Speakers’ Corner at the British Library

Social Science Bites

• Kayleigh Garthwaite on Foodbanks August 1, 2019
  “I think the debate about why people use the foodbanks has become really politicized to the point where apparently individual faults and failings are the reason why people are using them,” Kayleigh Garthwaite tells interviewer David Edmonds in this Social Science Bites podcast. To find out, she volunteered to work at a Trussell Trust foodbank […]
  Social Science Bites
• Jonathan Portes on the Economics of Immigration July 1, 2019
  Britain's former chief economist knows a thing or two about the impact of immigration on native Britons. In this Social Science Bites podcast, he reviews what data can tell us about the UK's current heavy inflow -- such as that new arrivals create both supply AND demand.
  Social Science Bites
• Sam Friedman on Class June 5, 2019
  "Education," says sociologist Sam Friedman, “doesn’t wash away the effects of class background in terms of allocating opportunities. That’s quite profound – I believe there are a lot of people who believe quite strongly that these sorts of educational institutions can and do act as sort of meritocratic sorting houses.”
  Social Science Bites
• Monika Krause on Humanitarian Aid May 1, 2019
  Humanitarian aid organizations often find themselves torn by reasonable expectations – to address a pressing crisis and to show that what they are doing is actually helping. While these might not seem at odds, in practice, says sociologist Monika Krause, they often do. Krause, is the author of The Good Project, an award-winning book from […]
  Social Science Bites