Numbers in Global Politics; Gay Rights and Religion in Belfast
Thinking Allowed
BBC
4.4 • 997 Ratings
🗓️ 5 February 2014
⏱️ 29 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The power of 'numbers' in global politics: Laurie Taylor talks to the economist, Lorenzo Fioramonti, about the hidden agendas which may underpin the use of statistics, affecting the way we deal with poverty and sustainability. Numbers are at the heart of debates on the GDP which drives our economies and the credit ratings which steer financial markets. But what is behind these numbers?
Also, pride and prejudice in Northern Ireland: The social anthropologist, Jennifer Curtis, discusses her research with Belfast's LGBT Pride Festival to explore religious groups' increasing support for gay rights since 2008. She's joined by Andrew McKinnon, an expert on the sociology of religion.
Producer: Jayne Egerton.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, |
| 0:06.0 | the Science of Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.4 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:29.7 | This is a Thinking Loud Podcast from the BBC and for more details in our terms of use and |
| 0:37.0 | much, much more about thinking aloud, go to our website at BBC.co. UK. |
| 0:45.0 | Hi there, sociology pickers. This is our new seg tune from the British folk metal band Skyclad. |
| 0:53.0 | Great stuff. |
| 0:58.0 | But how many marks out of 10 for Skyclad? |
| 1:03.4 | Do you remember, I think she was called Janice? |
| 1:05.1 | Yeah, Janice, on Thank Your Lucky Stars back in the 60s. |
| 1:08.4 | Oil Give It Foyve, she'd say, after hearing a new release. |
| 1:11.2 | And that was enough to settle the record's fate. After all, a foyve was a foyve was a foyve. |
| 1:16.0 | It isn't all that different though from the examiners meetings that I used to attend at university |
| 1:21.2 | because after all the marks for a particular student |
| 1:23.9 | had been added up and weighted and average the final figure of say 57 or 62 or 71 |
| 1:31.2 | would seem immutable. A perfect representation of the |
| 1:35.3 | examinee. Well, you know, she's really always been a 57 we'd say. You know, |
| 1:41.0 | I'm not surprised by that 71 he's very, very much a marginal first. |
... |
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