Archive of SIRC in the News
- Sunday Times – 17.12.2000
Herbal High. Ever wondered why you have an in-built urge to go wild every so often? "It's instinctive," says Kate Fox, an anthropologist and director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Every society uses mood- altering activities – drinking alcohol, chewing coca leaves, practising transcendental meditation. And look at kids, spinning around and rolling down hills. Why? Because it makes them dizzy and high." - Telegraph – 09.12.2000
Lost: one dear friend. Looking up old friends can be very dangerous," says Dr Peter Marsh, the director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "People often get in touch when they're at some junction in their lives. They hanker after the 'safety' of a person they once knew. But that person can have changed so much, you end up feeling even more uncertain than ever." This is especially true if you were once involved romantically. "Contacting an old platonic friend may be harmless enough," says Marsh. "But your partner might not be too thrilled if you call an old boyfriend or girlfriend, even if it is just to see how they are. My advice is to first ask yourself why you want to make contact." - BBC – 23.11.2000
The British Pub. Excerpts from Passport to the Pub. In Russian. - Financial Post, Canada – 20.11.2000
Destructive precaution. "There is another option: the judicious use of biotechnology, while being quick to regulate or end the use of products shown to cause harm. Biotechnology is already improving lives. Biomodifications have made tomatoes more resistant to cold, and soybeans, cotton and corn immune to selected herbicides. As well, the Rockefeller foundation reports that genetically altered rice is preventing thousands of cases of childhood blindness. Turning our back on life-saving bioengineered products would irresponsibly condemn millions of people to unnecessary suffering and early deaths. Does this mean the precautionary principle has no utility whatsoever? Not at all. In the words of the Social Issues Research Centre, in Oxford, England: "If we apply the precautionary principle to itself -- by asking what are the possible dangers of using this principle -- we would be forced to abandon it very quickly." - Heartland – November 2000
Can England reach the twenty-first century with Charles in charge?. "Prince Charles, of course, has a long history of high-minded pontificating on issues about which he is generally quite ill-informed," noted the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Center. "And his profound lack of understanding of the true motivation and role of the scientist in modern society revealed the underlying vacuity of his sentimentalist speech. . . . The Prince's unqualified support for the precautionary principle again exposes his failure to appreciate the consequences of what he is proposing." - World Wide Words
Riskfactorphobic A genuinely shudderworthy invention, apparently from the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, which used it in a report. As you might guess, riskfactorphobics are people frightened of risks, who – for example – overreact to health scares. - British Journal of General Practice – November 2000
Scientific communication guidelines. The SIRC/RI Guidelines include a basic rule-of-thumb test to help scientists and journalists judge the potential effects of their reports, as well as more detailed guidance on responsible communication of health risks and medical advances. The rule-of-thumb test asks any scientist or journalist about to release a report about a potential health risk or potential cure to imagine what effect the story could have on a relative or close friend who is sensitive or vulnerable to such information; a parent with cancer, for example, or a friend on the pill. - Express – 05.11.2000.
Be afraid. But should you be very afraid? Dr Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, who has tracked the reporting of health scares, worries that genuine threats get lost in all this noise. The SIRC's website offers innumerable examples of trivial, titillating headlines: Are flatulent sheep contributing to global warming? Is curry addictive? Is bottled water bad for your teeth? Does football give girls arthritis? - Scotland on Sunday – 23.12.2000
Turf Talk. The simple message is that if we care about the sport, then it is up to us to get people involved in Discover Racing. So if you see a "two-for-one" offer, take along a non-racing acquaintance and introduce him or her to what anthropological research by Dr Kate Fox, of Oxford, has confirmed is the "the friendliest of sports". Teach your friends and family to have fun at the racecourse and not to take the sport – especially the gambling aspect – too seriously. And do try to get them to be philosophical about racing. - Express – 16.10.2000.
Yuppies? No, here come the Bobos. Bobos can be of any age and although the ones Mr Brookes identifies live in America, as social commentator Dr Peter Marsh, from the Social Issues Research Centre has observed they well and truly established over here. Dr Marsh said: "This is an emerging group who seem more concerned with health food and politics than their predecessors. Consumer or environmental groups are more likely to replace the traditional political values of left and right. "There is a lack of ostentation in terms of lifestyle. It is Bohemia but mixed with a deeply conservative streak." - Business Impact – October 2000
Hold the hype on health risks and cures. Companies which make claims about the health risks or benefits of their products should take note of new guidelines on health and science communication published on September 21. The guidelines suggest that whoever prepares publicity on this topic should consider what effect it could have on a relative or close friend who would be sensitive to that subject – who has cancer, for example, or who is on the pill. Doctors have been concerned that their patients' hopes or fears are being falsely raised. The guidelines are directed primarily at scientists and journalists, but with implications for companies. They have been prepared by the Social Issues Research Centre and the Royal Institution in consultation with leading scientists, doctors and journalists. They aim to tackle sensationalism and distortion in the reporting of scientific developments, health risks and medical advances, and to encourage a more sensitive and responsible approach. - Financial Times – 22.09.2000.
Guidelines published on medical story hype. Guidelines on science and health communication, designed to put an end to damaging scare stories and hype about "miracle cures", were published yesterday. The guidelines – drawn up by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, the Royal Institution in London, doctors, scientists and journalists – emphasise that scientists and journalists share responsibility for ensuring accurate and unbiased reporting of research findings. - Press Gazette – 22.09.2000
Scientists hit back with 'anti-scare' story guide. Detailed guidelines on science and health reporting have been launched aimed at ending scare stories and bogus breakthrough reports. The guidelines were issued this week by the Social Issues Research Centre and the Royal Institution of Great Britain with backing from top scientists and input from science journalists. In a statement, Press Complaints Commission chairman Lord Wakeham said: "I welcome these guidelines as a constructive and positive contribution in this crucial area." - Statistical Assessment Service.
Wise Code Words. Dramatic headlines like "Mutant Crops Could Kill You" (Daily Express -- a major British tabloid newspaper) have characterized the poor standard of scientific journalism in Europe during the recent spate of health scares there. As a result, Britain’s Royal Institution, in partnership with a STATS-like group called the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC), has prepared a set of guidelines for scientists releasing major new findings and the journalists who cover them. - BBC – 13.09.2000.
Why we secretly like a crisis. But while some dig in their heels, others are quite happy to find themselves unable to get to work, says Peter Marsh, of the Social Issues Research Centre. "For a lot of people it gives them an excuse not to do anything, they have an excuse to skive legitimately" … Peter Marsh was astonished by the good will among drivers who queued for up to an hour to fill up at petrol stations, before stocks ran dry. "It was very perverse. But at the same time, the fact you are in a long line of people all similarly suffering and all having to queue is a great leveller. Whether you are in a Fiat Uno or a Jaguar, you have to wait just as long to fill up." - Guardian, Hindustan Times – 07.09.2000.
