The RSA Blog

Why don't we talk about money?

Blog

14 Jan 2011

Jonathan Rowson

Conventional wisdom, which is usually more conventional than wise, advises us that there are three things we should NOT talk about in polite company: sex, religion and money.

I love politicians

Blog

13 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

Here’s an idea for a new website – I love politicians.com

The social economy of place

Blog

12 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

We had an interesting meeting the other day with some senior civil servants (I won’t say the department but it isn’t hard to work out).  We showcased our work in areas ranging from social networks to behaviour change to civic power and received a generous and enthusiastic response. I took two things out of the meeting.  

It’s not the hate, it’s the cynicism

Blog

11 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

As regular readers (I must phone my mum soon) may recall, before switching to the topic of 21st century enlightenment organisations, I considered focussing my 2011 annual lecture on the problems of existing democracy. My starting point was the suggestion that in the modern world, whilst a ‘strong democracy’ is the best model of government, a weak democracy (such as we have in the UK and US) is probably inferior in its socio-economic outcomes to a functioning dictatorship.

The postman only calls once

Blog

10 Jan 2011

T. S. Eliot once wrote that poets are like catalysts that bring about an interaction between two gases.

Would you 'Adam and Eve' it?

Blog

07 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

How about an alliance of writers and broadcasters to preserve key aspects of the English language?

Manufacturing a new project

Blog

06 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

A question raised with me from time to time is whether the RSA does enough to live up to the manufacturing and commerce words in our full title. My answer tends to be a bit defensive but by the middle of this year I would like it to be more positive.

How happy are you with happiness?

Blog

05 Jan 2011

Matthew Taylor

This afternoon I attended the first meeting of Measuring National Well-being Advisory Forum. Most of the people there were from Government agencies or statistical bodies so it was good that the RSA was invited to make a contribution. Between now and April the Office of National Statistics is conducting a public conversation around the Prime Minister’s intention to measure well-being as a key national statistic and there are plans afoot for the RSA to host some part of that conversation.

Nudge(1): Like Fudge, but not as Sweet.

Blog

05 Jan 2011

Jonathan Rowson

Nudge is fast becoming to behaviour change what Google is to search engines. We have started to use the term as a catch-all shorthand for a patchy understanding of something like 'all those fancy psycho-social tricks that alter how people think and act'. In doing so we are in danger of squeezing out all the other approaches we have to changing behaviour that might be more powerful or appropriate, including Think, Steer, and Mindfulness.