Tag: Sociology
-
Nation in raptures over news of a royal baby
Is it foolish for a modern country to be so excited by a pregnancy announcement? A new royal baby is on the way, but as the fifth-in-line, he or she is unlikely ever to sit on the throne.
-
‘Diana taught us a new way to be British’
Princess, star, activist, mum: Diana Spencer played many roles in life. In death, however, her impact has been even greater. How has Britain changed in the 20 years since she passed away?
-
#Winning: hashtags celebrate 10th birthday
Ten years have passed since the # symbol was lifted out of obscurity and turned into a revolutionary tool of communication. How have hashtags changed the world? And should we be grateful?
-
Luck, genes and the limits of parenting
Your path in life largely depends on how your parents treated you. Or so we think. An academic is arguing that the influence of parents is overrated. So what exactly makes us who we are?
-
G20: Awkward handshakes and clashing stories
Yesterday Donald Trump called his meeting with Vladimir Putin a “great success”. But what really happened when the two presidents spoke at the G20 summit on Friday? And who came out on top?
-
Texts, tweets and twerps: the rise of rudeness
Road rage. Fat shamers. Victim blaming. We are all getting ruder, according to a brilliant new book by British writer Danny Wallace. Is this true — and is it necessarily a bad thing if so?
-
‘Free money’: not such a mad idea experts say
The idea has been simmering for years. But now it is being taken seriously in several countries. Imagine you are paid a salary just for existing. No need to work if you don’t want to. Crazy?
-
Cats are our best friends really, study finds
Many of us love cats, but they rarely seem to love us back. Now researchers say they are keener on humans than we thought. Time to settle an age-old rivalry with our other favourite pet…
-
The behavioural ‘tricks’ behind Uber’s success
The taxi company Uber has been experimenting with behavioural science to “nudge” its drivers into working longer hours. These “psychological tricks” are becoming common. But are they fair?
-
‘The death of TV’ as viewers move online
This week the BBC revealed that their average TV viewers are now in their 60s. Young people are watching Netflix instead. Are we witnessing the death of the old “telly”? And should we care?
-
The causes of terror: crime, drugs, ideology
Why did he do it? This weekend much was disclosed about the Westminster attacker, Khalid Masood. Like many terrorists he was a violent criminal. He was also an extremist. Which matters more?
-
New law says platonic friends can be parents
This Sunday is Mother’s Day in the UK. Now two Canadian women have become “co-parents” to a disabled boy, despite not being in a relationship. Could friends make better parents than lovers?
-
Police give out free heroin to fight addiction
Heroin is causing more deaths than ever in the UK and USA. Now a UK police force plans to help addicts inject themselves legally. A fair response to an illness, or encouraging dependency?
-
How your personality changes in your lifetime
In 1950, over 1,200 teenagers took a personality test. Sixty years later, they took it again — and their characters had completely changed. Will you be the same person at 77 as you are now?
-
‘Indestructible’ phone returns after 17 years
It has a month-long battery life. Its most advanced features are a camera, a colour screen, and the classic game Snake. Would we all be better off if we swapped our iPhone for a Nokia 3310?