More than skin deep. "In certain cultures tattooing and scarring isn't unusual at all, so I feel there is nothing generically or naturally unfeminine about it," says Kate Fox, anthropologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre. "Essentially it has become acceptable without becoming middle-class and respectable." - Mail on Sunday – 03.09.2000
I'm Worried I Might be Neurotic 'To a certain extent all of this can be seen as a middle-class issue, and many of these anxieties are just a kind of new [political] correctness in lifestyle,' admits Dr Peter Marsh, a social psychologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre. 'But we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss them as just a silly fad. They can have seriously damaging consequences.' All this obsessing,he says, is far worse for our health than whatever it is we are worried about. 'People who worry about health issues, for example, don't have complete information and can't assess the risks properly. As an example, our social obsession with germs as lead us to sterilise our homes, thereby giving our children no chance to build up immunity and making them vulnerable to illness. And the national obsession with dieting is proven to increase the chances of eating disorders in our children (the latest scare is that phobias can be inherited). Once you make food an issue, even if it is for "health" reasons, you are teaching your children that they should fear "bad" foods.' - Times – 01.09.2000
World sends its regards to killer Kray. Dr Peter Marsh, a social psychologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre, said: "It's the same kind of romantic notion as Bonnie and Clyde. The Kray cult is very easy to romanticise. People forget Bonnie and Clyde were a pair of murdering thugs." - UK Today – September 2000
Bar Culture. Dr Peter Marsh – Social Issues Research Centre: "The places we choose to drink in define us as particular kinds of people. They define us socially. So as the zeitgeist of society changes, as a new generation seeks to re-define itself, it re-invents the bar and that is what we are seeing happen in London at the moment … All of us have a concept of understanding who we are, but also understanding who we would like to be – glamorous, larger than life, articulate, socially successful person and a good bar owner – a good bar operator – understands that psychology." - Guardian – 17.08.2000.
Out of the ashes. "In terms of Concorde," says Dr Peter Marsh, psychologist and co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre, "it comes down to the public's perception of risk. A plane crash is obviously seen as a disaster, but people are very aware that planes in general are a safe way of travelling [the risk of your plane crashing this year is approximately a million to one]. Even people who have a fear of flying are prepared to get on planes after crashes. - Oxford Times – 15.08.2000
Soccer thugs are still alive and kicking. Dr Marsh's work with Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) produced a profile of the English hooligan earlier this year … Dr Marsh says: "Hooliganism is reinvented every year just as the season is about to start. There are apocalyptic predictions in some newspapers. There were reporters in Belgium during Euro 2000 whose sole job was to file pictures and stories of fans fighting. Beforehand, there were stories of fans plotting to kill each other which was untrue. - Fox News, Boston Globe, Straits Times – 15.08.2000.
Confidence-shaken England struggles with nationalist demons. "The idea that football fans express something about Englishness is, unfortunately, accurate,'' said Peter Marsh, director of the Social Issues Research Center, which has studied the phenomenon of soccer violence. "They see themselves as patriots. They reflect very strong undercurrents in society,'' Marsh said. - Birmingham Post – 07.08.2000
When body and mind are out of control. "There is a process called behavioural contagion, where emotions generated by the group spread like a viral infection and everyone gets infected by it," says Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Violent and aggressive behaviour is particularly triggered in this way." Another theory which attempts to explain why usually law-abiding people riot when they are in large groups is that being part of a mob affords a certain amount of anonymity. "So you can say, 'it wasn't me; the crowd did it'," comments Dr Marsh. - Financial Times – 29.07.2000
Living dangerously In Britain, the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford identifies three types of adverse reaction to the "high doses of health scares and warnings received by the public". The most common is "warning fatigue": people eventually stop listening. "The danger is that when you need to warn of a real danger, your audience has switched off," says Kate Fox, SIRC co-director. "If the research linking smoking with lung cancer had come out now rather than in the 1950s, how would we distinguish it from the nonsense about mobile phones frying the brain?" - BBC News Online – 29.07.2000
Analysis: Soccer violence an international problem. Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford said: "If you had thousands of working-class males congregating on a Saturday afternoon, and there were no fights, that would be very surprising" … "Given all the attention paid to this small minority of English fans that occasionally causes trouble, violence of some kind is inevitable," Dr Marsh says. It may be no coincidence, therefore, that the British tabloid press gives English hooligans massive coverage after games, as well as stoking up the atmosphere of xenophobia before them. - The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Star – 15.07.2000.
Van Man drives Britons crazy. The Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford says White Van Men are viewed with the hostility and opprobrium previously reserved for soccer hooligans. "Van drivers have taken on the mantle of what sociologists refer to as 'folk devils'," said Peter Marsh, the centre's director. "Like other species of animal, he feels most confident on his own turf, so a note of caution: when you obstruct the passage of a white van, you are often preventing the driver travelling freely on what he perceives to be his road." - Daily Mail – 14.07.2000
The Thelma Effect. Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, said drivers can be affected by an intense film for around an hour after leaving the cinema. 'Try taking your pulse as you leave,' he added. 'If it's faster than normal, stop and breathe deeply and slowly and make allowances for the natural tendency to feel as indestructible as James Bond.' The Institute of Advanced Motorists urged drivers to remember that movie car scenes are filmed on specially-prepared and monitored studio lots not public roads and with strict safety standards. - New York Times – 14.07.2001
The White Van Man of England: Oh, He's a Devil! The Oxford-based Social Issues Research Center found that white van men are viewed with the hostility and opprobrium Britons previously reserved for the soccer hooligans who almost got England disqualified from the European soccer championship last month. … Dr. Marsh found in his study that the white van drivers operate under their own tribal rules. He uncovered, for instance, White Van Man's standards for permitting someone to cut ahead: black taxis: never; buses: very rarely; women drivers: depends what they look like; other white van drivers: always. - Evening Standard – 13.07.2000.
Film goers feel the need for speed. According to psychologists, there is a strong link between emotional responses and the way people drive. Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, said: "Driving is as much an emotional experience as it is a mechanical task; when we drive we experience a state of psychological arousal somewhere between heart-stopping fear and mind-numbing boredom. This in turn can affect the speed we drive at, our level of attention and the risks we take." - Express – 12.07.2000.
Motorists who are driven to distraction by movie stars. For up to an hour after witnessing their heroes' exploits on the big screen, men no longer see their local high street through the windscreen but a treacherous mountain pass or isolated air strip to negotiate. Those surveyed by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford said driving home after a movie could lead to a range of side-effects. More than one in two male drivers thought the most likely effect of watching an action film such as Mission Impossible would be to cause them to drive faster and one in 10 thought they might be more likely to take a bend without dropping gear. - Senior Women – July 2000
Current Reading. Naming & Praising update – The latest SIRC Naming and Praising awards – for responsible reporting of health issues (British presss). Social Issues Research Center. - The Press(Canterbury, New Zealand) – 07.07.2000.
Sidelights. Good Sports Dept: Racetracks are friendly places, a 12-month research project by the Social Issues Research Centre in England shows. One of its principal findings: "While in most public contexts strangers actively avoid eye contact, they frequently make eye contact and smile at each other on racecourses for no apparent reason." - Telegraph – 01.07.2000.
Dire estates The tidier the house, the scruffier the car. Dr Peter Marsh, social psychologist and director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford says: "Although this is a bit of a generalisation, women don't have the close relationship with their car than they have with their house. It is not an area where they make their personal mark, unlike their home which usually reflects their personality." Why is this? "Well, a certain number might not trust their car in the same way they trust their home, especially if it has broken down and `failed' them. "Many men, on the other hand, see a car as their own personal space and look after it accordingly. If it is a company car, the owner – regardless of sex – normally takes particular care over it. An unkempt car is an extension of undesirable office behaviour."
