Media and the law: privacy issues
New legislation proposed by government would allow them to monitor all emails, calls and web use, without requiring permission from a magistrate. A great debating point for any lesson, and am important issue.
Read a brief article about it here.
privatising policing
The recent news story about the privatisation of certain police services has already sparked some vibrant reactions on facebook and other social media. I am using it as a starter in my next crime and deviance lesson to consider what impact it might have on policing and society in general. It offers a great opportunity to reflect on different theoretical perspectives.
This is how it has been reported on the BBC.
Media and Image
This is a fantastic commentary of the images of women portrayed by the media, commenting on how they project an impossibly flawless ideal. Jean Kilbourne argues, not just that this image leads to increasing eating disorders and mental health issues among teenage girls, but that the objectification of women’s bodies contributes to a growth in violence against women.
Watch the video and see if you agree.
read more...»TED - videoed talks
TED is a fantastic resources of talks on a multitude of subjects. Go and have a browse - you are sure to find something interesting / fun / challenging / useful / eye-opening…
I like this selection on ‘what makes us happy?’
Feminism and Technology
This year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show) has caused some controversy, with companies employing ‘booth babes’ to help promote their products. You can watch a news clip here, featuring interviews with attendees and ‘babes’.
read more...»Violence and terror - Bauman
Zygmunt Bauman: ‘No one is in control. That is the major source of contemporary fear’ – video. For Zygmunt Bauman the world is marked by a division between power and politics. While politics is defined by nations, power no longer recognises national boundaries
Crime and Deviance - London riots
The government published last week their interim report on the violence during the summer. You can find it here.
The LSE and the Guardian newspaper also carried out research, interviewing many of those involved. The findings are summarised in an article here.
Press Ethics
Any student studying Mass Media for Unit 3, should be aware of the Leveson inquiry - a goldmine of examples! The BBC have been doing a rolling commentary on the witness statements, including that by Campbell here.
Family incomes
I’m having trouble uploading resources to the website currently, but there are plenty of stories in the news that provide a good basis for discussion. One on the BBC today questions how easy it is to live on £40,000pa (the average combined income for two adults in the UK). Read it here.
Lords, Commoners and The Queen
More on voting and the perils of psephology
David talked of the validity of polling yesterday. Some historical context might be useful here. In the 1992 Election there was a general consensus that Labour should win, borne out by the majority of polling. The Election results demonstrated that the polls had been wrong, with the Tories winning relatively decisively. So what went wrong with the polls?
read more...»Class and the General Election
How can social scientists get a representative sample of the population and gauge the outcome of the General Election? Newsnight has some ideas and so do we.
read more...»Politics and Impression Management
I guess my colleagues over on the Politics blog may also be interested in this, but it grabbed my attention, and I have to say, amused me. Apparently Speaker John Berkow is behind the launching of a computer game which allows students to get a taste of life as an MP.
Of course, nasty cynical sociologists - like myself - will ask you to consider the extent to which this can be seen as a crafty bit of impression management by the politicians. And while we’re on that front - what other strategies can people -and institutions - use to try and ensure that their actions are seen as legitimate? It’s the art of impression management - and there is a rich vein of the study of this sort of thing in sociology. For starters, investigate Goffman’s book, Asylums, where he identifies the various roles inmates in institutions like hospitals, schools and prisons adopt.
Sociology Categories
