AntiSocial

In debates about the declining birth rate and immigration numbers, some people bring up ‘The Great Replacement’ theory. It’s especially popular with white supremacists and the far right. What do they mean, and where did the conspiracy theory come from? Adam Fleming speaks to Professor Matthew Feldman - a specialist in right wing extremism.

Deaths have outnumbered births in the UK for the first time in nearly 50 years, new figures show. Should we encourage people to have more babies?

With an ageing population and not enough babies born to fully replace the older generations, some people are warning of population collapse. It was a hot subject at this year’s Conservative Party Conference - one fringe meeting discussed how to encourage people to have more children - and the phrase ‘Breed for Britain’ was soon trending on X.

Some people say that conversations like this are bad for women, and our total population is still growing - thanks to net migration. Others argue that immigration isn’t the solution, and we need to increase our fertility rate.

What do the figures show about demographic trends? How have other countries tried to boost their birth rates, and have they succeeded? And how has a conspiracy theory about the so-called ‘Great Replacement’ shifted into the mainstream?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

The business of music has been radically transformed in recent decades. Anthony Hamer-Hodges, principal of the London College of Contemporary Music, explains how.

Music artists are cancelling gigs to protect their mental health but what do they owe their fans?

American singer Chappell Roan pulled out of two appearances at short notice - not for the first time - saying she needed a few days to prioritise her health. Earlier in the summer, she called out fans’ “creepy behaviour” and said abuse and harassment of famous people shouldn’t be normalised. Her critics say she’s ungrateful and her cancellations cost fans money. But supporters argue she represents a new generation of artists who are no longer willing to put up with the industry’s damaging demands.

How has Chappell Roan’s relationship with fans evolved as her career has taken off? How have radical changes to the music industry’s business model affected demands on artists? And what has social media done to the connection between pop stars and their followers?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

Archive: British Pathe; Netflix.

Sharon Roberts, an associate professor at the University of Waterloo in Canada, who co-founded the International Anthropomorphic Research Project - aka FurScience - explains furry fandom, “fursonas”, and the people who identify with animal characters.

Are the claims true? What are “furries”? And is it all really about gender identity?

Reports that a school child in Scotland identifies as a wolf have gone viral on social media. Some say stories like it are whipped up to attack trans gender identity; others that they are a sign of gender ideology running rampant in the education system. What do we know about the latest example? The child is said to identify as a “furry” - what does that mean? And what really happened when a child in south-east England was reported to identify as a cat?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

Jonathan Rosa, an associate professor at Stanford University who researches language and race, talks through the evolution of words and phrases used to claim people are being ethnically inauthentic.

Is it racist for a person of colour to call someone a coconut? Should it be a crime?

A teacher was put on trial after she was pictured at a pro-Palestinian march holding a placard that showed then prime minister Rishi Sunak and then home secretary Suella Braverman as coconuts. The term “coconut” can be used to suggest that someone who is brown on the outside is white on the inside - that they are somehow acting in a way inconsistent with their ethnicity. The prosecution called “coconut” a “racial slur”; the judge said the placard was “political satire” and found the teacher not guilty. How did the case play out in court? What’s the history behind this use of the word coconut and others like it? And what does the law say about when speech becomes criminal?

Presenter: Adam Fleming

Disney’s upcoming Snow White remake has sparked a debate about representations of people with dwarfism. But what does that term actually mean? Dr Melita Irving gives a medical perspective.

Are the seven dwarfs perpetuating dangerous stereotypes or harmless fantasy figures?

Disney is remaking its 1937 classic Snow White as a live action film - but this time there’s no mention of dwarfs in the title. Game of Thrones actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, has questioned whether the story should be retold at all, calling it “backward”. But others argue that it’s just a fairytale - and one that can provide valuable work to actors with dwarfism. So how will the remake handle the dwarfs? What is dwarfism and what are the best terms to use? And we take a tour through Hollywood history, from Oompa Loompas to Middle Earth.

Presenter: Adam Fleming