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Podcast

Brought to you by Bristol University Press and Policy Press, the Transforming Society podcast brings you conversations with our authors around social justice and global social challenges.

We get to grips with the story their research tells, with a focus on the specific ways in which it could transform society for the better.

PODCAST: Why work needs less management and more judgement?
by Mats Alvesson and Dennis Nørmark  |  26th June 2026

In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Mats Alvesson and Dennis Nørmark about how we can give workers more space to use their judgement. …Read more

PODCAST: FIFA, the beautiful game and billions of dollars – where does accountability lie?

On the eve of what FIFA bills as ‘the greatest show on earth’ – the 2026 World Cup hosted in North America – it’s worth pausing to ask how well it serves the interests of the fans of the planet’s biggest spectator sport.…Read more

PODCAST: Why immigration policy doesn’t add up
by Madeleine Sumption  |  5th May 2026

In this episode of the podcast, George Miller speaks to Madeleine Sumption, author of 'What is Immigration Policy for?'. They discuss why there is no single ‘right’ level of immigration, how the same evidence can lead to such different conclusions, and why attempts to control migration numbers so often fail.…Read more

PODCAST: Rethinking vulnerability as strength
by Melissa Tyler  |  14th April 2026

In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Melissa Tyler about why we need to rethink vulnerability as a shared, deeply social condition shaped by inequality and interdependence.…Read more

PODCAST: How to be an employee activist for sustainability
by Barbara Kump and Babette Julia Brinkmann  |  10th March 2026

In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Barbara Kump and Babette Julia Brinkmann about how we can all create change from within our organisations.…Read more

PODCAST: Why Disappearance Research Matters
by Bahar Baser and Élise Féron  |  6th March 2026

In this podcast, Richard Kemp speaks with Bahar Baser and Élise Féron about how the 'Journal of Disappearance Studies' serves as a space to break these boundaries and give this important field a unified platform.…Read more

PODCAST: When nature has a voice in business
by Simeon Rose  |  16th February 2026

What happens when Nature is given a voice, and a vote, in business? In this Transforming Business podcast episode, Martin Parker speaks with Simeon Rose about how businesses can embed ‘Nature governance’ into their organisations.…Read more

PODCAST: Building worker power at Amazon and beyond
by Tom Vickers  |  26th January 2026

Martin Parker speaks with Tom Vickers about the GMB Union’s fight for formal recognition at Amazon’s BHX4 Coventry warehouse, their successes and also their setbacks.…Read more

PODCAST: Why freedom movements fail
by Peter Hain  |  19th January 2026

In this Transforming Society podcast episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Lord Peter Hain about why liberation and independence movements are so often betrayed when their leaders get into power.…Read more

Our top 10 most listened to podcast episodes in 2025
by Bristol University Press and Policy Press  |  22nd December 2025

This year on the Transforming Society podcast, we’ve highlighted the stories behind research that tackles society’s biggest challenges and sparks meaningful change.…Read more