to any solution Read More

The UK, in the post-war decades, saw a remarkable degree of upward social mobility, with large numbers of people getting higher-status jobs than their parents had at the same age. The decline of social mobility since then has prompted some to say that it has ‘ground to a halt’, which isn’t at all true:  there Read More

“My name is Greta Thunberg I am 16 years old. I come from Sweden. And I speak on behalf of future generations, I know many of you don’t want to listen to us – you say we are just children. But we’re only repeating the message of the united climate science. Many of you appear Read More

Occasionally a story is reported in the news that provokes a public response, stimulating discussion, particularly on social media, and prompting other similar follow up news stories. One such story emerged recently when it was reported in The Guardian that a housing developer in South London (Henley Homes) had developed segregated play areas at its Read More

Did you know that, contrary to public belief, in the UK a life sentence does last for life? And that capital punishment in the UK was abolished for murder in 1965 but the Death Penalty was a legally defined punishment as late as 1998? 50 Facts Everyone Should Know About Crime and Punishment in Britain, Read More

Young people say that more youth centres would make them safer. Looking back on research for Grassroots Youth Work: Policy, Passion and Resistance in Practice, Tania de St Croix and Louise Doherty argue for a renewed policy commitment to youth work as a youth-centred educational practice – one where the focus is on young people Read More

Listen to Victor Seidler talking politics, identity, gender and sociology as ways of understanding why the Brexit vote happened and where we may be able to go from here. …Read more