67 episodes

Peace talks for the culture wars.
In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, AntiSocial offers an alternative: understanding, facts, and respect. Each week, Adam Fleming takes on a topic that's generating conflict on social media, blogs, talk shows and phone-ins and helps you work out what the arguments are really about.

AntiSocial BBC Radio 4

    • Society & Culture
    • 4.8 • 65 Ratings

Peace talks for the culture wars.
In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, AntiSocial offers an alternative: understanding, facts, and respect. Each week, Adam Fleming takes on a topic that's generating conflict on social media, blogs, talk shows and phone-ins and helps you work out what the arguments are really about.

    Are ‘kidults’ a problem?

    Are ‘kidults’ a problem?

    Harry Potter actor Miriam Margolyes has told adult fans of the franchise to grow up, prompting a discussion about whether younger generations are delaying the responsibilities of adulthood.
    It’s a debate that spans culture and economics, so we look at what the data and the history tell us. Is there evidence that the ‘kidult’ is a real phenomenon, where do our ideas of adulthood actually come from, and what on earth is a ‘Disney Adult’?
    Presenter: Adam Fleming
    Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Nathan Gower
    Editor: Penny Murphy

    • 54 min
    The Highway Code

    The Highway Code

    Cyclists and motorists can clash on our roads, often about who has priority, but what does The Highway Code say? Louise Gardner, from the law firm Hugh James, talks Adam Fleming through the key points and latest updates in the UK’s road safety guide.

    • 6 min
    Should cyclists stay in their lane?

    Should cyclists stay in their lane?

    Cyclists shaming drivers online, fights over bike lanes, and the politics of pedal power.

    TV and radio presenter Jeremy Vine posts a video of a car failing to give way to him while he’s riding a penny farthing. Cue angry comments hurling insults and telling him he’d be safer in a car - and sympathetic responses from fellow cyclists. What does the Highway Code actually say about priorities on the roads? What are the stats on cyclists and safety? And how and why has cycling become such a toxic topic?

    Presenter: Adam Fleming
    Producers: Simon Maybin, Simon Tulett, Nathan Gower
    Editor: Richard Vadon

    • 53 min
    What is “minority stress theory”?

    What is “minority stress theory”?

    Social psychology professor David Frost from University College London explains the theory that people in stigmatised minority groups experience unique forms of social stress.

    • 7 min
    Homosexuality and "sin"

    Homosexuality and "sin"

    The clash between the rights of LGBT people and freedom to express Christian views.
    An employment tribunal is set to rule on whether a mental health charity in Leeds was right to withdraw a job offer from a Christian social worker who thinks homosexuality is a sin. How can employers - and our legal system - balance the sometimes competing rights of different minority groups? How Christian is Britain these days anyway? And what is “minority stress theory”?
    Presenter: Adam Fleming
    Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Jameel Shariff
    Editor: Penny Murphy

    • 53 min
    Racism and the countryside

    Racism and the countryside

    Rural parts of the UK have recently been described as 'colonial', predominantly white spaces, where members of ethnic minorities feel unwelcome, sparking a debate about whether the countryside is racist.
    Data shows that the rural population is 97% white, much more so than in towns and cities, so might that be an explanation for some people feeling out of place? Why has a prominent museum rehung some of its paintings, adding context about the nationalist sentiment some of them might evoke? And how did this debate start in the first place? We track its evolution and the contested evidence at the heart of it.
    Presenter: Adam Fleming
    Producers: Simon Tulett, Ellie House, Arlene Gregorius and Ajai Singh
    Editor: Richard Vadon

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
65 Ratings

65 Ratings

KIeran Mc-P ,

Calm, intelligent debate

I’m so glad I came across this podcast. No people shouting over each other, just different points of view from a few articulate guests and a great host. Plus it’s topical so you can seem more informed at the dinner table than you were just an hour before!

Lisa_sj ,

Great Podcast

I love this podcast, Adam is so calm and balanced, which is so important when dealing with such complex and controversial issues. No dogmatism just thoughtfulness.

Avi19 ,

It’s a book where the main villain is the press

Your podcasts are always enjoyable and entertaining but have you intentionally ignored the fact that Harry is calling out people like you? Even Elsa happily contradicts herself “nobody leaks negative things to the press anymore” then says “Williams friends have been telling the press things”.

Top Podcasts In Society & Culture

Life with Nat
Keep It Light Media
Miss Me?
BBC Sounds
How To Fail With Elizabeth Day
Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment
The Louis Theroux Podcast
Spotify Studios
Call It What It Is
iHeartPodcasts
Anything Goes with James English
James English

You Might Also Like

Newscast
BBC News
Americast
BBC Radio
The Today Podcast
BBC Radio 4
The News Agents
Global
The Rest Is Politics
Goalhanger Podcasts
The News Agents - USA
Global