Despite decades of campaigning, women's healthcare is an issue repeatedly neglected,  with systemic issues in UK healthcare and on the international stage leading to women disproportionally affected in healthcare emergencies.

In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, Will speaks to Professor Sophie Harman, who is Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London and one of the world's leading authorities on global health politics. Her research examines the political forces that shape women's health, UK healthcare systems and the global governance that determines health outcomes. A recipient of a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize in 2018 in recognition of her research achievements, she advises governments and international bodies such as the UN on global health policies.

Beyond ‘traditional’ academic research, she co-produced the BAFTA-nominated feature film Pili, made in collaboration with women living with HIV in rural Tanzania. This film demonstrates the innovative ways of presenting Social Science research, and the film’s profits returning to the women involved shows the power of social science in action. 

She talks to Will Hutton about her acclaimed book, Sick of It: The Global Fight for Women's Health (2024), where Sophie argues that while women's health has received growing public attention in recent years, it is still not receiving the right kind of attention. Collective action is needed to rebalance the prejudices and assumptions in women’s healthcare, backed by strong social policy and research.

This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, UK healthcare, women’s health and the social policy needed to level healthcare inequalities. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 
Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

The UK is experiencing a crisis of inequality: core tenets like our education and UK healthcare system are geographically unequal and suffering, but what are the expert social policy solutions to these issues, and can we dare to be optimistic for the future?

In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, join Institute for Fiscal Studies Director Helen Miller and economist Sir Richard Blundell who talk us through the findings of one of the most comprehensive studies ever undertaken on inequality in the UK called the Deaton Review. 

This was a major six year review of inequalities in the UK, chaired by Nobel Prize-winning economist Sir Angus Deaton, and funded by the Nuffield Foundation. Drawing on research from economics, sociology, public health, philosophy and political science, the Review argues that Britain's inequalities extend far beyond income alone and presents a framework for how social policy makers should address their response.  

But what can be done about it? Helen, Sir Richard and podcast host Will Hutton come together to discuss the evidence and the potential solutions in local government funding and long-term social policy. 

Professor Sir Richard Blundell is a Co-Director of the ESRC Centre for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy (CPP) and a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Helen Miller is the Director of Institute for Fiscal Studies, the UK's leading independent economics research institute. Find out more about the IFS Deaton Review here: https://ifs.org.uk/inequality 

This episode is ideal for listeners interested in topical issues, social policy, UK healthcare, inequality and local government funding solutions.

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 
The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

The We Society returns for its 11th season on Wednesday, so join acclaimed journalist and Academy of Social Sciences president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

In this series social science calls on aspects of business, education, economics, geopolitics, healthcare, human geography and more, exploring their impact on society and the social policy they can inspire. The We Society is for those interested in how social science impacts their world, and how evidence backed research can improve it. 

We end Season 10 with an intimate interview between the Nobel Prize winning economist Philippe Aghion and Will Hutton. 

They delve into the concept of "creative destruction," a term coined by economist Joseph Schumpeter, which highlights the dual nature of innovation in driving economic growth while simultaneously rendering older methods and certain industries and jobs obsolete. Aghion believes that for an economy to thrive creative destruction is key. They talk about certain countries such as Finland where creative destruction is allowed and supported to thrive by the Government. 

Aghion is Professor of Economics at the LSE. In the We Society podcast, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

Professor Carissa Véliz is a philosopher who is examining the threats and possibilities of today’s digital world. She is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford – and fellow at Hertford College. She currently holds a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship and her work has been featured by the Ada Lovelace Institute. 

In her first landmark book, Privacy is Power (2020), she discussed the vital necessity of protecting our data as a precondition of sustaining our freedom. But the algorithms constructed by AI and data don’t just stop there; they have born a new era of data based predictions masquerading as objective. Like all predictions, they are shaped by human choices, assumptions, and incentives. In her latest book, Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI (Out 21st April) Carissa Véliz challenges us to see predictions not as neutral forecasts, but as power over others. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

The consequences of climate change are everywhere. From record-breaking wildfires to catastrophic floods, climate disasters are killing hundreds of thousands and displacing millions. In the past decade alone, climate-related disasters have forced an estimated 250 million people from their homes.

So why aren’t we moving faster? What’s holding back the systemic shifts needed to avoid disaster? Professor Tim Lenton is one of the world’s leading climate scientists tackling exactly that question, but with a positive twist. 

