The Open University

Obama’s Iran legacy is noble, complicated – and endangered

11 January 2017

When Barack Obama became US president, his principal foreign policy was clear: to maintain the US’s global leadership role while simultaneously scaling back on the interventionist excesses of George W. Bush. And few issues pulled those priorities together as neatly as did the dispute over Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian-Western relations had nosedived during the younger […]

UK House Price Outlook: The long rise stutters, but not because of policy

30 December 2016

Lecturer in Economics, Alan Shipman, discusses the delicate balancing act the government has to perform and why a new social divide may be emerging. After another rise of more than 8% in 2016, UK house prices set for flatter – and bumpier – terrain in 2017-20. The likely levelling is mainly caused not by government […]

Poet welcomes Open University’s Human Rights Week focus

5 December 2016

In a one-off series marking Human Rights Day, OU academics focus on key elements of the historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights and explore its relevance in a 21st century light. Poet and OU Honorary Graduate Benjamin Zephaniah, a passionate supporter of human rights, introduces each theme as they lead up to Human Rights Day on 10 December. He […]

Is climate change the ‘kale smoothie’ of TV schedules?

1 December 2016

Covering climate change today in a meaningful and engaging way is increasingly challenging, reveal TV producers, in a new report by the OU’s Professor Joe Smith. He reflects that covering climate change seems akin to a kale smoothie – something which can be unappealing yet somehow fashionable and essential. Amid continuing news stories on the […]

Autumn Statement 2016: Tories shift to growth strategy in an Ed Balls-style pirouette

23 November 2016

Needing to perform a fiscal twist in a confined space, it looks like Philip Hammond has borrowed some dance steps from former shadow chancellor Ed Balls. Despite some mockery of his recent turns on TV show Strictly Come Dancing, Balls’ footprints are clearly visible on the spending boost the chancellor unveiled in his first Autumn […]

Prison violence is not about staffing: they’ve always been dangerous for prisoners

18 November 2016

In an attempt to force the hand of the government in negotiations regarding the numbers of prison officers employed in public sector prisons, more than 10,000 prison officers have taken part in a 24-hour “protest action”. It is illegal for prison officers to strike, but officers stopped work at midnight on November 15. Prisons went […]

Trump and the triumph of hopeful nihilism

9 November 2016

For many US voters, the election of President Donald Trump is a worrying step backwards. But for many others, his rise to power is an exciting opportunity for national renewal. This division reflects the emergence of a new 21st-century politics – one waged between genuine cynics and hopeful nihilists. The former think the system is unchangeable […]

Tanzania’s social media policing increases the risks of government abuse

31 October 2016

Access to digital information and communications technologies has increased dramatically over the past decade across Africa. In Tanzania, 87% of urban residents report using a mobile phone every day. In addition, 34% of the population access the internet. The vast majority use their mobile phones to do so. Prepaid bundles offered by service providers have […]

Today’s immigration laws have teeth, and their bite is toxic for people seeking asylum

26 October 2016

As a dock city, Liverpool has served as a gateway to the sugar trade, slavery and global transport for hundreds of years. It has long been a city of immigrants from Ireland, India and Pakistan to Somalia, Ethiopia and Jamaica. It boasts the oldest Chinese community in Europe, and the largest Chinese arch outside of […]

The White House, WAshington DC. Image credit: Thinkstock

OU academic speaks at White House on bisexuality issues

29 September 2016

Senior lecturer in psychology at The Open University Dr Meg-John Barker was among a prestigious panel at the White House, for an official White House Briefing discussing the challenges for and the support given to the bisexuality community. The briefing, held on Monday 26th, was the latest initiative in the White House’s many efforts to […]

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Category: Society and politics