Sociology General Podcasts

In the academic year 2013-14, the department celebrated the centenary of its establishment as Barnett House in 1914. Initially independent from the University, Barnett House moved into a closer relationship with the University and eventually became a department. We celebrated – and continue to celebrate – 100 years of rich history: Barnett House has played […]

Why is Sociology Important? What have been the key trends in social sciences? Sociology is the academic study of social behavior, including its origins, development, organization, and institutions. Social science uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order; social disorder and social change but is […]

A weekly series of short video debates from LSE’s Institute of Public Affairs. Conor Gearty, director of the IPA and professor of human rights law, subjects LSE academics to a five-minute grilling on their research and ideas.

Celebrating 20 years of Women’s Studies at Oxford, this conference discussed the history of the course at the University as well as showcasing current student’s work. We also heard from experts in the field on topics that are pertinent to the future of Women’s Studies.

Join us for our journey to intentional community, learning and reflecting along the way on topics related to cohousing, ecovillages, and other forms of intentional community.

Podcasts from The Department of Sociology. Sociology in Oxford is concerned with real-world issues with policy relevance, such as social inequality, organised crime, the social basis of political conflict and mobilization, and changes in family relationships and gender roles. Our research is empirical, analytical, and comparative in nature, reaching far beyond British society, to encompass […]

A podcast about social theory, but fun

A Sociological Exploration of the Ideology of Speciesism.

(Formerly The Marketplace of Ideas.) A world-traveling interview show where Colin Marshall sits down for in-depth conversations with cultural creators, internationalists, and observers of the urban scene about the work they do and the world cities they do it in, from Los Angeles to Osaka to Mexico City to London to Seoul and beyond.

Image courtesy of Richard Beer Flickr Creative Commons

Podcasts of lectures and seminars held at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), a research centre within the University of Oxford’s Department of International Development. OPHI aims to build and advance a more systematic methodological and economic framework for reducing multidimensional poverty, grounded in people’s experiences and values. The talk explores conditions under […]

UCS Podcasts feature conversational interviews with scholars publishing on topics related to Urban Cultural Studies. Clocking in at around 15-20 minutes each, they are inspired by a recent publication in the field–usually an article in a specialist journal. Each interview strives to go beyond the article’s contents to address a general audience interested in urban […]

The What If…? Conference is a gathering of curious minds interacting and growing through a series of eight minute ‘What If…?’ propositions, inspiring interest in our current world, where we’ve been and where we might be going. We will break down barriers with active curiosity. Join us.

Audible Impact is a podcast series from the LSE Impact blog, which publishes daily posts on the visibility, evaluation and diversity of social science research.

A series that celebrates public broadcasting in Canada and where we meet the CBC broadcasters and voices who bring us together as a country from coast to coast to coast Hosted by Kevin Caners and produced by the program The Public out of CIUT at the University of Toronto

As members of society we actively shape society with every social interaction. Jenny interviews people about every day social interactions as well as social issues that people experience personally.

Sean Lewis- you’ve heard him on This American Life and seen movies of his across the country- join him as he presents new stories, docudramas, interviews and more on this podcast looking at the arts and the world we live in.

Ideas abound! CJSR’s Think podcast presents original thought from some of today’s most prominent intellectuals about topics that get left out of the daily conversation.

Thoughts from a couple of people that are constantly thinking about how to make things better. Check out our blog at http://justthinkinpodcast.blogspot.com.

Andrew and Andy navigate this postmodern world with wit, guile, and a devil may care attitude.

Flow With The Go is a show that will introduce new ideas and concepts about society, culture and anything that comes to mind. We ourselves are curious, and we like to look at situations from all angles and present the information in a way for you to draw your own conclusions. While mainstream media outlets […]

A collection of audio and video resources of lectures, seminars and presentations from the Department’s social sciences’ programmes.

A collection of audio and video resources of lectures, seminars and presentations from the Department’s social sciences’ programmes.

