AntiSocial

The single woman stigma

11 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For hundreds of years women were treated as somehow incomplete, or dangerous, if they didn’t have a (male) partner. It used to be illegal for women ...

Are women better off single?

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An article in British Vogue asking if it's "embarrassing" to have a boyfriend prompts a discussion about whether women might be better off ditching me...

Is sexual harassment on public transport getting worse?

04 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do we know about the levels of sexual harassment on public transport? Statistics show that a third of women and girls have experienced it and 97%...

Women’s safety and public transport

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A petition calling for women-only tube carriages has surpassed 12,000 signatures. It comes amid increased reports of sexual offences on public transpo...

How much would reparations for slavery cost?

28 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The comedian Lenny Henry in a new book has backed calls for the UK to pay more than £18 trillion in compensation for its role in the transatlantic sl...

Racism and reparations

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Sir Lenny Henry has called for the UK government to pay £18tn in slavery reparations for its role in the transatlantic slave trade, and argued that e...

How right-wing activists use 'Western civilisation'

21 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When an art exhibition featuring stickers made to look like graffiti opened in Canterbury Cathedral, there was a surprisingly loud reaction from right...

Graffiti, church, and Western civilisation

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An art exhibition in Canterbury Cathedral has enraged traditionalists who believe that it doesn’t fit with the holy site’s beauty or the church’...

The politics of anger

14 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Are middle aged white men angry and if so why and how does that affect our politics? Professor of political science at the University of Manchester, R...

Angry middle-aged white men

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Football pundit and former Manchester United star Gary Neville posted a video that he pitched as a call to national unity. But was greeted by a wave o...

A potted history of patriotism

07 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Patriotism is a concept that’s been used throughout history. From rallying the troops in wartime to acting as the “glue” that brought revolution...

What is patriotism?

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It seems like everyone wants to be a patriot this week, from Prime Minister Keir Starmer to people hoisting flags up British lampposts. But what does ...

Where does the UK house asylum seekers?

19 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When people come to the UK seeking asylum they’re supposed to be placed in homes all over the country while their claims are processed – not hotel...

Asylum hotels

15 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Anger has flared outside hotels used to house asylum seekers. Protestors say they are worried about illegal migration, cost to the taxpayer and a lack...

Brands and culture

12 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At first it was about creating an image that people could aspire to. Then, in the 2000s, brands started promoting their products based on values. Now ...

Sydney Sweeney, jeans and genes

08 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A jeans advert featuring the American actress Sydney Sweeney talking about her good genes provoked fierce reaction - and then came the backlash to the...

Do men behave worse than women in the dating game?

05 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Cheating, ghosting and catfishing are all rife in modern dating and it’s often assumed that men are the ones behaving badly, with women the victims....

Dating and toxicity

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An app offering women dating safety tools and advice has suspended some of its services following a hack, sparking a debate between the sexes about fa...

Examining racism in the UK

29 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In 2023, a big piece of research was published examining the way different ethnic groups experienced racism in the UK. Racism and Ethnic Inequality in...

Racism and prejudice

25 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The debate around a hierarchy of racism was reignited this week when Labour MP Diane Abbott appeared on a BBC Radio 4 podcast and discussed previous c...

How does an author get published?

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s always been difficult to get a book published. But is it especially difficult now if you’re man who writes fiction? That’s the claim being ...

Are men being pushed out of publishing?

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just a few years ago the gender gap in book publishing was seen as an issue to address, with many publishing houses focussed on boosting women authors...

Just joking?

15 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A new law to bolster workers' rights by making it an employer's job to prevent staff being harassed by customers and clients, as well as fellow collea...

Banter and harassment

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An extension of workers' rights, designed to further protect them from harassment on the job, has been criticised as an attack on free speech.The Empl...

Teaching character in schools

28 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Government ministers have been trying to promote grit among young people in England as part of proposals to improve young people's mental health and i...

Grit and resilience

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The government has launched a new initiative to help teachers address a crisis in mental health among young people and a sharp drop in school attendan...

Yookay

22 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the last few weeks Adam has been noticing things popping up on his social media timeline tagged with the word “Yookay”, which is supposed to be...

Island of strangers?

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As the Prime Minister announced reforms to the UK's immigration system, he warned that without these changes we risk becoming an "island of strangers"...

What are Personal Independent Payments?

13 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A group of Labour MP's say they're opposed to government plans to cut the benefits paid to disabled people, with a lot of the online debate focusing o...

Disability Benefits

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

There's a row in the Labour Party about cutting the benefits paid to disabled people. Ministers say they're trying to manage a budget that's balloonin...

Gentle Parenting

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A campaign to get verbal abuse on the agenda has sparked debate with headlines that say shouting at children is as bad as physical abuse.What does the...

The law on single sex spaces

29 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does the Supreme Court ruling mean for trans people and single sex services? Michael Foran, lecturer in public law at the University of Glasgow, ...

