The Open University

Five problematic sex messages perpetuated by advice manuals

8 May 2018

I can’t recommend reading over 60 sex advice manuals. I spent several months doing this and it results in a particular combination of sadness, anger and frustration that I’d rather never repeat. The reason for my painful few months was my new book, Mediated Intimacy: Sex Advice in Media Culture with Rosalind Gill and Laura […]

Six ways Sajid Javid can make British migration policy more humane

2 May 2018

Britain’s increasingly brutal regime of “migration control” has come to a head. After almost two years as home secretary, Amber Rudd resigned on April 29, apologising for misleading parliament of deportation targets, amid public revulsion at the treatment of British people who had come from the Caribbean half a century ago. The prime minister, who […]

Unique music course brings students together in harmony

23 April 2018

Students ranging in age from 22 to 72 came together for a week of music making as part of a unique course offered by Trinity Laban Conservatoire and The Open University. Open University students on the course were set to complete their Arts and Humanities degree by attending the residential finish of the module. The […]

Windrush generation latest to be stripped of their rights in the name of ‘migration control’

18 April 2018

Some of those who came legally to the UK as part of the “Windrush generation”, many of whom are now elderly, have lost their jobs, homes, and bank accounts after being unable to demonstrate their legal status. They have been denied NHS services. They have been detained. And it’s likely that some have been deported. […]

Discovering psychology led Andrew to a new career

2 April 2018

Growing up in North London, Andrew, 49, didn’t enjoy the academic side of school and left at 16 with 11 O-Levels. After a spell in retail and a long career in IT, he made a dramatic change to his working life. After a family bereavement opened up the world of psychology to him, he decided […]

Anne overcomes adversity to reach her graduation goal

29 March 2018

Anne is 69 and has wanted to achieve her degree her entire adult life. Having left school at 15 and started her career as a telephonist and receptionist, she married and gave birth to her daughter, Sandra. After her husband sadly passed in 1984, she battled with bladder cancer and severe arthritis. Recovering after years […]

“You can achieve if you put your mind to it” – how Gareth studied while travelling the world

21 March 2018

At the age of 19, Gareth Hand from Derbyshire was working as a teaching assistant in a secondary school. His dream of becoming a Music teacher meant he needed a degree, but with a mortgage to pay and a very busy musical life performing as a percussionist all over the world from Dubai to Singapore, […]

Research recommends united action to attract more women into IT leadership

20 March 2018

An OU research project finds there are continuing barriers to overcome to get women better represented in highly-skilled positions in UK Information Technology (IT), with lessons to be learned from their counterparts in India. The global IT sector is characterised by low participation of women, with the UK being no exception. Many attempts have been […]

How to measure happiness

20 March 2018

Finland is the happiest country in the world, according to the annual World Happiness Report, with the UK ranked 19th this year (2018). But the report shows that countries with a higher GDP, such as the USA – ranked 18th; China – in 86th place; and Japan – 54th – don’t automatically have a happier […]

Sharenting: why mothers post about their children on social media

12 March 2018

On Mother’s Day, social media feeds are often full of celebration. Facebook reported that in 2017, Mother’s Day “drove more posts in a single day than any other topic on Facebook in the last year”. For some countries, Facebook even created a temporary emoji – the purple flower – so people could fully express their […]

OU News

Category: Arts and social sciences