LSE Research channel | Video

Contributor(s): Professor Andrew Murray | HAL 9000 will soon no longer be science fiction: sentient machines will quickly be with us. As “smart agents” make decisions for human actors a number of important legal issues will emerge. In this short film, LSE Professor Andrew Murray looks at how AI will fundamentally alter our understanding of what the law is and what it can achieve.

These themes will be the focus of Professor Murray’s forthcoming book - The Objective Self: Identity and Law in the Digital Society.

Contributor(s): Professor Benjamin G. Voyer | What is self-construal and how does it affect everyday social interactions?

In this video, Prof Voyer introduces the psychological concept of self-construal, and his research on the topic. Self-construal, which refers to the representation that individuals have of their self, others, and the interconnections between the two, guide many of our everyday behaviours, from interactions with our friends and colleagues at work, to how we react to situations in which we are - or not - in power.

http://www.lse.ac.uk/PBS/People/Professor-Ben-G.-Voyer

https://www.benvoyer.com;

Contributor(s): Dr Alpa Shah | Proponents of economic growth claim that it will trickle down to everyone, will be good for all. But is this the case? Drawing on her co-authored book, ‘Ground Down by Growth’, LSE’s Dr Alpa Shah looks at how capitalism is entrenching social inequalities in India through inherited inequalities of power; seasonal casual labour migration; and the conjugated oppression of class, tribe, caste and gender. Focusing on India’s Dalits and Adivasis – its low castes and tribes, historically stigmatized as ‘untouchable’ and ‘wild’ – who today account for one in twenty-five people in the world, Dr Shah reveals how they are the hidden source of cheap labour and land from which much of the world economy benefits, but also highlights how they are fighting against the situation they find themselves in.

Contributor(s): Professor Nava Ashraf | LSE's Professor Nava Ashraf looks at how organisations and employees can make work more satisfying through the development of altruistic behaviour. To understand altruistic behaviour, she argues, we must understand the process through which altruism develops and is shaped by a person's choices and his or her environment. To do this, Professor Ashraf introduces the concept of altruistic capital, which grows with effort devoted to altruistic acts and facilitates future altruism.

Contributor(s): Professor Charlie Beckett | Journalists usually try to be observers, but recently something has changed. We now increasingly see journalists living the story rather than just telling it. In this film LSE’s Professor Charlie Beckett looks at how news reporting is changing. The film draws upon the findings of Rescue or report? The ethical and editorial dilemmas of crisis journalism, written by the journalist Petra Olsson under the supervision of Charlie Beckett.

Contributor(s): Brett Heasman | The word “autism” encompasses both diversity and complexity. Autistic people* have unique ways of experiencing the world and perceiving others, are diverse in their abilities and behaviours, and are often represented from the “outside” by books, films, the media and science. It can be hard for society to understand their specific and complex needs, which can negatively impact their quality of life, relationships, support networks and job prospects. As part of his doctoral research Brett Heasman, from the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science, has created the ‘Open Minds’ project which aims to improve public understanding of autism by highlighting the perspectives of autistic people, their parents and their carers. Brett has designed an interactive exhibition that brings research and art together, where visitors can hear the portraits speak about their experiences of life on “the spectrum”. Brett Heasman is a third year PhD candidate in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at LSE. His research specialises in understanding the social factors which extend or limit interactions for people diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. His research is supervised by Dr Alex Gillespie. His doctorate is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). The Open Minds exhibition is in association with LSE Arts, LSE Knowledge Exchange and Impact, the Economic and Social Research Council, Sensory Spectacle, Matthew’s Hub, and the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science. * Participants in the project have indicated that their preferred term is ‘autistic people’.

Contributor(s): Professor Laura Bear | Anthropologist Professor Laura Bear examines the effects of austerity, looking specifically at the Hooghly river in India.

Contributor(s): Paula Kiel | For the past two decades, as in so many other fields of our social lives, digital media has permeated the field of death, dying and bereavement. Some of these online practices are arguable challenging certain aspects of the social construction of death during modernity. In her research, Paula Kiel explores the practices of preparing one’s online presence after death. This exploratory research looks to characterise services offering users to plan for their digital afterlife as well as the experience of using such services and planning ahead one’s online future after death.

Contributor(s): Dr Julia Morley | Julia Morley's research investigates the way we measure success in the social sector. Why has social impact become an increasingly prevalent measure of success? How can we be sure it is conceptually justified and correctly applied by social sector organisations? And how might the use of social impact measurement affect staff? In this film, Dr Morley examines the rise of social impact reporting and argues that a group of individuals working in social investment – many of whom have a background in finance – are driving this change.

Contributor(s): Dr Paul Stock | Dr Paul Stock from the International History department looks at how the Grand Tour of the 17th, 18th and 19th century has helped define holidaymaking today. He contends that the history of going on holiday reveals important things about us, not least the UK’s complicated relationship with Europe.