By David Dunn, Professor of International Politics Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham For Trump, however, both at the NATO summit in Brussels and in his criticism of the May government in The Sun, the apparent intention was to challenge the value of continued partnership; to chastise allies for their alleged … Continue reading “Trumpian Diplomacy and UK-US Relations”
Author: guest blogger
Volcano eruption in Guatemala – a tale of natural and political disasters
By Dr Sanne Weber, Research Fellow International Development Department, University of Birmingham The eruption of the volcano ‘Fuego’ (Fire) in Guatemala last Sunday and the government’s response to it laid bare once again the severe social and political crisis in the country, the result of years of corruption, social and political conflict. The eruption flooded … Continue reading “Volcano eruption in Guatemala – a tale of natural and political disasters”
Good Girls VS Bad Girls: exploring the representations of female sexuality on ITV’s Love Island
By Amelia Morris, Doctoral Researcher Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Birmingham Overall, it is important to analyse reality TV’s representations of femininity and sexuality; shows such as Love Island exist within the mainstream and draw in large audiences. Thus, conversations surrounding gender and sexuality can be amplified through such shows in a … Continue reading “Good Girls VS Bad Girls: exploring the representations of female sexuality on ITV’s Love Island”
What do World Hunger Day, immigration control and a former national airline have in common?
By Andrew Jolly, Doctoral Researcher School of Social Policy, University of Birmingham Food poverty is a pressing global issue, there are an estimated 815 million people in the world today who are chronically undernourished and eradicating the issue of world hunger is one of the UN sustainable development goals. The Food Standards Agency estimates that … Continue reading “What do World Hunger Day, immigration control and a former national airline have in common?”
School progress measures are a missed opportunity for a fairer and more informative approach
By Tom Perry, Teaching Fellow, University of Birmingham, MA School Improvement and Educational Leadership Research Manager, Centre for the Use of Research and Evidence in Education (CUREE) The Progress 8 measures of school performance compare pupils’ GCSE results across 8 subjects to those of other pupils with the same primary school SATs results. There are many reasons … Continue reading “School progress measures are a missed opportunity for a fairer and more informative approach”
The persistence of white privilege in higher education: isn’t it time for radical change?
By Kalwant Bhopal, Professor of Education and Social Justice Centre for Research in Race and Education, University of Birmingham Yesterday it was reported in The Guardian that Oxford University has yet again failed to address issues of diversity and inclusion in terms of its student intake. The Guardian reports that one in four Oxford colleges … Continue reading “The persistence of white privilege in higher education: isn’t it time for radical change?”
Taking responsibility for our prisons: lessons to be learnt from Norway
By Dr Anna Kotova, Lecturer in Criminology Department of Social Policy, Sociology and Criminology, University of Birmingham Only about 25% of former prisoners in England and Wales are in employment after release, as per the government’s 2016 figures [ii]. About half of employers would not consider employing someone who had been to prison [iii]. In a recent … Continue reading “Taking responsibility for our prisons: lessons to be learnt from Norway”
Thoughts on the Foster Care Review
By Simon Haworth, Teaching Fellow Department of Social Care and Social Work, University of Birmingham In aid of Foster Care Fortnight (14 May-27 May) this post focuses on the recent review of foster care in England. The post could have concentrated on a variety of topics related to fostering, in fact I had even considered commenting … Continue reading “Thoughts on the Foster Care Review”
VIDEO: All things considered, is the world really such a bad place?
In this exciting new video series, researchers from the College of Social Sciences sit down over a cuppa and tackle some of the big issues which impact today’s society. If you pay attention to the headlines, you are likely to conclude that life doesn’t seem so great. In the last few years, we have seen … Continue reading “VIDEO: All things considered, is the world really such a bad place?”
A little less ‘Ego’ and a little more humility
By Dr Catherine Darnell, Research Fellow Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham The antidote for egotism may therefore be a humble one; rather than deny our limitations, take ownership of them, seek ways to improve them, listen to different points of view, acknowledge alternative conclusions and be ready to repeat this all again. … Continue reading “A little less ‘Ego’ and a little more humility”