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The London School of Economics
Free Seminars (16)
A Clash of Ideologies? Al Qaeda, America and Academia From: London School of Economics and Political Science A year has passed since the events of September 11 and much of the world is still trying to comprehend the motives of the attackers. What ideologies lay behind the atrocities, and how has the world responded to them? From Vietnam to the IRA and the PLO, such challenges to the international order have enjoyed a degree of sympathy from Western progressives, trade unionists and democratic socialists. Will the current threat to international order also gain the sympathies of the progressive left, or are the ideologies and motives at issue here too illiberal and alien? more...
Biodiversity: An Economic Approach From: London School of Economics and Political Science Biodiversity is an issue that is sometimes viewed in isolation. But environmentalism does not occur in a sphere of its own: it is of crucial importance that we integrate it into our vision of a functioning society and economy. In this seminar, Giles Atkinson, lecturer in environmental policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, examines the opportunity cost of biodiversity. more...
Conserving Biodiversity From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this free seminar Yvonne Rydin, professor of geography and environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, examines the threat to biodiversity and the measures that are being adopted to combat and manage that threat. more...
Kingship in the Early Modern World From: London School of Economics and Political Science Europe in the sixteenth century was a region of religious schism, warring nations, dynastic alliances and betrayals in kingdoms, empires and republics. At the same time, missionaries and traders travelling to the East were bringing back tales of vast kingdoms and empires ruled over by sacred monarchs; of emperors who existed in heavenly kingdoms. Yet how different were these Oriental states and kings to their European counterparts? In this seminar Mia Rodriguez-Salgado, professor of international history, and Joan-Pau Rubies, lecturer in international history, both at the London School of Economics and Political Science, introduce the kingdoms, rule and ideologies of Elizabeth I of England and Philip II of Spain and the kingdom of Vijayanagara in southern India. more...
Next Stop Environmental Paradise? From: London School of Economics and Political Science The arguments between environmental optimists and the environmental pessimists dominate the media, leaving the public largely in the dark. So where exactly does the truth lie? In this seminar, Eric Neumayer, lecturer in environment and development at the London School of Economics and Political Science, draws a fascinating and comprehensive guide to the environmental battlefield. If you have ever felt lost amidst the contradictory words and forecasts of the environmental optimists and pessimists, this seminar should equip you with the arguments and fallacies of both camps, enabling you to steer a reasoned, well-informed path through the various debates. more...
Poland's Century: War, Communism and Anti-Semitism From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this seminar, Anita Prazmowska, senior lecturer in International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science, explores the impact of the Second World War and the establishment of Communism for the Jewish community in Poland. After first examining the treatment of Poland throughout the Second World War, she focuses on the establishment of Communism and anti-Semitism in Poland in the years after the war. She explores this further through the case study of the 1946 pogrom in the Polish town of Kielce, where the weakness of local party structures was the crucial factor in the escalation and lack of reparations. Finally, Prazmowska considers the recent history of Auschwitz as a contested space in Poland where there have been rows over the ownership of this centre of martyrdom. more...
Popular Religion in China From: London School of Economics and Political Science Religious life in China is complex, personal and political. The main textual traditions associated with Chinese civilisation are those of Buddhism, Daoism and the ancestral calendrical rituals written by court officials and centrally approved scholars: a tradition derived from Confucianism. However, popular religion--that is the household cult, local rituals and supplications--is what has dominated the lives of many ordinary people. In this seminar Stephan Feuchtwang, reader in Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, examines popular religion in China from the importance of textual traditions to the elaborate and spectacular rituals, festivals and temples. more...
Reproduction, Genetics and the Rule of Law From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this free seminar, Emily Jackson, senior lecturer in law at the London School of Economics and Political Science, offers a critical and legal analysis of controversial issues around human reproduction, abortion and genetics, with specific reference to UK law. more...
Rethinking Masculinity: Men and Their Bodies From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this seminar, Rosalind Gill, lecturer in gender and media studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, introduces and explores some of the pioneering research and conclusions concerning men's relationship with their bodies. Set in the context of the history of the representation of men in the media, the seminar provides a detailed understanding of men's responses to their bodies, an opportunity to hear the empirical voice of masculinity and a framework for judging the extent to which masculinity really is in crisis. more...
