The argument about prejudice, power, and the disputed idea of “reverse racism”.

A design guide from the Mayor of London’s office included a photo of a white family along with the caption “Doesn’t represent real Londoners”. A spokesman for Mayor Sadiq Khan said the text was “added by a staff member in error”, but some on social media said it showed City Hall was racist against white people. What was actually in the guide? Where does the concept of racism come from? And what does the law say about whether white people can be victims of racism?

Guests:

BBC Climate Disinformation Reporter Marco Silva explains the link between plans for 15-minute cities and conspiracy theories about the World Economic Forum.

Josh Adair, Professor of English at Murray State University, explains what is meant by the term ‘queering’ and gives the background to how museums and historians can ‘queer history’. He explains they reinterpret their collections to include LGBT stories or histories of people who don’t fit the typical gender roles of the time.

The debate sparked by reviewing historic collections through a queer or LGBT lens.

A “queering the collection” blogpost from the Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth was criticised for making what some saw as tenuous links between historic objects from the ship and the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. Supporters of “queering” museums and galleries say it’s needed to redress a traditional approach to history that has often ignored non-heterosexual people or stories. But it’s led to controversy and criticism that some institutions have gone too far by focusing on the LGBT angle at the expense of others or imposing a modern interpretation that wouldn’t have made sense at the time.

Guests:

Ann John, professor of public health at Swansea University, digs into the stats on mental illness. What do they show? And how reliable are they?

Is better awareness of mental illness a good thing - or encouraging people out of work?

A newspaper columnist questioned whether a rise in people out of work because of bad mental health might include some who could have “soldiered on”? It reignited a discussion online about the benefits of work and the importance of emotional wellbeing. On one side are those who think a better understanding of mental health is a necessary correction following decades of neglect. On the other, people who say all the talk of conditions like depression and anxiety has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. What’s the evidence?

Guests:

A recent history of companies getting involved in social and political issues. Adam Fleming talks to Daniel Korschun, Associate Professor of marketing at Drexel University, USA.

Should companies weigh-in on sensitive social issues?

After a Costa Coffee van featured artwork of a trans man with mastectomy scars, there have been calls to boycott the chain on social media. And there’s been controversy over banks rejecting customers because of their political views. Are businesses trying to make the world better or just more money? And is it the place of companies to fight what they see as social injustice?

Guests:

Where does the term “patriarchy” come from and how has it been used through history? Adam speaks to Lucy Delap, professor in modern British and gender history at the University of Cambridge.

What is 'the patriarchy' and does it still exist in the UK today?

The Barbie movie’s portrayal of the patriarchy and a world in which men have all the positions of power has triggered debate on social media around whether the UK is a patriarchal society.

According to Barbie's friend Ken, patriarchy is when “men on horses run everything”. According to history, Marxist scholars first described the patriarchy as a system that favoured men over women and characterised it as integral part of the capitalist system.

Years later, in the 1970s, it became a focal point for feminist activists who campaigned for equal rights and representation for women. In Britain today, though, when many of the laws that gave more power to men have been overturned, is there still a system in place that gives men more power than women? Is the word useful?

We explain the history of the phrase and fact-check the ways in which people across the debate measure gender equality.

Contributors: