SIRC in the News 2009
- Libero — 07.06.2009.
I pericoli della moda: dall’anoressia al culto dell’esteriore. Chi dà troppa importanza alla moda rischia di preoccuparsi in modo eccessivo del proprio aspetto. Le modelle di solito sono alte e magre, e veniamo continuamente bombardati dalle loro immagini. Il fisico "giusto" è usato per vendere di tutto, dalle macchine alle caramelle. Un centro di ricerche inglese (Social Issues Research Centre) ritiene che "in un solo giorno le ragazze di oggi vedono più immagini di donne bellissime di quante ne vedevano le loro madri in tutto il periodo dell’adolescenza". - Gazet van Antwerpen — 25.05.2009.
Nederlandse mannen verkiezen voetbal boven seks. Twee derde van de voetbalfans in Nederland zou een voetbalmatch verkiezen boven een vrijpartij. Dat blijkt uit een onderzoek van het Engelse Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). In zeventien Europese lander werd op vraag van Canon, sponsor van het Europees kampioenschap, aan tweeduizend supporters gevraagd of ze voetbal boven seks verkiezen. In Zweden kozen de supporters resoluut voor seks, in Nederland kiest meer dan zestig procent voor het voetbal. 73 procent van alle deelnemende supporters gaf toe wel eens een wildvreemde kussen of omhelzen bij een voetbalwedstrijd. - BBC Magazine — 04.05.2009.
Sun, sea, spade, maypole, cheese rolling? Peter Marsh, the co-director of social research think tank the Social Issues Research Centre, says bank holiday behaviour has been tempered by economic prospects. Not so long ago, it wouldn't have been unusual for people to zip off to Bruges, Barcelona or Biarritz to spend the three-day weekend. Now, as people tighten their belts, we're more likely to spend our time at the local DIY superstore, he says. - Daily Mail — 27.04.2009.
Harman's crazy class war law will make us ALL poorer. Interviewed on the Radio 4 Today programme Harriet Harman talked about equality and opportunity as if they were the same thing. For the BBC the idea that economic equality, egalitarianism is a good thing was taken as a given ... The Harman interview was preceded by two academics — Professor Danny Dorling from Sheffield University and Dr Peter Marsh from the Social issues Research Centre — both banging the class war drum and lamenting that the Government wasn't going far enough with its proposed new meddling. - Mind Hacks — 09.04.2009.
What are we celebrating? I've just re-read the fantastic Social Issues Research Centre article on social and cultural aspects of drinking and it has an amusing section illustrating the difference between British and French drinking cultures which helps to explain why the British have a reputation for drunkenness when they visit the continent. - Daily Mail — 04.03.2009.
Food for guilt: How our children are being served large helpings of nutritional jargon at school. This obsession with our children's waistlines is deemed necessary to stem that much vaunted ‘obesity epidemic’. But it could have quite the opposite effect, confusing children into a lifetime of bad eating habits. "A lot of so-called health professionals' advice is wrong, misguided or inappropriate," says Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of The Social Issues Research Centre, an independent lifestyle think-tank. "The impact of the coercion and pressure put on children, of constantly telling them that food is dangerous, has been shown to have a counter effect: distorting their relationship with food and encouraging over or under-eating." - Adam Smith Institute — 02.03.2009.
Optimists and pessimists.I have long thought that mainstream environmentalism is essentially a belief system for pessimists. In their eyes, we are on a downward path from some idealised golden age, and things can only get worse ... Now the Social Issues Research [Centre] has published a report which suggests that, as a nation, Brits are more optimistic than we might believe. But, being Brits, we are very self-effacing about this and don't really want to admit it. Nevertheless, in my (optimistic) view, this seems to confirm my feeling that the majority of people worry less about the big environmental issues than does a vocal and influential cadre of pessimists. - Independent on Sunday — 01.03.2009.
Blame it on the culture. According to a survey whose results appeared in Wednesday's papers, three-quarters of Britons consider themselves to be optimists. Of the 2,000 adults questioned by the Social Issues Research Centre for the National Lottery, 58 per cent said that a positive outlook is contagious, and a further 52 per cent found optimists more attractive than pessimists, a category in which only 6 per cent believed themselves to reside. - Intute — 27.02.2009.
Do you feel lucky? Is Britain a nation of optimists or pessimists - a new report may surprise you - but that obviously depends on your point of view! The report presents the first findings of research conducted by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) into the nature of optimism in 21st century Britain. A few choice snippets from the Executive Summary … - The Age — 27.02.2009.
Science finds cause to feel good. While many of us might be genetically disposed to be like grouchy Victor Meldrew of the sitcom One Foot in the Grave, most of us do not see ourselves that way, it appears. Separate research from the Social Issues Research Centre published this week suggested that three-quarters of Britons consider themselves optimists. - Investor's Business Daily — 27.02.2009.
Bleak Future for Parents if 'Bungee Brood' Keeps Bouncing Back for More Cash. Parents could be facing a bleak future, owing to the rise of the 'bungee brood' a generation of young adults who may never sever their links to the parental purse strings, according to a new report released today from Child Trust Fund provider The Children's Mutual (http://www.thechildrensmutual.co.uk/) and the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). The study has identified a new generation which considers itself 'financially independent' while still accepting parental subsidies for everything from day-to-day living costs to house deposits. - Denver Post — 25.02.2009.
