Tony Mann writes

Within the "Notices" section of BSHM Bulletin 6, short item entitled "Tony Mann writes:" giving details of a sixth-formers' "maths taster day".

Reviews: Private Passions with Robin Wilson [Radio review]

Tony Mann reviews Robin Wilson's appearance as Michael Berkeley's guest on Private Passions. Broadcast on BBC Radio 3, on 9 September 2007.

Family, community and politics: the fertile legacy of Michael Young

The Institute of Community Studies was set up by Michael Young in order to carry out research on politically relevant social issues, in a context free from direct political control. A research method was devised for it whereby researchers made their own values and objectives very explicit, while staying as close as possible in their reports to the concerns and language of respondents themselves. This method has often been criticized by professional sociologists: but it reflects quite well the nature of social knowledge. It has produced reports which help to increase public understanding of social processes, and provide useful guidance to policy makers. Professional sociology on the other hand has tried to develop a rigorously value-free method. As a result, though, it often seems to be tied implicitly to values shared among researchers but not more universally. Arguably this makes it harder for the general public to understand, and accept, its findings.