- Oxford Times – 30.06.2000.
Anatomy of a thug. Researchers at Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) have been trying to understand what makes a football hooligan tick. Their research programme first started in the 1970s when the spectre of football violence, as we know it today, reared its ugly head. Then, traditional rivalries between clubs such as Celtic and Rangers and Liverpool and Manchester United bubbled over into full-scale riots. Despite being sporadic and disorganised the riots left large scars on the face of the sporting world. - Northern Echo – 20.06.2000
What makes the thugs disgrace their nation? "The average football hooligan is a white, working-class male, someone seeking status and a reputation through the terraces," says Dr Peter Marsh, co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Most are very knowledgable and passionate about their club but they see violence as a way of achieving status." - Birmingham Post – 20.06.2000
Response to thugs is too little, too late. We also have to find a way of eliminating the seemingly inbred xenophobia which rears its ugly head whenever the English are let off the leash in foreign climes. 'We have always been pretty xenophobic people,' comments Dr Peter Marsh, co -director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, 'and the idea that working class cultures now should be any different is wrong.' - BBC – 19.06.2000.
Analysis: Soccer violence an international problem. You don't have to be sociologist to understand that football hooliganism is a reflection of the violence and divisions prevalent in any society. Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford said: "If you had thousands of working-class males congregating on a Saturday afternoon, and there were no fights, that would be very surprising." - Daily Mirror – 26.05.2000.
Health Warnings can Damage Your Health. Too many government health warnings can make you ignore the lot – and put your health at risk. Shock tactics and Big Brother "bullying" have the opposite effect of what is intended, research revealed yesterday. Teenagers light up if they are told not to smoke. And, despite constant official advice on exercise and healthy eating, obesity continues to rise. The "warning fatigue" syndrome is incovered in a study by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. It says people desensitised by messages telling them what to do, snub the advice. They bought more beef on the bone on the run up to it being banned.
Warned every day of the dangers of tobacco, booze and drugs they merely indulge themselves more. On the other side, some treat risks so seriously the effects are as bad as if they had ignored them altogether. When there was a claimed danger to the pill, thousands of women stopped using it. As a result the abortion rate rose nine per cent. A SIRC spokesman said: "Health promotion is a cut-throat industry. People are bombarded with scary warnings and conflicting advice. This is not in the public interest." - Society for Applied Microbiology – 14.05.2000.
Food Scares A Non Microbiologist’s Perspective. Being a young(ish) fit, healthy female who takes regular physical exercise and generally looks after herself, surely it's my duty to ensure that I stay that way…fit and healthy! One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to be aware of all the nutritional benefits and any potential hazards of the food I ingest every day. But is this logistically possible? … "Do you not watch the news or read the papers?" I hear you cry. Of course I do. But I am becoming increasingly aware of the influence of media hype. The need for journalists to grab the attention of the public in order to sell their particular publication, may lead to the use of words and phrases which exaggerate, for instance, the harmful effects of ingesting low levels of dioxins, or the risk of Salmonella from under-cooked eggs. According to the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC), the way in which people react to health warnings in the media (including dietary risk factors) can be divided into 3 categories …
- Brave New World Online – 23.04.2000.
Don't Put Your Daughter on a Diet Say S.I.R.C. . Rather than expressing concern about the ways in which the slimming industry exploits and preys on the anxieties of vulnerable adolescent girls, persuading them that the perfectly natural and healthy weight and fat gains of puberty are a 'problem', the health establishment, by focusing campaigns exclusively on the dangers of overweight and dietary fat, is tacitly condoning this message. - Ultramarathon World – 19.04.2000.
Sex boosts marathon performance, survey finds. Sex on the eve of a big race is good for marathon running, according to a survey carried out for the organisers of Sunday's London marathon. "Every competitor planning to build a last-minute lovemaking session into their training programme will run faster than those who don't," organisers said in announcing the findings. - Irish Times – 15.04.2000.
Rumbling the sleep thieves …there is a horrible smugness about the new refreshed executive. US anthropologist Lionel Tiger says that showing off about your eight hours is classic one-upmanship. "There is an implication in the `sleep-a-lot' boast that you are so well organised and such a neat delegator that the world can persist adequately even while you are comatose. This is a tribute to how splendid you are when you are not comatose." - New California Media – 14.04.2000.
Sexiness of the Long-Distance Runner. "For the first time we have gone inside the mind of a marathon runner and produced some interesting findings not the least those about sex," Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Center. - Aften Posten – 14.04.2000.
Sex og maraton hører sammen. "Sex kvelden før et stort løp gir bra effekt for maratonløpere" konkluderer den nevnte undersøkelsen som er foretatt av det Oxford-baserte Social Issues Research Centre i regi av søndagens maratonarrangør i London. - Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald – 12.04.2000.
Dream on. Executive sleep indulgence is also fashionably health-conscious. "Sleep is the new wheat allergy," says anthropologist Kate Fox of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Bravado is out of fashion in the higher tiers of the workplace. Of course we're talking about the chattering classes. Working mothers don't have the luxury of sleeping for prestige." - L.A.Times, Total Sports, Indian Express – 12.04.2000.
The sex drive of long distance runners. "And the study goes on to conclude that marathon running can be good for your sex life, with 30 percent of those questioned saying the sport had improved their performance in bed." - Express – 11.04.2000.
Passionate performance boosts marathon runners' times. London Marathon competitors who enjoy a night of passion on the eve of the big event clock faster times for the race than those who do not, according to a survey published today. Researchers from the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre found that 20% of men and 16% of women claimed that a last-minute love-making session had helped them to increase their times. They also found that 30% of competitors believed that marathon running had improved their performance in bed. - Telegraph – 11.04.2000.
Sex is better in the long run. A survey into the "hearts, minds and staying power" of runners claims that having sex the night before a marathon can improve their performance in the race. The Social Issues Research Centre, concluded that competitors who build a last-minute lovemaking session into their training programme will run faster than those who don't. - National Center for Policy Analysis – April 2000.
Saving Lives and Promoting Health by Throwing Precaution to the Wind. Does this mean the precautionary principle has no utility whatsoever? Not at all. In the words of the Social Issues Research Centre, in Oxford, UK, "If we apply the precautionary principle to itself – ask what are the possible danger's of using this principle – we would be forced to abandon it very quickly." - IDF50 – April 2000.
A Little Bit Of What You Fancy – Dr Desmond Morris. It was a meal to make a food faddist swoon away in horror. My mother was piling her plate high with a greasy, fatty, fry-up of a mixed grill and tucking in with gusto. When I say 'with gusto', I mean she was eating with the urgent pleasure of a predator at a kill. Although she was born during the reign of Queen Victoria, she was more in tune with the robust food pleasures of the eighteenth century, when a feast was a feast, and nobody had heard about health foods, diet regimes, or table etiquette that demanded you chew each mouthful 32 times before swallowing. - Sunday Times – 09.04.2000.
Does my Bum Look Big in this, Mate? . The psychologist Dr Peter Marsh, a co-director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, says there is a reason for this trend. "It is known as social facilitation, where patterns of behaviour, particularly those considered positive, such as spending money, are amplified by a group," he explains. "And when it's all men, male-bonding means members of the group feel able to do things they couldn't do on their own." - Africa Bio – 21.03.2000.
