One in six people are said to have ‘very poor literacy skills’ according to the National Literacy Trust. As a country, we value Literature, high quality research skills and further education, yet our values are not reaching all sections of our society.

Looking to challenge this is Professor Anna Vignoles, her past research focused on issues of equity and value in education, particularly the relationship between educational achievement and social mobility, and the role played by education and skills attainment in the economy and society.  

She was Professor of Education and Fellow of Jesus College at the University of Cambridge, Professor of Economics of Education at the UCL Institute of Education and Research Fellow at the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance.

But now, Professor Vignoles is the Director of the Leverhulme Trust, one of the UK's most prestigious grant-making organisations. 

Season 6 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences continues to tackle the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Professor Saul Becker has studied the hidden world of young carers for 30 years. Nearly 1 million children in the UK find themselves – some as young as five - having to look after sick or elderly family members.

Saul Becker is the pro vice chancellor for the Faculty of Health and Education at Manchester Metropolitan University and is regarded as the world leader in young carers research, policy, and practice. 

Season 6 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences continues to tackle the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Housing is one of the most pressing problems this new Government must fix. Will Hutton is joined by Vicky Spratt, the inewspaper's housing correspondent, and Auriol Miller, the CEO of Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, a major not-for-profit organisation providing affordable homes in Wales.

Housing is an issue that has thwarted a long line of Governments, and it feels like we are no closer to solving the crisis. Latest figures show that almost 1.3 million people in England are on social housing waiting lists with a combined wait for council housing of 1844 years.

Vicky's book Tenants, which examines the UK rental crisis, was named one of the best books of 2022 by the Times.  Prior to joining Cynon Taf Community Housing Group, Auriol was Director of the Institute of Welsh Affairs (IWA), Wales’ leading think tank, where she focused on opening up the organisation beyond its traditional reach.

Season 6 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences continues to tackle the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Professor Sarah Hall’s job is to approach the emotive topic of Brexit with a cool head and focus only on the evidence. 

She is the 1931 Chair in Geography, a Fellow of St John’s College at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Professor Hall is an economic geographer who specialises in going out in the field to imbue data with conversations with those in the thick of the action. Her latest work has looked at how financial services around the UK have been affected by Brexit, including the sunshine and warts.

Season 6 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences continues to tackle the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Host Will Hutton hears from four leading social scientists on how the new UK government should tackle the country's most pressing challenges.

In this special episode marking the end of the general election and the start of Season 6, we apply a social science lens to issues concerning the stagnating economy, the climate crisis, adult social care, and universities.

We speak to Professor Jagjit S. Chadha, an economist who is the Director of the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Jo Johnson, who is chairman of FutureLearn and a former Conservative party minister, Catherine Needham who is Professor of Public Policy and Public Management at the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, and Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, the Director of the  UK Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations (CAST), University of Bath.

In the run-up to the UK election, the Academy of Social Sciences gathered over 100 social scientists to showcase their ideas on the policies the new government should prioritise based on robust evidence for our Academy of Social Sciences Campaign for Social Science Election 24 project.

In this special episode of the We Society, we bring you just a few ideas from this project, which covered key policy areas, including the cost of living crisis, immigration, and healthcare, to name just a few. To learn more about the project and the Academy, visit our website, www.acss.org.uk.

Season 6 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences continues to tackle the big questions through a social science lens.  Hosted by Academy president and acclaimed journalist Will Hutton, you'll hear some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

 Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform, and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Lord Chris Patten is one of Britain’s big political beasts – not only as a commentator, thinker and writer, but he has had a formidable career where he has put ideas into action.

He has been a British cabinet minister, chair of the Conservative party, European Commissioner for External Relations, Governor of Hong Kong, Chair of the BBC and most recently Chancellor of Oxford University.

Taken together - including a stint as chair of the independent commission on policing in Northern Ireland - it is one of Britain's most distinguished and successful records of public service.

 

This is the final episode of Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences which tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you've heard some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss a future episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Dr Ella Cockbain is not afraid to delve into topics that may make others uncomfortable, whether that's labour exploitation or child sexual abuse.

As an associate professor in the Department of Security and Crime Science at UCL, she leads the research group on human trafficking and exploitation. In recognition of her impactful work, she received the prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize last year along with 29 other exceptional researchers.

Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Our final episode with Lord Chris Patten will be released on the 30th of April. 

Professor Andy Pike has placed local authorities under his microscope for us, trying to figure out how to solve the crisis, as Sir Henry Daysh Chair of Regional Development Studies at Newcastle University. He’s even written a book about the very topic called "Financialisation and Local Statecraft".

When it was revealed in 2022 that Thurrock council in Essex faced a half-a-billion-pound black hole in its finances, it was assumed it was something that other local authorities couldn’t repeat. 

But since then, five other local authorities, including Nottingham, Birmingham, and Croydon, have fallen like dominoes, declaring bankruptcies and one in five local authorities in England is now projected to be insolvent by next year. Something is clearly going very wrong.

And it’s not just bin collections at stake but adult and child social care, schooling, libraries—the list goes on. Speak to anyone working in frontline council services, and they will tell you that any further cuts will decimate how we look after society’s most vulnerable. 

Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Professor Rosie McEachan is leading one of the most exciting research projects in Britain - the Born In Bradford study.

It's one of the largest research studies in the world, tracking the lives of over 30,000 Bradfordians to discover what factors most influence health and well-being.  In particular, they are focussing on how genetic, nutritional, environmental, behavioural and social factors impact health and development during childhood and, subsequently, adult life.

Thanks to the study, Bradford has already seen the creation of Clean Air Zones, areas with limited traffic, and investment in green spaces.

Professor McEachan is the Director of the Born in Bradford Research programme. She is an experienced behavioural scientist with particular expertise in developing and evaluating complex interventions.

Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live.

Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

Dr Ed Jones is working to turn around Britain's ailing high streets. He is a financial economist at Bangor University who doesn’t consider himself a conventional academic.

The British High Street once was the heart of our cities, towns and villages, but no more. The High Street is increasingly lifeless  – the preserve of too many empty shops and countless charity shops that don’t have to pay burdensome business rates. A former centre of our communities is wilting before our eyes. 

Season 5 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences tackles the big questions through a social science lens. Throughout this series, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live. Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on twitter https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences

Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk