Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Repeated | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diplomacy | 20240127 | 20240128 (WS) 20240131 (WS) 20240201 (WS) | In the 1990s, an advert for a brand of chocolate depicted a sophisticated gathering hosted by the foreign ambassador of an unspecified country. It hinted at a gilded existence of cocktail parties and small talk among influential, wealthy guests. Iszi Lawrence finds out how the stereotype of the diplomatic world compares with the reality of international relations. Who does the real work behind the scenes and who has the power? When we see powerful leaders on the world stage shaking hands and signing treaties, what has led up to that moment? Iszi discusses first hand experiences of the diplomatic world with the American diplomat Maryum Saifee and the former High Commissioner of Maldives to the UK, Farah Faizal. They are joined by Dr. Lorena de Vita, a historian of diplomatic relations to explain how their work impacts all of us. Plus World Service listeners from across the globe share their thoughts on what diplomats actually do. Produced by Fiona Clampin for the BBC World Service. The reality of international diplomacy The programme that explains the present by exploring the past The reality of international diplomacy. In the 1990s an advert for a brand of chocolate depicted a sophisticated gathering hosted by the foreign ambassador of an unspecified country. It hinted at a gilded existence of cocktail parties and small talk among influential, wealthy guests. Iszi Lawrence will be finding out how the stereotype of the diplomatic world compares with the reality of international relations. Who does the real work behind the scenes and who has the power? When we see powerful leaders on the world stage shaking hands and signing treaties, what has led up to that moment? Iszi will be joined by guests with first hand experience of the diplomatic world, as well as a historian of diplomatic relations to explain how their work impacts all of us. Plus World Service listeners from across the globe share their thoughts on what diplomats actually do. |
| Etiquette | 20240323 | 20240324 (WS) 20240327 (WS) 20240328 (WS) | ‘Always pass the salt and pepper together, even if your fellow diner has asked just for one of them'. That's the standard advice given by countless dining etiquette manuals, one of the many rules regarding proper manners that have been handed down from generation to generation. But what if some of the rules have become outdated, silly or just wrong? And why do we have etiquette in the first place? Where do the rules of polite conduct come from and are they the same the world over? Iszi Lawrence follows the story of etiquette across time and over several continents with the help of Annick Paternoster, Lecturer at the University of Lugano in Switzerland who has a special interest in the history of politeness; Professor Daniel Kadar from Dalian University of Foreign Languages in China, the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre for Linguistics, and the University of Maribor in Slovenia; Courtney Traub, author and editor of the travel website Paris Unlocked; Japanese writer and cultural commentator Manami Okazaki; former Chief of Protocol at the Foreign Ministry of Grenada Alice Thomas-Roberts; and Forum listeners from around the world. (Photo: Business people shake hands. Credit: iStock/Getty Images Plus) Manners in the modern world and in the past The programme that explains the present by exploring the past Manners in the modern world and in the past. ‘Always pass the salt and pepper together, even if your fellow diner has asked just for one of them'. That's the standard advice given by countless dining etiquette manuals. But why? It's one of the many rules regarding proper manners that have been passed down generations, regardless of the rules being sensible or just plain silly. And while some things that our grandparents would have considered impolite are accepted today, new rules constantly spring up: email etiquette is a recent example. Iszi Lawrence follows the story of etiquette across time and over several continents with the help of Annick Paternoster from the University of Lugano, Daniel Kadar from the HUN-REN Hungarian Research Centre, and Forum listeners from around the world. |
| Feeding The World And The Green Revolution | 20240427 | 20240428 (WS) 20240501 (WS) | In February 2024, the renowned Indian geneticist Dr. MS Swaminathan was posthumously awarded the country's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. This was in recognition of the dramatic increase in the yields of food staples, such as rice and wheat, that Indian agriculture experienced under his stewardship of the ‘green revolution' in the 20th century. That revolution is credited with saving many people from hunger and malnutrition across Asia and Latin America. And yet, half-a-century on farmers' incomes in Africa, Asia and Europe are falling and in many countries farmers are on the streets protesting. At the same time, the environmental impacts of intensive food production are becoming increasingly clear. So do we need a new ‘green revolution'? And is the use of the latest agricultural technology, from robots to AI the answer? Rajan Datar discusses the past and present of food growing with Professor of Economics Douglas Gollin, crop scientist Professor Nigel Halford, historian of science Dr. Madhumita Saha, robotics project manager Andreas Hofland and listeners from around the world. (Photo: Green ear of wheat. Credit: binabina/iStock/Getty Images Plus) Turning points in arable farming The programme that explains the present by exploring the past Turning points in arable farming. |
| Political Parties And Us | 20231125 | 20231126 (WS) 20231129 (WS) 20231130 (WS) | Political parties come in all shapes and sizes and their ideas are just as varied. But what kind of parties best reflect 21st-century society? How do we, as voters, choose between them at elections? What are their ever-increasing expenses spent on? And - perhaps most importantly - how well do political parties respond to the needs and views of the public? Iszi Lawrence discusses these questions with Professor Leonie Huddy from Stony Brook University who studies the psychology of politics, Associate Professor Karina Kosiara-Pedersen who researches party membership at the University of Copenhagen, Professor Paula Muñoz Chirinos who works on political finance at the University of the Pacific in Peru, Catherine Mayer co-founder of the Women's Equality Party in the UK, as well as student Luke Louis Ow from Singapore and other listeners from around the globe. (Photo: A sign in Dublin directing voters where to go in 2021. Credit: Artur Widak/Getty Images) How well do political parties serve their voters? The programme that explains the present by exploring the past (Photo: A sign in Dublin, Ireland in 2021. Credit: Artur Widak/Nur Photo/Getty Images) |
