tag:theconversation.com,2011:/global/topics/bbc-radio-four-33401/articlesBBC Radio Four – The Conversation2023-04-11T16:12:15Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2029062023-04-11T16:12:15Z2023-04-11T16:12:15ZThe Archers’ electric vehicle row shows why rural areas may oppose chargers – but they also have so much to gain<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520256/original/file-20230411-661-rhfmew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C194%2C5000%2C3128&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/fm-channel-playing-music-stylish-retro-1899377164">Muse Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Long-running BBC radio soap opera <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-the-archers-and-who-listens-to-it-57390">The Archers</a> might conjure images of an idyllic country life, but its storylines frequently highlight real tensions in British society. </p>
<p>The series, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, has been criticised in recent years for storylines which supposedly <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11404361/The-Archers-blasted-trying-woo-trendy-young-listeners-fans.html">pander to younger listeners</a> or <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/08/06/rural-viewers-say-bbc-portrayal-lives-not-grounded-reality/">fail to represent rural life</a> accurately. But the Archers has never shied away from <a href="https://unbound.com/books/underneath-the-archers/">environmental issues</a>, from the escapades of eco-warrior Tom Archer in the late 1990s to more recent episodes about soil health.</p>
<p>Lately, Ambridge has been gripped by a campaign to halt the construction of a new electric vehicle charging station, proposed on a parcel of land being sold by David and Ruth Archer – long-running characters at the centre of the series. This has <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001k7sn">provoked</a> protests, debates about civic duty and police involvement in the rural idyll.</p>
<p>The placards and slogans of local opponents have fused topics of net zero and the energy transition with anxieties about the future of the countryside. What does this storyline tell us about real rural opposition to such changes?</p>
<h2>Charging into trouble</h2>
<p>The UK government has <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-takes-historic-step-towards-net-zero-with-end-of-sale-of-new-petrol-and-diesel-cars-by-2030">pledged to phase out</a> the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030. If electric vehicles (EVs) are to replace them, charging infrastructure must be expanded to help people switch. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.zap-map.com/live/">By some estimates</a> there are over 35,000 active EV charging ports across the UK. The Department for Transport has <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/tenfold-expansion-in-chargepoints-by-2030-as-government-drives-ev-revolution">pledged</a> 300,000 public chargers by 2030 to stop a patchy network of charging points <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/07/electric-cars-batteries-fossil-fuel">putting some drivers off</a> buying EVs and allay concerns about their potentially <a href="https://www.nationalgrid.com/group/what-ev-charging-anxiety-and-range-anxiety-thing-past">shorter driving range</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An electric vehicle charging point in a quiet, coastal car park." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=449&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520248/original/file-20230411-16-plpe9a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=565&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A public charging point in Shetland, Scotland.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hoswick-uk-may-1-2021-two-1985615387">AlanMorris/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Infrastructure built to fulfil national commitments to cut emissions will have important local consequences. The concerns voiced in Ambridge might resonate in rural communities playing host to new construction projects which can bring with them increased traffic, noise and damage to the landscape.</p>
<p>When researching opposition to energy infrastructure for a <a href="https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/a-just-energy-transition">new book</a>, we learned about Littlehampton in Sussex, a seaside town where residents successfully opposed an <a href="https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/politics/council/littlehampton-residents-in-successful-fight-against-electric-car-charging-points-proposal-4060158">on-street EV charging scheme</a>. Residents complained about not being consulted beforehand and argued that charging points, built without off-street parking, would draw drivers from elsewhere who would take spaces from them. </p>
<p>Rural communities have also <a href="https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/23328983.opposition-lodged-solar-farm-yorkshire-farmland/">opposed</a> new <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2023-02-18/heating-or-eating-the-green-energy-dilemma-facing-welsh-farming">renewable energy projects</a>, such as <a href="https://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-is-solar-power-a-threat-to-uk-farmland/">solar farms</a>, for their potential disruption or effect on property values. Many who moved to a rural area to enjoy its natural beauty argue that new infrastructure <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52841223">industrialises the countryside</a>.</p>
<h2>Finding community support</h2>
<p>In The Archers – like in Littlehampton, Sussex – local opposition to new EV charging stations derives from a feeling that something is happening to residents, rather than with or for them. Some Ambridge residents are suspicious of the shell corporation behind the scheme. In real-life Sussex, residents said that they weren’t properly consulted.</p>
<p>Rural opposition is not inevitable, however. With amenities and services often clustered in bigger towns, rural households must travel further to access them, making them particularly vulnerable to rises in the price of <a href="https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/politics/petrol-price-rises-causing-real-hardship-in-rural-communities-tory-peer-warns-3730743">petrol or diesel</a>. </p>
<p>This vulnerability has been exacerbated by dramatic cuts to rural bus routes. An analysis by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/jan/24/almost-one-10-local-bus-services-axed-last-year-great-britain">the Guardian</a> found that one in ten routes were axed in 2022, with <a href="https://thebristolcable.org/2023/01/west-of-england-bus-passengers-face-more-cuts-as-dozens-of-services-to-be-axed-in-april/#:%7E:text=Bus%20passengers%20in%20the%20West,will%20most%20likely%20be%20withdrawn.">42 routes</a> lost from the west of England alone. </p>
<p>Withdrawing public transport funding <a href="https://www.somersetlive.co.uk/news/local-news/were-being-cut-everything-say-8106800">cuts off</a> rural communities from essential services and friends and family elsewhere. These same communities could <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/about/news/rural-communities-could-benefit-most-electric-vehicles">benefit the most</a> from an expanded EV charging network.</p>