Tim is a Professor of Climate Change and Earth System Science at the University of Exeter and founding Director of the Global Systems Institute. He is renowned for his pioneering work on climate “tipping points”; critical thresholds in the Earth system that, once crossed, can trigger dramatic and irreversible change.

More recently, his research has focused on positive tipping points: how rapid, self-propelling shifts in technology, economics and social behaviour could accelerate climate action. His work shows that change does not always move slowly. Under the right conditions, it can cascade.

Tim’s research and latest book tell a more hopeful story, one in which shifting and adjusting our lifestyles can create a positive ripple of change and steer us away from the current trajectory of climate disaster. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert

A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

Artificial Intelligence is now at our fingertips, in our homes, and governing what we see and how we see it. We are currently riding a great wave of change. 

But while private companies have embraced AI, how is the public sector keeping up? How can public institutions build and maintain trust amongst all this change? 

Our guest today is Imogen Parker, she is Associate Director in Social and Economic Policy at the Ada Lovelace Institute, at the Nuffield Foundation which is on a mission to improve social wellbeing through research and innovation. She led the strategic development of the Institute, identifying in 2017 the profound impact data-driven technologies and AI were having on the way we live, work and interact with the state.

Imogen works at the intersection of technology, policy and public life, exploring how artificial intelligence is governed and how it’s deployed. She’s spent her career working on public sector reform, from early years to pensions, immigration and education. And formerly leading research at Citizens Advice, she is only too aware of the pain caused from the public sector not responding to people’s needs.

Their tagline might be described as ‘learn fast and write things’, the Ada Lovelace Institute moves at lightning speed, and Imogen is here to tell us their latest findings.  

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

Our guest,  Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve shares with us the top findings from the recently released 2026 World Happiness Report. He is Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford and Director of the Wellbeing Research Centre. A leading voice in the science of happiness and wellbeing, Jan’s work brings data and empirical methods to questions once thought too subjective to measure. He has advised governments and international organisations on how to put wellbeing at the heart of public policy.

Jan-Emmanuel tells us about the global country rankings, with a focus on the marked difference in ratings between nations like Finland and Afghanistan. He explains that Finland consistently ranks as the happiest country, attributing this success to their strong social support system, trust in institutions, and a deep connection to nature. He talks about the decline in British happiness rankings, particularly among younger generations facing unprecedented challenges related to economic instability and social media usage.

Listen to our previous interview with Jan-Emmanuel’s colleague Richard Layard here where he explained why governments should centre wellbeing in their policies. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

 The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

Professor Stephani Hatch has dedicated her career to making workplaces - especially the NHS - more inclusive by reducing discriminatory practices. She is the Vice Dean for Culture, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and Professor of Sociology and Epidemiology at King's College London. 

Her work has seen her introduce 360 degree Virtual Reality headsets to NHS managers and staff to allow them to  ‘walk in the shoes of’ racially minoritised staff in occupational roles. This followed her research which found that NHS Staff members who are black or from ethnic minority backgrounds were more than twice likely to experience workplace harassment and bullying compared with white British staff.  This impacts mental health, and ultimately will affect the care of those using the NHS. What can be done? Stephani tells us in this conversation.

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

 The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

In this episode of the We Society with Will Hutton, we are joined by two esteemed academics placing journeys to adulthood under a Social Science microscope.  

Carey Oppenheim is a project lead on the Nuffield Foundation's Grown Up? Journeys to adulthood programme. Using young people's voices and robust data, Carey and her team are exploring the challenges and opportunities young people face as they transition into adulthood. Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London and was, until recently, the chair of the Campaign for Social Science, the advocacy arm of the Academy of Social Sciences. His book, Generations: Does When You're Born Shape Who You Are? focuses on generational divide. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

 The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences 

In the first episode of Season 10, we are joined by Professor Richard Wiseman who has spent his career studying the intangible ways humans communicate with one another - not just through language, but with humour, magic tricks and belief in one’s own luck. 

He is professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire and one of the world’s leading experts on why some people seem to attract opportunity while others seem to miss it.

In recent years, his academic research has focussed on the impact of magic not just on those watching it but those practicing it. He’s investigated the harms and benefits of pop psychology, and examined the links between paranormal belief and psychology. 

In the We Society, join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems.

Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to. 

 The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

Producer: Emily Uchida Finch
Assistant Producer: Emily Gilbert
A Whistledown Production for the Academy of Social Sciences