Sex, gender and the NHS

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What does the Supreme Court ruling on biological sex mean for the health service?The UK’s top court says that under equality law a woman is a biolog...

How jail-time is decided

22 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How much leeway do judges have when sentencing? Professor Julian Roberts of the Sentencing Academy explains what guidelines judges use and how public ...

Two-tier justice

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lucy Connolly is a 42 year old woman from Northampton who is currently serving a custodial sentence for stirring up racial hatred after she posted on ...

A potted history of the nudist movement

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This month Bianca Censori, rapper Kanye West’s wife, broke the internet after appearing on a red carpet in a transparent dress. Meanwhile, artists w...

Nudity - the great cover up?

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How comfortable are we with nudity and why does the naked body still have the power to shock?This month we’ve seen Bianca Censori break the internet...

Signs in other languages

18 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

How many people living in the UK do not speak English? This week a Member of Parliament for Reform UK posts a picture of Whitechapel train station in ...

Should signs be in English only?

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week a Member of Parliament for Reform UK posted a picture of Whitechapel train station in East London. At the entrance of the station, it has th...

Surrogacy: the law in the UK

11 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Lily Collins - the star of the American TV show Emily in Paris - announced she’d had a baby by surrogacy, a debate played out in her comments a...

Surrogacy

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

An online debate about whether surrogacy should be allowed was energised this week after actress Lily Collins and her partner announced they had a bab...

What is Nature?

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As politicians weigh up what trade-offs with the natural world they’re willing to make in pursuit of growth, we look at how our understanding of our...

Bats v trains

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Do we have to choose between conserving nature and growing the economy?The Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been complaining about the £100m being spent ...

What is ‘critical race theory’?

28 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It’s a term that comes up a lot in debates about race, racism, and diversity, but it’s sometimes misunderstood and misused. Adam Fleming speaks to...

Mental health and race

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Reports that psychology students at a UK university were separated by race to learn about ethnicity and "whiteness" have prompted a row over racism an...

Tech bros and mixed martial arts

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Several big tech bosses, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, have recently taken up mixed martial arts (MMA) and jiu-jitsu. Mile...

"Masculine energy": Does the workplace need more of it?

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Mark Zuckerberg appeared on Joe Rogan's podcast last week he said that the corporate world has moved away from masculine energy and is “pretty ...

Why is the definition of Islamophobia disputed?

14 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

One of the central themes in the conversation around multiculturalism in Britain is religion. Within that is another debate, one about how to define I...

Is multiculturalism a strength?

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the row about child sexual exploitation by gangs - particularly those made up of Pakistani heritage men - some people have begun to question the va...

What is ‘The Great Replacement’ theory?

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In debates about the declining birth rate and immigration numbers, some people bring up ‘The Great Replacement’ theory. It’s especially popular ...

Breeding for Britain

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Deaths have outnumbered births in the UK for the first time in nearly 50 years, new figures show. Should we encourage people to have more babies?With ...

How pop stars make money

08 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The business of music has been radically transformed in recent decades. Anthony Hamer-Hodges, principal of the London College of Contemporary Music, e...

Pop stars, boundaries and toxic fandom

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Music artists are cancelling gigs to protect their mental health but what do they owe their fans?American singer Chappell Roan pulled out of two appea...

What are “furries”?

01 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sharon Roberts, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada, who co-founded the International Anthropomorphic Research Project - ak...

Claims children are identifying as animals

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are the claims true? What are “furries”? And is it all really about gender identity?Reports that a school child in Scotland identifies as a wolf h...

The origins of racial terms like “coconut”

24 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jonathan Rosa, an associate professor at Stanford University who researches language and race, talks through the evolution of words and phrases used t...

Coconuts, race and hate speech

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is it racist for a person of colour to call someone a coconut? Should it be a crime?A teacher was put on trial after she was pictured at a pro-Palesti...

What is dwarfism?

17 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Disney’s upcoming Snow White remake has sparked a debate about representations of people with dwarfism. But what does that term actually mean? Dr Me...

Snow White and the dwarfism debate

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are the seven dwarfs perpetuating dangerous stereotypes or harmless fantasy figures?Disney is remaking its 1937 classic Snow White as a live action fi...

When the Nazis banned smoking

10 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happened when the Nazis banned smoking and what were the effects? On this week's AntiSocial, we looked at proposals to ban smoking in some outdoo...

Outdoor smoking ban

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is banning smoking outdoors good for our health or state overreach?The Prime Minister has confirmed he's thinking about extending the indoor smoking b...

A history of Received Pronunciation

03 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There is one accent that is often rated as the most prestigious - Received Pronunciation. But what is RP and how did it come about? Lynda Mugglestone...

Accent and class

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is it classist to stop Geordies using the term of endearment 'pet'? After the University of Newcastle sent out guidance to researchers advising they a...

What is the ‘manosphere’?

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of online content could be considered 'extreme misogyny' and who's promoting it? Dr Joe Whittaker, lecturer in Criminology, Sociology and So...

