This week we’re exploring the relationship between religion and violence. What are the circumstances in which organisations motivated by religious ideas resort to violent methods? And how can such violence best be prevented?

The relationship between religion and violence is a subject of enduring debate. Religion is often portrayed as a force for peace and compassion. Yet history is littered with instances where religious actors have been involved in conflict. What conditions make religious organizations more likely to engage in violence? And what lessons can policymakers learn to prevent it?

In this episode, Prof Alan Renwick dives into these questions with Dr. Manuel Vogt, Associate Professor of International Security at UCL. Drawing on new research, he explores how both global forces and local factors shape the relationship between religion and violence.

Mentioned in this episode: Pischedda, C., & Vogt, M. (2023).

When Do Religious Organizations Resort to Violence?

How Local Conditions Shape the Effects of Transnational Ideology.

Ethnopolitics

Transcription link:

https://ucl-uncovering-politics.simplecast.com/episodes/when-does-religion-beget-violence/transcript

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-06T00:00:00Z

Duration: 00:34:1

Language of episode: English UK

Presenter:Alan Renwick

Guests: Manuel Vogt

Producer: Eleanor Kingwell-Banham

This week we’re looking at the representation of disabled people in politics. Why are there so few disabled politicians? What impact does that have? And what can be done to level the playing field?

While one in five people in the UK is disabled, the proportion of disabled individuals among elected representatives is significantly lower. Despite broader discussions on inclusive politics, disability remains an often-overlooked aspect of the conversation. For many people working in this area, addressing such challenges isn’t just about fairness; it’s also about ensuring that disabled citizens have their voices heard in political decision-making.

A new book addressing these challenges was published last year, and a recent article in The Political Quarterly highlights its key themes. The book and article explore the structural barriers that disabled candidates and politicians face and provide actionable recommendations for change. In this episode, we speak with the co-authors of both the book and the article:

Prof Elizabeth Evans – Professor of Politics at the University of Southampton.

Dr Stefanie Reher – Reader in Political Science at the University of Strathclyde.

Join us as we discuss the systemic obstacles, potential solutions, and the importance of disability-inclusive politics.

Mentioned in this episode:

Stefanie Reher and Elizabeth Evans. "No Level Playing Field: Barriers to Disability Representation in Politics"

The Political Quarterly Elizabeth Evans and Stefanie Reher. "Disability and Political Representation" Oxford University Press.

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-06T00:00:00Z

Duration: 00:34:41

Language of episode: English UK

Guests: Manuel Vogt

Producer: Eleanor Kingwell-Banham

In this episode, the host Angel Au (UCL) speaks with Professor Roz Shafran (UCL) about her extensive research on perfectionism and her work in expanding access to evidence-based psychological interventions. This episode covers:

1. How perfectionism affects mental health and how cognitive behavioural therapy can address it.

2. The Lucy Project and its role in improving mental health support for young people.

3. How Bespoke Mental Health offers low-cost training for professionals.

Transcription link:

https://resiliencerg.wixsite.com/mysite/podcasts

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-25T00:00:00Z

Duration: 00:42:08

Language of episode: English

Presenter:Angel Au

Guests: Roz Shafran

Producer: Jennifer McGowan

In the final episode of Little ears, big challenges: navigating mild and unilateral deafness in children, we're talking about what the future holds with young people and adults who all have experience of having mild or unilateral deafness. They tell us about their how they navigate the world, what technology they use, and their advice to parents who may have recently found out that their child has mild or unilateral deafness. Listen for positive insights about the future.

Transcript link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/episode-5-positive-about-future

In episode 4 of Little ears, big challenges: navigating mild and unilateral deafness in children, we start by talking to some of the parents about how the decisions they made when their child was first diagnosed with mild or unilateral deafness have evolved or changed over time, perhaps due to a change in circumstances or a change in hearing. Then all the parents give their advice to other parents who have perhaps just found out that their child has mild or unilateral deafness. Listen for valuable insights from our parent contributors.

Transcript link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/episode-4-decisions-evolve-over-time

In episode 3 of Little ears, big challenges: navigating mild and unilateral deafness in children, we ask the parents to tell us about their experiences of how they prioritise their child and family's needs, and they also discuss various avenues they explored to help with their child's hearing and communication. Listen in as our conversations continue.

Transcript link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/episode-3-prioritising-your-child-individual

In the second episode of Little ears, big challenges: navigating mild and unilateral deafness in children, we talk to parents about their decision making processes around technologies and other management options for their children, and whether they chose to wait and see or maximise hearing. There isn't clear evidence about what works for mild and unilateral deafness, so this can make decisions difficult. They also tell us about whether they challenged the professionals looking after their child, or sought a second opinion, and about any technology their child uses. Listen in as we continue the conversation.

Transcription link: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ear/episode-2-wait-and-see-or-maximise-hearing

In this chapter we talk with the Geologist David Dobson. David is a Professor of Earth Materials at UCL. His research focuses on high-pressure physical property measurements, from sudotakalytes in the Earth's crust to mantle reology and deep earthquakes, as well as the reologys of magma and terrestrial planetary cores. Out of the lab, he enjoys being out in the mountains, unusually migrating north towards the colder climes of Scotland for the winter. We'll discover more about his reasons for this as David explains the formation of body stones as a geological material in the following conversation…

Date of episode recording: 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Duration: 34'14''

Language of episode: English

Presenter: alfonso borragán and Sarah Bayliss

Guests: David Dobson

Producer: Arts and Science - University College London

In this chapter we talk with the social anthropologist Roger Sansi. Roger has worked on Afro-Brazilian culture and religion, the concept of the fetish, and on contemporary art. His publications include the books Fetishes and Monuments, Sorcery in the Black Atlantic, Economies of relation: Money And Personalism in the Lusophone World. One of Roger’s important researches has been on the animist religion Candomblé, which we discover more about in our conversation, exploring the subtle borders between the visible and invisible, the material and immaterial.

Presenter:alfonso borragán and Sarah Bayliss

Guests: Roger Sansi

Producer: UCL Arts and Sciences

In this chapter we talk with the artist, programmer, writer and performer Martin Howse. Martin explores connections between the earth, its living organisms, geophysical phenomena, software, and the human psyche, working with speculative hardware based on environmental data in open physical systems, code that investigates the layers of abstraction, free software and situational performances and interventions. During the last years Martin has been exploring the geological within the body in projects like Tiny Mining or Becoming Geological. We talk with Martin to find out more about body mineralogy, extraction, synchronicity and immortality.

Date of episode recording: 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Duration: 34'58''

Language of episode: English

Presenter:alfonso borragán and Sarah Bayliss

Guests: Martin Howse

Producer: UCL