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<img alt="A bus shelter beside an empty rural road." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520254/original/file-20230411-894-hzuvnf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Cuts to public transport funding have hit rural communities particularly hard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/bus-stop-shelter-glass-on-road-1943044492">Harry Wedzinga/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Some rural communities aren’t waiting for this to happen and have taken to sharing electric cars to fill the gaps left by lost services instead. For example, new <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-48011957">EV clubs</a> are being formed in Wales to give people easier access to shared transport. </p>
<p>These schemes ask people to pay an annual membership fee in return for being able to book a car 48 hours in advance. This is helping people get to GP appointments or job interviews. </p>
<p>But while those living in Greater London might access a charging point <a href="https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/new-analysis-shows-chasm-in-electric-vehicle-chargers-between-rural-areas-and-cities-with-london-having-more-than-englands-counties-combined/">every mile on average</a>, this number jumps to one every 16 miles in <a href="https://www.countycouncilsnetwork.org.uk/about/ccn-councils/">rural areas</a>. </p>
<h2>Plugging the gaps</h2>
<p>One reason why rural areas are underserved by EV chargers <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/electric-vehicle-charging-market-study-final-report/final-report">concerns their cost-effectiveness</a>. In areas where there might be less immediate demand, the upfront investment needed to install a charging point will take longer to pay off. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.theccc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Costs-and-impacts-of-on-street-charging-Ricardo.pdf">New subsidies and grants</a> could help install more chargers in more places. But it will be necessary to work with communities to prevent conflict. </p>
<p>Despite the uproar in Ambridge, rural areas have a lot to gain from charging infrastructure. Residents will have differing views which planners must address.</p>
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<img alt="Imagine weekly climate newsletter" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/434988/original/file-20211201-21-13avx6y.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>What the BBC Radio 4 drama gets right (and wrong) about rural opposition to the energy transition.Ed Atkins, Senior Lecturer, School of Geographical Sciences, University of BristolRos Death, Lecturer in Physical Geography, University of BristolLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1552432021-03-04T12:48:40Z2021-03-04T12:48:40ZWomen in mosques: fixating on the number of female imams overlooks the progress that has been made<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/387041/original/file-20210301-15-6rxysa.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=14%2C0%2C1599%2C1065&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Zara Mohammed, the new secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, was recently questioned about Muslim female leadership on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Abdulmukith Ahmed/Muslim Council of Britain</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Debate continues in the wake of a high-profile Radio 4 Woman’s Hour interview with Zara Mohammed, the <a href="https://mcb.org.uk/press-releases/zara-mohammed-elected-secretary-general-of-the-muslim-council-of-britain/">first woman general secretary</a> of the <a href="https://mcb.org.uk">Muslim Council of Britain</a>. Mohammed was pressured live on air to answer a question about how many female imams there are in Britain. Following accusations of <a href="https://twitter.com/KhanNaima/status/1359497492195344388?s=20">hostile</a> questioning from host Emma Barnett, the discussion pivoted to a widely misunderstood issue in Britain and beyond: the role of Muslim women in religious spaces. </p>
<p>To dispel some of those misconceptions, it’s important to understand the varied experiences of Muslim women in a number of religious roles and communities around the world. There are complicated reasons for the lack of women in leadership roles but that is not to say that no progress has been made on updating gender disparities in Islamic religious life.</p>
<h2>Women’s voices in Muslim communities</h2>
<p>Whether questions about women’s roles in mosques are raised within the Muslim community itself or by wider British society, Muslim women’s own views and practices are key. </p>
<p>Muslim women are increasingly calling for more mosques to include them. Organisations such as the <a href="https://www.mwnuk.co.uk">Muslim Women’s Network UK</a>, <a href="https://www.faith-matters.org">Faith Matters</a> and <a href="https://www.citizensuk.org">Citizens UK</a> have urged mosques to open up spaces for women and to include them in mosque leadership. The <a href="http://minab.org.uk">Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board</a> and the Muslim Council of Britain have issued similar recommendations, as has the <a href="https://www.vibrantscottishmosques.com">Vibrant Scottish Mosques</a> initiative. The Muslim Council of Britain has also launched a programme of <a href="https://mcb.org.uk/project/women-in-mosques-development-programme/">leadership training for women</a>. These initiatives also build on an established history of <a href="https://www.bakerinstitute.org/media/files/files/e07c564c/bi-brief-100218-cme-carnegie-kunkler.pdf">women as Islamic scholars</a>. </p>
<p>In some contexts, women have reacted against male-dominated mosques by establishing mosques that are led by women. The first women-only mosque in the US, <a href="https://womensmosque.com">The Women’s Mosque of America</a>, opened in Los Angeles in 2015, mirroring women-only mosques that have served the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35629565">Hui community in China</a> for several hundred years. In the UK, the <a href="https://www.muslimwomenscouncil.org.uk">Muslim Women’s Council</a> launched an initiative in 2015 to establish a new <a href="https://www.muslimwomenscouncil.org.uk/project/womens-building">women-led mosque</a> in Bradford. The planned mosque will be open to women and men. Prayers where both women and men partake will be led by a male imam. </p>
<p>A more radical innovation is the <a href="https://inclusivemosque.org/about/">Inclusive Mosque Initiative</a> established in London in 2012, which offers a space for worship without gender segregation and works with <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/womans-hour-emma-barnett-female-imams_uk_6023c01bc5b6173dd2fabb51?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMKVWZghNhRu2dMt8OkTAB3zywf7gpHlbkvAepCZmUDsZcRTuDoK6wrXMVJf1I8wmROzKE8PTBnWYYPlI0HOnieWCUvmr8b2LzwN36Wyn0HK9_xPYGpiL6d34pK1YSFoejTg_Pel-RfUf4gAYtjHqOHzTkkUA53FlmT_nu_ktMNi">women imams such as Naima Khan</a>. American female imam <a href="https://musliminstitute.org/freethinking/gender/women-led-mixed-prayer-no-longer-out-cold">Amina Wadud</a> has led gender-mixed prayers in Oxford, London and elsewhere. Other gender and <a href="https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/03/15/what-is-lgbtq-what-does-the-plus-stand-for-and-is-anyone-left-out/">LGBTQ+</a> inclusive developments have emerged in <a href="http://www.jumacircle.com/who-we-are">Canada</a>, the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeWkn95a2EM">US</a>, <a href="https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20190908-female-imams-lead-prayers-france-mosque-islam-inclusive-fundamentalist-segregation">France</a>, <a href="https://www.ibn-rushd-goethe-moschee.de/en/die-moschee/">Germany</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cswjfl">Denmark</a>. </p>