Good smell, bad smell. Humans have about 5 million to 6 million olfactory receptors, compared with 220 million in dogs and 100 million in rabbits, according to The Smell Report, published by the Social Issues Research Centre, a U.K.-based nonprofit social research organization. While the human ability pales in comparison, it still plays an important role, affecting more than a person's nose. - Scotsman — 25.02.2009.
Country has a good outlook. Three quarters of Britons consider themselves optimists. More than 2,000 adults were asked about their views on life in a survey carried out by the Social Issues Research Centre. And 58 per cent of them said a positive outlook is contagious and being around optimistic people made them feel better about their own lives. A sunny outlook on life can also make you more attractive to the opposite sex, according to the survey. - Marie Claire — 25.02.2009.
Gene found that makes you happy or sad. Meanwhile three-quarters of Britons consider themselves optimists, according to a new report. More than 2,000 adults were asked about their views on life in a survey carried out by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). A sunny outlook on life can also make you more attractive to the opposite sex with 52% of those polled saying they found optimists more attractive than pessimists. Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of SIRC, said: "The image of the British as a rather miserable race contrasts with our findings, showing the majority of Brits have a distinctively upbeat and optimistic outlook on life." - Telegraph — 25.02.2009.
Looking on the bright side of life. More than 2,000 adults were asked about their views on life in a survey carried out by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). And nearly two-thirds (58 per cent) of them said a positive outlook is contagious and being around optimistic people made them feel better about their own lives. A sunny outlook on life can also make you more attractive to the opposite sex with 52 per cent of those polled saying they found optimists more attractive than pessimists. The research, conducted on behalf of The National Lottery, found three-quarters of those polled considered themselves generally optimistic, with only 6 per cent describing themselves as pessimistic. - Money Extra — 24.02.2009.
Report warns of major change to family finances. Young adults in the UK are depending on their parents for financial support - and putting the older generation's finances under strain. A new report from The Children's Mutual and the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) found that four in ten 18 to 25-year-olds have at least some of their essential costs covered by their parents. - London Stock Exchange — 24.02.2009.
'Bungee broods' overstretching parental finances. The rise of the 'bungee brood' generation could have a negative effect on their parents' finances, a new report has suggested. Published by the Children's Mutual and the Social Issues Research Centre, the study indicated that 80 per cent of people aged 18 to 25 consider themselves "financially independent", despite relying on some financial support from their parents. - Telegraph — 23.02.2009.
Grown-up children still financially dependent on parents. The survey of 1,000 adults found that the most likely ways that parents contribute to their child's finances include charging them reduced rent to live in their family home, helping with bills, and contributing to the cost of trips and holidays, according to the report by The Children's Mutual and the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). Peter Marsh, co-director at the Social Issues Research Centre said: "Since the beginning of the twentieth century the flow of money between parents and children has been changing direction and ideas surrounding children and their upbringing have become more romanticised. - Birmingham Mail — 23.02.2009.
Young adults in Birmingham "rely on handouts from parents". Research found 78 per cent of 18 to 25 year olds quizzed in Birmingham admitted they were still having to ask their mums and dads for money, with 34 per cent of those saying their parents regularly continued to help them with their general day-to-day living expenses. A further 35 per cent were still living at home or receiving cash from their parents to help meet their rent, according to the statistics released by money experts The Children’s Mutual and independent watchdog the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC). - Daily Mail — 13.02.2009.
Round the bend. The Social Issues Research Centre has published a report on sex differences in driving, citing evidence that men (especially under-25s) are more aggressive drivers, and more likely to speed, take risks and crash. Home Office statistics show 94 per cent of those convicted of causing death by dangerous driving are men. Women are more likely to be involved in minor accidents, caused by pulling out of junctions, reversing into skips or misjudging how close they are to the car behind them. - Kathimerini — 07.02.2009.
Gossiping Greeks stay abreast of the times. Some studies have linked gossip to relaxation and stress reduction in the workplace, according to Efstratios Papanis, and it helps pupils acquire social roles. A study by the Oxford Social Issues Research Center showed that gossip had physical and psychological benefits equivalent to those of antidepressants. But there is a downside. Gossip contains sizable measures of myth and conjecture, and may depress those whose self-image is dependent on the views of others. - Cumberland News — 23.01.2009.
When is a woman too old to flirt? Flirting is much more than just a spot of fun. It is a universal and essential aspect of human interaction – or so says the Social Issues Research Centre, which sounds important enough to know. Anthropological research shows flirting is to be found, in some form, in all cultures and societies. It is a basic instinct. And it may even be the foundation of civilisation.
Women keep conversation moving with tag questions. I was doing some research recently on the topic of female friendships for a women’s group I facilitate, and I found one study from the Social Issues Research Centre in the United Kingdom to be particularly interesting. The research was commissioned by Diet Coke and the report is entitled "Girl Talk, The new rules of female friendship and communication" (www.sirc.org) I learned some interesting new facts.
