BBC Radio Podcasts from Thinking Allowed
Motherhood
The politics of motherhood and US mums on the sharp end of the law.
Smoking
Smoking in modern Britain and the Soviet Union.
Dress Culture
How culture, stigma and discrimination impact dress choices.
ECOLOGY
Ecological harms: from the Californian desert to the Salisbury Plain.
Crowds
The rich and diverse history of crowds in entertainment, sports and politics.
Underwear
From the humorous to the sensual, the hidden story of underwear.
Wealth
Offshore finance and a millennial history of the wealthy.
Touch
Touch: what a single sense can tell us about changing ideas of intimacy and privacy.
Crime Stories
Why do stories about true crime exercise such a grip on the popular imagination?
Playgrounds
The social history of the playground.
Tech Workers
The hidden exploitation of workers at the heart of artificial intelligence.
Food Systems
From tin cans to stretch-wrap, the secret life of food packaging.
Meaning of Work
What makes work meaningful, from nurses to lawyers? Also, cleaners' quest for dignity.
Sea Travelling
Shipboard travels and maritime maps.
Gender and Radicalisation
How does gender influence men and women's participation in extremist politics?
Architecture and Hope
Can building design create hope, from high security prisons to homeless hostels?
Sight and Power
From Bentham's panopticon and surveillance cameras to conflicts over views of Mount Fuji.
Medical Icons
Medical revolutions that transformed out relationship to our bodies and the world.
Coffee Culture
Hipster baristas in Philadelphia and Chinese-run espresso bars in Italy.
The British Elite
Who runs Britain today? Are they a conservative chumocracy or a different kind of elite?
Shopping
From the rise of the mall, to the closure of shops during Covid.
The swimming pool
The swimming pool: its iconic role in our society and culture. Also, pool etiquette.
The politics of the body
The politics of the body: movement and posture.
Opioids
Opioids in the US and UK: from illicit drug heroin to pharmaceutical drugs.
Garden Utopias
Garden Utopias: from the suburban privet hedge to guerrilla gardening.
Richard Sennett
Richard Sennett: A conversation with a leading cultural and social thinker.
Anonymity - Self-creation
Laurie Taylor explores hidden and crafted identities.
Capitalism
Capitalism: the origins of the word and a survey of attitudes to our economic system.
Traditionalism - Russian Orthodox Converts
Traditionalism and Russian Orthodox converts.
THE ENGLISH
THE ENGLISH: How the country house became ‘English’, and changing notions of England.
The Passport
The Passport: a cultural history. Also, the trade in 'golden passports'.
The Power of Song
The power of song: An iconic hymn, and singing and peacebuilding in South Sudan.
Hope and the 'good enough' life
Hope and the 'good enough' life.
Intersections
Intersections - how violence impacts some people more than others.
The Grave - Memorial Benches
Laurie Taylor explores the origins of the grave and the meaning of memorial benches.
Pets
How the British relationship to companion animals has changed. Also, the dog walk.
Sugar
Sugar: its social history and meaning in our lives.
Woke
Laurie Taylor talks to philosopher Susan Neiman about the concept of ‘woke’.
Guns
Guns: from gun sellers in the US to the impact of the gun on human progress.
Water Ways
An exploration of human relationships with water.
Boxing and Kickboxing
Boxing and Kickboxing: Laurie Taylor explores their potential for transforming lives.
The Petite Bourgeoisie
Laurie Taylor explores the unstoppable rise of the lower middle class.
High Finance
Laurie Taylor considers the impact of the asset management industry on our everyday lives.
Fashion Re-imagined
Fashion Re-imagined: how might we create a more equitable industry?
Digital intimacy
How are algorithms transforming our relationships?
Prison Abolition
Laurie Taylor considers the radical case for ending imprisonment.
Taste and Lifestyle
Taste and Lifestyle: how consumer culture remade taste and the West Indian front room.
Dance Culture
Laurie Taylor takes a journey through the dancefloor, from the electric slide to the tango
Democracy
Democracy - what threatens or promotes it?
Poverty
Laurie Taylor explores the causes and consequences of poverty in the UK and US.
Elite Universities - Working Class Students
Elite universities and the lives of working class academics.
Asylum and 'Home'
Asylum and 'home' - the impact of asylum dispersal and Syrian refugees' quest for home.
Museums
Museums: Then and now.
Religion of Work and Welfare
The religion of work and welfare.
Parenting
Parenting - a cultural history.
Dirty Work
Dirty work - the invisible labour we choose not to see.
Self-improvement
Self-improvement: are 'wellness' and 'confidence' cultures enhancing our lives?
The football pools - mass investment
Betting and investment - what are the connections and the differences?
The Internet - how it shapes the past and the future
The Internet - how it shapes our understanding of the past and the future.
The NHS
The NHS and the 'sick note'.
Protests
Protests: from Occupy to MeToo and Iran.
Gender and Alcohol
Gender and alcohol - the craft drink scene and what constitutes a 'proper night out'?
Futilitarianism - Extreme Pessimists
Laurie Taylor talks to Neil Vallelly about current feelings of futility and uselessness.
Rules and Order
Are we are more orderly society than in the past?
Gentrification revisited
Exploring the myth and reality six decades after the term gentrification was coined.
The Sea
The Sea - the privatisation of our oceans and the threat of plastic pollution.
Survival of the city
Survival of the city: how do cities manage to thrive and re-invent in the face of threats?
Package holidays and 'authentic' travel
Package holidays and ‘authentic’ travel: Laurie Taylor on the origins of budget tourism.
Shopping
The history of the high street. Also, dreams of consumption.
Ballroom dancing
Ballroom dancing: its social history and sexual politics.
Wealth - Plutocratic London
Plutocratic London and dynastic wealth.
Covid and change
Covid: how has it changed our economy and home lives?
Workplace Misbehaviour
Workplace misbehaviour: how has it changed over the years?
Psychiatry: a social history
Psychiatry: Laurie Taylor explores the history of modern psychiatric practice.
Prison Protest
Prison protest: from riots to hunger strikes.
Footwear
Footwear: the 'magic' and the material reality.
Strongmen
Strongmen: what accounts for the global rise of authoritarian leaders?
The Underclass
The Underclass: its rise and fall.
SKILL
Laurie Taylor explores the social construction of the notion of skilled work.
Extremism
Extremism: going undercover with the far right, Islamists and anti feminists.
Why Sociology Matters
Why Sociology matters: an exploration of the meaning and purpose of Public Sociology.
Strangers
Strangers & Xenophobia: an exploration of a historically rooted phenomenon.
Food, Identity & Nation
Food, identity and nation - why food matters.
The Value of Things
The value of things: why do we hang on to objects?
Covid
Covid: Crisis or opportunity?
Freedom
Freedom: how it came to be equated with limited government and white people.
Love and Romance
Love and romance in changing times.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Afghan migrants in Britain. Also, the return of the Taliban.
