Thinking Allowed Folgen

In 1980 there were around 300,000 students in forty-six universities, now there are some two and a quarter million students studying in 130 universities across Britain. More people than ever before are receiving a university education but despite - or even because of this - there is enormous anxiety about the role that universities should play. Should they be judged on their contribution to the economy or on the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge's sake? How can their 'impact' or success be measured? The intellectual historian Stefan Collini puts these debates in their historical context as he talks to Laurie about his new book, What Are Universities For?And why are we so fascinated with outlaws? Could it be that they offer an alternative way of life without the hierarchies and corporate power that seem to hold us back? Martin Parker, author of Alternative Business: Outlaws Crime and Culture thinks so. He discusses his work with Laurie and criminologist Dick Hobbs.Producer: Charlie Taylor.

Laurie Taylor considers why men 'cheat' in relationships. 78% of young male students have been unfaithful to their current partners according to the sociologist, Eric Anderson. He discusses men, monogamy and the reality of infidelity. They're joined by the sociologist, Lynn Jamieson. Also, the new politics of citizenship - Engin Isin, a Professor of politics at the Open University, explores the ways in which people embrace acts and causes which transcend national boundaries.Producer: Jayne Egerton.

We inhabit a precarious world of crisis and calamity which mocks the post war promise of upward mobility, social equality and job security. We remain attached to the unachievable fantasies of the good life, even though they are thwarted at every turn. That's the cheering claim of the cultural theorist Lauren Berlant. She and Laurie are joined by the sociologist, Professor Bev Skeggs, to analyse what she calls the 'cruel optimism' of contemporary life. Also on the programme, Karen Throsby talks of her ethnographic study of an obesity clinic and the hidden moral element to every aspect of the procedure. Producer: Charlie Taylor.