Transforming Society podcast

Billionaires represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it within our culture? In this episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Carl Rhodes, author of ‘Stinking Rich’, explains the dangerous and deceptive myths which portray billionaires as a ‘force for good’. They discuss the myths of the heroic, generous, meritorious and vigilante bil...

Everybody wants to change the world, but can we actually make a difference?  In the first episode of our Transforming Business  podcast series with Martin Parker, Jane Holgate and John Page, authors of Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising , discuss the power of activism and challenge the belief that change is impossible. They explore the distinction between mob...

Social work exists in a constant tension between caring and protecting vulnerable people, and the control mechanisms within the broader context social workers operate in. Where are the lines drawn in its dual role as an instrument of the state and an advocate for social justice?  In this episode Malcolm Carey and Gurnam Singh, guest editors of the Critical and Radical Social Work sp...

We’ve all blamed PMS on hormones but, despite popular belief, no direct causal link between female sex hormones and PMS has ever been proven. So why does the ‘hormonal woman’ stereotype persist? And how does it fuel outdated, sexist narratives about female health?  In this episode, Jess Miles speaks to Sally King, a visiting fellow in menstrual physiology at King’s College London, about the m...

Alongside a growing interest in creative methods, researchers are increasingly exploring how to bring creativity into data analysis. But how do you strike the balance between innovation and maintaining a systematic, rigorous and ethical approach? Jess Miles talks to Helen Kara, Dawn Mannay, and Alastair Roy, editors of The Handbook of Creative Data Analysis, about the role of creativity in researc...

Many of us have fond memories of going to the zoo as children, but zoo critics are vocal in their condemnation of keeping animals in captivity, believing there can be no such thing as a good zoo. Are the goals of entertainment, conservation, education and research more often in conflict than harmony? And are they ultimately irreconcilable with concern for animal welfare? In this episode, Geor...

Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in.   In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with David Walsh and Gerry McCartney, co-authors of 'Social Murder?: Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK', about the monumental impact austerity has had, and continues to have, on life expectancy.   They discuss the real-life stories of people affected by...

Modern economics often credits Adam Smith as its cornerstone, but another key figure, David Ricardo, has shaped our world in ways we rarely examine. Ricardo, the wealthiest stock trader of his day, developed the theory of comparative advantage, a concept that helped justify globalisation but concealed deeper ties to power, empire and slavery. In this episode, Jess Miles speaks to Nat Dyer, au...

The budget and resources that have been dedicated to combatting terrorism this century are staggering. But has it worked? In this episode, George Miller talks to Leonie B. Jackson, author of 'What is Counterterrorism for?', about the exceptional measures that states have taken in recent decades – such as detention without trial and targeted killing – in reaction to terrorist threats which they oft...

As the US election approaches, MSNBC notes that the question of “what it means to be a man” is now a defining theme. In this episode, Jess Miles and Karen Lee Ashcraft revisit Karen's concept of 'viral masculinity' — a powerful current of aggrieved manhood fuelling far-right ideologies worldwide.  They explore the manosphere, the online ecosystem where this resentment takes root, analysing ho...

Generosity, rooted in love, courage and equality, shapes the Moomin ethos, underpinning not just the brand, but the business. In this episode, Jess Miles speaks with Paul Savage and Janne Tienari, co-authors of 'Moomin Management: Redefining Generosity', about what business can learn from Tove Jansson's beloved troll creatures. They discuss the Moomin principles for businesses around people manage...

A compelling discussion on the challenges faced by Black PhD students in academia. Guests William Ackah and Madina Wane, co-editors of 'The Black PhD Experience', offer a nuanced exploration of the lived experiences of Black scholars. Through personal narratives the book examines systemic barriers, microaggressions, the psychological toll faced by Black students and the strategies they employ to p...

Critical race theory has been problematised and demonised over the years but it has great potential for societal change. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Rodney D. Coates, author of ' Critical Race Theory and the Search for Truth ', about what critical race theory is and why it has found itself in the crosshairs of white nationalists. They discuss the truths we often don't hear about the...