Office Life
Office life: the evolution and meaning of the filing cabinet. Also, objects at work.
Cool Consumers
Cool Consumers: the construction of 'cool' music tastes & the marketing of menthol smoking
The Smartphone
The Smartphone: how has it transformed everyday life, from China to Ireland?
Culture and Privilege
Culture and privilege: are the cultural and creative industries meritocratic?
The Changing Nature of Crime
The changing nature of crime and the impact of Covid on criminal opportunity.
Tourism - Travel
Tourism & travel. How have they evolved over the years and what is their future?
The Handshake - Social Interaction
The handshake & social interaction
COALMINING - LUDDISM
Coalmining & Luddism: What do we mean by progress?
Migrants in London
How has London been shaped by the history of immigration?
Fitness & fatness
Fitness & fatness: a programme exploring two sides of the same coin.
Blackface - Minstrelsy
Blackface and minstrelsy - a troubled history.
Perfume
Perfume: a social history of Chanel No 5 and Red Moscow. Also, the meaning of scents.
The Rural Idyll?
The Rural Idyll? The hidden relationship between the countryside and colonialism.
Life Imprisonment
Life imprisonment - why are those convicted of murder serving longer sentences than ever?
The Orange Order
The Orange Order: an exploration of its origins, practices and principles.
Community & Social Capital
Community & social capital. How connected to each other are we compared to previous eras?
THE BED
The Bed: an exploration of its history and many uses.
Disinformation
Laurie Taylor examines the spread of disinformation and how it can be challenged.
The Meaning of Work
The meaning of work: how has it shifted and evolved over time?
DIRT
DIRT: Its material and symbolic meaning.
TEA
Tea: A dark history of Britain's favourite beverage.
GAMBLING
Gambling: Who are the winners and losers?
DEPORTATION
Deportation - from the UK to the US.
CORRUPTION
Corruption - what is it and how can it be tackled?
Civilians in the line of fire
Civilians in the line of fire.
The Rich
The Rich in London. Also, global attitudes towards the wealthy.
Fashion & VIP Parties
Fashion & VIP parties - the hidden stories behind the glamour and wealth.
REVOLUTION
Revolution: Must all radical upheavals in the social and political order end in tragedy?
Elites
Elites: Why has anti-elitism become such a common stable of media and political rhetoric?
Cars
Cars: How do cars transmit our identities behind the wheel?
Bunkers
Bunkers: building for doomsday.
CEO Society - Time Management
CEO Society and Time management.
Au pairing and domestic labour
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
Surveillance
Surveillance - how we are both watchers, as well as the watched.
The Politics of Memorials
The Politics of Memorials - from Ireland to the Mississippi Delta.
Skateboarding - Parkour
Skateboarding and parkour: lifestyle sport in the hyper regulated city.
Metrics
Laurie Taylor explores the increasing use of metrics across many aspects of our lives.
Maoism
Maoism: its origins and development as a global political force.
Ignorance
Strategic ignorance and knowledge resistance.
Rummage - Waste
Rummage & waste: a social history of recycling and an examination of the meaning of waste.
Finance
Traders and finance.
Blood
Blood - its many meanings.
Trust in a time of pandemic
Trust in a time of pandemic.
Kidnap
Kidnap for ransom, past and present.
Loneliness
Loneliness - is it a uniquely modern emotion?
Citizenship
Citizenship - from schools to the process by which immigrants become British citizens.
Loss
Loss - an exploration of different forms of lost experience.
Water
Water: a cultural as well as a natural substance.
Nudity
Nudity - its cultural history and changing meaning.
Hidden gay lives
Hidden gay lives, from Polari to true crime stories.
Borders
Borders: from Calais to Mexico.
The Power of Oil
The power of oil - a special programme exploring the role of oil in shaping our society.
The 'Happiness Industry' - The 'Wellness Syndrome'
The 'Happiness Industry'. Also, 'wellness syndrome'.
Consuming passions
Consumer pleasures - the origins and evolution of the 'shopping' experience.
Love
A Thinking Allowed special on 'romantic love'.
The Religious Right in the US
The religious right in the US - an exploration of their route to power.
Black music cultures in London
Black music cultures - how did they evolve in London?
Thrift
Thrift and austerity
Time
Time - how do we use & how has this changed in the last 50 years?
Disasters
Disasters: from Haiti to New Orleans.
Immortality - transhumanism
Immortality and transhumanism
Cool
The origins & meaning of 'cool'
Serial killers
Serial killers: the media and cultural response to these crimes.
Estates
Council estates - then and now. Laurie Taylor explores the concept of the 'sink estate'.
Land and territory
Land struggles: from Bolivia to Britain.
War in the air
Laurie Taylor explores the history of aerial bombing and tear gas.
Engineers of Jihad. Orange jumpsuits
The link between education and violent extremism. Also, the iconic orange jumpsuit.
TV in prison - Live music in prison
Television in British prisons. Also, BB King and prison 'blues'.
Organised crime in the UK
Organised crime in the UK - how has it changed? Also, the Italian Camorra.
The ways women age - Beauty politics
The ways women age. Also beauty politics.
The meaning of the face
Laurie Taylor explores the significance of the face.
A special programme on Pierre Bourdieu
Pierre Bourdieu: A special programme presented by Laurie Taylor.
Michel Foucault - a special programme on his work and influence.
Michel Foucault - a special programme on his work and influence.
Erving Goffman - a special programme
Erving Goffman - a special programme on his work and influence.
Walter Benjamin - a special programme on his work and influence
Walter Benjamin - a special programme on his work and influence.
Conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theories - their origins and evolution.
No-Go Zones and Dangerous Holidays
Global no-go zones and the complex overlap between conflict and tourism.
Detective fiction - homicide and social media
Detective fiction - how it represents social change. Also homicide confessions on Facebook
Branding
Branding - the 'persuasion industries'.
Kitsch - Cute
Cute and kitsch: their nature and changing meaning.
Debt
Debt - from household to national.
Spectacular Cities
Spectacular cities - from Kazakhstan to the United Arab Emirates.
Corridors
Corridors - their evolution and changing nature.
Snobbery
Snobbery - its meaning, history and changing nature.
Walls
Walls: Laurie Taylor explores the social history and symbolism of human-made barriers.
Motorbikes
Motorbikes - a social and cultural history.
The Class Ceiling
The Class Ceiling: does privilege pay?
Migrants - Refugees
Migrants and refugees.
Work - what is it good for?
Laurie Taylor explores the history, harms and downsides to our contemporary work culture.
Identity
Identity: a special programme exploring the way in which we define ourselves.
White Power Movement in US - Rise of Racist Right in Europe
The White Power Movement in the US. Also, the racist, far right in Europe.
Night-time Economy
The Night-time Economy: How has it changed over the years?
Architecture and health
Architecture, housing and health.
Shoes
Shoes: a cultural history.
