The Open University

Meat is masculine: how food advertising perpetuates harmful gender stereotypes

19 June 2019

Kate Stewart, Nottingham Trent University and Matthew Cole, The Open University The UK Advertising Standards Authority has introduced a new rule in its advertising code which bans adverts which feature gender stereotypes “that are likely to cause harm, or serious or widespread offence”. This is a welcome step towards challenging the everyday normality of patriarchy […]

How to write a novel – four fiction writers on Danielle Steel’s insane working day

15 May 2019

Sarah Corbett, Lancaster University; David Bishop, Edinburgh Napier University; Edward Hogan, The Open University, and Liam Murray Bell, University of Stirling writing for The Conversation. She might be the world’s most famous romance writer, nay the highest selling living author bar none, but there’s little room for flowers and chocolates in Danielle Steel’s writing regime. […]

Globalisation was rife in the 16th century – clues from Renaissance paintings

10 May 2019

Leah Clark, The Open University,writing for The Conversation. For many, the Renaissance was the revival or “rebirth” of Western classical antiquity, associated with great artists painting the Sistine Chapel and the invention of the printing press in Europe. These local, European phenomena seem rather parochial compared to today’s world, where a hashtag on Instagram connects […]

From the West End to the OU – how study set Karena on a new path

4 May 2019

As an Open University student turned Associate Lecturer, Karena Serdecka-Rhodes-Bell understands first-hand how education can help to open new doors. Karena previously worked as a professional actress, singer and musician, performing in the West End and on TV, film and radio, before her OU psychology degree inspired her to become an OU Associate Lecturer. “I […]

Police photo lineups: how background colours can skew eye witness identification

3 May 2019

Catriona Havard, The Open University and Martin Thirkettle, Sheffield Hallam University Identification parades can be powerful evidence in securing convictions in criminal cases. But eyewitness evidence is notoriously prone to errors – and organisations such as the Innocent Project have found out that 70% of wrongful convictions that were later exonerated had verdicts based on […]

Spotlight on OU Researchers at 50

20 April 2019

As The Open University celebrates its 50th anniversary, we take a look back at some of the key people who have influenced the course of OU research along the way. Derek Pugh Professor Derek Pugh is a British psychologist and business theorist known for his work in the field of organisational development. In 1983, he […]

From OU Student to Autism Campaigner

4 April 2019

Jane’s story is one of resilience and of achieving against adversity. Despite her own deteriorating health, singlehandedly raising two sons with their own health conditions, homelessness and redundancy, Jane was determined to further her education and be a voice for others. Jane has won awards for her studying achievements and, although she can no longer […]

How will history view the UK’s Brexit process?

19 March 2019

As negotiations continue over Brexit and politicians hold various votes on leaving and delaying one might well wonder how historians will look back at this unprecedented time in UK/EU relations. Last week Theresa May’s deal was rejected for a second time and then MPs voted to rule out leaving the EU without a deal and […]

Books are delightful as they are – don’t fall in the trap of competitive reading

5 March 2019

“My happiest times in childhood were spent reading the books of E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis and Joan Aiken. Preferring to read in hidden corners where nobody could find me, I immersed myself completely in these stories and believed utterly in their magic, even attempting to enter Narnia via the portal of my grandmother’s wardrobe. As […]

LGBT History Month: a retrospective on Alan Turing

15 February 2019

February of each year is LBGT History Month, a month-long focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, with the overall aim of promoting equality and diversity, and increasing the visibility of the LGBT community. Professor Sophie Grace Chappell, Professor of Philosophy at The Open University, regularly writes about her own experiences as transgender, as well as discussing […]

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