AntiSocial BBC Radio 4

Pro-Palestinian student protesters have called for their universities to divest from firms with links to Israel, and specifically the conflict in Gaza, but how would that actually work? Adam Fleming discusses the practicalities and protest history of divestment with Chris Marsicano, assistant professor of higher education and public policy at Davidson College, in North Carolina.

The debate about protestors calling for their universities to cut ties with Israel.
Encampments of students protesting about Israel’s military action in Gaza have been popping up on campuses across the UK. They’re calling for their institutions to divest from - sell their stakes in - companies linked to the conflict or Israel, but others say they’re demonising the country and stoking antisemitism. How did the movement start and how have universities been responding? What’s the history of political activism around university investments? And what does the law say about pitching tents on university land?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Simon Tulett, Ellie House, Jameel Shariff

Where did the trend for tough discipline in schools come from?

It’s led to a big argument online about how strict is too strict. Education journalist Laura McInerney explains the origins of the trend.

A photo of a school corridor, showing three posters describing a particular teaching ethos, has started a debate about the right level of discipline in classrooms.
Some suggest the instructions, which include ‘sit up’, ‘eye contact’ and ‘smile’, are indicative of a super-strict approach some schools have taken, which might be distressing for children, especially those with special needs. We find out where this approach came from, and hear about the American educator who popularised the all-important acronym ‘SLANT.’
Supporters of the approach say strict discipline is essential for learning, and that it generates better outcomes. What evidence is there to back this up?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Tulett, Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Jay Gardner
Editor: Richard Vadon

A hypothetical question, asking women whether they would rather be stuck in the woods with a man or a bear, has gone viral on TikTok. It’s got people talking about gender-based violence, sexual assaults, and men’s mental health. But where did this thought experiment come from? The BBC’s Ellie House talks Adam Fleming through the thought experiment’s origins and evolution.

Women online are being asked: would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?
Most are saying they’d choose the bear, saying that men are potentially more dangerous to them than the wild animal. Cue arguments on social media about just how dangerous to women men are. Where did the meme come from? What can crime stats tell us about gender and violence, including sexual violence? And how has the way our society views violence between men and women developed over time?
Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Simon Maybin, Simon Tulett, Ellie House, Jay Gardner
Editor: Richard Vadon