Popular communication today thrives on polarisation. Social media channels are not neutral carriers of unbiased opinion, they are shaped to stoke strong opinions which fuel the shallow politics of our age. The current controversy surrounding Gary Lineker, the BBC and his social media comments on the government’s refugee policies is a perfect example. The government… Continue reading Lineker & refugees: politics, punditry & polarisation
Category: Social commentary
‘Individual sovereignty is over-stated by the right and underemphasised by the left’
The relationship between social justice and personal responsibility is an inescapable subject in discussions about poverty. Where is the line between what is the state’s responsibility and the responsibility of the individual? Most of the conferences and events I attend focus on ‘systems change’ and how resources are allocated and managed. Focussing on the failures… Continue reading ‘Individual sovereignty is over-stated by the right and underemphasised by the left’
Reality bites: migration, kindness & truth – by Jonathan Thomas
The last 5 years I have been on a journey with migration and Christian faith. This has changed how I think about both of these things. And myself. My initial interest in migration came from a place of international law and metropolitan liberalism, not faith. At 48 I went back to university, to do an… Continue reading Reality bites: migration, kindness & truth – by Jonathan Thomas
Rough sleeping & the inverse reality of social media
The plight of another human being sleeping rough is one of the most visceral and obvious expressions of poverty and social exclusion. The instinctive empathy it provokes makes rough sleeping a potent subject on social media. For example, a few years ago a video went viral which showed how Amazon Prime could be used to… Continue reading Rough sleeping & the inverse reality of social media
Pure Class: Flintoff’s challenge to cricket’s elitism
The issue of class is woven into the history of cricket like no other sport. As a non-contact game, it was more socially acceptable for the English upper classes to play alongside the working class. It was a shared sporting endeavour but without the potentially awkward physicality of rugby or football. Thus cricket helped forge… Continue reading Pure Class: Flintoff’s challenge to cricket’s elitism
The critical difference: between good judgement & being judgemental
However challenging the work, often the most stressful thing in any job are difficulties in relationships with colleagues. It has certainly been the challenges of managing people that has most kept me awake at night over the last 25 years of my working life. There are many good tips and techniques that can be learnt… Continue reading The critical difference: between good judgement & being judgemental
Mary Whitehouse, Stacey Dooley and sexual freedom
Due to catching covid recently, I have spent a lot of time watching TV programmes. One was the BBC documentary Banned! The Mary Whitehouse Story. It was an insightful and balanced programme about the campaigner who shot to fame in the 1960s for her protests against declining moral standards on TV and pornography. Conviction… Continue reading Mary Whitehouse, Stacey Dooley and sexual freedom
Good fiction helps us live in the real world
There has been a lot of articles and discussion about how parents can talk to their children about the horrific war in Ukraine. See these examples from UNICEF, Sky and the New York Times. One element that is often overlooked is captured in C.S. Lewis' quote above: the role that great stories and good fiction… Continue reading Good fiction helps us live in the real world
‘We read to know we are not alone’: Two ingredients of a great blog
Blogs are a hyper-democratic form of journalism. Almost anyone can now publish their views and propagate them globally on social media. This has created a deluge of opinion: the world more packed with people’s written thoughts than ever before. I see blogs as a little like fast-food. They are quick, convenient to consume and can… Continue reading ‘We read to know we are not alone’: Two ingredients of a great blog
How ‘safetyism’ is harming children – by Liana Humphrey
A review of The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure by Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt …………………. There are a lot of untruths circulating in our world today, but Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt argue that three “Great Untruths” are having a devastating impact on… Continue reading How ‘safetyism’ is harming children – by Liana Humphrey
Grace + Truth 