Thinking Allowed

BBC Radio 4

4,5 (291)
SCIENCES
TOUTES LES 2 SEMAINES

New research on how society works

5 NOV.

Tech Workers

Laurie Taylor lifts the lid on a sector of the economy associated with wealth, innovation & genius. Mark Graham, Professor of Internet Geography at the Oxford Internet Institute, uncovers the hidden human labour powering AI. His study, based on hundreds of interviews and thousands of hours of fieldwork, is the first to tell the stories of this army of underpaid and exploited workers. Beneath the promise of a frictionless technology that will bring riches to humanity, the interviews he has conducted reveal a grimmer reality involving a precarious global workforce of millions labouring under often appalling conditions. Also, Paula Bialski, Associate Professor for Digital Sociology at the University of St. Gallen in St. Gallen, Switzerland, discusses her research with software developers at a non-flashy, run-of-the-mill tech company. Beyond the awesome images of the Gods of Silicone Valley, she finds that technology breaks due to human-related issues and staff are often engaged in patch up and repair, rather than dreaming up the next killer app. Producer: Jayne Egerton

29 min
29 OCT.

Food Systems

Laurie Taylor talks to Ann Murcott, Honorary Professorial Research Associate, at SOAS, University of London about the origins and development of food packaging, from tin cans and glass jars to bottles and plastic trays. How central is packaging to global food systems and should we be concerned about wasteful packaging ? Also, Anastacia Marx de Salcedo, offers a spirited defence of processed food from a feminist, economic, and public-health perspective. Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min
22 OCT.

Meaning of Work

Laurie Taylor talks to Jana Costas, Chair of People, Work & Management at the European University Viadrina, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany about the unseen cleaners beyond the shiny surface of Potsdamer Platz, a designer micro-city within Berlin's city centre. Behind the scenes they pick up cigarette butts from pavements, scrape chewing gum from marble floors and scrub public toilets, long before white-collar workers, consumers and tourists enter the complex. How do they feel about work which some would stigmatise as degrading? How do they salvage a sense of personal dignity? Also, Katie Bailey, Professor of Work and Employment at Kings College, London unpacks her analysis of accounts related by nurses, creative artists and lawyers as to why they find their work meaningful. Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min
15 OCT.

Sea Travelling

Laurie Taylor talks to Helen Sampson, Professor in the School of Social Sciences at Cardiff University, about her voyage into the lives and work of seafarers. 25 years of fieldwork on merchant cargo ships has given her an unusual insight into the changing realities of life onboard and the gap between romantic notions of sea travel and the harsher realities - from isolation from friends and family to the monotony of daily life, increasing regulation and surveillance. Also, Sara Caputo, Senior Research Fellow at Magdalene College, Cambridge, illuminates the way in which the history of mapping the oceans reflects the creation of the modern world as we know it, via centuries of trading, exploring and conquering. Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min
8 OCT.

Gender and Radicalisation

Is misogyny implicated in radicalisation, across the political spectrum? Laurie Taylor talks to Elizabeth Pearson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Royal Holloway, University of London about her primary research among two of Britain’s key extremist movements: the banned Islamist group al-Muhajiroun, and those networked to it; and the anti-Islam radical right, including the English Defence League, For Britain and Britain First. Also, Katherine Williams, a former post-doctoral student in Politics and International Relations at Cardiff University, explores women's engagement with the far right and queries the notion that women do not support such politics, given the contemporary resurgence and global electoral successes of the far right, in its many guises. Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min
1 OCT.

Architecture and Hope

Yvonne Jewkes, Professor of Criminology at the University of Bath, talks to Laurie Taylor about the design of prisons and the importance of an architecture of hope which nurtures the possibility of rehabilitation, from Limerick to Norway. They’re joined by Lynne McMordie, Research Associate at the Institute for Social Policy, Housing and Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, whose research suggests that the congregate nature of hostels and shelters for homeless people often compound the problems of residents, rather than providing a safe space or route to secure housing. Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min
24 SEPT.

Sight and Power

Laurie Taylor talks to Becca Voelcker, Lecturer in the Art Department at Goldsmiths, University of London, about her research into the relationship between sight and power. Everyday life is full of moments where we are seen, often without our knowledge, even in the virtual world, where cookie trails and analytics make us visible to profit making companies. Going back in time, Jeremy Bentham's panopticon depended on seeing its occupants to control them. If we cannot control who sees us today are we also being controlled? How does that square with the many moments when being seen is also a means of social recognition? Also, David Lyon, Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Law at Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario explores the surveillance which permeates all aspects of our lives today. Every click on the keyboard, every contact with a doctor or the police, each time we walk under a video camera or pass through a security check we are identified, traced, and tracked. So how does surveillance make people visible, how did it grow to its present size and prevalence, and what are the social and personal costs? Producer: Jayne Egerton

29 min
17 SEPT.

Medical Icons

The Stethoscope and the X-ray: Laurie Taylor explores two medical innovations which have achieved iconic status. Nicole Lobdell, Assistant Professor of English at DePauw University, charts the when, where, and how of our use of X-rays, what meanings we give them and what metaphors we make out of them. Is there a paradox to living in an age where we rely on X-rays to expose hidden threats to our health and security but also fear the way they may expose us? Also, Tom Rice, Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Exeter investigates a scientific instrument which has become the symbol of medicine itself. What makes the stethoscope such a familiar yet charismatic object? Producer: Jayne Egerton

28 min

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Laurie Taylor

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291 notes

Guns

12 janv.

Klingrid

I am anti-gun and am even more appalled at the gun culture in the US after listening to this podcast. I always get a chilling feeling whenever I drive by gun shops. Now I am even more repulsed from knowing the lobbying and “educating” that takes place in them. I know gun ownership, even gun safety, are extremely complicated issues which are virtually impossible to solve any day soon. I pray to God that my family and future grandchildren will forever be free from gun violence.
Terrific - informative and fun

28/10/2021

Entropyman

Laurie must be a wonderful teacher. He has a good sense of humor but more important he discusses topics in a way that offers a fresh perspective. History and sociology are combined with music to make episodes memorable. The recent episodes on CoVid and Freedom were intriguing. I hope he continues his podcast.
Great content - horrible sound

20/01/2022

coffee&pickles

I enjoy the guests and the topics (albeit I would prefer longer and more substantial conversations with those incredible thinkers). Sound quality, though, is very bad. Simply disrespectful to listeners… there is technology in place to mitigate outside noises, to level the volume of the host and a speaker etc. Not sure what might be a problem for such a respectable platform like BBC
A Half Hour of Interesting Sociological Content

19/09/2021

Cozzum

Presenter Laurie Taylor takes up needle and thread to weave a tapestry of reflections on the diverse states of human affairs. The various strands of thought provoking material consist of insightful guests discussing their studies and resulting papers or books, while Laurie guides the conversation with questions eliciting the most colorful and textured responses designed to give us a better view of the big picture. His jovial personality adds a friendly and comforting level of uplift to what can often be challenging ideas, behaviours, and incidents from history or the present day. Sometimes the musical interludes and humorous takes on aspects of our world that Laurie employs can be just the right touch to regain a little balance and perhaps harmony to our thinking, which is very much allowed and appreciated. The artful crafting of episodes also helps inspire me to prepare better meals as I am often cooking while listening to the program. I've never cooked better food than while listening to Thinking Allowed. Thanks for all the great programs Laurie Taylor and Thinking Allowed Crew, nicely done.