| Supermarkets | 20240224 | 20240225 (WS) 20240228 (WS) 20240229 (WS) | Supermarkets: they are ubiquitous yet hard to define, lauded and vilified in roughly equal measures, and in many countries they have a huge influence on what we eat. Technological innovations, big social changes and new shopping habits have all shaped their development and today's megastores are a far cry from their small-scale ancestors of the 1930s. And yet, some quirks of supermarket design remain constant: for instance, why are the eggs always so hard to locate in the stores? Iszi Lawrence navigates supermarket aisles with the help of historian and economist Marc Levinson; Aarti Krishnan, Lecturer in Sustainability at Manchester University; Simona Botti, professor of marketing at London Business School and Forum listeners from around the world. (Photo: A customer in a supermarket. Credit: Adene Sanchez/ Getty Images) How supermarkets came to dominate food retail The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How supermarkets came to dominate food retail. Supermarkets: they are ubiquitous yet hard to define, lauded and vilified in roughly equal measures, and in many countries they have a huge influence on what we eat. Technological innovations have shaped their history as much as big social changes and new shopping habits, and today's megastores are a far cry from their small-scale ancestors of the 1930s. And yet, some quirks of supermarket design remain constant: for instance, why are the eggs always so hard to locate? The past, present and future of supermarkets The past, present and future of supermarkets. |
| The Intractable Rise Of Disposable Objects | 20231223 | 20231224 (WS) | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it's cheap, it's light, it's strong, it's waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use objects? The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. In the last three decades, so many other single-use items have been invented and sold that many of us now can't imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward? Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world. (Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images) Wonderfully convenient labour-saving inventions or scourges trashing our planet? The programme that explains the present by exploring the past |
| The story of throwaway living | 20231223 | 20231224 (WS) | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items?
The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward?
Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world.
(Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
How disposable and single-use items conquered the world The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How disposable and single-use items conquered the world.
|
| The story of throwaway living | 20231223 | 20231227 (WS) | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items?
The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward?
Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world.
(Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
How disposable and single-use items conquered the world The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How disposable and single-use items conquered the world.
|
| The story of throwaway living | 20231223 | 20231228 (WS) | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items?
The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward?
Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world.
(Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
How disposable and single-use items conquered the world The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How disposable and single-use items conquered the world.
|
| The story of throwaway living | 20231223 | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items?
The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward?
Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world.
(Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images)
How disposable and single-use items conquered the world The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How disposable and single-use items conquered the world.
| |
| The Story Of Throwaway Living | 20231223 | 20231224 (WS) 20231227 (WS) 20231228 (WS) | The humble plastic bag is actually a marvel of engineering: it is cheap, light, strong, waterproof and it has conquered the world. In countries where plastic bags have been banned, they are still being smuggled in. The environmental pollution and other problems that discarded plastic can cause has made it a focus of passionate debate. But is plastic really the problem or is it our increasing use of disposable and single-use items? The popularity of disposable products predates the invention of the plastic bag in the 1960s or even the advent of Western consumer society in the aftermath of the Second World War. And in the last three decades, so many new single-use items have been produced that we increasingly cannot imagine our lives without them, and not just in the festive season. So what is the way forward? Iszi Lawrence talks about all manner of disposable and single-use objects with Jennifer Argo, Professor of Marketing at the School of Business, Alberta University; Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at University College London; Katherine Grier, Professor Emerita of History at the University of Delaware and founder of the online Museum of Disposability; space archaeologist Dr. Alice Gorman from Flinders University in Australia and listeners from around the world. (Photo: Digital image of plastic waste and a city skyline. Credit: Andriy Onufriyenko/Getty Images) How disposable and single-use items conquered the world The programme that explains the present by exploring the past How disposable and single-use items conquered the world. |
| What Makes A Good Boss? | 20231028 | 20231029 (WS) 20231101 (WS) 20231102 (WS) | We can probably all think of examples of bad bosses – the people who we love to gossip about with our colleagues outside work. And even if you're lucky enough to have had good experiences of management, you may be familiar with bad bosses from popular culture. But what makes a good manager and how can you inspire people in the workplace? It's a question that's been debated since the Industrial Revolution when rapidly expanding companies needed a way of controlling their workers. From there developed various theories of management, some of which drew on aspects of sociology and psychology. Rajan Datar is joined by Ann Francke, the chief executive of the Chartered Management Institute in the UK; Monica Musonda, the CEO of Java Foods in Zambia; and Todd Bridgman, Professor of Management Studies and Head of the School of Management at Victoria University of Wellington / Te Herenga Waka in New Zealand. We'll also present a selection of comments and experiences sent in by Forum listeners. Produced by Fiona Clampin (Photo credit: Getty/Luis Alvarez) An exploration of how we can get the best out of people in the workplace. The programme that explains the present by exploring the past |