White Privilege - Racial Ambiguity
What is white privilege? And what is the evidence that racial binaries are breaking down?
Maps and Postcodes
Maps and postcodes - what do they reveal about our society and selves?
Rich Russians - Millionaire tax flight
Rich Russians. Also, millionaire tax flight.
Palaces for the People
Palaces for the People: the decline in civic life.
Push Buttons
Push buttons: pleasure, panic and the politics of pushing.
Creativity
Creativity re-examined. Has it become a meaningless buzz word for our times?
Post-Truth
Post-truth - what is it and how did we get to this point?
Drifters
Laurie Taylor explores the life and times of the American train hopping hobo.
Smart Cities
Laurie Taylor presents a special edition recorded at the Open University in Milton Keynes.
Beauty - Ugliness
Beauty and ugliness.
Suburbia Revisited
Laurie Taylor explores the latest research into how society works.
Selfies - disconnection from ICTs
'Selfies' - narcissism or self-expression? Also, choosing to disconnect from ICTs.
Gangs and spirituality
Gangs and spirituality - can religious belief lead members away from crime?
China today
China - how was it lifted out of poverty and what does the future hold?
Light and Dark
How the meanings of light and dark have changed over time in the context of urban life.
Size Discrimination
Laurie Taylor considers what it means to be very tall, very big or very short.
Business Schools
Should business schools be shut down? Laurie Taylor examines the arguments.
Law and Order
Law and Order: the drama series revisited 40 years later.
Marx and Marxism
Marx and Marxism revisited.
The Internet and Democracy
Laurie Taylor analyses the social and political consequences of our digitised world.
Universal Basic Income
Universal Basic Income - could it work?
Menswear Revolution
Menswear revolution - the changes in men's clothes over time.
Winner of 2018 BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award
The winner of the 2018 BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award.
Ethnography Award Shortlist 2018
The shortlist for the 2018 BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award 2018.
Mixed-race families
When is mixed-race heritage passed down to the next generation and when is it not?
Dating at university, Online dating
Hook-up culture: dating at university. Also, how online dating has changed our world.
Sacrifice
Sacrifice - from Christ's crucifixion to Salafi jihadist suicide bombers.
Racial inequality now, Women and political language
Racial inequality now. Also, women and political language.
Women and democracy - the language of power
Is democracy failing women? Also, how 'normality' is established in language.
The White Working Class.
The white working class - is there a 'left-behind'?
Artisanal food - Natural foods
Artisanal and natural foods.
A Valentine Day's special
A Valentine Day's Special programme exploring infidelity and the history of rings.
Populism
Are populist politics on the rise?
Stigma
Stigma - an old sociological concept revisited and recast for the 21st century.
Countercultural seekers, Slum tourism
Countercultural seekers on the road to Kathmandu and slum tourism in Mumbai.
Countercultural seekers/ slum tourism.
Counter cultural seekers and meaning of the hippy trail. Also, slum tourism in Mumbai.
Police culture
Police culture and socialisation - how has it changed?
The sensory landscape of the city
The scenes, smells, sounds and tastes of city life.
The Housing Crisis, Squatting in Amsterdam
The housing crisis. Also, squatting in Amsterdam.
Working-class actors, Class and classical music
Working-class actors, Class and classical music.
Christmas Television
Christmas television - an exploration of a very British tradition.
The Trojan Horse Affair - Religion in Schools
Laurie Taylor asks if there was an attempt to Islamicise schools in Birmingham.
The New Economy
Finding work in the new economy and the death of homo economicus.
Politics and Emotion
The evolution of our contemporary idea of emotions and how they play out in politics.
GDP, Mali music
GDP - what are its limits? Also, the music of Mali.
Affluence
Affluence - what does it mean?
Marxism, 'Red' Globalisation
Laurie Taylor talks to David Harvey, world authority on Marx's thought.
War In The Air
Laurie Taylor explores the history of aerial bombing and tear gas.
Hospices - Palliative Care
Laurie Taylor explores end of life care through the ages.
Whither the Welfare State?
Laurie Taylor examines the history of the welfare state.
The Restaurant: A Taste of Class
Laurie Taylor gets under the skin of the restaurant.
Robots and AI
Laurie Taylor takes a cool, non dystopian look at future possibilities
Sectarianisation - the Middle East
Laurie Taylor asks if a new theory offers an explanation for conflicts in the Arab world.
The Mafia - organised crime
The Mafia and organised crime from Sicily to Japan and the UK
Management Jargon
Why is meaningless speech in the workplace so ubiquitous?
Exhaustion: a historical study of weariness.
Exhaustion: is extreme fatigue a peculiarly modern phenomenon?
The Subway
Laurie Taylor goes underground - from New York to Delhi.
The Secret World of Hair
An anthropological journey through the world of hair.
Fertility Holidays - Male Infertility
Laurie Taylor discusses a study of IVF tourism and also male infertility.
Global inequality - 'signs of nation'
Is the Global South catching up with the North?
Heritage and preservation
Heritage beyond saving: should we collaborate with, not defend natural processes?
Sport and Philosophy - Inside an African-Caribbean Football Club
The philosophy of sport, and the evolution of a African Caribbean football club.
Fashion and class
Fashion and class: from the 'branded gentry' to the high street.
Doctors at war - Wasting GP's time
Doctors at war. Also, patients who worry about wasting their GP's time.
Russian prison visitors - prison boundaries
Russian prison visitors. Also, prison boundaries.
Craft work - 'dirty' work
Craft work. Also, 'dirty' work.
Insuring against disasters - electronic finance
Insuring against disasters, and amateur financial traders.
Drugs in warfare
The role of intoxicants in the context of warfare, from Nazi Germany to the Vietnam war.
Elite education
How prestigious schools and universities around the world sustain inequality.
Special programme on winner of Ethnography award
A special programme on the winner of the BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography award.
A special programme devoted to the BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography Shortlist
A special programme devoted to the BSA/Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award shortlist 2017.
Grandfathers - Dementia carers
Grandfathers: a global study. Also, dementia carers.
Teen bedrooms - Skydivers
Teen bedrooms. Also, skydivers.
Money - how to break the power of the banks
The production of money: how to break the power of the banks.
Squatting; a cross cultural history. Plus taking ones clothes off in public.
Squatting: a cross-cultural history. Also, taking one's clothes off in public.
Platform Capitalism
Laurie Taylor explores platform capitalism - its origins, meaning and future.
Terrorism: does it work? - The 'Hotline'
Terrorism: does it work? Also, the origins and development of the 'hotline'.
Vertical Cities - India's property boom
Vertical cities - a three-dimensional view of urban life. Also, India's property boom.
The brave new world of virtual workers; also globalisation, the old and the new.
Globalisation, the old and the new. Also, virtual workers.
Health divides - Counting global health
Health divides. Also, counting global health.