Britain Considers Code for Science Reporting. The Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, UK, is working closely with the Royal Institution and the S&T Committee of the House of Commons to establish a new code of practice for science reporting in Britain … Concerns over the quality of British journalism came to a head in February 1999 when the issue of GM food dominated the headlines for weeks. - Independent – 21.03.2000.
Lies, damn lies and science fiction. The [Social Issues] Research Centre says it does not want to tell journalists how to to their job, but merely offer a framework they can choose to work to. "It matters because misleading information is positively dangerous; it can even cost lives," says Kate Fox, the centre's director. I have to admit she's right. The Pill scare of 1995, when newspapers emphasised a tiny increased risk of cancer, led many women into unwanted pregnancies and resulted in 29,000 extra abortions, which carried far greater risks to health than taking the Pill. - Montreal Gazette – 20.02.2000.
Feeding hysteria over food science. Greenpeace has been whipping up hysteria aided and abetted by sycophantic members of the media who have fallen over one another to swallow the Greenpeace twaddle. According to the Social Issues Research Centre at Oxford, many of the articles praising Pusztai were written by activists masquerading as detached journalists. Among the more notorious were Andy Rowell of Greenpeace and George Monbiot, author of An Activist's Guide to Exploiting the Media. - Guardian – 15.02.2000.
Bad habits die hard. "There is such a plethora of contradictory medical warnings, that people don't know what is worthwhile and what is cranky," says Dr Peter Marsh, social psychologist and director of the science and research unit in Oxford. But Dr Elizabeth Dowler, of Warwick University's department of social policy and social work, is doubtful that unhealthy eating has much to do with the public's distrust of nutritionists: "There is a strong view that the trouble with nutritionists is they are always changing their minds, and I don't think it is particularly true. There are a lot of popular myths around, but experts have always advocated a balanced diet, and recommended eating fruit and vegetables." - Sydney Morning Herald – 12.02.2000
Mate by machine on new casting couch. Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre, believes turning to an agency is not a departure from more formalised matchmaking but a return to it. "The idea that matchmaking can happen spontaneously is new. Previously parents or elders helped provide suitable mates." - Real Health & Beauty – February 2000.
Are you an unhappy eater? The Social Issues Research Centre, an Oxford-based think-tank, is carrying out a research project into health and food issues. Kate Fox of SIRC says that 'sub-clinical eating disorder' is a valid concept. 'It's very reasonable to talk about the vast majority of women in Western cultures being preoccupied with food, weight and body image. All research on the project points to the same thing – up to 80% of women suffer from poor body image and most have dieted.' Fox believes that while the imagery of fashion and beauty industries has a very bad influence on women's self-image, there is also blame to be laid at the door of the health lobby. 'There has been an emergence between the messages coming from the slimming/diet/fashion industry and the health establishment: people are given the idea that slim equals fit.'
These days, she says, a preoccupation with weight and food is the norm, rather than an aberration. 'The health establishment is not expressing any concern about the way the slimming industry is exploiting women – in fact, it is tacitly condoning it. The current idea is that any degree of overweight is unhealthy and that losing weight is good; obesity is seen as a great public health issue. When you have messages about losing weight coming at you from all sides, this is a rationale for constant dieting.' - Guardian, Sydney Morning Herald – 31.01.2000.
Our eyes met across a crowded column …Perhaps we should view the rise in pro-active dating as a way to achieve attachment now that traditional social stuctures are disintegrating. Dating organisations are being embraced by a generation of women and men raised in a service culture. Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre, believes turning to an agency is not a departure from more formalised matchmaking but a return to it. "The idea that matchmaking can happen spontaneously is new. Previously parents or elders helped provide suitable mates. Going to look for one on the internet is more a return to normal mating than some weird aberration." - Sun – 15.01.2000
White van man 1st Vanniversary It started when Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre identified the drivers of white vans as a distinct social group. Director Dr Peter Marsh said: "He is the man who never signals and uses the kind of vocabulary represented by asterisks in newspapers." We thought there must be something more to this army of delivery drivers, salesmen, builders and tradesmen – so we created a weekly platform for their views in The Sun. It has been a huge success, with White Van Man quoted scores of times on TV and radio as well as entertaining 10million Sun readers weekly. - Express – 27.12.1999.
Never mind the horses, the human race is a better spectacle. There are not many people who can call the Queen "the greatest Anorak of them all" and mean it as a compliment. Then again, there are not many people like Kate Fox. Miss Fox is both a delightful and a dangerous woman. You think you are having a normal conversation with her – an extremely enjoyable one, for Miss Fox is wonderful company – but then it dawns on you. She knows your secrets. As you talk to her, she sees beyond your words. She sees what you don't tell her. Miss Fox, you see, is a social anthropologist – a woman who makes her living analysing the hidden relationships between people, revealing the true feelings and thoughts which we have learned to conceal from each other. Even worse, she discovers things about us which we have concealed from ourselves. What image does the word anthropologist conjure up for you? Tweed jacket with elbow patches, slightly craggy expression. Afraid not. Try Twiggy and Gwyneth Paltrow on the outside, with a dash of Kirsty Wark and Zenab Badawi on the inside, and you are nearer the mark. Brains, charm and beauty. Mark our words. Miss Fox is the Next Big Thing. - Independent – 26.12.1999
No matter how bad the horse, you never blame it for losing. Kate Fox was adopted as the official anthropologist of the "racing tribe" – owners, jockeys, stewards, trainers, bookies, punters, corporate hospitality givers-and-takers – and spent a year absorbing their culture. For those who are true initiates, racing overshadows everything else. Their map of Britain has the same outlines as a conventional one but shows only the symbols for race courses; anywhere else, including the capital city, simply doesn't exist. Kate Fox, on pointing out that London was missing, was told: "Well, surely you can figure that out for yourself. I mean, it's near Kempton, obviously." - Express – 07.12.1999.
Viewpoint. Kate Fox on scares that ruin festive fun. The "warning season" has now officially started. Forget Merry Christmas and Happy Y2K, the message seems to be: "Be afraid. Be very afraid." The run-up to Christmas and New Year celebrations has always been something of a scarefest with every interest group in the country issuing dire warnings and lists of instructions – on everything from food poisoning to unsafe sex. Many of these campaigns are well intentioned but the cumulative effect is damaging and this year we have millennium-related scares on top. - Glasgow Herald – 29.11.1999
A bit of what you fancy. Kate Fox, social anthropologist at the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, who analysed the Martini survey, says the report defies the flirtatious behaviour exhibited on American TV shows such as Ally McBeal. She believes Brits should be wary of succumbing to an American phenomenon at the crux of flirtophobia. "It has been identified as the culture of pervasive anxiety," she says. "Americans are in a constant state of worry about their lifestyles and flirting is one of the casualties." - Times – 20.11.1999.
Why we fall for the fad-gadget sales con. "Cars communicate how we wish to be seen," says psychologist Dr Peter Marsh of the Social Issues research centre. "Cars are just expensive toys and the decisions we make when choosing them are fundamentally irrational. Most people don't know what half the things they buy are, but find it reassuring to know that they have them." - Oxford Mail – 20.11.1999
Beware of Millennium warning-fatigue. Well, a team of Oxford researchers has now found that the effect of all the safety warnings is extremely worrying. Kate Fox, director of Oxford's Social Issues Research Centre, is anticipating widespread Riskfactor-phobia, with many people becoming anxious and totally neurotic as the big countdown begins. The disturbing psychological side-effects of the high doses of health and safety campaigns are examined in the centre's Millennium report. It finds that people will fall into three groups: worriers, people who have just switched off, and those determined to party whatever the cost. Kate said: "We have identified three typical responses to the warning campaigns and they are all potentially problematic." - Singles Monthly – October 1999.
