Blogs & articles

Jailbreak Competition

Blog

22 Feb 2010

I'm attending a seminar this afternoon to find out more about an exciting competition from the Social Innovation Camp and NESTA which I thought you might be interested in.

Citizenship politics, citizenship economics

Blog

19 Feb 2010

Matthew Taylor

It boils down to this: policy and politics must start from the question of citizenship. This has been the core assertion running through my annual lectures, through this blog and through the strategy for the RSA. I am more and more convinced that this idea is the best basis for an intelligent, powerful, and urgently necessary debate about the choices society faces. But given that the demands of my job rule out finding the time and focus to write a book or even an extended pamphlet, how can I get this idea to the centre of current debate?

How many friends does one cyborg need?

Blog

19 Feb 2010

Jonathan Rowson

Yesterday's RSA Thursday featured Robin Dunbar, Director of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford, but  best known  for having his own number (a sure sign of success), 150, which he argues is the upper limit on the number of people you can maintain stable relationships with.

The foundations of localism

Blog

18 Feb 2010

Matthew Taylor

Ministers are digesting the results of the Total Place pilots, 13 schemes around England which explored in depth how public money is spent locally on a particular set of outcomes. It seems that the pilots have found scope for major savings as a result, first, of the simple exercise of analysing why things are being done and whether they achieve any purpose and, second, by much greater inter-agency collaboration - for example, recognising the savings that can be made on health and social care costs by investing more earlier to help people stay in their own homes.

The problem with prisons

Comment

16 Feb 2010

The problem with prisons is Immanuel Kant. Increasing adherence to Kant’s principles by law professors, judges and legislators has driven up prison populations in both the US and the UK. Kant’s principles do not incorporate the empirically observed consequences of imprisonment; rather, they scorn such facts in favour of consistency of method. The result is that too many people are not in prison who should be, and far too many people are in prison who should not be.

Prison works, or at least, it can do

Blog

16 Feb 2010

Matthew Taylor

At the end of last week the RSA published the report on its Prison Learning Network. Despite there being plenty of news coverage for prison related issues - including the Conservative debate about prison ships – we have had very little take up in the national media. Is this because the report isn’t saying anything interesting, or just that it is hard to get coverage for moderate, constructive ideas? You judge….    

How to turn the tide on climate change

Blog

12 Feb 2010

Matthew Taylor

Not many free evenings in this job: Monday I was chairing the event with David Halpern, Tuesday representing the RSA in the battle of the think tanks, Wednesday on a panel for the first LBC/RSA debate broadcast live from the Great Room and last night back in the Great Room for a Green Alliance event about how best to get across the message on climate change. Here I am on Friday evening hacking out only my third post of the week.

Land Art and changing perspectives

Blog

11 Feb 2010

Filming Jan Dibbet's 12 Hours Tide Object with Correction of Perspective, 1969

Bleedin’ obvious? You tell me

Blog

10 Feb 2010

Matthew Taylor

 We hosted an event here yesterday organised by a Scandinavian charitable foundation which promotes dialogue about major social, economic and environmental issues.  Although flattered to be asked to attend, I was a bit sceptical.