AntiSocial
Episodes
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...
Lawyers: 'lefty' or right?
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The debate around so-called 'lefty lawyers'. After the government's Rwanda asylum policy was found to be unlawful by the Supreme Court, lots of people...
What is a Central Bank Digital Currency?
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
There’s been a debate on social media about whether Central Bank Digital Currencies pose a threat to our privacy and some even fear it could give go...
The 'digital pound'
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A clip from the European Central Bank, talking about progress towards an electronic version of the euro, has sparked concern on social media. Some sug...
‘Bring your whole self to work’?
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where does the phrase come from, and do younger generations have different expectations of the workplace? Dr Kirsteen Grant, Associate Professor of Hu...
Political symbols at work
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A photo that appeared to show an NHS healthcare worker wearing a Palestine badge caused a heated debate on social media. Some say during the current c...
How many people have Britons slept with?
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Cath Mercer from University College London on asking people about how many opposite-sex sexual partners they’ve had and what the average n...
Counting sexual partners
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Does your sexual history matter, and is it relevant whether you’re a man or a woman?A viral tweet criticised a woman for having a high 'body count' ...
What is ‘JewFace’?
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Professor Bryan Cheyette, Reading University, on the origins of ‘JewFace’ and the history of the portrayal of Jewish characters.
Jewish actors for Jewish roles?
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The debate about whether Jewish characters should always be played Jewish actors. The actor Bradley Cooper is playing Leonard Bernstein, the conducto...
Defining “racism”
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Monica Moreno-Figueroa, Professor in Sociology at the University of Cambridge on the history of the word and its meaning.
Can white people be victims of racism?
25 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The argument about prejudice, power, and the disputed idea of “reverse racism”.A design guide from the Mayor of London’s office included a photo...
Traffic control measures and “The Great Reset”
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
BBC Climate Disinformation Reporter Marco Silva explains the link between plans for 15-minute cities and conspiracy theories about the World Economic ...
What is ‘queering’ a museum collection?
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Adair, Professor of English at Murray State University, explains what is meant by the term ‘queering’ and gives the background to how museums...
'Queering' museums
18 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The debate sparked by reviewing historic collections through a queer or LGBT lens.A “queering the collection” blogpost from the Mary Rose Museum i...
How can we measure the country’s mental health?
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ann John, professor of public health at Swansea University, digs into the stats on mental illness. What do they show? And how reliable are they?
Hard work and mental health
11 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is better awareness of mental illness a good thing - or encouraging people out of work?A newspaper columnist questioned whether a rise in people out o...
What is ‘woke’ capitalism?
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A recent history of companies getting involved in social and political issues. Adam Fleming talks to Daniel Korschun, Associate Professor of marketing...
'Woke' capitalism
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should companies weigh-in on sensitive social issues?After a Costa Coffee van featured artwork of a trans man with mastectomy scars, there have been c...
What is “the patriarchy”?
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Where does the term “patriarchy” come from and how has it been used through history? Adam speaks to Lucy Delap, professor in modern British and ge...
Barbie and the patriarchy
28 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is 'the patriarchy' and does it still exist in the UK today?The Barbie movie’s portrayal of the patriarchy and a world in which men have all th...
Cultural appropriation and Afro wigs
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Abba fans were asked not to wear Afro wigs over claims they are 'culturally insensitive'. It led to a debate online about cultural appropriation. Wh...
Covid vaccines and misinformation
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A speech by Andrew Bridgen MP about Covid vaccines was taken down from YouTube after accusations it contained misinformation. It’s led to a debate a...
Sex education and schools
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After sex education was made compulsory in England in 2019, many schools started bringing in external companies to teach the subject. But with no form...
Blasphemy laws and free speech
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The cover of a Quran was torn in a school in Wakefield, Yorkshire and four students were suspended. The next day, police were called after the boy inv...
Body positivity and fat
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The word 'fat' has been removed from a new range of Roald Dahl books. It's a sign our conversation about obesity and body image has become increasingl...
Asylum seekers and the far right
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Thousands of asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels around the UK as they wait for their claims to be processed. The government has a huge back...
15-minute Cities and Freedom
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How talk of low traffic neighbourhoods and traffic filters became a heated debate about freedom. When Oxfordshire county council announced plans to im...
Delilah and cancelling songs
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A row over whether it's appropriate for the Tom Jones classic song Delilah to be sung at Welsh Rugby matches because it depicts violence against women...
Trans women and prisons
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Scottish Prison Service is under fire for sending a trans woman who raped two women to a female prison.That has brought the ongoing battle about w...
Neurodiversity and autism
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is neurodiversity and how has it changed the way we talk about autism? Is it always helpful for people who are autistic and their families? As vi...
Brit Awards and gender
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Brit Awards were gender neutral for the second time this year - which meant there was no best male or best female artist award.Over the last week ...
Harry and Meghan
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The revelations in Prince Harry's book Spare have dominated the news and the nation's conversations, with many people taking sides. For some, Harry an...
Milk and protestors
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Direct action against dairies, animal cruelty, and the climate crisis.Animal Rebellion protestors have blockaded dairies, making the case for a “pla...
'Woke' police
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Accusations that the police are spending time dancing the Macarena at Pride parades instead of controlling crime stepped up this week following a repo...
Trigger warnings
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
'Upsetting content' warnings at universities: a harmless courtesy or oversensitivity?Some higher education institutions are accused of 'wokery' and pa...
Fast fashion and class
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The argument about whether shopping "sustainably" is a privilege not everyone can afford.People online are debating whether contestants from ITV’s L...
Online justice and rape
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Rape allegations about a footballer have led to debate online and protests in real life.A woman who says she was raped by a Premier League footballer ...
Drag queens and libraries
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The row over drag queens reading stories to children.A spate of protests outside libraries has focused attention on the idea of drag queen story hours...
Race and representation
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The England women’s football team has been on our screens a lot, but the team has attracted criticism for only fielding white players in the quarter...
Gaslighting and relationships
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Love Island has sparked debate about gaslighting and narcissism.The reality TV show Love Island has once again ignited discussion about the way men tr...
Free speech and online harm
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hopefuls for the Conservative Party leadership have been talking about the Online Safety Bill. One candidate said the planned attempt to make tech com...
Cars and the climate
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The battle between gas-guzzlers and environmentalists. Motorists have been staging go-slow protests on motorways over how expensive it is to get eve...
White privilege and schools
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week, parents are voicing concerns about the way the concept of white privilege is being taught in schools.How did the conversation about white p...
Trans rights and free speech
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why is the conversation about trans rights and women's rights so toxic?This week, two sports governing bodies decided that trans women should not comp...
Introducing AntiSocial
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Where there are angry-face emojis, AntiSocial brings understanding. Context, facts, views that will make you think - and NO SHOUTING.