<p>Still, opinions are divided about women’s participation in mosques. My <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/5/321/htm">interview study with Muslim women in the UK and Norway</a> found that they were highly appreciative of dedicated mosque spaces for women. Some also wanted greater influence for women in mosque governance. While some sought advice from imams deemed to be supportive of women, others were critical of imams harbouring conservative views on women’s roles. </p>
<p>The participants agreed, however, that only men can be imams and lead prayers for gender-mixed audiences. This rule was seen as rooted in religious prescriptions and as such was not up for debate. The women also suggested that “authentic” or true Islam supports women’s rights and equal value, while “cultural” or “traditional” forms of Islam deny this. </p>
<h2>Women’s roles in mosques</h2>
<p>Mosques are houses of religious worship that also function as community hubs for social events, welfare services, charitable activities, political engagement and even sports. They are typically governed by male-dominated boards and the main religious leadership role is held by the male imam.</p>
<p>While only men have a religious duty to pray at the mosque, women are increasingly participating in mosques throughout the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/5/321/htm">UK</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1350506808091506">Europe</a> and <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=XDLcBAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA225&dq=women+in+American+mosques&ots=V_29DyeJZ5&sig=ImOdUZlHrad7CQaJlQKv_05eDxA&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=women%20in%20American%20mosques&f=false">North America</a>. </p>
<p>Some mosques are welcoming and facilitate women’s participation via separate entrances and prayer rooms. These spaces allow women to exercise religious leadership in women-only contexts including leading women’s prayer. Other mosques are less traditional.</p>
<p>Overall, Muslim women’s complex engagement with mosques shows both compliance with, and challenges to, male power and authority. Debates about women’s leadership, authority and participation in mosques, then, are clearly here to stay. While some may be more polarising than others, these discussions raise fundamental questions about democratic governance, gender equality, religious freedom and self-determination. Regardless of people’s views, it should be evident that when it comes to the complex issue of women’s roles in mosques, evidence-based approaches are always best.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/155243/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Line Nyhagen has received funding from the European Commission's 6th framework programme (2007-2011).</span></em></p>Complaints against BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour over an interview about female leadership in Islam have revealed how complex the issue isLine Nyhagen, Professor in Sociology, Loughborough UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1063902018-11-13T11:04:27Z2018-11-13T11:04:27ZHome Front: 100 years on, BBC’s groundbreaking four-year experiment brought real people to life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245295/original/file-20181113-194497-tm7cgb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">From August 2014, the BBC's four-year project followed the lives of ordinary people facing the stress of war on the home front.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When the debut of the BBC Radio Four World War I drama <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b03thbcj">Home Front</a> aired in August 2014, it was <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/arts-culture-news/birmingham-made-bbc-radio-drama-tells-7599958">described as</a> “the most ambitious radio drama project embarked on by the BBC for half a century”. Over four years and 600 episodes, Home Front brought to life the stories of individual lives during World War I, with each episode set exactly 100 years from the day of broadcast.</p>
<p>Home Front, which finished on the day before Remembrance Sunday, is a fictitious drama – but told against the <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/2018/03/were-using-the-same-aga-and-belfast-sink-as-jill-archer-how-radio-4-made-home-front/">factual background of World War I</a>, drawing on a kaleidoscope of different perspectives, compelling storylines are melded around the events at the time. </p>
<p>This is a story, not about the war, but about how the country was changed by it. Based variously in the southern English seaside town of Folkestone, the north-eastern shipbuilding centre of Tynesmouth and Devon in England’s west country – it brings to life crucial changes in national consciousness. This includes how limitations on male-only jobs were swept aside by the desperate <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radio4/entries/9656419c-7269-495d-927e-51423950e31e">need for women</a> to fill <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/27WcbTgjzwnGSR9CJ54dPdK/6-surprising-stories-from-the-home-front-in-world-war-one">posts left vacant</a>; the appetite for new forms of spiritualism to make contact with lost sons and husbands; and the sharp disenchantment with established values, as eager young recruits are returned damaged or dead.</p>
<p>There may no longer be any “Tommies” left alive – but there are still plenty of people who remember a parent or great grandparent who had been shaped by the war. For a younger generation, Home Front draws on shared memories to reclaim a sense of the personal and communal from the desolating image of the trenches.</p>
<p>This is also a <a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/intellect/rj/2014/00000012/F0020001/art00010">pivotal time</a> in how we mark shared events. As radio competes with <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/02/age-podcasts-era-communal-listening-over">on-demand digital platforms</a>, Home Front feels like the chance to make an impact when there is still a shared listening audience <a href="http://www.digitalnewsreport.org/survey/2018/podcasts-and-new-audio-strategies/">in the UK at least</a>.</p>
<h2>A fine line to tread</h2>
