AntiSocial

Bristol University has dropped the national anthem from some of its graduation ceremonies, sparking a discussion about the song’s relevance to students and the merits of the national anthem more broadly. The university made the change in 2020 and will now sing ‘God Save the King’ at just two ceremonies a year, when a representative of the royal family attends. So why has it sparked a heated discussion this week? Some say the national anthem is too focused on the monarch, which represents an outdated way of running the state and reminds us of a problematic past. Others say it's an important tradition, we have much to be proud of and there is too much snobbishness about displaying national pride. Our panel discuss their views and we consider what a new anthem might sound like. We hear that the anthem originates from a turbulent time for the monarchy. Pollsters at More in Common explain that a small group of the population that are most likely to dislike the monarchy are also the most likely to write political social media posts, giving them a disproportionate say in the debate.

What do we know about the impact of social transitioning on young people, which is when they want to be treated as the opposite gender. Hannah Barnes, journalist and author of ‘Time to Think’ a book examining the UK's gender identity service for children, explains.

What should teachers do if a pupil wants to use a name, uniform, toilet or changing room of the opposite sex because they feel it better represents who they are? It's known as 'social transitioning'. It's in the news because the former Prime Minister Liz Truss has proposed a new law that would ban it in schools - re-charging a debate that's been going on from a while.Social transitioning isn't the same as having surgery or taking drugs. So what is it? Schools have been crying out for some guidance from the government. We'll hear what teachers have been doing in the meantime. There are laws that protect pupils and laws that protect teachers. We'll find out where they sometimes clash.

Moya Bailey coined the term ‘misogynoir’ in 2008 to describe a particular kind of sexism faced by black women. The associate professor at Northwestern University, in the USA, tells Adam Fleming this anti-black misogyny has been prevalent in popular culture for more than 100 years and uses the term to analyse the way black women are portrayed in the media. She sets out the origin of the ‘angry black woman’ stereotype and argues this is an example of misogynoir.

Nella Rose, a black woman on the reality TV show 'I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!' has divided opinion online - some accuse her of being rude and aggressive in the Australian jungle, while others say she's the victim of racism and misogyny. We explore some of the comments made about her and examine the history, meaning and potential real-world symptoms of 'misogynoir' - a theory about a combination of racism and sexism faced by black women. Plus, are the casting directors and editors of reality TV shows guilty of stereotyping black women as rude and aggressive, and what evidence is there of racism amongst the viewing and voting public?

When did people start using the phrase ‘lefty lawyers’ and why? Legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg explains the recent events that gave rise to the use of the phrase and gives examples showing that politicians criticising lawyers is nothing new.

The debate around so-called 'lefty lawyers'. After the government's Rwanda asylum policy was found to be unlawful by the Supreme Court, lots of people on social media started to say this was down to so-called 'lefty lawyers'. Some say using legal challenges to override government policy is undemocratic. Others say it's important to hold the government to account and ensure politicians stick to the laws they write. Lawyers also push back on being called either left or right wing, as they are just acting on behalf of their client, no matter their personal views.

There’s been a debate on social media about whether Central Bank Digital Currencies pose a threat to our privacy and some even fear it could give governments power over our spending. Former Bank of England economist Dan Davies explains what a CBDC actually is.

A clip from the European Central Bank, talking about progress towards an electronic version of the euro, has sparked concern on social media. Some suggest new central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) like this - including a digital pound under consideration in the UK - are designed to track our spending, or even restrict it. And there are fears it could lead to the elimination of cash altogether. But others say CBDCs are a recognition of cash’s decline, providing an alternative, and that central banks need to keep up with changing financial technologies. So what exactly is a digital pound, how would people use it, and how different is it to the way we pay for things now?

Where does the phrase come from, and do younger generations have different expectations of the workplace? Dr Kirsteen Grant, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management at Edinburgh Napier University explains.