Fun, Free and Flirty! – The Return of the Fine Art of Flirting. According to Kate Fox of the Social Issues Research Centre, the group commissioned to carry out the report, "men have a tendency to mistake friendly behaviour for sexual flirting. This isn't because they are stupid or deluded," she said. "But because they tend to see the world in more sexual terms than women. There is also evidence to suggest that women are naturally more socially skilled than men, better at interpreting other peoples behaviour and responding appropriately." - Sunday Times – 23.10.1999
Who dropped the ball in World Cup chaos? After exhaustive inquiries, this column exonerates continental footballers accused of introducing spitting to Britain … The social psychologist Dr Peter Marsh, of the Social Issues Research Centre at Oxford, gave compelling evidence that spitting was essentially a feminine act. So I am surprised to name the winner, by a number of votes, as Manchester United's former strongman Paddy Crerand. - Times – 16.10.1999.
Trainers treated like gods in this tribal society. Kate Fox has become racing's very own anthropologist, and has produced various scientific papers on her findings. Now she has come up with a popular account of her work, and her book, The Racing Tribe, is quietly hilarious. - Telegraph – 09.10.1999
A race apart. If you think a day at the races is simply a matter of men waving their arms, women wearing silly hats and horses thundering down the course, think again. Anthropologist Kate Fox has conducted a study of the racing world's extraordinary tribes. Andrew Baker accompanied her on a field trip to Newmarket … Fox, who is 37, has a degree in anthropology and philosophy from Cambridge and is based in Oxford at the Social Issues Research Centre. As previous projects on violence in pubs and crowd trouble at football matches indicate, she is not afraid of putting herself in tricky situations, but she never wanted to be a latter-day Margaret Mead. "Proper anthropologists do their fieldwork while living in a mud hut in the jungle," she says. "But frankly I'm a bit of a wimp and I don't like insects or disgusting food. This way I get to do my fieldwork in rather more pleasant surroundings." She glances down at her racecard and scribbles a note. "In any case, most jungles are overpopulated with anthropologists, and the situation is not much better in some areas at home. There are more social scientists at football grounds these days than there are hooligans." - Canada News – 24.09.1999
The dating game. As for the art of mating, the field is as complicated as ever. According to Kate Fox, an anthropologist and director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, England, a seemingly innocent stare is still one of the most powerful sexual signals you can give. That eye-to-eye contact begins in the animal kingdom, she explains, where male chimpanzees will stare at a female and flick their penises to show interest. - World New York – 19.09.1999
Social Issues Research Center "In the pub, by contrast, we gather haphazardly along the bar counter. This may appear contrary to all native instincts and customs, until you realise-and this is spooky-that the queue is still there, and the bar staff are aware of each person's position in the 'invisible' queue." - The British penchant for a queue surpasses even spatial boundaries, as detailed in an interesting monograph on British pub etiquette. - Feed Magazine – 17.09.1999.
Britain will soon reverse the law which forces pubs to close after 11 PM -- a First World War era code which was meant to increase worker productivity. Celebrate by checking out the Social Issues Research Center's Guide to British Pub Etiquitte. "There is no waiter service in British pubs. You have to go up to the bar to buy your drinks, and carry them back to your table. One of the saddest sights of the British summer (or the funniest, depending on your sense of humour) is the group of thirsty tourists sitting at a table in a pub, patiently waiting for someone to come and take their order." - Telegraph – 07.09.2000
Games with a dual purpose. The majority of those in traditional medicine would regard "disease networking" as being irresponsible with children's health. Indeed, only last week, the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) in Oxford published a bulletin warning that Britain is on the brink of a measles epidemic, thanks to scaremongering over the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, linking it with autism. However, not all medical opinion is against the networkers. - GP Magazine – 03.09.1999.
Move to reduce impact of scares. A government move to develop media guidance on the reporting of health scare stories has been welcomed by GP's. The guidance will come in the form of an official code of practice set out by a working party of academic scientists and media representatives and will be completed early next year. The project is being co-ordinated by the Social Issues Research Centre, an Oxford-based independent research organisation and the Royal Institution of Great Britain, a scientific research body that promotes public understanding of science. - Independent – 02.09.1999.
Danger! Phobia alert. Allow me to introduce you to a new syndrome. It is called 'riskfactorphobia' and it is said by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, which apparently coined the term, to be a side effect of health scares.
Riskfactorphobia is sweeping the population, according to the SIRC, which monitors social and cultural trends. A significant proportion of people have become hypersensitive to health scares and warnings and increasingly anxious about the risk factors in their diet, lifestyle and environment, they say.
I couldn't agree more. The things people worry about are truly worrying. For some people it must take courage to open the fridge. Perils lurk on every shelf. If the listeria in the cheese doesn't get them, or the 17 kinds of pesticide on the lettuce, the salmonella in the chicken surely will. - Daily Telegraph – 02.09.1999.
Games with a Dual Purpose. The majority of those in traditional medicine would regard "disease networking" as being irresponsible with children's health. Indeed, only last week, the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC) in Oxford published a bulletin warning that Britain is on the brink of a measles epidemic, thanks to scaremongering over the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, linking it with autism. - Express – 29.08.1999.
Why DIY's no longer inferior decoration. Last week the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford published a report on the behaviour of the DIY tribe. It identifies five types of DIY-er. The biggest is the Territorial Marker (almost 75 per cent of those questioned), who feels obliged to stamp a bland home with creative touches. Next largest is the Frustrated Artist. This species sees DIY as a chance to express their dormant talent as a Michelangelo. Then there are the sub-groups: those who can't afford to hire a professional; those who think all builders are cowboys and (the smallest group of all) those who think it's "fun". And the one thing that links all the DIY tribes? They love DIY programmes. - World New York – 29.08.1999.
The Collective Amnesia Rule: the law of racecourse etiquette states that 'after each race, thou shalt conveniently forget all erroneous predictions, prophecies and comments made before the race regarding the relative abilities and chances of the horses involved.' This rule is absolutely essential to the maintenance of good relations between race goers." From a summary of the Social Issues Research Centre publication "The Social Behaviour of Horsewatchers." - Express – 25.08.1999.
Bank holidays? As a DIY nation we prefer sandpaper to a sandcastle. Based on the new findings, Dr Marsh has divided DIYers into six categories. Many young homemakers (38 per cent of those surveyed) see no option but DIY, for their new home often requires essential refurbishment or even structural repair. Some would prefer to hire professionals but cannot afford to. Putting a "personal stamp on the place" was one of the most frequently reported motives for DIY, with 72 per cent keen to ensure their homes were not bland and expressionless. An overwhelming majority of respondents (84 per cent) said DIY gave an outlet for creativity which was otherwise frustrated in their everyday working lives. They spoke at length at their sense pride in completing their very first DIY task. - Evening Standard – 25.08.1999.
