Archive for the ‘Social policy’ Category
Where do people live the longest? Welcome to the notion of blue zones.
March 14th, 2024 by Roger Darlington
I met somebody earlier this week who recommended to me a series of programmes available on Netflix. The series is called “Live To 100: Secrets Of The Blue Zones” and consists of four programmes averaging around 40 minutes each. Presenter, American Dan Buettner, visits five locations around the world where there is an exceptional number […]
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A review of the philosophy book “How To Be Good” by John Harris (2016)
October 24th, 2023 by Roger Darlington
I don’t read books about philosophy very often because I find them too abstract and removed from the real world, but this book was given me by the author (Emeritus Professor of Bioethics at the University of Manchester), it is commendably short (less than 200 pages), and the title intrigued me. It is a thoughtful […]
Posted in Cultural issues, My life & thoughts, Social policy | Comments (0)
Let’s hear it for friendship – and then let’s tackle inequality
August 27th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Relationships matter so much because other people can be our best sources of security, comfort and cooperation or our worst rivals. Just as bad relationships are highly stressful, friendship is relaxing and restorative. We have evolved an extraordinary sensitivity to relationships, because getting them right has always been crucial to our survival.” This is an […]
Posted in British current affairs, Social policy, World current affairs | Comments (0)
Would you like to live to be 100 (or more)?
February 27th, 2020 by Roger Darlington
“Living to 100 will soon become a routine fact of (long) life. Life expectancies have been rising by up to three months a year since 1840 and although gains in the UK began to slow in 2011, it is still estimated that more than half the babies born in wealthier countries since 2000 may reach […]
Posted in Science & technology, Social policy | Comments (1)
Some ideas for spreading kindness
June 26th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
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Seminar to celebrate the work of Bob Fryer
June 21st, 2019 by Roger Darlington
Today I attended a seminar at the National Education Union in London to celebrate the work of Professor Bob (Rob) Fryer. Bob has spent 50 years working in higher and adult education as a teacher, researcher, policy advisor, practitioner and leader in relation to employment, industrial relations, trades unionism and lifelong learning. The aim of […]
Posted in My life & thoughts, Social policy | Comments (1)
What are we going to do about the growing challenge of dementia?
April 14th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
I have previously done a posting about my participation in a study looking at the health risks which might predict the onset of dementia. The study, conducted by Imperial College in London, is called CHARIOT PRO – a abbreviation for Cognitive Health in Ageing Register: Investigational, Observational, and Trial studies in dementia research: Prospective Readiness […]
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How would a universal basic income actually work?
January 29th, 2019 by Roger Darlington
A new report published today by the Carnegie UK Trust sets out the key questions to be addressed to pave the way for a successful basic income pilot in Scotland. A basic income is the concept of regular, unconditional payments made to all citizens, regardless of whether they are employed or seeking work. The report, written by […]
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It’s World Kindness Day – so try to be kind today … and always
November 13th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
World Kindness Day is observed internationally on 13 November each year. It was introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, a coalition of nations’ kindness NGOs. It is observed in many countries including Britain. It is very easy to be cynical about such events, but the world really needs more kindness and sometimes as […]
Posted in Miscellaneous, Social policy | Comments (0)
Good work matters – so we should measure it
September 7th, 2018 by Roger Darlington
Measuring good work matters. The UK has an excellent record of strong job creation, with each record low unemployment statistics celebrated in the national media. But why do we not have any similar measures for understanding quality of work and how we can make work better? Today the Carnegie UK Trust-RSA Measuring Job Quality Working […]
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