Zen Library of Blogs

  • On the Scottish Origins of Social Science (Part 1)

    On the Scottish Origins of Social Science (Part 1)

    About a decade and a half ago, I was asked to contribute / write materials for a “Scottish Version” of a UK-wide social science course (at a UK distance learning institution).  The aim of these teaching materials was to address the growing divergence between Scottish society (including its laws and civil life) and the ‘rest… Read more

  • The Non-Sense of Intersectionality

    The Non-Sense of Intersectionality

    The concept of ‘intersectionality’, first coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, has been around since 1989.   Quite a long time then?  Well, it depends on perspective.  As The Washington Post notes: “Considering its recent prominence, it’s surprising to realize that the term has been around only since 1989.” [my emphasis] So, a short time from the Post’s… Read more

  • More Money to Save the Planet?

    More Money to Save the Planet?

    One of the stranger ‘pleas’ I heard recently was related to the need for “more money” to save our environment (or ‘save the planet’).  My own immediate reaction – probably odd to most – was that the very last thing we need at the moment is to demand more “money” (or look ‘to money’) to save our environment… Read more

  • Exploiting “low science capital”

    Exploiting “low science capital”

    The university access programme I teach on (for several years now) is currently being expanded to cover (natural) science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses. Previously it only covered arts, humanities and social sciences. The expansion is to be welcomed since there should be routes into the ‘natural sciences’ for adult returners at any university… Read more

  • Hoisting the Jolly Roger over Supply and Demand

    Hoisting the Jolly Roger over Supply and Demand

    Why do we teach foundational economics in the way that we do? And who or what is being ‘served’ by the approach and the (presentational-representational) priorities of this existing ‘established’ episteme? I have taught a number of foundation, access, and open-entry (higher education) courses over the last two decades, including a number for the Open… Read more

  • Greta Thunberg on the Failure of Capitalism

    Greta Thunberg on the Failure of Capitalism

    Amol Rajan, Media Editor at the BBC, interviewed Greta Thunberg (Tuesday 18th October 2022) about her future – though really her “future in politics”, because without her ‘politics’ would Rajan or the BBC have been that interested in this 19 year old?   Thunberg is a political celebrity, famous for being a teenage climate activist who… Read more