<p>The challenge is to turn fine intentions into good drama. Telling complex stories involving 65 characters into 12-minute episodes is a tall order. As consultant to the series, historian <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/first-world-war/sanitising-the-past-should-historical-drama-reflect-modern-sensibilities/">Maggie Andrews</a>, notes: child-beating, chauvinism and anti-German vitriol were all present at the time, but portrayed too frequently and the audience may lose sympathy in the characters. Used well, however, and it can be a powerful source of drama. In one poignant scene, a vicar’s wife writes to her husband about the death of their infant child, the husband having left for France being unable to recognise their mixed-race child, as his own.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=260&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245062/original/file-20181112-83567-eo819d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=327&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Home Front set out to portray the ordinary lives of people facing the hardships of World War I.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In order to address the vastness of the shared experience, while also keeping a sense of the personal, the production uses the clever trick of telling each episode from a <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/writersroom/entries/dc24c0c6-74ec-3071-8265-4a8184713d9a">different viewpoint</a>. In individual episodes stories may seem domestic – but listen across seasons and you experience <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p054rr2x">air-raids</a> in Folkestone, industrial disputes in Tyneside, espionage in Belgium and coastal hospitals overwhelmed by the injured. Despite this, individuals are never lost in the epic sweep of the series.</p>
<h2>‘Event listening’</h2>
<p>The series has not been without its critics. Some bemoan a <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-may-be-world-war-i-overkill-but-home-front-is-essential-listening-34883">morbid fascination</a> with the war, others observe a Radio Four tone of dialogue-heavy content, as opposed to the trend for confessional-style podcasts or strongly soundscaped action-dramas such as Stardust (Neil Gaiman and Dirk Maggs) or Home Front’s companion series Tommies. </p>
<p>But with an audience of up to three million per week it is among the the most listened-to radio dramas in the UK, behind The Archers. To put that in context, top US fiction podcasts have reached <a href="https://www.werealive.com/blog/">100m downloads</a> – but as a radio production and podcast, Home Front has achieved more than 300m listens.</p>
<p>There is also a passionate following on social media and a surprisingly international audience. In researching the series, I talked to audio drama producer Austin Beach from Kentucky, who admired the authenticity of the characters and settings, as well as a French listener who ran a petition to extend the series. There was also a German listener who praised the characterisation of Germans as being “as real as their British counterparts”, and observing “you might even like them.”</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1060876906910924800"}"></div></p>
<p>These successes notwithstanding, it’s an open question whether something like Home Front might be repeated in the future. When commissioned in 2013 Radio 4 was unequivocally the dominant story-telling medium in the UK, now it <a href="https://theconversation.com/netflix-of-the-spoken-word-big-changes-in-the-world-of-audio-for-2017-70553">competes for market share</a> with podcasters, publishers and the Amazon audiobook subsidiary, Audible. Will public service broadcasting continue to have the shared, unifying power of radio, in a world of on-demand multi-channel listening?</p>
<h2>Public service broadcasting in a new era</h2>
<p>Home Front is a remarkable series, full of subtle humour and some breathtakingly poignant moments. But more than this, it transports listeners to a world that lies on the cusp of memory and history. In this sense it is a triumph of the Reithian values: to inform, to educate and to entertain.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/245063/original/file-20181112-83593-1qqa1s0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">‘Event radio: Home Front is among the the most listened-to radio dramas in the UK.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>As BBC radio embarks on a new era, with the <a href="http://www.musicweek.com/digital/read/it-is-a-really-significant-landmark-bbc-sounds-launches-with-artist-curated-content/074284">launch of the digital platform BBC Sounds</a> designed to appeal to younger audiences, I hope that it continues to champion the public interest by backing big initiatives like Home Front. But I also believe it has a role in coordinating and nurturing talent. </p>
<p>In a recent project I was involved in, the <a href="http://www.11thhouraudio.com/">11th Hour Audio project</a>, podcasters from all over the world collaborated to create new horror-themed productions for <a href="https://www.audiodramaday.com/">World Audio Drama Day</a>. The BBC does not always need to commission content; competitions, sharing studio time or co-productions could be an alternative route to reaching new audiences in commemorating national events.</p>
<p>As the last bugle sounds on this epic production, BBC Radio should be congratulated on commissioning a risky but rewarding series. Many will miss it, some will not, but there is no denying the ambition which proves the value of public service broadcasting. And if you haven’t had the chance to listen, it will continue to be available for 10 years online.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/106390/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Brooks works for the Institute of Coding funded by the Office for Students.</span></em></p>Over four years, this BBC Radio 4 drama chronicled the daily lives of ordinary people dealing with the hardships of World War I.Richard Brooks, Research Associate - Centre for Business in Society, Coventry UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/918662018-02-16T09:23:32Z2018-02-16T09:23:32ZThe Archers: an everyday story of accents, character and status<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206597/original/file-20180215-131024-7vjooe.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Looking classy: William Grundy and Brian Aldridge from The Archers.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.bbcpictures.co.uk/image/170157?collection=167440+170157+284254+167590+280486+281066+282172+164203+169897+283514+284098+280629+281925+281209&back=L3NlYXJjaC9zaW1wbGU%2Fc2VhcmNoJTVCZ2xvYmFsJTVEPWFyY2hlcnMmYW1wO3NlYXJjaCU1QnN1Ym1pdCU1RD1TZWFyY2g%3D">Gary Moyes/BBC</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When it comes to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/2PyW5l1l3fVTyWBLRZcc9j3/whos-who">who’s who in the Archers</a>, Brian and Jennifer Aldridge are landed gentry, the Grundys are struggling farm-workers and Lynda Snell is snooty. How do we know? We trust the evidence of our ears – it’s clear from the way they speak.</p>
<p>Accents play a vital role in building character in radio dramas – and The Archers is no different. Unlike TV and film – which have the added visual resource of physical appearance and clothes – radio relies purely on the voice when it comes to creating that initial impression. </p>
<p>In real life, the way we speak is central to the way we are perceived by others. We use our voices both consciously (often strategically) and unconsciously in order to help construct the very identities that we perform and negotiate in our day-to-day interactions. This is not to say that we are all in the habit of taking on completely different personalities when we feel like it. Rather it is an acknowledgement of the fact that our identities are multiple, multifaceted and fluid. We use our voices, as well as our dress and behaviour, to subtly adjust our identities according to the context in which we find ourselves. </p>