The real reason we love DIY. The August Bank Holiday is officially the busiest do-it-yourself weekend. And now, for the first time, a team of social scientists from Oxford has published a report on the behaviour of the DIY tribe. The report by the Social Issues Research Centre was commissioned by the makers of PG Tips and identifies five different types of DIY-er, each of them drawn to the booming hobby for a different reason: P The biggest group of DIY-ers – almost three-quarters of those questioned – are the ones who feel compelled to disguise a bland and characterless "starter home" with their personal touches; a species identified by the researchers as a Territorial Marker. - Irish Times – 23.08.1999.
Letter. Sir, – I hope I can, even as a "foreigner", be allowed to applaud Kevin Myers's brilliant piece on the non-Irish activities of the anti-GM protesters (An Irishman's Diary, August 19th). It is high time that these fanatics, most of whom I regret are British, were subjected to the sharp end of such a fine bit of caustic Irish wit. - Pakistan Business Recorder. – 21.08.1999
Is science a sham? Amidst a rash of sometimes contradictory messages about what is good for your health, British medical experts worry that the biggest loser could be trust in science. "All this scare-mongering is not good for us," said Dr Peter Marsh of Oxford's independent Social Issues Research Centre. "Not only do people not trust the message, they no longer trust the messenger. Our faith in science is on a steady decline." Marsh said the psychological fallout was easy to detect, with people reacting in three distinct ways. - Australasian Business Intelligence – 20.08.1999
Is Breast Best, Wine Worse or Science a Sham? British medical experts believe public trust in science is declining because of the conflicting messages about what is good for health. Peter Marsh of the independent Social Issues Research Centre in Great Britain says people's faith in science is dwindling. - Toronto Star – 18.08.1999.
Beware: Reading this story could make you sick. Amid a rash of often contradictory messages about what is good for your health, medical experts worry that the biggest loser could be the public's trust in science. "All this scaremongering is not good for us," Peter Marsh of Oxford's independent Social Issues Research Centre said. "Not only do people not trust the message, they no longer trust the messenger. Our faith in science is on a steady decline." - Business Today – South Africa – 17.08.1999.
Experts fear public is losing faith in science. British medical experts worry that the public could lose trust in science due to a rash of sometimes contradictory messages about what is good for one's health. "All this scare-mongering is not good for us," said Dr Peter Marsh of Oxford's independent Social Issues Research Centre. "Not only do people not trust the message, they no longer trust the messenger. Our faith in science is on a steady decline." - Sunday Express – 25.07.1999.
How legs can give away your secrets. Forget fluttering your eyelashes, pouting gorgeously or crossing your arms – it's the way you arrange your legs that provides a window to your soul, says a British scientist. Social Anthropologist Kate Fox believes that our pins speak volumes about our inner thoughts and that leg language could hold the key to a romantic encounter … Crossed legs can mean many things, says Ms Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Amateur psychologists assume that crossing is a defensive or hostile gesture," she says, "but it can also show that someone is relaxed. The important thing is direction – if the other person is friendly they will cross a leg towards you. If they mistrust you, they will cross it away." - Express – 13.06.1999.
Warning: Health scares are bad for you. Behaviour expert Kate Fox reckons most woman, are riskfactorphobics, changing their shopping, eating and lifestyle habits at each alert, only to change them back when health advisers take a U-turn. Others are split between having warning fatigue, greeting each piece of news with a dismissive sigh of having seen it all before, and the Forbidden Fruit syndrome, which makes them want anything described as unhealthy all the more. - Observer – 13.06.1999.
Warning fatigue and riskfactorphobia. These are reactions to the fact that we're awash with health warnings and health-scare stories. According to the Social Issues Research Centre, warning fatigue kicks in when we overdose, become desensitised and end up 'exhibiting diminishing response'. Riskfactorphobia means overreacting to these stories, and living in fear. - Guardian – 08.06.1999.
Fighting the fizz. A report from the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford last month claimed that people were becoming desensitised to repeated health warnings. Carey's suggestion is to harness star power. "Let's get rock icons and sports heroes talking about how great it is to eat properly.". - Irish News – 07.06.1999.
Thank goodness I’ve been vindicated. I feel like taking up smoking on no-smoking days but now I know I’m not a freak, I’m pretty normal. The Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford has monitored the public’s response to repetitive health campaigns and found them wanting. - Irish Times – 31.05.1999
Lifelines. Do shock tactics for health campaigns work? No – according to researchers at the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, who have found they have the opposite effect. - Guardian – 27.05.1999.
Science Update – Fear eats the sole, etc. "Riskfactorphobics" read health pages and overreact to each new scare. Then there is the "forbidden-fruit effect" which drives some people to scramble to beat the ban on beef-on-the-bone. Similarly, antismoking campaigns coincided with significant increases in teenage smoking. Most people suffer from "warning fatigue" eventually paying no attention at all, according to the Social Issues Research Centre at Oxford. - Mirror – 26.05.1999.
Health Warnings Can Damage Your Health Too many government health warnings can make you ignore the lot – and put your health at risk. Shock tactics and Big Brother 'bullying' have the opposite effect of what is intended, research revealed today … An SIRC spokesman said: "Health promotion is a cut-throat industry. People are bombarded with scary warnings and conflicting advice. This is not in the public interest. - Belfast Telegraph – 26.05.1999
Jane Bell on Wednesday: Warnings that Lead to Fatigue. The new study by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford says we're suffering from "warning fatigue " when a message is given so often it loses its impact. And they certainly have a point. The healthy eating and exercise message has been expounded loud and clear for donkey 's years now. Yet obesity continues to rise. Maybe what we need is less stick and more carrot. - University of British Columbia. – 26.05.1999.
Shock health warnings backfire . Health promotion campaigns which use shock tactics to discourage people from harmful behaviour actually have the opposite effect, researchers have said. The researchers identified three types of unwanted effect: Warning fatigue – This is when people become desensitised to health messages and pay no attention whatsoever; Risk factor phobia – Some people become increasingly fearful about the hazards posed by their lifestyle and diet, often over-reacting; Forbidden fruit effect – A deliberate defiance of authoritarian health warnings. For instance, warnings about the dangers of eating beef on the bone resulted in a rush for just such products before they were banned by the government… A SIRC spokesman said: "That is the danger of crying wolf. When there really is a wolf, you come up against warning fatigue: your audience has simply switched off." Risk factor phobics tend to be avid readers of health pages and health magazines, the researchers found… SIRC found that the third response, that of doing the exact opposite, was particularly common among rebellious teenagers. - BBC – 25.05.1999.
Health Shock health warnings backfire. Health promotion campaigns which use shock tactics to discourage people from harmful behaviour actually have the opposite effect, researchers have said. A survey by the Social Issues Research Centre (SIRC), based in Oxford, shows that health scares and warnings can cause unwanted psychological side effects. - The Herald – 25.05.1999.
Unhealthy Warning Signs. Too many government health warnings are backfiring because they make us rebel, research showed yesterday. It is not just teenagers who light up every time someone tells them smoking is dangerous. - Daily Mail – 25.05.1999.