'Extreme' Misogyny

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should some forms of misogyny be classed as extremism?After the Government announced it would look at ‘extreme misogyny’ in a review of its counte...

A history of anti-fascist protest

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The so-called ‘Battle of Cable Street’ in 1936 is often held up by counter-protesters as a model of how to defeat fascism - but it failed to stop ...

Counter-protests

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are counter-protests important for sending a message or can they make confrontation or violence more likely? Is marching in the street a vital express...

How planet-friendly is your diet?

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The greenhouse gas emissions caused by meat, dairy, and plant-based alternatives.Sarah Bridle, professor of food, climate, and society at the Universi...

Meat-free menus and choice

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should meat and dairy be taken off menus to help save the planet from climate change?A university is accused of “going woke” after reports it is t...

Who were the “Anglo-Saxons”?

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The term “Anglo-Saxon” has become controversial, but where does it come from?As people argue online about whether the term is tainted by racism, h...

'Anglo-Saxon' and racism

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Should the term “Anglo-Saxon” be dropped because it’s been adopted by racists?People online are angry because a history journal has dropped “A...

Divestment: A beginner’s guide

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Pro-Palestinian student protesters have called for their universities to divest from firms with links to Israel, and specifically the conflict in Gaza...

Pro-Palestinian student camps

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The debate about protestors calling for their universities to cut ties with Israel.Encampments of students protesting about Israel’s military action...

How schools got strict

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 journal...

Discipline in schools

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A photo of a school corridor, showing three posters describing a particular teaching ethos, has started a debate about the right level of discipline i...

Man vs Bear

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 peopl...

Dangers to women: man vs bear

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

When do you become an adult?

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Marriage, kids, and the history of our ideas about adulthood.Laura Tisdall, lecturer in modern British history at Newcastle University, explains the s...

Are ‘kidults’ a problem?

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Harry Potter actor Miriam Margolyes has told adult fans of the franchise to grow up, prompting a discussion about whether younger generations are dela...

The Highway Code

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Hug...

Should cyclists stay in their lane?

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

What is “minority stress theory”?

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Social psychology professor David Frost from University College London explains the theory that people in stigmatised minority groups experience uniqu...

Homosexuality and "sin"

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ch...

Racism and the countryside

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Rural parts of the UK have recently been described as 'colonial', predominantly white spaces, where members of ethnic minorities feel unwelcome, spark...

A history of Eurovision and politics

02 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Amidst conflict in the Middle East, some people have been calling for Israel to be banned from the Eurovision Song Contest. Now that Israel’s partic...

Eurovision and Israel

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

One of the UK’s biggest Eurovision parties has been cancelled in protest at Israel’s inclusion, so how worthwhile is a boycott of the event as a r...

How does the law handle misgendering?

26 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In anticipation of new hate crime legislation in Scotland, people have been arguing about whether misgendering - for example referring to a trans woma...

Misgendering and Hate Crime

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Exploring the debate around gender, pronouns, and Scotland’s new hate crime law.People online are threatening to report misgendering - for example r...

Why are statues such flashpoints in the culture wars?

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Statues, monuments, and memorials have become battlegrounds in recent decades. Whether it’s tearing down statues of controversial historical figures...

Does Britain need a Muslim war memorial?

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Plans announced in the Budget to spend £1 million on a war memorial for Muslim soldiers who died in the two World Wars have been applauded by campaig...

What is the ‘white gaze’?

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The term ‘white gaze’ was popularised by author Toni Morrison in the 1990s, to describe the sense that the white experience was considered the nor...

'Black Out' performances

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A theatre production dealing with race issues has been criticised after announcing plans to stage some of its performances for primarily black audienc...

Culture wars in Europe

22 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

An AntiSocial special, charting the culture wars across Europe. In Italy, there's a battle over surrogacy - bringing into question the rights of same-...

Patriotism and ‘progressive activists’

19 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How patriotic is the UK, and what do we know about the small but outspoken group of people who influence the debate about things like the monarchy and...

The National Anthem

15 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Bristol University has dropped the national anthem from some of its graduation ceremonies, sparking a discussion about the song’s relevance to stude...

What is ‘social transitioning’?

12 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do we know about the impact of social transitioning on young people, which is when they want to be treated as the opposite gender. Hannah Barnes,...

Trans kids and schools

08 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What should teachers do if a pupil wants to use a name, uniform, toilet or changing room of the opposite sex because they feel it better represents w...

What is ‘Misogynoir’?

05 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Moya Bailey coined the term ‘misogynoir’ in 2008 to describe a particular kind of sexism faced by black women. The associate professor at Northwes...

Is reality TV stereotyping black women?

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nella Rose, a black woman on the reality TV show 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' has divided opinion online - some accuse her of being rude an...

‘Lefty Lawyers’: where does the phrase come from?

28 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When did people start using the phrase ‘lefty lawyers’ and why? Legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg explains the recent events that gave rise to th...