Season 6 of the Academy’s podcast, the We Society, has launched today. Hosted by acclaimed author, journalist and Academy President, Will Hutton FAcSS, the podcast invites expert guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems.
Will said, “I’m delighted to host another series of the We Society podcast. The next UK Government faces a number of daunting economic and societal challenges ranging from the housing and rental crises to how to respond to the epidemic of hate crime, drug use and the pressures on child carers. Our social scientists have been researching in all of these areas, and more, to come up with innovative solutions. This season of discussions has never seemed more important nor more relevant – and inspiring.”
With the results of a UK General Election having just been announced, Season 6 begins with a special episode featuring four social scientists commenting on the priority policy actions they would like to see the new UK Government take in relation to adult social care, climate change, economic stability and UK higher education funding. Professor Jagjit Chadha FAcSS, the Rt Hon Jo Johnson, Professor Catherine Needham FAcSS and Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE all contributed to the Academy’s Campaign for Social Science project, Election 24: ideas for change based on social science evidence, which showcased social science perspectives, research and evidence relevant to public policy in the run up to the General Election. In this special episode they highlight the need for public investment to reduce economic uncertainty and encourage private investment, consistent policy around international students and higher education, more support for unpaid carers, and having a UK-wide public engagement strategy on climate change including providing a stronger voice for the public.
Other guests this season include Professor Saul Becker FAcSS, Professor Neil Chakroborti FAcSS, Professor Sarah Hall FAcSS, Auriol Miller FAcSS, Vicky Spratt, Professor Alex Stevens and Professor Anna Vignoles discussing big issues ranging from potential solutions to the UK’s housing crisis and how to address hate crime, to the most current research on the economic impacts of Brexit and how best to support the growing number of the UK’s child carers.
New episodes will be released every Wednesday and listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform so they don’t miss an episode. All episodes of the past five seasons, featuring guests including Hillary Clinton, Ai Weiwei, Professor Mariana Mazzuccato FAcSS, Professor Gary Younge FAcSS, and Professor Heaven Crawley are available to listen now.