Individual & society

the Queen’s speech

essential reading for budding young sociologists.  Read here.

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.

History of Marriage

a neat little summary of the history of marriage.  10 key moments.

Britishness

The question of what it means to be ‘British’ is one that appears to have greatly vexed the Government.  They blame a lack of ‘Britishness’ for any failings in society and have a test specifically designed to weed out those not ‘British’ enough to own a British passport.  Teachers are expected to instil British values in students and it is promoted in society.  But what on earth is it?

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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.

Parenting the French way

A fascinating article about cross-cultural differences in parenting.  It would make a great resource for discussing the question of ‘child-centred’ families.

Population statistics

I’ve seen a number of interesting stories and programmes exploring ideas relating to population levels.  The most recent was this morning on the BBC, asking if the number of people alive today (about 7 billion) outnumbers the number of people that have ever lived on earth.  Most of these debates centre on the fear that at some point there will be too many people for the world to handle.

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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.

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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’.

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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

Health - animated lecture

Great animated video about research into the benefits of exercise.  Watch it here.

Mass Media: Facebook

Facebook provides plenty of fodder for lessons on the mass media at A level or GCSE.  Try this story summarising what people are actually talking about on facebook the most.

Traditional family?

A survey by the Centre for the Modern Family suggests that few people feel part of a ‘traditional’ family.  Read about it here.

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.

Contraception

Useful article about the impact of the introduction of the contraceptive pill.

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.

Research methods: questionnaires

A great online exercise for evaluating questionnaires. 
http://wads.le.ac.uk/gg/orm/timingform.htm

Growing populations

The growing population of our planet is of great interest to sociologists, and of concern to many.  This neat app on the BBC lets you work out what ‘number’ you are - a great little starter for discussion.

Social Change and Immigration

This clip from the Today programme on R4 gives a great bit of social reportage. Listen especially to the interview with the market stall holder.  It poses a number of interesting questions: 

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Consumerism and Identity

A sort of lengthy quote for the week this, really. A long-ish quote from Zygmunt Bauman on consumerism and identity. It really is worth thinkng about and discussing.

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Sociological Words

A good lesson for me yesterday.  I was looking at an exam paper.  Explain the meaning, said the questions, of the terms ‘professional’ and ‘status’.  So, being a typical teacher parent, I tried them out on my 15 year old son. Intriguing answers…

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