Age of noise - British drinking
Laurie Taylor considers how unwanted sounds came to characterise modernity.
Sexual violence in the Bangladeshi War of Independence - Global danger and the risk to research
Sexual violence in the Bangledeshi War of Independence. Also, global danger and risk.
Super Rich: The 1% of the 1%
Laurie Taylor and guests explore the origins of this wealthiest of elites.
Laurie Taylor discusses the relationship between literature and sociology.
Laurie Taylor and guests explore the relationship between fiction and the real world.
Musicians Union - women heavy metal fans
The Musicians Union. Also women heavy metal fans.
Men and Violence - Stag Parties
Men, masculinities and violence. Also, stag parties, deviance and consumerism.
Success and Luck - Cosmopolitanism and Private Education
Success and luck. Also private school attitudes towards cosmopolitanism.
Foie gras & the politics of taste - Memories of Irish food
Foie gras and the politics of taste. Also, male Irish migrants recall the food back home.
Racial segregation, Dementia and hair care
Racial segregation in the United States. Also, hairdressing for people with dementia.
Population change - Chronic illness
Population change: how it's transforming our world. Also, managing chronic illness.
Evangelicals - Troubled families
Evangelicals in the city. Also, 'troubled families'.
Drone warfare, Fitness instructors
Drone warfare: from soldiering to assassination? Also, the world of fitness instructors.
Hoods - Construction Blacklist
Laurie Taylor explores the cultural history and many meanings of the hood.
House of Commons - Voting and Inequality
Laurie Taylor hears about the hidden workings of Parliament. Also, voting and inequality.
Rentier capitalism - Protest camps
Laurie Taylor asks if the economic system is rigged in favour of the owners of property.
Political polarisation, An anthropologist's guide to naming
Political polarisation. Also, an anthropologist's guide to naming.
Higher Education - Crisis or Change?
Higher education - crisis or change?
Shyness - Names
Shyness: a cultural history. Also, the relationship between names and identity.
Men dressing up - The male 'suit'
Men 'dressing up'. Also, the male 'suit'.
Airport security, Retiring to Spain
Airport security, and retiring to Spain.
Food bank Britain, Food poverty in Europe
Food bank Britain. Also, food poverty in Europe.
The English Defence League; 'Real' immigrants
The English Defence League. Also, who are the 'real' immigrants?
Political women and language, The morality of sleep medication
Political women and language. Also, the morality of sleep medication.
Good neighbours, The connection between sport and domestic abuse
Laurie Taylor explores encounters with the people next door. Plus domestic abuse and sport
Secrecy at Work, Drugs and Employment
The hidden architecture of people's working lives. Plus drug-taking and employment.
Ale drinkers, Northern accents
New research on how society works. Ale drinkers. Northern accents.
'Queer' wars, Nigerian beauty pageants
'Queer' wars: the global struggle for lesbian/gay rights. Also, Nigerian beauty pageants.
Glasgow gangs - Russian gangs
Glaswegian and Russian gangs: their origins, organisation and meaning.
Migrant women, Wedding paradoxes
Laurie Taylor explores the role in British society of migrant women over the past 60 years
The Flaneur - Walking in the City
Laurie Taylor explores the history and meaning of the urban stroller, past and present.
Happiness and government, Good parenting
Laurie Taylor asks if the government should aim to promote well-being.
Ethnography Award winner, Transcultural football
The 2016 BSA Thinking Allowed Ethnography winner. Also, transcultural football.
The BSA and Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award Shortlist
A special programme on the shortlist for the BSA and Thinking Allowed Ethnography Award.
Dance halls, Pick-up artists
Laurie Taylor discusses the social and cultural history of 'going to the Palais'.
Eviction, Self-build
Laurie Taylor looks at the rising number of people losing their homes in the US and UK.
Philanthropy - Charity
Philanthropy and charitable giving: who do they benefit, and is there a price?
Small towns, Patient rescue and resuscitation
A study of Todmorden. Also, the rescue and resuscitation of chronic patients.
The debt collection industry, Spousal job loss
Laurie Taylor explores what happens when everyday forms of borrowing go bad.
Refusing adulthood, How young people feel about being poor
Laurie Taylor asks if and why some people refuse to grow up.
Museums and nationalism, Imagining utopias
Laurie Taylor asks what can be learnt about nationalism from cultural institutions.
Weather forecasting, Young people and politics
Laurie Taylor explores a scientific art form rooted in unpredictability.
Consumerism, Work-life balance
Laurie Taylor explores the history of the modern, material world.
The Creative Economy, 'Grudge' Spending
The new politics of culture and creativity. Plus why people begrudge spending on security.
Con Men in New York, Iconography of punishment
A look at con men in New York and the iconography of punishment.
Modern slavery, School lunch boxes
Laurie Taylor explores tensions at the heart of contemporary struggles against enslavement
The end of 'careers', Humour at work
Laurie Taylor explores personal identity in an era of uncertain working lives.
Fashion and Beauty
Laurie Taylor explores the pleasures and dangers in keeping up appearances.
A Special Programme on Rituals
A special programme on rituals, at Christmas and beyond.
Chess worlds, Competitive entrepreneurs
Laurie Taylor looks at chess communities and the competitive culture of the self-made men.
Land Ownership, Home at work
Laurie Taylor explores forgotten acres and looks at creating a sense of 'home' at work.
Everyday life, Cafe society
Laurie Taylor takes a sociological look at everyday life. Plus cafe society.
Frauds of the left, Siblings
Laurie Taylor examines the intellectual credibility of key thinkers of the new left.
Elite jobs, Hairdresser craft
How elite students get elite jobs and a look at hairdressing as a craft.
Zoos explored, Funeral arranging
Laurie Taylor goes on a sociological safari, plus a look at reasons behind funeral choices
The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, The hidden life of domestic things
Laurie Taylor explores the likely costs and benefits of the TTIP.
Ambivalent atheism; Neoliberalism and old age
Laurie Taylor explores forms of non-religious culture and identification.
Human Rights in Northern Ireland, Social Mobility and Education
Laurie Taylor looks at the complex role of human rights in the peace process.
Being Single - Modern Romance
Laurie Taylor looks at stigma versus choice and explores romance in the digital age.
Female Serial Killers, Secular Stagnation
Laurie Taylor discusses female serial killers. Plus low economic growth and the future.
Russia's Red Web - Older Entrepreneurs
Laurie Taylor explores the Russian government's battle with the future of the internet.
Cross-Class Marriage, The social history of women-only train carriages
Laurie Taylor explores marriages between people from different class backgrounds.
Stop and search, Cancer patients and welfare reform
Laurie Taylor examines the history and future of an often controversial police tactic.
Prison gangs in US, Millionaire children
A look at convict culture. Also, how would children choose to spend a million pounds?
The colour black, Mixed-race people
Laurie Taylor explores the cultural and historical meaning of the colour black.
