Recent
Report of an independent assessment
Two years ago, in the Children's Plan, the DCSF committed itself to commission an independent assessment of the impact of the commercial world on children's wellbeing. That assessment, led by Professor David Buckingham, is now complete. As part of the process SIRC was commissioned to undertake two major reviews: Children and Family Life: Socio-Demographic Changes and The Ecology of Family Life. more
Psychological impact & the lessons of recession
There can be very few people in Britain who are unaware that we have been living in times of recession…It is clear that people — even those unaffected directly — are worried, especially about their future financial security. But are there some positive lessons to be learnt? more
The role and citizen impact of Public Service Broadcasting
As a complement to the extensive work contributed by other players on the rapid advances in technology and consumer behaviour, the work is designed to review and present the available data on broader social trends which may impact on PSB in the future…more
Passion, emotion and the 'beautiful game'
The Football Passions report summarises extensive sociological research across 18 countries in Europe. The objectives of the study were to capture the emotions of being a football fan and to compare the feelings, expressions and behaviour of fans associated with support of their football teams…more.
'Fat tax' : no health benefits, but guaranteed headlines
The proposal by Dr Tom Marshall to introduce VAT on fatty foods is unfair, unscientific and ineffective as a means of combating heart disease. Marshall's BMJ article was quoted in almost every newspaper today, but only a few cited the highly critical commentary which the BMJ published alongside Marshall's piece, pointing out that even if dietary modifications could be achieved by such a tax (which the commentators suggest is extremely unlikely), the main determinant of how any individual responds to reducing fat in the diet is genetic. Even among high-risk groups, the effects of such dietary modification are variable and at best limited. The commentary is polite, but seriously questions the scientific basis of Marshall's arguments, and effectively shows that the proposed 'fat tax' would unfairly penalise low-income groups without reducing the incidence of heart disease.
The idea of a tax on fatty foods is by no means a new one: it is trotted out regularly by 'experts' who must surely be aware of its limitations, but who clearly also know that they will be guaranteed extensive media attention. On this occasion, as before, the responsible scientists who wearily point out the serious flaws in the headline-grabbing proposals are either ignored or relegated to a brief mention in the final paragraph of press reports.