This series of 6 lectures is intended for graduates and undergraduates interested in the challenge of how we best defend the work of the humanities in today’s political and economic climates. The lectures offer a critical taxonomy of the ways in which advocacy for the humanities conventionally proceeds. Don’t expect polemic. My aim is to […]

Can heritage continue to inform the way we live today? Is it possible to balance traditional ideas with a modern life? The Mi’kmaq people have had roots in Conne River Newfoundland in Canada for generations, but it was only officially designated as a reserve in 1987. Many of its indigenous inhabitants still feel a connection […]

TAN CHIC is run by young people, Tuyen Than and Terae Grant, who identify as brown in Seattle. In this podcast, you’ll hear us address topics such as: race, social media, 20-somethings, etc. We also have a tumblr page: tanchic.tumblr.com with additional information.

The language used to describe poverty in the UK has a vital bearing on how welfare policy is implemented, and how policies are perceived by the wider population. The strivers versus skivers debate has framed much of the Government’s current discussion, and this is part of a process of demonisation of the working classes that […]

Social and political sciences brings together the University’s world-leading expertise in the research and teaching of central & east European studies, economic & social history, politics, sociology, anthropology & applied social sciences and urban studies.

Would you give up a successful career to work for a charity? Can art save a community? Over the course of the last century Detroit moved from being the epicentre of the automotive industry to becoming the embodiment of America’s urban woes. Deindustrialization, disinvestment and White flight have left much of the city a mere […]

Uncertainty is part and parcel of scientific information and the various disciplines (e.g., medical, management and social and environmental sciences) have developed vocabularies and scientific means of communicating that uncertainty. In addition, different decision-making and policy communities have developed means of using information and data that to different extents includes the associated uncertainties. For example […]

For those of you who are not familiar with our institution, Social Policy Connections is an independent, ecumenical organisation, motivated and informed by Christian social thinking. Our purpose is to expand awareness of social justice issues in Australia and overseas, and to influence public policy for the benefit of all people, especially the most disadvantaged. […]

[itunes pic] The Fish Bowl offers a brutally honest look into the life story of Angel, a young woman who was drawn into a life of prostitution at the age of 16. Angel tells us about her indoctrination and eventual escape from the life. We also feature News and Notes, P-BO, “Venus vs. Mars”, Run […]

Resilient Communities is a podcast from the RAND Corporation that offers insights into strengthening communities’ capacity to withstand and recover from disasters and other conditions that affect community well-being. For more about RAND, visit www.rand.org.

The Foundation is based within the College of Social Sciences to promote and sustain research within the UK, European and international arenas. Its mission is to honour the Enlightenment legacy of Adam Smith (1723-1790) with independent, original research that impartially advances knowledge in the Information Age.

WorldStreams.org is an international multi-media resource offering diverse programs on world music, the arts, culture, world politics, social and global issues through discourse with both well known people and ordinary individuals with extraordinary stories. Produced by: Dari Darius | WorldStreams Host: Said Leghlid

Academics, community workers and researchers come together to discuss the social and political implications of the August 2011 Riots. Looking at the causes for the riots and discrimination and prejudice within the Afro-Caribbean communities from the political establishment.

Multnomah County’s Local Public Safety Coordination Council brings up-to-date data and research to policy makers in its annual “What Works” conferences. In 2011, the conference focused on juvenile justice.

Lunatic Fringe is a podcast looking into topics that many consider crazy, but are they?

What are the long-term consequences of decisions we make today, and to what extent should the interests of future generations be taken into account? There is a wide range of public policy challenges that require us to provide some sort of answer to these questions. This interdisciplinary seminar series brings together academics and experts to […]

Kylie Minogue, George Clooney, Nicole Kidman are all prominent celebrities, but how has the media created their status and how does what we read in the press influence our opinion? This unit will teach you how to analyse media texts and look at celebrity in a new light. This study unit is just one of […]

In a complex and rapidly changing world, social scientific study examines how we produce things, communicate, govern ourselves, understand our environments, and how to solve the problems we face in the organisation of social relations and processes. This unit provides a basic overview of how social science contains deeply embedded cultural assumptions and outlines the […]