Middle-class drug dealers, Globalisation of white collar work
Laurie Taylor discusses a study into the selling of drugs among teens in suburban America.
Arab Londoners - Migrants and British identity
Laurie Taylor considers Arab Londoners. Also, migrants' sense of British identity.
Factory music, Volunteering post-recession
Laurie Taylor explores the role of pop music in enlivening mundane assembly line work.
White Working Class Boys; French Thought
White, working-class boys at school. Also, the French intellectual tradition.
The 'Precariat'; Humour in Sociology
Laurie Taylor asks if there is an emerging mass class characterised by insecurity.
Lesbian Lives in Russia; Big Data
The changing nature of same-sex relationships since the demise of Russian state communism.
Anthropology - The Future of the A-level; Crime and Blame
The future of the A-level. Plus the role of blame within the criminal justice system.
Poverty in Britain; Unemployment As a Choice
Is poverty in Britain increasing? Plus unemployment as a 'choice'.
The Gym: A Social History; Tattoos at Work
Laurie Taylor explores the social history of the gymnasium and the taboo against body art.
Division of Domestic Labour - Gentrification and Working-Class Residents
The impact of gentrification on working-class people. Plus the division of domestic labour
Post Traumatic Stress; Managing Beds in the NHS
Post traumatic stress in combat veterans and managing beds in the NHS.
Stories Behind Immigration - Winner of the Ethnography Award
The winner of the 2015 BBC/BSA Ethnography Award.
The Ethnography Award 'Shortlist'
Programme devoted to the academic research shortlisted for the Thinking Allowed award.
Free Will Explored
Laurie Taylor explores free will and pets as family.
Citizenship Ceremonies; Family Ties and Genetics
Laurie Taylor explores the way in which states use public rituals to create new citizens.
Global Clothing and Poverty; Fur Inheritance in Poland
Laurie Taylor explores the commodity chains in high fashion and second-hand clothing.
Love, Money and HIV in Kenya, Microbreweries
Laurie Taylor explores the disproportionate rates of HIV infection in young African women.
Biologising Parenthood - A Lost Avant-Garde,
Laurie Taylor examines the tension between art and money. Also, biologising parenthood.
Commercial Surrogacy in India, Money
Commercial surrogacy in India and beyond, plus new kinds of money. With Laurie Taylor.
The British in South Africa - Romanian Economic Migrants in London
Laurie Taylor explores migration in contrasting contexts.
Conservatism, Emotional Labour in a Care Home
Conservatism: its roots and meaning. Also, the emotional impact of working in a care home.
Harvard Business School – The Construction of Pain
Harvard Business School: profit versus morality. Also, the cultural meaning of pain.
Inside the Muslim Brotherhood
Laurie Taylor on the Muslim Brotherhood, plus a study into privately educated young women.
Social Stigma and Negative Labels - Migraine
A cultural history of migraine. Also 'pramfaces' - denigrating the working class?
Tribute to Ulrich Beck (1944 - 2015) - Dissident Irish Republicanism
Laurie Taylor on dissident Irish republicans, plus a tribute to sociologist Ulrich Beck.
Living Apart Relationships - Grading Universities
Laurie Taylor examines the rights and wrongs of the Research Excellence Framework.
War Games - Riding the Subway
Laurie Taylor explores the way war and violence invades our lives. Also, riding the subway
Self-help and Self-improvement
Can self-help books help you to become a better you? Presented by Laurie Taylor.
Rituals at Christmas
Laurie Taylor presents a special edition that explores rituals at Christmas and beyond.
Butchers; Fat Gay Men
Fat gay men - resisting the stigma. Also, the masculine world of the butcher.
After Redundancy - Global Payday Lending
The growing worldwide industry of global payday loans. Plus the aftermath of redundancy.
Port Cities; Middle Class Alcohol Use
Port cities in the global age, from Marseilles to Liverpool. Plus middle class drinking.
Creative Britain - Sexology
The rise and fall of Creative Britain. Plus sexology re-visited.
Shoes - Islamic Youth Culture in Western Europe
Shoes - a journey through our lives. Also, young Muslim subcultures in Europe.
Meritocracy; Desert Island Doctors
Laurie Taylor examines the rise, meaning and reality of meritocracy as a concept.
'Lad culture' in higher education - Fugitives from the law in Philadelphia
Laurie Taylor explores the lives of African-American men caught up in webs of criminality.
Post-Dictatorship Art in Argentina; Young Jazz Musicians in London
Post-dictatorship art and culture, and the lives of jazz musicians in London.
Junk Food Traders in Secondary Schools; Darjeeling Tea Workers
Laurie explores the lives of the producers of some of the most expensive tea in the world.
Drug Mules; 'Dads Only' Parenting Project
Laurie Taylor looks at women in the international cocaine trade. Also, dads in training.
Dementia Handbags; Place Hacking
Laurie Taylor takes an urban tour beyond the boundaries of everyday metropolitan life.
Gaybourhood and City Life
Gay life, at home and in the 'city' - a special programme.
Non-Networking Graduates; Race and Consumption
Race and consumption. Also, working class graduates who refuse to network.
Dalit Parties and Democratisation in Tamil Nadu; History of the Elevator
Elevators: A cultural history. Also, Indian militants who embrace electoral politics.
Rio, Protests and the World Cup; Dying in Prison
Laurie Taylor examines the meaning of the street demonstrations taking place in Rio.
A History of Tennis, Talking Treatments
Tennis: A social history. Also, psychotherapy and class.
Russia's upper class, Flip Flops
Flip flops: A global journey. Also, Russia's upper class.
History of Surfing; Coffee Shops and Idleness
Laurie Taylor looks beyond the crashing waves and suntanned bodies.
Late-Modern Hipsters - Before the Windrush
Laurie explores race relations in 20th-century Liverpool. And, the modern 'hipster'.
Masculinity and betting shops; 'New' biological relatives and kinship
IVF's transformation of biological relations. Also, men in betting shops.
Make-up in Iran; Offshoring
Laurie Taylor explores the clandestine activities that go beyond concealment of wealth.
Gender Inequality in China; Smokestack Nostalgia
Chinese women and the resurgence of gender inequality. Also, 'smokestack nostalgia'.
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism; Sociology of Sleep
Islamophobia and Anti-Semitism. Also, the sociology of sleep.
'Illicit' Dance; The Purpose of War
'Illicit' dance in Indian popular culture. Also, does war serve a social purpose?
Baristas; 'People' History
The rise & fall of the working class. Also, the attraction of 'cool' jobs with poor wages.
Ethnography Award: The Winner
Laurie Taylor presents the winning entry of Thinking Allowed's first Ethnography Award.
The Ethnography Award 'Short List'
Laurie Taylor looks at academic research shortlisted for our new annual ethnography award.
British working class gardens - Why England fails (at football)
Exploring a hidden horticultural history, and why England fails at international football.
