Global social challenges
There are multiple interlocking crises currently gripping the planet. Significant threats and dangers lie ahead of us, but so do opportunities, as new ways of being, thinking, and doing emerge.
This stream of Transforming Society is a space for exploring the complexities of the global social challenges across disciplines and fields. It seeks to build and share the knowledge needed to shape a fairer world, across and for the global south and north, hoping to foster dialogue between academics, practitioners, policy makers and the wider public.
In this episode of the Transforming Society podcast we spoke to criminologist Mike Hough, Emeritus Professor in the School of Law at Birkbeck, University of London, about what the principles and practices of good policing are and how - for policing to work better - it needs to be based on legitimacy and trust.…Read more
Following the publication of ‘The Age of Low Tech’, Philippe Bihouix explains the concept of shifting baselines and argues that we need the absolute decoupling of economic growth and resource consumption.…Read more
Building on its long-standing commitment to publishing for global impact and social change and continuing to publish with a purpose, Phillipa Grand discusses Bristol University Press joining the UN Sustainable Development Goals Publishers Compact. …Read more
As ‘Social Problems in the Age of COVID-19: Volume 2’ is launched, one of its contributors Bradley W. Williams charts some of the ways disabled people around the world are being hit hardest by COVID-19.…Read more
As we come towards the end of University Press Week, Chief Executive of Bristol University Press, and its imprint Policy Press, Alison Shaw reflects on the theme of the week - #RaiseUP.…Read more
Changing our consumption habits is an essential step to tackling systemic racism. Samir Sweida-Metwally argues that self-education in the era of Black Lives Matter is just not enough.…Read more
Farhang Morady, author of ‘Contemporary Iran: Politics, Economy, Religion’, outlines the cumulative economic effects of sanctions, COVID-19 and government mismanagement on an already shattered economy, but draws hope from the imminent US elections and from regime change in Iran.…Read more
Vicki Dabrowski, author of 'Austerity, Women and the Role of the State', calls out the toxic narrative of blame on women and minority groups to deny the need for social provision in times of COVID-19 and austerity.…Read more
Launching the paperback of 'Borders, Migration and Class in an Age of Crisis', Tom Vickers charts UK COVID-19 policy as evidence of capitalist exploitation of migrant workers and vulnerable groups, but sees the potential for a positive mobilisation of society and new alliances.…Read more
Lindsey German, contributor to 'Social Work and the COVID-19 Pandemic: International Insights', explains why, when we talk about how work and society should change post COVID-19, we must put the role of women and work at the centre of our analysis.…Read more