<h2>Voicing class distinctions</h2>
<p>In radio, TV, and film, accent is used a great deal in the creation of character. It is well known that in American productions, a British accent is often used <a href="https://daily.jstor.org/very-british-villains-and-other-anglo-saxon-attitudes-to-accents/">to signify a “villain”</a> and “foreign” accents are also often <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/01/why-do-cartoon-villains-speak-in-foreign-accents/549527/">used this way</a> in animated films and TV programmes. By doing this, the producers are at the same time buying into – and reinforcing – social stereotypes that we have all grown up with. There is no linguistic reason for an accent to be associated with particular characteristics – we are simply loading the voice with the social baggage it has culturally acquired over generations. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206606/original/file-20180215-131000-cxfxxa.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Clarrie Grundy: salt of the earth.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.bbcpictures.co.uk/image/116499?collection=116478+116499+116457&back=L3NlYXJjaC9zaW1wbGU%2Fc2VhcmNoJTVCZ2xvYmFsJTVEPUNsYXJyaWUrR3J1bmR5KyUyOFJPU0FMSU5EK0FEQU1TJTI5JmFtcDtzZWFyY2glNUJzdWJtaXQlNUQ9U2VhcmNo">Amelia Troubridge/BBC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="8" data-image="" data-title="What Clarrie sounds like." data-size="205413" data-source="BBC" data-source-url="" data-license="" data-license-url="">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1055/clarrie.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
What Clarrie sounds like.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span><span class="download"><span>201 KB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1055/clarrie.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<p>The Archers is no stranger to the use of stereotypical accents in its construction of the social hierarchy of Ambridge. Distinctions of status and class are instantly defined in the contrasting voices of characters such as Brian and Jennifer Aldridge on the one hand and Eddie and Clarrie Grundy on the other. Brian and the rest of the Aldridges are given the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/voices/yourvoice/rpandbbc.shtml">Received Pronunciation</a> (RP) of prestige and power, while the Grundys are given the generic “rural” accent of struggling farm-hand.</p>
<p>Never mind that the Grundy’s accents are hard to place regionally, the drawn-out vowels in words such as “lot”, “palm” and “goat” – and the full pronunciation of “r” in words such as “farmer”, are enough to signify “country folk” to city-dwelling listeners. </p>
<p>Of course, for regular listeners, the accents are just part and parcel of the characters we’ve known for years. We don’t only rely on Lynda Snell’s trademark enunciation to tell us she thinks she’s a cut above the rest of the community, we know this from her behaviour. Just as we know that Ian Craig is a kind and trustworthy friend.</p>
<h2>Status and solidarity</h2>
<p>In order to attempt to isolate the role of accent in the process of characterisation, I carried out a preliminary study using people who don’t listen to The Archers. I played the participants short, content-neutral clips of various characters and asked them to rate the voices on measurements of status (posh, intelligent, educated) and solidarity (friendly, kind, trustworthy). </p>
<p>Sure enough, the assessments followed a familiar pattern, with characters such as Brian, Jennifer, Lynda and Jim Lloyd scoring highly on measures of status, but characters such as Clarrie, Eddie, Emma and Jazzer taking their place on measures of solidarity. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206604/original/file-20180215-131006-1xy2ux7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Jazzer: listeners hear him as a sympathetic character.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.bbcpictures.co.uk/image/165595?collection=118397+118481+118664+118727+118164+118203+118811+163753+163789+163861+166137+165595+164059+164167+164275+164592&back=L3NlYXJjaC9zaW1wbGU%2Fc2VhcmNoJTVCZ2xvYmFsJTVEPWFyY2hlcnMlMkJlbW1hJmFtcDtzZWFyY2glNUJiYmNfd2VlayU1RD0mYW1wO3NlYXJjaCU1QmNoYW5uZWwlNUQ9JmFtcDtzZWFyY2glNUJwcm9ncmFtbWUlNUQ9JmFtcDtzZWFyY2glNUJrZXl3b3JkcyU1RD0mYW1wO3BhZ2U9MTAmYW1wOw%3D%3D">Gary Moyes/BBC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="7" data-image="" data-title="What Jazzer sounds like." data-size="170972" data-source="BBC" data-source-url="" data-license="" data-license-url="">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1054/jazzer.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
What Jazzer sounds like.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span><span class="download"><span>167 KB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1054/jazzer.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<p>This would suggest that the required cultural associations are firmly in place, allowing the producers to make use of these stereotypes. Indeed, this is usually a safe bet in traditionally class-conscious Britain, where accents have always been seen as an indication of social position. </p>
<p>But when those cultural associations aren’t guaranteed, the story changes. When I isolated the assessments of people who didn’t grow up in the UK – and for whom English is a second language – the neat and predictable pattern largely disappeared. </p>
<p>For this group, Brian did not sound so posh. In fact, Clarrie was identified by some as having a posh voice, along with Emma and even Eddie. On this and many of the measures, the results were less focused, covering a greater range, suggesting that respondents were using less consistent criteria to evaluate the voices. </p>
<p>The chart below illustrates this difference. It shows the range of status and solidarity measures for Emma and Brian, for both the first language English speakers and second language English speakers. Notice how the clear differences between status and solidarity for the first language speakers disappear for the second language speakers. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/206457/original/file-20180214-124909-1scwr0t.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Measures of status and solidarity for Emma and Brian.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="20" data-image="" data-title="How Brian sounds (with his wife Jennifer)" data-size="471112" data-source="BBC" data-source-url="" data-license="" data-license-url="">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1056/brian-and-jennifer.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
How Brian sounds (with his wife Jennifer)
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span><span class="download"><span>460 KB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1056/brian-and-jennifer.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<p><audio preload="metadata" controls="controls" data-duration="12" data-image="" data-title="How Emma sounds." data-size="301950" data-source="BBC" data-source-url="" data-license="" data-license-url="">
<source src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1057/emma.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">
</audio>
<div class="audio-player-caption">
How Emma sounds.