The End of Capitalism; Reforming Capitalism
What is the future of our market-driven economy? Presented by Laurie Taylor.
Kissing; The British Hitman
Laurie Taylor explores the cultural meaning and history of the romantic kiss.
Poverty and 'Shame'; Small-Scale Technology in India
The psycho-social effects of being poor. Also, small-scale technology in modern India.
Race in Police Disciplinaries; Protestant Fishermen in Scotland
Perceptions about ethnic minority officers. Also, evangelical fishermen in Scotland.
Post-Katrina New Orleans; The Capitalist Personality
Laurie investigates New Orleans' disaster relief failure. Also, the capitalist personality
Elite Graduates in France and UK; Surnames and Social Mobility
Laurie Taylor asks how much of our fate is tied to our parents' and grandparents' status.
Generational Divide; Webcam
Laurie explores how webcams are changing human life. Also, the 'generational' divide.
The Great Indoors
Laurie Taylor on the home as a vehicle for self-expression. Also, the symbolic bathroom.
Stuart Hall (1932-2014)
A tribute to the leading cultural theorist Stuart Hall, who died this week.
Numbers in Global Politics; Gay Rights and Religion in Belfast
The power of numbers in global politics, plus gay rights and religion in Belfast.
Prostitution in the Community; Drinking and Moderation
Laurie Taylor explores the impact of sex work on local residents and businesses.
Why Music Matters?; Bhangra and Belonging
Laurie Taylor explores the role of music in our lives with Prof David Hesmondhalgh.
Waiting in A&E; Faith and Doubt
Laurie looks at research into the fragility of both religious and political belief systems
Sensory Multiculturalism in an East End Market; Cultural Passions
Laurie Taylor discusses the emotional commitment people bring to 'high' and 'low' culture.
Santa Helpers; Christmas Tradition
Laurie Taylor presents a special programme on our construction of Christmas tradition.
Couples and Chronic Illness; Fashion and Dress in Later Life
The links between clothing and age. Also, how couples deal with chronic illness.
Pocket Calculator in Papua New Guinea; Chicago
Laurie discusses a landmark study into communities. Also, pockets in Papua New Guinea.
Tooth Loss; Communist Utopia in a Spanish Village
Laurie hears about an egalitarian enclave in Andalucia. Also, the meaning of tooth loss.
Boxing in Gleason's Gym; Sport and Capitalism
Is modern sport a product of our economic system? Also, boxing's golden age.
The Poppy; Traveller Children in Schools
Laurie explores the origins the Remembrance Day poppy. Also, traveller children in schools
Work and Consumption; Neo-liberal Economics
Laurie Taylor discusses why neoliberal economics still dominates the post-recession world.
Richard Hoggart; The Anti-Social Family
Laurie Taylor discusses the first biography of this leading cultural commentator.
Sex Workers and International Migration; Poverty in Britain
Laurie Taylor explores prize-winning research. Also Vietnamese sex workers turned US wives
Muslim Fundamentalism; Customer Abuse to Service Workers
A study into Muslim resistance to religious extremism. Also, customer abuse of service.
Section 136 and Mental Health Act; BBC World Service
The World Service and its broadcasters. Also, the use of mental health 'sections'.
Twitter; Elite University Admissions
Laurie looks at social communication in the Twitter age. Also, elite university admissions
Backpacking food tourist; Touring poverty
Laurie Taylor on the transformation of slums into visitor attractions. Also, food tourism.
Noodle narratives; British men dancing Capoeira
The rise of instant noodles. Also, British men dancing like Brazilians.
Holiday hedonism in Ibiza; White working class voters
Laurie Taylor explores the risk-taking experiences of young British tourists in Ibiza.
Bohemian Soho
Laurie Taylor considers a cultural history of the Colony Room Club. Also, Soho sex shops.
Drug users and enforcement; 'Militant' Liverpool
Laurie Taylor considers the impact of drug enforcement operations.
The Minutemen; 'Lay' Witnesses in Court
US activists in search of illegal immigrants. Also, lay witnesses in court.
'Teddies' and 'Gollies'; Smart-casual dining
The transformation of gourmet restaurant style. Also, racialised children's literature.
Food Work in Hospital Wards; The Bangladesh/India Border
The Bangladesh/India border: danger and progress. Also, elderly malnutrition in hospitals.
Raising Middle-Class Black Children; Neon
How neon illuminates the world, plus middle-class black families and education.
Terrorism Studies
Laurie Taylor explores a new academic field emerging. Also, political violence in Pakistan
Northern Ireland Sectarianism and Civility; The Global Pigeon
Laurie Taylor considers an ethnography of human-bird interactions. Also, Belfast mothers.
Welfare reform; Crime in the Armed Forces
Laurie Taylor looks at crime in the armed forces. Also, the impact of welfare reforms.
Remembering Diana; Ethnography Award
Did Princess Diana's death prompt a major shift in British culture? Plus ethnography.
Scottish nationalism and identity; Austerity
The impact of financial crisis on public health. Also, race and Scottish identity.
'Long Hours' work culture; Empty labour
Employees who pursue private actitivies at work. Also, 'long hours' work culture.
Multicultural Prison; Jellied Eels
Laurie Taylor discusses life in the modern male prison. Also, jellied eels and 'disgust'.
Live Music - from Dance Hall to the 100 Club
Laurie Taylor explores a social history of live music from 1950 to 1967.
Stammering and Identity; Land of Too Much
Poverty versus abundance in the US. Plus managing a social stigma for people who stammer.
Middle Class Enclaves and Escapes
Special edition recorded at the British Sociological Association's 2013 conference.
British class survey; Tribute to Geoff Pearson
Laurie Taylor explores a unique piece of research done by BBC Lab UK and social scientists
English Heritage; Clergy Lives
Laurie Taylor on heritage politics in the UK, and the everyday lives of parish priests.
Thrift Chic; Thatcherism
'Thatcherism' - was it a distinct ideology? Also, the rise of thrift 'chic'.
Women and the Armed Forces
Laurie Taylor explores gender and the military as women go into the frontline of battle.
Gang labour in UK; Industrial ruination
Industrial ruination - a global study into urban decline. Also, gang labour in the UK.
Language of food politics; Italian food market
Laurie Taylor explores an Italian food market and the language of food politics.
Guatemalan cemetery; Art auctions
A study into the dynamics of art auctions, and a Guatemalan cemetery with no more room.
Drugs for Life; Subcultural Identity
Laurie Taylor on the growing medicalisation of everyday life, and subcultural 'oldies'.
Fashion, Class and Mums; Red Racisms
Laurie Taylor with a unique analysis of racism in communist and post-communist countries.
'Ned' Pride in Scotland; Weapon Dogs
Weapon dogs - status canines as urban menace. Also, the Scottish subculture of 'neds'.
Stan Cohen (1942 - 2013)
Laurie Taylor pays tribute to the work and legacy of the sociologist, Stan Cohen.
