The Open University

Michelle Obama and imposter syndrome: Would the real imposter please stand up?

12 December 2018

Michelle Obama’s admission that she suffers from imposter syndrome made the headlines and exposes a crisis – that some of the most competent and well-liked individuals secretly fear being exposed as frauds. With 70% of people suffering from this, Lecturer in Psychology, Dr Volker Patent, explores why this revelation has shocked us so much, and […]

Can culture help resolve conflict?

26 November 2018

A new research report by The Open University with the Hertie School of Governance (Berlin) says that under certain conditions, cultural activities contribute to reducing conflict and strengthening civil society. Examining international cultural projects in Egypt and Ukraine, Professor Marie Gillespie and her research team had full access to the workings of the British Council […]

Where’s the harm in educating distracted drivers?

19 November 2018

Dr Gemma Briggs, an expert in distracted driving, writes about education campaigns which aim to make drivers aware of road safety issues: This week is Road Safety Week, organised by the charity, Brake. The week is aimed at raising awareness and educating all road users about aspects of road safety. Across the UK, people will […]

Bibliotherapy: how reading and writing have been healing trauma since World War I

19 November 2018

Bibliotherapy – the idea that reading can have a beneficial effect on mental health – has undergone a resurgence. There is mounting clinical evidence that reading can, for example, help people overcome loneliness and social exclusion. One scheme in Coventry allows health professionals to prescribe books to their patients from a list drawn up by […]

Catalonia: a year on, political prisoners go unnoticed by the rest of the world

13 November 2018

After an unofficial referendum in October 2017, the pro-independence political parties in the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence from Spain. In response, the Spanish government invoked Article 155 of the Spanish Constitution which effectively suspended the region’s autonomy. More than a year on from these events, ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont remains in exile in […]

Grenfell Tower film wins national award

13 November 2018

A film about the Grenfell Tower tragedy, created by Dr David Scott, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, has won an award at the British Documentary Film Festival. Winning in the ‘Life Changing Award’ category, the film – called ‘Grenfell Tower and Social Murder‘ includes powerful testimonies from survivors and families of the bereaved. Dr Scott said: […]

Goop: a classicist’s take on the ‘power’ of ancient remedies

31 October 2018

Lifestyle company Goop – founded and run by actor and businessperson Gwyneth Paltrow – was fined US$145,000 (£112,000) for making unscientific claims about products on its website: specifically, that its jade and rose quartz eggs, intended to be inserted vaginally, could help to balance hormones and regulate menstrual cycles. In a recent interview with the […]

Money and financial graph. Image credit: Thinkstock

Budget Commentary: Jam tomorrow for the poor

30 October 2018

Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance, shares her views on the autumn budget. “The big ticket item from yesterday’s Budget – apart from extra spending on the NHS – is bringing forward by a year increases to the personal allowance (the first slice of income that most people can have tax-free) to £12,500 and […]

Game of Thrones: imagined world combines romantic and grotesque visions of Middle Ages

17 October 2018

Take the dragons and the zombies away from the television adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s epic A Song of Ice and Fire novels and you are left with the seemingly authentic portrayal of a pseudo-medieval world. Indeed, Martin was inspired by historical events such as the Wars of the Roses, the Crusades and the Hundred […]

New research explores how migration fosters growth in Africa

25 September 2018

In recent years there’s been significant growth in African economies driven by trade in commodities, which has prompted more migrants to move to, and within, African countries. Now, new research from The Open University will investigate what impact this migration has had both on growth in Africa and in the migrants’ countries of origin, and […]

OU News

Category: Arts and social sciences