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span><span class="download"><span>295 KB</span> <a target="_blank" href="https://cdn.theconversation.com/audio/1057/emma.mp3">(download)</a></span></span>
</div></p>
<p>It would be hard to pinpoint the location of Borsetshire if we were using accent alone. The apparently local non-RP accents display a number of features from a variety of UK regions. However, the continued English preoccupation with accent and social class means that we are left in no doubt as to the pecking order of the residents of Ambridge.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/91866/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rob Drummond does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When it comes to radio drama, accents can be as important as the script itself.Rob Drummond, Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Manchester Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/885082017-12-12T23:15:07Z2017-12-12T23:15:07ZThe mathematics of Christmas: A review of the Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198833/original/file-20171212-9383-fpkw5u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can you prove Santa Claus exists using mathematical logic? </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>How do you prove Santa Claus exists using mathematical logic? What’s an optimal algorithm for wrapping Christmas gifts? Does the heat equation give insights on how to best cook a turkey? </p>
<p>These are a few of the questions addressed in the book <em>The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas</em> by Hannah Fry and Thomas Oléron Evans.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=980&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1232&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1232&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/199061/original/file-20171213-27583-gmsepo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1232&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption"><em>The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus: The Mathematics of Christmas</em></span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Overlook Press)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Indisputable-Existence-Santa-Claus-Mathematics/dp/1468316125">The new hardcover edition is out now</a>, just in time for the holidays (the book was first published last year). Both Fry and Evans are mathematicians, and bring an equal measure of rigour and humour to the text. Fry frequently presents on BBC radio and television, working to popularize mathematics. She has a knack for bringing math to the masses: <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/hannah_fry_the_mathematics_of_love">Her TEDx talk on the mathematics of love</a> garnered over four million views.</p>
<p>Mathematics is not necessarily the first thing we think of over the holidays, or even the second, third or <em>n</em><sup>th</sup> thing (where <em>n</em> is an arbitrarily large positive integer). </p>
<p>For a decent proportion of the population, equations, calculations and geometry are things to avoid altogether. With all the gift buying, card sending and holiday parties with friends, family and co-workers, math may be the farthest thing from our minds.</p>
<h2>Math is everywhere</h2>
<p>What the authors set out to do is to glide readers gently towards the deductive, quantitative mindset of a mathematician. They succeed in doing this by breaking the book into bite-sized chapters written in an engaging and accessible fashion. The hardcover edition is petite. It fits nicely in stockings.</p>
<p>The authors also know a trade secret in mathematics: The subject is everywhere. More importantly, math can be downright fun — if presented in the right way.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198830/original/file-20171212-9389-sg7ues.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Hannah Fry with Adam Rutherford recording their BBC Radio show which explores everyday science mysteries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07dx75g/episodes/downloads">(BBC)</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The topics are familiar but have a fresh, mathematical take. In one chapter, they tackle the problem of decorating a Christmas tree. Mathematics appears when they compute the optimal length of a garland based on whether the tree is either cylindrical shaped (the easier case) or conical (the tougher but more realistic case). </p>
<p>An application of platonic solids in a step-by-step guide leads to the creation of a <a href="http://mathworld.wolfram.com/IcosahedronStellations.html">20-pointed stellation of the icosahedron</a> — in plain language, a pretty, star-like Christmas ornament.</p>
<p>The applications of mathematics to Christmas discussed in the book are diverse — from the economics of gift buying, to game theory as a strategy for winning at Monopoly, to optimizing ways to cut a cake into even pieces. </p>
<p>Stressed out by Secret Santa, where co-workers buy each other randomly-assigned gifts? The theory of combinatorics and derangements gives the reader a fair way to operate Secret Santa, so no one ends up buying themselves a present.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/198820/original/file-20171212-9404-1jnddai.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A pretty star-like shape formed from an icosahedron.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>One of my favourite parts of the work (and one that is decidedly tongue-in-cheek) is the application of two-step Markov chains to simulate the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouieLx4VryU">Queen’s annual Christmas speech</a>. </p>
<p>The authors do this by studying the Queen’s past holiday elocutions and presenting simple, probabilistic rules for how she composes her sentences. The output is a vaguely familiar but nonsensical take on the Queen’s Christmas speech. However, as the authors point out “…it may make her sound like she’s overdone it on eggnog, but hey — isn’t that what Christmas is all about.”</p>
<p>Anyone with a basic grasp of mathematics at a post-high school level will find the book simple enough to follow. If you are a fan of irreverent, Monty Pythonesque humor, then this is for you.</p>
<p>No other mathematical background or sophistication is needed, but if the sight of an equation or derivation sends you flying up the chimney, then you might skip this one on your reading list. Precocious kids and teens will enjoy it, as will STEM geeks. Mathematicians are also happily accepting Christmas gifts.</p>
<h2>Proving the existence of Santa Claus</h2>
<p>How do the authors prove the existence of Santa Claus? After all, Santa Claus is commonly considered a kids fairy tale; something that parents make up to convince their kids to behave or go to bed early. </p>
<p>To do so, they begin with a statement to consider: “Everything on this page and everything on page 152 is false….” Turning to page 152, you’ll find the statement: “Santa Claus exists….” These two statements are all you need to prove Santa Clause exists, according to the authors. </p>
<p>As this review is spoiler-free, you’ll have to read the book to get the full explanation. One hint is that the truth or falsity of self-referential statements traces back to the <a href="https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/liar-paradox/">Liar paradox</a> and <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-godels-theorem/">Kurt Gödel’s incompleteness theorems</a>. </p>
<p>After reading about all the applications of mathematics to Christmas, it’s evident to me that if Santa Claus exists, he loves mathematics.</p>
<p>Prove me wrong!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88508/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anthony Bonato does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>How do you prove Santa Claus exists using mathematical logic? A review of Fry and Evan’s book on the mathematics of Christmas.Anthony Bonato, Professor of Mathematics, Toronto Metropolitan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/860292017-11-07T11:34:42Z2017-11-07T11:34:42ZAs it turns 50, BBC Local Radio needs fresh ideas to survive the digital onslaught<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193414/original/file-20171106-1046-1vlddmo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Mita Stock Images via Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When it comes to celebrating anniversaries, radio finds it hard – before the days of downloadable online content, radio by its very nature was transient and ephemeral. We tend to remember the act of listening to the radio rather than the programmes themselves. Yet radio anniversaries have been falling thick and fast in 2017, with BBC Radios 1, 2, 3 and 4 all celebrating their <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-bbc-radio-1-is-forever-young-at-50-years-old-84741">50th birthdays</a> and the Today programme <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-bbcs-today-programme-is-60-years-old-and-the-listening-figures-show-its-still-fighting-fit-86332">marking its 60th</a>.</p>
