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.
Trust was heavily eroded during the long period of austerity that followed the global financial crisis and we cannot afford to make the same mistake again. Sam Wren-Lewis, author 'The Happiness Problem', explains why trust is so important in times of uncertainty.…Read more
How we as societies respond to the challenges and opportunities arising from the global crisis of coronavirus could lead to fundamental changes in the social contracts across these societies. Jonathan Wistow shows how this is an opportunity to reassess the kind of deal we have with the state and other interests and influences. …Read more
Rebecca Willis is the author of 'Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change' - out today. Here she explains that, despite these uncertain times, we should have faith in people to understand, accept and play their part in responding to crises, both immediate, acute health threats like COVID-19, and the slow-burn of the climate crisis.…Read more
Themrise Khan, an independent researcher and analyst in international development policy, gender and global migration, examines the emerging divide between women’s rights movements in countries of the Global North and the Global South.…Read more
Gary Craig, co-editor of 'The Modern Slavery Agenda: Policy, Politics and Practice' looks at the extent of modern slavery, who is affected and what needs to be done. …Read more
Alisoun Milne, author of 'Mental Health in Later Life' argues that we need to challenge ‘the usual culprits’ when thinking about the causes of mental ill health amongst older people. Age related losses undermine mental health, but lifecourse and structural risks play a significant role too.…Read more
Rebecca Willis, author of Too Hot to Handle? The Democratic Challenge of Climate Change, out this month, identifies five things every government needs to do to tackle the climate emergency.…Read more
Phil O’Keefe, Geoff O’Brien and Peter J Taylor, authors of Cities Demanding the Earth: A New Understanding of the Climate Emergency, talk about reinventing the nature of our cities to be understood as part of nature and central to the solution to climate change. …Read more
Stuart Rees, author of Cruelty or Humanity: Challenges, Opportunities and Responsibilities, publishing later this year, talks about how non-violent expressions of power in music and poetry can provide a perspective that is the very opposite of top down, militaristic ways of thinking and behaving.…Read more
In 'The Shame Game: Overturning the Toxic Poverty Narrative', out later this month, Mary O’Hara shows why the ‘shame game’ being played out against poorer people in the US and the UK is so destructive and effective. Danny Dorling explains why this new book is so important - and how you can change things - in his foreword.…Read more