Rock climbing in conflict; women in Russian prisons
With Laurie Taylor. Featuring Russian women prisoners and rock climbers in conflict.
Class and Commuting; Engaging with Climate Change
Climate change - why is it denied by so many? Plus class, commuting and the 'tube'.
Birth of Neo-Liberalism; Music, Race and Difference
Tracing the origins of neo-liberalism. Plus, the relationship between race and music.
Contagion; changing masculinity in retail
Contagion - how commerce spreads disease. Also, 'boys will be boys' or will they?
Intoxication
Laurie Taylor explores the role and meaning of both alcohol and drugs in human life.
Female jockeys; military migrants
Laurie Taylor on our multinational armed forces, and Deborah Butler on female jockeys.
Children in hospitals; History, heritage and tradition in British politics
How British political parties construct history, and children's experiences in hospital.
Work identity on the railway; how to be gay
Laurie Taylor on a new book exploring gay male identity. Also, work identity in crisis.
Family funerals; red tape
Laurie Taylor hears how corrupt officialdom causes poverty.
Archaeology of homelessness; residential care revisited
Older people in residential care - a landmark study. Also, an archaeology of homelessness.
Decline of the weekend; British riots of 2011
Laurie Taylor explores the summer riots of 2011. Also, the death of the weekend.
Couchsurfing - Trauma Advocacy
Laurie Taylor looks at how the internet lets us encounter strangers, as well as friends.
The UK strip and lap-dancing industry; blue jeans
The strip industry - why is it growing? Also, the cultural meaning of 'blue jeans'.
Trouble at work, travellers vs tourists
Laurie Taylor hears about research into workplace conflict, and travellers versus tourists
Sociologists and the financial crisis - Against security
Security systems - their pitfalls. Also, a sociological take on the financial crisis.
The New Arab Man, Lords Club Affiliation
The 'new' Arab man; elite club membership in the House of Lords.
Sickness Benefit Recipients - New Society 50 Years On
Sickness benefit claimants, and 'New Society' 50 years on. Presented by Laurie Taylor.
Race in an English village; decoding organisation
Laurie Taylor explores the culture and work of Bletchley Park.
Ethnic pay gap, racial segregation
Laurie Taylor on research into racial segregation in cities and Britain's ethnic pay gap.
Odd couples, student drinking
Gay-straight friendships, and how students approach alcohol. With Laurie Taylor.
Italian Family 3: Studio discussion
Is the fabled Italian family in terminal decline? Laurie Taylor discusses the crisis.
Italian Family 1: Milan
Why is the Italian birth rate falling? Laurie Taylor on the crisis of the Italian family.
Italian Family 2: Naples
Laurie Taylor visits Naples to investigate the role of Italian family values.
Breaking rules; Wall Street women
Inside the world of Wall Street women, and the role of morality in preventing crime.
Social capital; gentrification
White middle-class settlers in edgy areas, plus how to get ahead in the media.
Jobs for the Boys
'Jobs for the Boys?' Discrimination and nepotism in the media industry, with Laurie Taylor
Sport under communism - Regeneration Games
Laurie Taylor discusses the security impact of the Olympics. Also, sport under communism.
Builders and Musicians
Builders' lives and the cooperation between musicians.
Immortality; Evil
Laurie Taylor explores the ways in which human beings have resisted the idea of mortality.
Urban Protest
Urban Protest: Laurie Taylor talks to David Harvey about trouble on the streets.
Evil; the morality of cycling
Laurie Taylor asks if a sociology of evil is possible. Also, the morality of cycling.
Hostility to tax; Mumbai slums
A study of the slums of Mumbai. Also, the rights and wrongs of taxation.
Kinship
A special programme linked to a landmark study of 'kinship'.
Working class alienation - Nottingham council estate
Laurie Taylor talks to speakers at the 2012 British Sociological Association conference.
AIDS conspiracy theories; comics
A cultural history of British comics plus AIDS conspiracy theories.
Wine tasting; US philanthropy
US philanthropic foundations, and the changing language of wine tasting.
Why Love Hurts
Laurie Taylor investigates the pain of love from a sociological perspective.
Hebden Bridge; neighbours
Laurie Taylor explores the fortunes of Hebden Bridge. Also, a social history of neighbours
Nationhood; recognising transgender
Transgender body modifications and latent nationalism, subjects of two prize-winning books
Raoul Moat - the media story; Indian sex workers
Raoul Moat - the media story, and prostitutes in Calcutta.
The High-life and the Row-life
Laurie Taylor discusses an ethnography of crack users and a study of a Cambridge crew.
Rubbish - Civil Partnerships
Rubbish society: the social impact of waste.
Steeltown - Life after Burberry
Steeltown meltdown and Burberry closure - life after industry death in two Welsh towns.
Culinary Culture and Globalisation - Dignity
With Laurie Taylor. Including Michelin-starred restaurants and the meaning of dignity.
Home at RIBA
What does the idea of home mean to us in Britain today? A special edition on private life.
Private military security; whisky tourism
Professionals and cowboys? UK and US military security workers. Also, 'whisky tourism'.
Boxing styles UK vs US - Why nations fail
Why Nations Fail. Plus boxing, UK and US style.
Ambient religion - Poverty and social work
Ambient faith and social work, and poverty between the wars. Presented by Laurie Taylor.
22/02/2012
Laurie talks to Stefan Collini about the point of universities.
Citizens without Frontiers - Monogamy in men
New research on men and monogamy. Plus, citizens without frontiers.
Obesity - Cruel Optimism
Obesity Clinics and the 'cruel optimism' that still promises the good life.
The Politics of Alcohol - Cooperation
The British and booze, and how we can all learn to cooperate much better.
Conspiracy theories - International suffering
Exploring conspiracy theories and the suffering of strangers.
Stag tourism - Men and childbirth
Stag Tours and men's experience of childbirth. Laurie encounters the modern male.
Cosmetic tourism - Debt 5,000 years
5,000 years of debt, plus cosmetic surgery tourism.
Uniforms and status in hospitals - Cities under siege
Uniforms in hospitals and policing cities with military measures.
Home Life 4: Shared Home
Laurie explores the home lifestyle of six young people who live together.
Madness - Anti Psychiatry and Psychoanalysis
The rise and fall of the Anti Psychiatry movement. Also, the cultural prominence of Freud.
Tipping points
Laurie Taylor explores 'The Tipping Point' in new research at Durham University.
Parents, Teens and the Culture of Sex: The Claims of Parenting
Laurie Taylor explores new research into teenage sex in the parental home.
Grammar Schools and Social Mobility; The Opera Fanatic
Laurie Taylor explores opera in Argentina, plus grammar schools and social mobility.
Older gays in rural areas; Protest over art and culture in America
Laurie Taylor explores US art protests. Also, the lives of older, gay, rural dwellers.
