events

Courses tagged with "events"

Mental health service users often feel - and often are - disempowered from taking control of their own destiny. The video tracks on this album tell the story of people who have been confined to the psychiatric wing of a large Northern hospital. Scripted and acted by mental health service users/survivors, A Quiet Night on Roundhay Wing presents an insiders' perspective on the people and practices that have dominated – and defined – their lives, often over many years. Although the events portrayed did not actually take place, it is a true story in the sense that it is grounded in and reflects people's real experiences. The audio tracks explore some of the issues raised by the drama, and present perspectives on the album from Ann Mitchell, lecturer in mental health nursing at The Open University. The material forms part of The Open University course K272, Challenging ideas in mental health.
What were the lasting legacies of the Second World War?
A day in London celebrating a new approach to the challenges of our planet.
How was The Cold War fought? What types of evidence do historians use to understand the events that took place?
The Cold War was a state of political and military tension between the USA and the Soviet Union, along with their respective allies in the Western and Eastern Blocs.
Category: History
The Open University in Wales is running a series of events where you can discuss your Icons of Wales and dig deeper into ideas about Wales and Welshness
Category: History
Happy European Day of Languages! Find out more about why we should celebrate language learning.
Category: Languages
How can Darwin be used to inspire the scientists of tomorrow? What is the best way to communicate his theories to a modern audience? And what events have been taking place all over the world to commemorate him? Sheila Ochugboju from the African Technology Policy Studies Network, Janice Asnine from the OU and Roberta Kacowicz from The British Council in Brazil, discuss the various initiatives that they have been involved in all over the world to promote Darwin. Their work shows that he can still be both relevant and exciting, and that diverse methods can be used to introduce young people and a variety of modern communities to Darwin’s theories and the fundamentals of his scientific approach. The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © British Council 2009.
What happens when one of the worst terrorist attacks in history strikes the densest cluster of networks on the planet? How did the largest communications provider in the United States handle the surge in demand? Despite surviving earthquakes, hurricanes and other man-made and natural disasters, the staff at AT and T struggled to cope with the flood of calls that followed the tragic events of September 11th. Over the course of the day they handled in excess of 400 million calls as people in America, and all over the world tried to contact friends and family in New York. This collection gives a snapshot of how the communications company dealt with the unprecedented technological challenges by using techniques such as call gapping to help free up other services.
Why are we still interested in Charles Darwin, 200 years after his birth? Are his theories still as relevant? And what celebrations are planned for his anniversary? This album provides a solid introduction to Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution. The geneticist Steve Jones and the historian Fern Elsdon-Baker explain and comment on Darwin's theoretical approach, and explore how evolutionary theory is relevant to modern environmental concerns and recent developments in genetics. Fern Elsdon Baker introduces the Darwin Now project and discusses some of the events which are planned for 2009. But in the midst of the all the adulation, Steve Jones sounds a note of warning, musing if at some stage in the future, Darwin will be eclipsed by new theorists, with a very different approach to evolution.

The tracks on this album were produced by The Open University in collaboration with the British Council. They form part of Darwin Now, a global initiative celebrating the life and work of Charles Darwin and the impact his ideas about evolution continue to have on today’s world. © The British Council 2009.
Today tourists flock to the spectacular Greek island of Santorini. But how many realise that its stunning scenery was birthed by one of the largest and most destructive volcanic eruptions in history? This eruption left a geological caldera surrounded by huge amounts of volcanic ash. In this album, Open University geologists Richard Thorpe and Steve Blake take us on a geological tour of the island. They piece together the likely sequence of events of the eruption which destroyed an ancient civilisation. This material forms part of the course: S339 Understanding the continents.
Category: Geology
Capturing real-life stories help us understand the dynamics of day to day living, providing valuable research that may well help in future policy making. The Oldest Generation is Project 7 of Timescapes, the first major qualitative longitudinal study of older people to be funded in the UK. This audio recording samples parts of the diaries from members of The Oldest Generation project, who have been asked to document their day to day routines, with the aim of showing how major events affect the lives of the older generation.
How have technological change and the rise in organised networks affected international order? William Brown, Senior Lecturer in Government and Politics, is joined by fellow Open University lecturers Dr Simon Bromley and Dr Helen Yanacopulos to investigate the key issues through recent events such as the 'Jubilee 2000 debt campaign’ and the financial crisis of 2008, along with a look at traditional political ideals such as Marxism and Capitalism. This material forms part of The Open University course DU301 A world of whose making?
On September 11 2001, hijackers took control of four aircraft and crashed into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, in events that changed the world forever. It raised questions not only about the United States’ foreign policy but also about its assumed dominance as the leading international superpower. Ten years on since 9/11, the political landscape is very different: the US has a different President in the form of Barack Obama, elected in 2008, while the head of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in May 2011. In this audio series, originally recorded in 2008, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Dr Richard Heffernan, and Dr Simon Bromley, both of The Open University, discuss the consequences of September 11th, and the impact it's had on the United States' hegemony, its global leadership and its diplomatic and military strategy. For an undergraduate course looking at similar political themes, try The Open University's DU301 A world of whose making?
Sport is a massive global phenomenon. Events and sporting heroes attract an enormous amount of interest. What’s going on? Why do sporting heroes matter so much and why is the media full of sports news? This album uses interviews with four key people in sport (Ed Smith, Sue Tibballs, Ed Warner and Sunder Katwala) to explore the relationship between sport and the media and considers the role of media representations in constructing our understanding of sport and creating its place in the wider popular culture. Course chair, Professor Kath Woodward also reflects on the course and the material in this album through two academic perspectives. This material forms part of the course D170 This Sporting Planet.
If the themes and art of Who Are have made you hungry for more, here's some other articles to explore
Category: Sociology
Lisa Pilgram and Alena Pfoser in conversation with visual artist Laura Sorvala discuss how story-telling techniques can be used to tease out questions of belonging and community and how outputs can challenge simple ideas of ‘us’ and ‘them'.

Category: Sociology
A conversation between artist Laura Malacart and Open University researcher Sara de Jong on the intersections of identity and citizenship with economic history and language.
Category: Sociology
Abdul Rahman Haroun walked from France to the United Kingdom. On A Wing And A Prayer is a response to that journey.
Category: Sociology
Audiences, academics and the artist reflect on the video installation.
Category: Sociology
Abdul Rahman Haroun walked from France to the United Kingdom. On A Wing And A Prayer is a response to that journey.
Category: Sociology