The Open University

Lesbian, gay and bisexual teenagers at much greater risk of depression

30 August 2017

Adolescence can be tough for young people, but it can be especially hard for teenagers who aren’t straight. Our latest study reveals that lesbian, gay and bisexual young people (LGB or “sexual minority youth”) have about three times the risk of being depressed compared with their heterosexual peers. Our results are based on a meta-analysis […]

An ‘epiphany’ for philosophy academic at the OU

23 August 2017

An academic from the OU has been awarded funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council to explore the impact of “epiphanies” on individuals and societies. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Professor of Philosophy, Sophie Grace Chappell, has been awarded a Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship (MRF) of £142,000 to research epiphanies and author […]

Saving and Investing for your child’s university education

23 August 2017

Open University economist, Alan Shipman, gives his observations on what parents might consider when looking at saving or investing for university education. Should parents save or invest for university education? Not everyone agrees that parents need to save or invest for their children’s university education, or will gain anything from doing so. As the […]

Top tips for moneywise students

21 August 2017

If you’re heading off to university this Autumn or considering studying flexibly with The Open University, you will no doubt be examining your finances. Here’s seven tips to help you manage your money, from Senior Lecturer in Personal Finance and Economics, Jonquil Lowe. 1. Choose your account carefully There are special bank accounts for students, […]

What emoji can teach us about human civilization

9 August 2017

Dr Philip Seargeant, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics, wonders where we would be without emojis today and traces their origins in history, right back to Ancient Egyptian times. Despite their popularity, emoji are still often viewed as a frivolous form of communication. For some, they seem to be a huge step back for civilization. Is it […]

Research will study family relations impact on mental health of young LGBQ

13 July 2017

The OU is co-investigator on a new research project to examine the impact of family relationships on the mental health of young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer (LGBQ). Open University Professor Jacqui Gabb, Chair of Sociology and Intimacy, is co-investigator with Dr Elizabeth McDermott, a senior lecturer in Health and Medicine […]

Net neutrality is worth saving, but business bias is a concern, says OU academic

13 July 2017

In the light of protests against threats to “net neutrality” by many of the big internet giants recently the OU’s Robert Herian, Lecturer in Law, explains why its such a worthy cause yet warns one must still be conscious of the competitive bias which exists online already: “The importance of maintaining net neutrality cannot be overstated […]

The real reason you can’t quit Facebook? Maybe it’s because you can judge your friends

12 July 2017

Facebook recently announced that it now has over 2 billion monthly users. This makes its “population” larger than that of China, the US, Mexico and Japan combined. Its popularity, and with it the influence it has in society, is beyond dispute. But for many the experience of actually using the site fluctuates somewhere between the […]

Full-time carer and “superhero student” achieves dream degree

13 June 2017

Caring full-time for her grandfather with Parkinson’s disease, 26-year-old Danielle Haigh-Wood was convinced that she’d never achieve her dream of getting a degree. However, after taking the plunge with a short history course, she was hooked on OU life and began studying for a joint humanities degree in philosophy and history, graduating at Bridgewater Hall, […]

General Election produced “political earthquake” says academic

9 June 2017

In the wake of a memorable General Election, Richard Heffernan, Reader in Government in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, gives his academic observations on the results: “The one thing we have not got from this election is a strong and stable government. What we have instead is a weak and unstable minority Conservative […]

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Category: Arts and social sciences