How health warnings put your health at risk. Too many Government health warnings can damage your health, claims a report…The study by the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford says that health warnings can trigger psychological side-effects…A spokesman for the centre said: 'Health promotion has become a cut-throat industry with agencies, charities, politicians and academics vying for attention and funding. The result of all these competing vested interests is that people are bombarded with scary warnings and often conflicting advice, much of it based on very flimsy or dubious scientific evidence.' - Times – 05.04.1999
When confronted, stay calm. If events become threatening, adopt appropriate language and behaviour. "When confronted by someone who is looking for a reason to hit you, don't give it to them," says Dr Peter Marsh, a social psychologist and research director at the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "Any language perceived as dominant, hostile or threatening will increase conflict. A calm voice and non threatening language will do the opposite, though it is hard to keep an even pitch when scared." Body language is crucial. "Eye contact should be avoided," Dr Marsh asserts. "Obviously you must be aware if a person is about to punch you, but fixing the other person's gaze is a disaster. - Independent – 14.03.1999
The beautiful and the damned. Dr Etcoff is not the only one to acknowledge the great power of good looks. "Attractive people do have a distinct advantage," agrees Kate Fox, social anthropologist with the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. "The bias for beauty operates in all social, work and educational situations. "Attractive children are not only more popular, but teachers have higher expectations of them, which improves performance. Good-looking people have better chances of getting jobs and higher salaries. And there is also a deep -seated if illogical conviction that what is beautiful is also good – that the good-looking must have other desirable assets." - Evening Standard – 23.02.1999.
Jeepers peepers. So should we feel guilty about succumbing to Lighted Window Syndrome (LWS)? Not according to Dr Peter Marsh, who admits to looking in windows himself. "As a social psychologist, it's my job." The parts of a house you can see from the street are usually "the semi-public zones", the rooms the owners would display if they invited you in (as opposed to the den and that messy back bedroom). "It's like the concept of the old front parlour. These are the rooms that have the most attention to detail. The fact that people are letting you look reflects on how they see these spaces." - Guardian – 15.02.1999.
Bad habits die hard. "There is such a plethora of contradictory medical warnings, that people don't know what is worthwhile and what is cranky," says Dr Peter Marsh, social psychologist and director of the science and research unit in Oxford. But Dr Elizabeth Dowler, of Warwick University's department of social policy and social work, is doubtful that unhealthy eating has much to do with the public's distrust of nutritionists: "There is a strong view that the trouble with nutritionists is they are always changing their minds, and I don't think it is particularly true. There are a lot of popular myths around, but experts have always advocated a balanced diet, and recommended eating fruit and vegetables." - Independent – 07.02.1999
Excuse me, but do you mind? Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre, is not impressed. "Once you start banning things and littering the place with authoritarian, officious notices, you draw attention to this behaviour," she said. "This idea that people have to be told how to live their lives is wrong and does not work." She does not believe that things are getting worse. "There has always been, and always will be, antisocial behaviour. It is part of human nature. Greek and Roman literature is full of people bemoaning the behaviour of the younger generation. "When you give a name to something people imagine it is a new phenomenon, or on the increase. Road rage is nothing new. There are examples of it in Jane Austen, involving horses and carriages. There is a serious boy racer in Northanger Abbey." - Marketing Week – 04.02.1999
Anthropological study into primitive social bonding rituals. A major new study by the Social Issues Research Centre paper is to be revealed this week. The paper is a result of exhaustive study at 16 locations nationwide using "participant- observation methods applied by anthropologists studying tribal societies", to reveal "the social dynamics and rituals" of the subjects. Which rite-riddled tribe could the document possibly be referring to? Why, none other than the corporate hospitality guest. - Scotsman 17.01.1999
Road signs pointing in the wrong direction. A second survey published this week looks to be absolutely spot on. An academic study by the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre has proved that the dreaded White Van Man not only exists but that there could be as many as 2.5 million of them. Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, White Van Man is always in a tearing hurry, jumps every red light going and treats speed limits as a challenge. And when he arrives at his destination he'll park his white van on a pedestrian's foot if necessary. The psychology, according to Dr Peter Marsh, is that White Van Man always knows exactly where he's going and has a strong territorial instinct. "When you obstruct the passage of a white van, you are preventing the driver travelling freely on what he perceives to be his road," he said. So the next time you are carved up by an oaf in a white van it will be comforting to know that the driver's only doing what comes naturally. - BBC – 13.01.1999.
Rude White Van Man 'a myth'. 'White Van Man' became a term for rude and reckless drivers of white transit vans after it was apparently coined by a radio presenter in 1997. But a report by the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre, seeks to explode what it calls this "modern myth". - BBC – 22.01.1999.
Is the art of flirting dead? Social anthropologist Kate Fox thinks men have a greater need to be taught than women: "All the research that's been done shows they're less socially skilled and not as good at non-verbal and verbal communication," she said. - BBC – 13.01.1999.
Rude White Van Man 'a myth' Van drivers – once maligned as a menace of the roads – are actually polite and respectful, says a new report. But a report commissioned by Renault UK for the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre, seeks to explode what it calls this "modern myth". The authors of the report say that as with many negative stereotypes, their research shows that the perception of White Van Man is a "gross caricature of reality." - Guardian – 11.01.1999.
Ready, steady, flirt. According to anthropologist Kate Fox, author of the Social Issues Research Centre's Guide to Flirting: 'We are experiencing a Victorian paternalistic revival.' As a result: 'Flirtophobic codes of conduct have been introduced in rife flirting zones such as universities and workplaces. People are confused as to how to behave and look for guidelines.' - Western Daily Press – 10.10.1998
Why women are drinking men under the table. Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre based in Oxford, questions whether society should be overly concerned about the increase in female alcohol consumption. She points out that research showing drinking per head of the population may not always be an accurate indicator of whether an alcohol problem exists in society … She argues that Nineties women feel less worried about going into pubs, and claims the boozer is now as much part of female culture as it is men's. "Women don't tend to have the 'pub argument' like men," she says. "Instead, they tend to agree with each other, compliment each other and share stories. I don't see many problems with that." Which is just as well, because if recent figures are anything to go by, the female drinker is here to stay. - Guardian – 09.11.1998
Oi! Here is the latest menace to society on our roads: White Van Man. Renault have hired the Social Issues Research Centre to examine the phenomenon, and to find out whether White Van Man (hereafter referred to as WVM) is as bad as we think he is. How bad do we think he is? Close your eyes and imagine yourself sitting behind the wheel of your nice car. Let us say that the traffic is fluid, if a little packed for comfort. Now, let the image of a white van float into your consciousness. What is the driver of this white van doing? Is he (a) waving you into a gap in the traffic with a courtly nod? (b) charging into the tiny space in front of you as if contemptuous of your very existence? … - Race News.
Corporate Hospitality. "Although big races at prestigious meetings may offer more advertising coverage, all of the ‘corporate bonding’ benefits can be achieved by sponsoring a race at a small local racecourse." Kate Fox. Anthropologist, Social Issues Research Centre - Irish News – 03.11.1998.
New women drinking their men under the tables. Kate Fox, Director of The Social Issues Research Centre, based in Oxford, questions whether society should be overly concerned about the increase in female alcohol consumption. - Evening Standard – 26.10.1998
Misunderstood: White Van Man. A month-long roving study of more than 250 White Van Men by the Oxford-based Social Issues Research Centre, designed to get under the skin of Britain's most reviled road users, has concluded that "the public and media perception of White Van Man is a gross caricature of reality". - Sunday News – 15.09.1998.
