Category: Uncategorised

By Professor Fiona Carmichael, Professor Scott Taylor and Dr Marco Ercolani, Birmingham Business School Workplace gender inequality is a global phenomenon. The Gender Pay Gap (GPG), measuring the difference between men’s and women’s mean or median [1] wages, is the most evident and direct manifestation of gender inequality. The persistence of such a basic problem … Continue reading “Closing The Gender Pay Gap: Are we nearly there now in 2023?”

By Dr Nicholas Barker and Dr George Kyris, Department of Political Science and International Studies It’s a year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and almost nine years since the illegal annexation of Crimea and the start of the war in the Donbas. As analysts and policy-makers try to understand and respond to the war, … Continue reading “Russia’s War on Ukraine: What can we learn from Europe’s other conflicts?”

By Jemma Saunders, Department of Film and Creative Writing The West Midlands has long been overlooked in film and television, but last year was a significant year for Birmingham on screen. The final series of Peaky Blinders was broadcast from February to April, while summer saw the city host the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Although a … Continue reading “Peaky Blinders and the fashionable flat cap: looking sharp?”

By Dr Sophie King-Hill, Senior Fellow, Health Services Management Centre and David Russell, Community Safety & Justice Manager Andrew Tate is not far from the news at the moment. Although the online influencer claims to support males in negotiating society and bettering themselves, his ideologies are underpinned by dangerous and extreme misogyny. On face value … Continue reading “The toxic influence of Andrew Tate: How society has failed a generation of young men and boys”

By Professor Tom Harrison, School of Education It is a commonly heard lament that democratic discourse is in decline. This concern is not just expressed in the UK but also in many countries around the world. Evidence of this growing political division and animosity includes diminished trust in democratic institutions, decreased participation in the political … Continue reading “Factivism: The Vital Link Between News Literacy and Youth Civic Engagement”

By Krisna Puji Rahmayanti, Doctoral Researcher, International Development Department, University of Birmingham  On November 21, 2022, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Cianjur Regency, a city in West Java Province, Indonesia. Following the earthquake in Cianjur, several aftershocks occurred, including those in Garut and Cianjur Regencies, and Sukabumi Regency. Image Source Indonesia’s vulnerability to this disaster … Continue reading “What can we learn from the Cianjur Earthquake in Indonesia?”

By Dr Rachel Lilley, Senior Fellow at Birmingham Leadership Institute, University of Birmingham  I imagine I am not alone in my resolve that 2023 needs to be less stressful than 2022. Life is too short to be constantly juggling priorities, worried and tired… Wouldn’t it be great to no longer feel constantly overwhelmed by the … Continue reading “Three reasons why mindfulness shouldn’t be your new year’s resolution”

By Dr Anita Soni (University of Birmingham) and Megan Tucker (Community Project Leader for Humanify: making lives better) The winter holidays can be difficult and stressful. Everyone tends to have high expectations. The myth of a perfect Christmas with lots of food, presents, warmth and joy epitomised by images of families eating, playing and laughing … Continue reading “3 ways to get through Christmas”

By Dr Willem Stander and Dr Jason SchaubSchool of Social Policy, University of Birmingham The retailer John Lewis is renowned for winning the UK’s unofficial Christmas advert competition, creating tearjerker TV moments and tugging at heart strings for more than a decade. This year’s Christmas advert takes a charitable angle, raising awareness of the plight … Continue reading “Christmas ad about young people in care falls short on LGBTQ+ representation”