<p>Now it’s the turn of BBC Local Radio, which also <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/general/local-radio">launched in 1967</a>, almost as a byproduct of the <a href="https://www.philedmonds.com/2017/08/50th-anniversary-of-marine-broadcasting-offences-act-pirate-radio-audio-revisted/">Marine Offences Act</a>, when unlicensed or pirate radio was outlawed, paving the way for the BBC to reorganise the networks. </p>
<p>Local Radio can be forgiven for playing down its 50th year – on several counts. Strictly speaking, the anniversary applies to the service itself and the three stations which launched in 1967 (Leicester, Sheffield and Merseyside), rather than the remaining 37 stations across England, which emerged subsequently.</p>
<p>But the anniversary is also a reminder of local radio’s origins, and why it may be facing an existential crisis. As broadcaster and radio consultant David Lloyd <a href="http://davidlloyd-radio.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/goodbye-from-bbc-local-radio.html">highlighted in his blog</a>, regulator OFCOM has drafted a <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0025/99520/bbc-draft-licence.pdf">new operating licence</a> for BBC radio services, which leaves the door open to radical changes which would strike at the very heart of local radio’s <em>raison d’etre</em>.</p>
<p>Lloyd speculates that if the draft licence is adopted, the BBC could abandon the requirement to serve an audience that is aged over 50. News coverage could be diluted and the commitment to “champion the local area” might vanish.</p>
<p>These proposals would unmask the paradox that has never fully been resolved, which is how to define what BBC Local Radio really is. Critics have been quick to dismiss it as community-lite, a service that only shines in times of crisis (often weather-related), and easily lampooned for trite items and dull phone-ins and – perhaps in jest – presenters in the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-23442234/the-real-alan-partridge-meet-bbc-norfolk-s-wally-webb">Alan Partridge mould</a>.</p>
<h2>Connecting communities</h2>
<p>Broadcaster and BBC executive, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-frank-gillard-1179964.html">Frank Gillard</a> – who is rightly regarded as the founding father of Local Radio – wanted a network of stations that would connect communities, and, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/research/general/local-radio">as he put it</a>: “Present on the air, and in many different forms and through a multitude of local voices, the running serial story of local life in all its forms.”</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=815&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193420/original/file-20171106-1017-culfnj.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1024&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Frank Gillard, the founding father of BBC Local Radio.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Polygoon Hollands Nieuws</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Gillard’s vision was to realise the public’s growing dissatisfaction with metropolitan-centred broadcasting that had dominated BBC radio in the post-war years. He promoted a resurgent interest in local affairs, ranging from municipal politics to community interaction. Despite launching tentatively as an eight-station experiment in 1967-68, BBC Local Radio broke new ground in developing a rich tapestry of output aimed at local communities. It combined specialist interest programmes with civic coverage and news from the doorstep. </p>
<p>As is clear from the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/written.shtml">BBC Written Archive</a>, the success of the early stations was partly due to this pioneering spirit and the autonomy that they enjoyed, led by all-powerful station managers. </p>
<p>In her memoir, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/4413487/Why-were-still-ga-ga-for-radio.html">Radio: A True Love Story</a>, journalist and presenter Libby Purves lovingly recalled the extraordinary opportunity for trying out new ideas, mindful that everything was done on a shoestring. Purves also hits on an overlooked contribution to the ecology of radio, the development of the broadcaster as a multi-skilled professional “with my knobs and chinographs and razor blades”. Radio is a craft – and the local training ground has helped many aspiring producers and presenters to learn their trade.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/193449/original/file-20171106-1008-1v3wcoo.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=569&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Gay and Lesbian London, a community programme on BBC GLR 94.9.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that I owe my career in radio and then academia to the opportunities given to me while working in Local Radio. In my case it began by co-presenting and producing a long-running community programme aimed at the LGBT audience in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_London">London</a>.</p>
<h2>Modern times, new demands</h2>
<p>The radio landscape has radically altered in the past couple of decades. Many
of Local Radio’s problems stem from the difficultly in matching the early success of the pioneering stations. </p>
<p>The old guard in Broadcasting House never really understood it. BBC managers reacted by reining in the stations, so they lost much of their individuality. Local Radio also faced endless cash shortages. Less money meant larger stations – and, by 1980, after a series of working parties organised by the <a href="http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1980/dec/18/local-radio-stations">Home Office</a> to share out frequencies between the BBC and the Independent Broadcasting Authority (for commercial local radio), BBC Local Radio became less small-scale and more countywide. This inevitably diluted the local connection. Now, local has become almost quasi-regional in places – radios Cumbria and Cornwall, for instance, both serve dispersed and diverse populations. Then there’s the perennially vexed question of London, where Local Radio has always had mixed fortunes.</p>
<p>Ironically, it’s the expanding network of <a href="https://www.ofcom.org.uk/about-ofcom/latest/media/media-releases/2015/60-dab-trials">small-scale community stations</a> that is coming closer to matching Gillard’s original dream. But the key difference between community radio and Local Radio is the principle of public service broadcasting, to serve areas and populations that would otherwise be ignored. Yet it still comes at a price.</p>
<p>The most recent <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/insidethebbc/howwework/reports/ara">BBC Annual Report</a> put the cost of Local Radio at £112.9m a year (2016-17), which is double the funding of Radio 2 or 5Live. Some 14.6% of the available listeners in England tune in each week, which is a bit less than the UK-wide Radio 1 audience. That works out at 4p per hour per listener – which is expensive compared to the networks, but the appreciation index is the joint highest (with Radio 3) at 82.7.</p>
<p>However, the audience is falling – with 8.25m weekly reach in the most recent quarter, which is down from 8.43m in the previous year.</p>
