The Open University

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 […]

Grenfell Tower research film shortlisted for National award

24 September 2018

A film created by Dr David Scott, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, about the Grenfell Tower tragedy, has been shortlisted for the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s prestigious 2018 Research in Film Awards. The film, called ‘Grenfell Tower and Social Murder’ is shortlisted for Best Research Film of the Year. Dr David Scott said: ‘The tragic […]

Depressed man sitting on bridge in a smart shirt

Stock market crashes linked to higher rates of suicide – new research

17 September 2018

Writing in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash, New York Times columnist Will Rodgers commented that the level of panic was such that it induced a spate of suicide among traders. Although stories of increased rates of suicide in the aftermath of a financial meltdown are deeply ingrained in the folklore of finance, […]

Are you a spender or a saver? Take our quiz to find out

13 September 2018

The 15th of September is Pensions Awareness Day (PAD). This annual event was launched in 2014 by PensionGeeks, an innovative communications company that aims to put fun into pensions – yes, really! As PAD’s double decker bus hits the road to spread the word, Jonquil Lowe, Senior Lecturer in Economics and Personal Finance at the […]

The hidden history of reading – new research project opens up Europe’s book habits

5 September 2018

From Gulliver’s Travels to Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice to 1984 – what people have been reading for the past three centuries is under the microscope, with a new €1 million research project involving The Open University. Revealing Europe’s reading history 21st century digital tools – including an online database and smartphone app – are […]

OU News

Category: Arts and social sciences