Our 'tribe' must be preserved too. In the midst of damaging political procrastination and industry thinking bedevilled by parochialism, it is nice to discover an anthropologist has cut her way through the crap and rediscovered the soul of racing. In a report publicised by the Social Issues Research Centre, Englishwoman Kate Fox concluded: "The racing tribe proved to be the kind of friendly, tolerant, obliging natives that most anthropologists only encounter in their dreams." - Financial Times – 17.08.1998.
Food scare hype proves hard to swallow. Does the public's obsessional interest in food scares carry a price? The Social Issues Research Centre, an Oxford-based think-tank believes it does. A constant stream of contradictory advice about health risks causes unnecessary confusion, anxiety, fear and even serious mental health problems, it said. "A diet of worry-inducing headlines based on dubious science is not beneficial to public health." - Observer – 28.06.1998.
Saings of the week. "The solution {to sexual harassment} is not to ban flirting but to educate men to be better at it" Kate Fox of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford. - Guardian – 22.06.1998
When is a flirt not a flirt? Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, who recently authored a report on flirting for Martini, believes a new puritanism imported from America is causing flirtophobia. 'There is a confusion of harmless flirting . . . with the serious problem of sexual harassment. Men do have a problem picking up on signals and can mistake friendly behaviour for sexual availability. The solution is not to ban flirting but to educate men to be better at it.' Or shoot them. Whichever is easiest. - Times – 20.06.1998
Faces that tell tale of a nation. Peter Marsh, of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, has given his own commentary on our photographs of fans at the World Cup. Strong nations with a record of football success are often confident enough to steal others' national symbols: "This German is a good example. His team are playing the United States; he's stealing the opposition's icons and using them to show the superiority of his own. "There's a native American headdress and the large silly gloves that are so popular with baseball and American football crowds. But it's quite clear he's a German; the colours of his warpaint show that. It's a nice irony that he's picked the Indian headdress, because what he's doing is very similar symbolically to American Indians scalping their victims." - Independent – 14.06.1998
There there, it's only a game. Social Psychologist Dr Peter Marsh, Director of the Social Issues Research Centre explains that we need to create excitement because our lives lack the old-fashioned thrill of survival. "People like to put their emotions on the line. Investing in England's fortune in football, or the cricket provides us with an excitement in our rather risk-free lives."
- Evening Standard – 18.03.1998.
Bright future. According to psychologist Dr Peter Marsh, some people do find bright colours literally mind-blowing. Different shades have different effects on the brain. "Light blues and greens are less stimulating, while red is very stimulating and produces more cortical arousal. Extroverts can cope with more intensity of colour than shy people." - Sunday Independent – 15.03.1998
Danger: men at large. Some single mothers might decide that struggling on their own with government hand-outs is better than living with a man involved in petty crime who takes no responsibility for the situation. "There is possibly a new family structure of mother, baby and government official," explains Kate Fox, a social anthropologist and director of the Social Issues Research Centre. "We are reverting to a 'mammalian' system where mother and child are the main focus of society and the males are peripheral. Women may be using men as sperm donors and retreating into the mother/baby unit. Men may feel a sense of failure of not being able to provide, which is their traditional role. They end up feeling functionless and think 'Why should I sit around and have that staring me in the face?'" - Independent – 01.03.1998
The joy of single sex. Nothing could be more natural or normal than sex-segregated activities, whether their purpose is leisure, work or education, explains Kate Fox, social anthropologist at the Social Issues Research Centre, an Oxford-based think tank. "In all cultures across the world, there is far greater segregation than we experience, right through social life and the division of labour," she says. "And it is not assumed that the male structure is more valuable or desirable. In this culture, however, we seem to have a notion that we want to desegregate just for the sake of it, rather than because we actually want to take part in the activities that we demand to be part of." - Times – 28.02.1998
All hands on desks. Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre, says the problem stems from losing the art of playful, harmless flirtation. "It's sad and pathetic," she says, "that management thinks a flirtatious exchange is a prelude to a sexual encounter. By stopping it they only rule out the possibility of educating people." … Is it a thing we can learn, though? Apparently yes. According to research at the Social Issues Research Centre, first impressions are based 55 per cent on appearance, 38 per cent on style of speaking and only 7 per cent on what is said. In other words, it's all a question of reading the signs, a bit like learning the highway code. Management could provide L-plates for staff who put their foot down too hard on the accelerator. - Times – 21.02.1998
Men who want to go along just for the ride. In 1976, 69 per cent of British men held full driving licences. By 1996, it was 81 per cent. Half of all modern British males hold a full licence by the time they're 20. Most of the other half will have one by the time they're 30. This is not surprising. As Dr Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Centre puts it: "Driving is a means of achieving mastery over something. It gives a sense that you are in charge of your own destiny." - Times – 23.12.1997
Think you can pull women? Pull the other one. Nowadays most men, according to scientists at Stanford University in California, are just too shy to flirt. Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, says that part of this fear of flirting "is caused by overzealous political correctness, which has come out of concerns about sexual harassment". Men who were once bewitched are now merely bothered and bewildered by the whole flirting ritual. Some of them are so bewildered that they have completely lost their touch. When the magazine Maxim asked its readers what they felt when they saw women laughing, nearly a third thought the women were laughing at them. Not even with , mind you, but at. - Independent – 02.11.1997
The wrong side of flirty. Excessive political correctness is partly to blame, according to Kate Fox, social anthropologist at the Social Issues Research Centre, an independent think-tank based in Oxford, which analysed the Martini survey. "Flirting has had a bad press," she says. "I've spent the past few months researching the subject of male/ female interaction in academic journals, plus we have a social monitoring facility at the research centre, and these sources confirm the survey results." - Mail – 27.10.1997
The secret code to flirt your way into his heart 'The subtle differences in the way we glance at another person, meet their gaze and even the way we look away can make all the difference between a successful encounter and an uncomfortable one with an attractive stranger,' says Kate Fox. 'Learn to read his responses and you'll soon know whether he's worth approaching.' According to Fox, when you see someone you like the look of, direct eye contact is the best way to indicate interest. But there is a special technique . . . - Telegraph – 10.09.1997
The friendliest tribe in Britain. Racegoers are not like normal people; they tend to be more chivalrous, nicer and better behaved. They know how to shed their inhibitions without turning nasty, are always polite to women and are probably the last social grouping east of America where strangers are made to feel welcome. That, at least, is roughly what Kate Fox, director of the Social Issues Research Centre in Oxford, has discovered after examining them through socio-anthropological binoculars. - Indpendent 01.09.1997
Anthropologists discover friendly tribe called racegoers. "The Racing Tribe", a new study of racing and racegoers carried out by Kate Fox of The Social Issues Research Centre, describes racegoers as "the kind of friendly, tolerant, obliging natives that most anthropologists encounter only in their dreams." Having carried out a year of fieldwork at 22 meetings, the report concludes that racegoers show exceptional sociability, partly because of the diverse social base from which they are drawn. - Times – 01.09.1997
Natives friendly in racecourse jungle. When Kate Fox, an anthropologist and director of the Social Issues Research Centre at Oxford, went racing for the first time in 1995 she could not believe how racegoers behaved – and turned the beliefs of social scientists on their head. "Racegoers were not conforming to the laws of crowd behaviour. They were making eye contact and smiling at each other and striking up conversations with strangers, which normally just does not happen. Normally in a crowd people avoid making eye contact, whereas racegoers were behaving like a small, friendly tribe," she said.