<p>Undoubtedly Local Radio will need to adapt and work more creatively in the future (such as the “<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38843461">local democracy</a>” scheme with newspaper groups). It should diversify more into “non-live” output (podcasts, multi-platform, creative use of content using visuals, such as video and graphics). There’s still a loyal, licence fee-paying audience that regard Local Radio as their friendly radio – and that surely makes a strong case for the BBC to continue this service for the coming 50 years.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/86029/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Matthew Linfoot part of the Communication and Media Research Institute (CAMRI) at the University of Westminster, which is organising an event on November 18 to mark the 50th anniversary of BBC Local Radio. For details visit: <a href="http://www.westminster.ac.uk/camri/event">www.westminster.ac.uk/camri/event</a>.</span></em></p>Five decades after its launch, BBC Local Radio faces an existential crisis and needs energy and vision to secure its future.Matthew Linfoot, Principal Lecturer, University of WestminsterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/690612016-11-18T14:50:14Z2016-11-18T14:50:14ZDo people lie about their music tastes on Desert Island Discs?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/146566/original/image-20161118-19348-imcl8n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Kirsty Young, presenter of the show since 2006. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">BBC Pictures</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you’ve ever been asked what your favourite music is, you may have struggled to come up with a satisfying answer. On some level, we all know that the answer says a lot about who you are as a person. </p>
<p>In fact, researchers <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12793587">have studied</a> the links between music tastes and personality traits for the past 15 years. I have been involved in a new piece of <a href="http://pom.sagepub.com/content/early/2016/10/06/0305735616670497.abstract">research</a> to see how well the findings predict reality. Fortunately, there was a huge resource in the public domain to help us: the music choices of the interviewees on the BBC radio programme <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qnmr">Desert Island Discs</a>, going all the way back to 1942. </p>
<p>Interviewees on the weekly programme are all in the public eye or prominent in their field, with recent examples including <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07m4gls">Jilly Cooper</a>, <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b080py3v">Michael Bublé</a> and <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06z1zdt">Bill Gates</a>. They are asked by the host, Kirsty Young, to imagine they have been marooned on a desert island and can take eight pieces of music with them. As they discuss their choices and relate them to their story, it produces an autobiographical account of their life experiences.</p>
<h2>Music, profession and personality</h2>
<p>We analysed the interviewees’ music choices against <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24825945">research</a> from 2012 that identified five music “dimensions” that relate to the personalities of the people that like them. These dimensions encompass multiple genres and are defined by the qualities that they have in common – known collectively as the MUSIC model.</p>
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<p>Those who prefer unpretentious and contemporary music, for example, tend to be more conscientious, conservative and perceive themselves as being physically attractive. Those who like sophisticated music see themselves as intelligent, while fans of intense music tend to be more physically active and open to new experiences. </p>
<p>The profession you choose is another expression of your personality, so we also took this into account in our analysis. We used a model that psychologists have referred to since the 1950s – <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/1997-08980-000">John Holland’s model</a> of vocational personality. This describes how the characteristics of a person and their environment combine to influence their choice of career. </p>
<p>It breaks people into six types: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. For example, artistic types such as dancers, designers and photographers tend to be unconventional, creative, communicative, liberal and open. Enterprising types such as investment bankers, lawyers and salespeople tend to be power-oriented, assertive, dominant and extroverted.</p>
<h2>Findings</h2>
<p>When we looked at the Desert Island Discs interviewees, we found strong links between these occupation and music models. For example, those in the artistic occupational personality category, such as writers and actors, were more likely to choose sophisticated music like classical, jazz and opera. This explains why in 2007 <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b008kkcg">Victoria Wood</a> chose Prokofiev, Gerswhin and Fats Waller, for example. These kinds of people tended to choose longer tracks that were sadder, slower and low energy. They were much less likely to choose intense or contemporary music such as rock, alternative or pop. </p>
<p>Realistic types such as foresters, farmers and animal trainers tended to choose intense and unpretentious music like rock, punk, alternative and pop. They liked electric, high-energy, high-tempo music that was upbeat and short; and were much less likely to choose sophisticated music. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03nrpc3">Ray Mears</a> would be an example. His tracks in 2014 were by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Blondie, The Jam and KT Tunstall. </p>
<p>Social types like broadcasters and sports people were more likely to choose contemporary and unpretentious music like soul, pop or country. Hence when Olympic gold medallist <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0093n5m">Tessa Sanderson</a> appeared on the programme 20 years ago, she selected artists like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson and Gloria Estefan. As for enterprising types, they chose mostly intense music, and were again far less likely to choose the sophisticated genres. </p>
<p>Digging deeper, we started to speculate on why we see specific relationships like these. Take for example the artistic-sophisticated relationship. <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=buy.optionToBuy&id=1984-32863-001%E2%80%8B">Previous research</a> has separately linked these to openness, the valuing of aesthetics, liberalism and flexibility. Or take the relationship between social types and contemporary/unpretentious music. These have both <a href="http://pom.sagepub.com/content/25/2/120.abstract">been linked</a> with extroversion, agreeableness, sociability and cheerfulness. Our findings supported the idea that your choice of occupation and music tastes are likely to go hand in hand. </p>
<p>The conclusion? The interviewees on Desert Island Discs generally chose the music you would expect for their occupation type. People do indeed fit the personality traits that previous research has led us to expect. </p>
<p>This has interesting implications for a common point of discussion when it comes to discussing the programme, certainly among my friends and colleagues: do interviewees tell the truth about their music tastes? In the same way as, say, Gordon Brown’s <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2006/sep/24/uk.arts">claim</a> to like The Arctic Monkeys, you wonder how often the interviewees on the programme choose tracks to make certain statements about themselves. </p>
<p>Perhaps they choose a range of genres to demonstrate diversity in taste; or throw in a classical piece to appear cultured or sophisticated. After all, the programme is a very public forum and the people may be especially aware of how their music choices are viewed. Yet our research suggests this is not what happens on the whole. Interviewees seem to convey the truth – perhaps one more revealing than simply their taste in music. </p>
<p>If personality attributes have a key role in dictating both our occupation and music taste, no wonder many of us struggle when asked about our favourite tracks. We are being asked to define who we are. To quote Jeffrey Eugenides in his well regarded novel <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10964693-the-marriage-plot">The Marriage Plot</a>, it’s “…like a personality test, a sophisticated one you couldn’t trick by anticipating the implications of its questions and finally got so lost in that your only recourse was to answer the simple truth”.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/69061/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Don Knox does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When researchers looked at how people’s music choices and professions lined up, the results were intriguing.Don Knox, Senior audio lecturer, Glasgow Caledonian UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.