Race and the Seaside - The Brain
Laurie Taylor looks at the limits of science with Bryan Appleyard and John Gray.
Power Restoration After Hurricane Ike - White Middle Class Identity In Urban Schools
Laurie Taylor looks at new research about middle-class parents and schooling.
Kissing men - Decline of violence in history
Laurie Taylor explores ideas about a decline in human violence with Steven Pinker.
Muslim women's basketball - Still life
Laurie Taylor discusses: globalisation is good for you - and Muslim women's basketball.
Becoming Yellow - Journalist bias
Laurie Taylor explores impartiality in TV political interviewing.
Migration - Music and Politics
Laurie Taylor explores music as a threat to national security and new work on immigration.
Surnames - War, Politics and comic strip Superheroes
Laurie Taylor explores surnames and comic book superheroes.
Tour guide - Changing incomes
UK income mobility as a multi-storey building? Also, New York tour guides.
Understanding Suicide - Families, Secrets And Memories
Laurie Taylor explores our understanding of suicide, and family secrets.
Tales from the Field - Beauty capital
Erotic capital and criminologists' tales from the field.
Home Life 3: Nuclear Household
Home Life 3: Laurie and sociologists visit a 'nuclear' family.
Home Life 2: Single Person Household
Home life 2: Laurie and sociologists visit a single person household.
Home Life 1: Multi-Generational Household
Home life 1: Laurie and sociologists visit a multi-generational household.
Blame the parents? - Chungking Mansions, Hong Kong
Blame the parents? New research on UK gangs. Also, Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong.
Children, sex and mobile phones - Terror of history
With Laurie Taylor. Mobile phones and sexual discovery, also the 'terror of history'.
The mummy's curse - Death photography
Laurie Taylor investigates the curse of the mummy and other myths of the Orient.
Creating capabilities
Martha Nussbaum on human capabilities.
Privacy and parenting by mobile phone.
Privacy and parenting by mobile phone.
Liverpool Riots - Children and Politics
Laurie Taylor hears about the Liverpool riots and political childhoods.
Comedy capital - Work's intimacy
Laurie considers the links of our work and home lives plus the cultural currency of comedy
Chavs - Ageing Goths
That word 'chav' and the characterisation of the working class. Also, ageing Goths.
The Politics of Sleep - Women Who Kill
Laurie discusses the politics of sleep and women who kill.
HG Wells, Utopias, Paraphernalia
Combs, keys, glasses - how everyday objects can have special powers. Also, Utopia.
08/06/2011
Dirt, filth and why we like to be clean: A special edition at the Wellcome Collection.
Household breakup in New Orleans - Communist memories
Family breakdown post Hurricane Katrina. Also, remembering Communism.
Playboy - Celebrity politics
Is Playboy "an unlikely ally for the feminist cause"? Also, celebrity politics.
Cemetery Taboo - The City
New research on cemetery etiquette and on the future of cities.
Russian Children in Custody - Paranormal Media
Laurie Taylor explores representations of the paranormal; Russian youngsters in custody.
The Poor on Poverty and Radical Gardening
Laurie Taylor explores radical gardening with George McKay.
Craft and Community
Laurie Taylor explores craft and community with Richard Sennett and David Gauntlett.
Demise of a Welsh steel town - Sexual politics of ballroom dancing (BSA 60th Anniversary)
A special edition with new research from the British Sociological Association conference.
Catholic Police Officers in Northern Ireland - Facebook
Catholic police officers in Northern Ireland and Facebook in Trinidad.
Streetlife - Performing politics in the square
Street Politics and 'performing' the revolution in Tahrir Square.
Mafias - Live Music
Why does live music now make more money than recorded? Also, Mafias on the move.
The Impact of the Temperance Movement - The New North
Laurie Taylor explores shifts in world power. Also, the legacy of 19th-century Temperance.
Stuart Hall
A special edition: Laurie talks to cultural theorist Stuart Hall.
Outsourced Cultures - Happiness Letters
How answering calls will change your life: the cultural impact of call centres in India.
Ethical capital - The Burden of Happiness
Is happiness the answer? Pascal Bruckner says it is not. Also, the legacies of the poor.
Irregular and undocumented workers - America's death penalty
Why does the US support capital punishment? Also, illegal workers in the UK.
Islam and capitalism - Sex before the sexual revolution
Sex before the Sexual Revolution and how Islam reacts to capitalism.
Working men's health practices - Plastic surgery in Brazil
Laurie discusses cosmetic surgery in Brazil and the health of British working men.
02/02/2011
The growth in second home ownership and the cult of the bike.
26/01/2011
Ronald Dworkin and Anthony Grayling on liberty versus equality.
19/01/2011
The impact of paramilitary punishment attacks on the young delinquents of Belfast.
Cosmopolitanism - Dietetics
Laurie Taylor explores cosmopolitan values and the morality of medicine and health.
Softer masculinity in the sixth form - Dr Who
Is Doctor Who political? Laurie explores the notion of an historical anti-American bias.
Utopia
Laurie Taylor explores new ideas about Utopia.
Class at Christmas
Laurie Taylor explores Christmas, compassion and class, from the Victorian era to today.
'Over by Christmas' - Race, Sport and Politics
Laurie explores race and sport, also why people thought WW1 would be over by Christmas.
Cuban Cure - Moral Panics
Laurie explores Cuba's success in developing world-beating bioscience. Also moral panics.
Politically connected firms - Gangs and Territory
Laurie Taylor explores the connections between politics and business around the World.
Civic Core - Public convenience
Laurie Taylor examines new research into the public convenience.
INCIVILITY - AK-47 (Kalashnikov)
Laurie Taylor examines the social impact of the AK-47, plus rudeness in public places.
Book publishing - Active Citizenship
Laurie Taylor examines new research about publishing and looks at active citizenship.
Supermax - Western Rule
Laurie Taylor explores the growth of high security prisons in America.
Happy families? - Science's first mistake
Laurie Taylor discusses the family and why we should be sceptical about science.
Global higher education - Homophobia and football
Laurie Taylor examines homophobia and football and looks at global higher education.
Economic migration and happiness - Hairdressing and emotional labour
Laurie Taylor discusses being paid to be nice and explores migration versus happiness.
Drugs trial calamity - McCarthy stigma
Laurie Taylor examines new research about black listed artists during the McCarthy period.
Liverpool Football Club - Au Pairs
Laurie Taylor discusses a new study of au pairs in the UK and examines Liverpool FC.
Secrets of Capitalism - Religion and Science
Eeconomist Ha-Joon Chang tries to expose the 'myths' of free-market capitalism.
Eavesdropping - CCTV in schools
An exploration of the meaning and history of 'eavesdropping', from cafe society to Twitter
British Society of Criminology Conference at Leicester University
Laurie Taylor visits the British Society of Criminology Conference at Leicester University
French culture - Network Nudge
Laurie explores the decline in French culture and the power of networks.