Social Policy: From the Victorians to the Present Day From: London School of Economics and Political Science In nineteenth-century Britain, philanthropists and voluntary organisations struggled to address the social problems of modern life: poverty, education, housing and health. In this seminar, Susannah Morris, lecturer in social policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science, considers the discipline, action and importance of social policy over time. Using the case of housing and regeneration in the East End of London from the Victorian period to the present day as an example, Morris explores the similarities and differences in the roles of state and voluntary organisations into the twenty-first century and the Victorian models of social welfare. She argues that what we think of as social policy problems are in fact constructed from a mixture of economic, social and political circumstances and attitudes, and as such the prescribed solutions to them have fluctuated over time. more...
Sustainable Tourism From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this seminar, Tim Forsyth, lecturer in environment and development at the Geography and Environment department at the London School of Economics, explores the concept and practice of sustainable tourism. He argues that the best way to accommodate the inevitable increase in mass tourism is to encourage the practice of tourism and development as a positive experience for the local people, the tourism companies and the tourists themselves. Forsyth explains the difference between sustainable tourism and "eco-tourism," and shows that sustainable tourism is about the negotiation between tourism companies, local governments and communities in an effort to improve the impact of all types of tourism. more...
The Conflict in Kashmir From: London School of Economics and Political Science Kashmir is an illuminating and thought-provoking example of how complex and bloody ethnic conflicts throughout the world can be. In this seminar, Sumantra Bose of The London School of Economics and Political Science provides a uniquely clear and balanced introduction to the origins of the conflict in Kashmir, the major issues at stake, the players in the saga and the possibility of resolution. This seminar has been updated to include a consideration of events in Kashmir since the events of 11 September 2001, and the impact of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon on the balance of power in Kashmir. more...
The Globalisation Debate From: London School of Economics and Political Science Globalisation is a concept that has divided economists, sociologists and anti-capitalists alike. In this seminar two major sociologists put forward their distinct versions of globalisation. Anthony Giddens explains globalisation as a phenomenon characterized by changes in the world economy, while Leslie Sklair describes globalisation as a new phase of capitalism that transcends the unit of the nation-state. more...
The Middle East and the West: Misunderstandings and Stereotypes From: London School of Economics and Political Science The Middle East is all too often depicted as a violent, threatening society from which emanates terrorism, hijackings, bombings and reactionary revolutions. Equally, the West is seen as the perpetrator of all kinds of imperialism, an instigator of plots, and an oil-hungry and self-interested actor. What these images fail to recognise is that there are many Easts and many Wests. In this seminar, Katerina Dalacoura, lecturer in international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, explores the history and complexities of the relationship between the West and the Middle East. It was produced one year after the 11 September attacks, in the context of debate about a possible US attack on Iraq. more...
Trouble in the Balkans From: London School of Economics and Political Science In this seminar, Sumantra Bose, lecturer in comparative politics at the London School of Economics and Political Science, considers the conflict in Bosnia. He begins by exploring the explosive historical legacy of the area and then, in a series of interviews with Fathom, he addresses the central questions. Was it a conflict over territory, religion or race? How could communities which had apparently existed in peace clash so suddenly and with such ferocity? Where exactly will the road to peace lead and, perhaps most importantly, will the lessons of history be learned or will the twenty-first century see yet more trouble in the Balkans? more...
Waking Up to the Electorate: The Making of the British New Labour Party From: Cambridge University Press and the London School of Economics and Political Science In the early decades of the twentieth century, many in the Labour Party fervently believed that it was eventually destined to dominate British politics. The working classes were chafing at their subordinate position, while socialism seemed to provide answers for most of society's ills. It was only a matter of time before the people 'woke up' and the other parties were finally vanquished. Yet as the years passed, such hopes began to fade. Labour established a strong presence nationally and locally, but its overall performance fell well short of expectations. In this seminar, Nick Tiratsoo provides a detailed survey of Labour's record up to the early 1990s. more...