Have you ever wondered what skills are needed to get the most out of reading social science materials? This unit looks at how reading skills are developed and provides three questions that should be kept in mind when working through Social Science texts and extracts. This study unit is just one of many that can […]

Within the field of social sciences the terms social construction and social constructionism are frequently used, particularly in relation to social policy. This unit will enable you to achieve a greater definition and understanding of these terms. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a […]

There is increasing recognition that the reductionist mindset that is currently dominating society, rooted in unlimited economic growth unperceptive to its social and environmental impact, cannot resolve the converging environmental, social and economic crises we now face. The primary aim of this unit is to encourage the shift away from reductionist and human centred thinking […]

This unit is essential reading if you want to look at, and think about, people’s ideas, practices and products to try to understand what they mean. Developing your skill in analysis–interpretation–evaluation and communication is a good and worthwhile investment. Aimed at learners of arts and humanities subjects, you will find this unit invaluable whether you […]

The underlying premise of this unit is that we are all experts in different ways, and that our different experiences and understandings are of value. Inclusive education is presented and discussed as under construction, both in educational settings and as a concept. The materials to be found in this unit are largely rooted in the […]

This unit will enable you to understand how arguments are constructed and used in the Social Sciences. Using extracts from a Radio 4 broadcast you will look at the different viewpoints that are taken by the participants and analyse how the different arguments are being put together. This study unit is just one of many […]

Do you find it difficult to know what is important when taking notes? This unit will enable you to decide the value of taking notes and improve your understanding of the methods that can be used. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection […]

How do you create citizenship? How do you feel you belong? This unit examines social citizenship. With particular reference to women and disabled people, you will look at the rights and obligations that develop within society to link people together. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part […]

The facts and figures on poverty often don’t provide a meaningful picture of the situation. This unit demonstrates the true impact of poverty on the people and places in Scotland through a series of essays that combine the statistics with stories of people who work in the field and those who live in poverty. This […]

This unit looks at the issues of order and disorder. Can the way these issues are represented change your view of a city? Taking Glasgow as an example, you will look at the problem of crime and how misrepresentation can easily occur. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on […]

Multiculturalism is one of the most vexing political issues of our day. How can people with very different values and customs live alongside each other? What is the history of multiculturalism? What are the arguments for and against its various forms? Has it failed? Does it have a future? The Open University’s Nigel Warburton interviews […]

Anti-social behaviour, homelessness, drugs, mental illness: all problems in today’s society. But what makes a problem social? This unit will help you to discover how these issues are identified, defined, given meaning and acted upon. You will also look at the conflicts within social science in this area. This study unit is just one of […]

The material presented here focuses on the politics of racial violence in Britain. The material is an audio file, originally 30 minutes in length, and examines the issues around this subject. It was recorded in 1995. This study unit is just one of many that can be found on LearningSpace, part of OpenLearn, a collection […]

This unit introduces some of the main themes and issues in discourse research using Martin Bashir’s famous interview with Diana, Princess of Wales as a case study. Through this it examines the role of discourse in shaping social interaction and its psychological implications for the study of minds, selves and sense-making. The unit aims to […]

This unit examines life stories. It looks at the way in which objects, trends, cultures or disabilities may contribute to a person’s identity. This unit also considers the contribution that our own life stories make to who we are, and how remembering and revisiting our past may help us to move forward with our lives. […]

We know that culture guides the way people behave in society as a whole. But culture also plays a key role in organisations, which have their own unique set of values, beliefs and ways of doing business. This unit explores the concepts of national and organisational culture and the factors that influence both. This study […]

This unit will help you understand how it is possible to meet the needs of a particular minority community: the Chinese who live in Northern Ireland. The audio file outlines some of the problems that this community are facing as well as describing the differences experienced by older Chinese inhabitants who require care and support. […]

Operations management is one of the central functions of all organisations whether producing goods or services, or in the private, public or voluntary sectors. This unit will provide you with a basic framework for understanding this function and discusses the role of operations managers, in particular the importance of focusing on suppliers and customers. This […]