Despite economic development, modern slavery persists all around the world. The issue is not only one of crime but the regulation of the economy, better welfare, and social protections. In this episode, Richard Kemp speaks with Sylvia Walby and Karen Shire, authors of 'Trafficking Chains: Modern Slavery in Society', about this growing global issue. They discuss what trafficking chains are, how the...

The life of a diplomat may seem far flung and unrelatable but, beyond the cocktails and canapes, there are ideas that can help us understand and work on social issues, such as increasing polarisation, and lessons to help us support ourselves. In this episode, Leigh Turner, author of 'Lessons in Diplomacy’ and former British ambassador who led posts in Ukraine, Turkey and Austria, talks about the l...

In the late 19th century, a French aristocrat came up with the idea of reviving the sporting contests that took place at Olympia in ancient Greece, and so the modern Olympics were born. The games have gone on to become one of the greatest spectacles on earth, but have never been free of controversy. Our guest in this episode of the podcast is Jules Boykoff, a political scientist at Pacific Univers...

Time was when museums were staid, dusty institutions. Those days are long gone. Now the focus is on making visiting a museum a positive, inclusive, meaningful experience for everyone who comes through the door – or visits online. It sounds good in principle, but how to do it in practice?    That question is at the heart of the latest title to join the What Is It For series, 'What are Mus...

In this episode, Rebecca Megson-Smith speaks with Jen Shang, co-author of ‘Meaningful Philanthropy: The Person Behind the Giving’, about the high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals behind philanthropic giving.   Having had unparalleled access to some of the world’s most reflective and thoughtful philanthropists, Jen explains how philanthropists experience what they do and the psyc...

With the UK General Election on Thursday, Academics Stand Against Poverty have audited the manifestos to establish which parties are most likely to address poverty and enable British society to flourish. In this episode, Jess Miles speaks with Lee Gregory and Cat Tully about how the audit has been produced and why it matters. They discuss how the manifestos stack up, what all political parties can...

If the way we eat now is bad for our health, bad for animal welfare and bad for the planet, is veganism the answer? That’s the key question that Catherine Oliver of Lancaster University pursues in the latest addition to the What is it for? series.  In this episode of the podcast, Catherine tells George Miller why she hopes 'What is Veganism For?' helps reframe the often-polarized debate aroun...

Danny Dorling and Jess Miles talk about his concept of peak injustice - that injustice and inequality are now so bad in the UK that it might just be that they can't get worse.  In advance of 4 July, they talk about Keir Starmer and what the Labour party may offer, why higher taxes aren't a burden, how fear wrecks societies and the data that gives us hope that getting down from the top of the...

Convict’s voices have traditionally been ignored and marginalised in scholarship and policy debates, but how can we improve if we don’t learn from these lived experiences?   Richard Kemp speaks with Jeffrey Ian Ross, author of ‘Introduction to Convict Criminology’, about why listening to convicts is essential to positively impacting corrections, criminology, criminal justice, and policy makin...

Lurking, or reading the comments in an online group without writing a comment, is a common practice. But what does it mean to be a lurker? In this podcast host Jess Miles speaks with Gina Sipley, Associate Professor of English at SUNY Nassau Community College and author of Just Here for the Comments. Gina challenges our assumptions about lurking, revealing it to be a complex and valuable form of o...

History is a key battleground in our increasingly bitter contemporary culture wars. In the polarized debates over who we are, the cry of ‘You can’t rewrite history’ regularly goes up. And is regularly met with the counterclaim that history needs to be rewritten. Virtually the only thing both sides can agree on is that the past matters. But why, and in what ways? And is there a route out of our cur...

Racial justice is never far from the headlines, but, although the ideals of the legal system such as fairness and equality seem allied to the struggle, campaigners have been all too often let down by the system.  In this episode Jess Miles and Bharat Malkani, author of ‘Racial Justice and the Limits of the Law’, talk through cases like those of the Colston Four and Shamima Begum, to explore t...