Audio

Harsh Realities looks at how doctors, nurses, social services, and advisers take vital decisions about our lives. The third programme in the series looks at the legal minefield of assisted suicide and asks if it is ever morally acceptable for a doctor to help kill a patient. This programme is the last of three chaired by Niall Dickson, the BBC’s social affairs editor. In each programme Niall will be joined by professionals who have direct experience of the subject under discussion. In order to listen to this programme select programme 2 for audio access.

This episode of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed series includes a segment on sexual tension. Although modern societies seem to be becoming more liberal about sex it appears that at the same time many anxieties remain. Laurie Taylor discusses with Professor Sue Scott why the very subject of sex makes some people feel tense. The segment is second in the audio clip after a discussion on post soviet society and health.

This episode of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed series includes a segment on evidence based research. The government has been strongly committed to evidence-based policy and practice. It wants to use evidence of what works to inform and drive ambitious and innovative social programmes. Issues surrounding how evidence-based research is used and whether policy is based on evidence or informed by it.

This episode of Radio 4's Woman's Hour series looks at mentoring and if young people who are likely to fall foul to the law could be identified before they actually offend. The Community Service Volunteers has set up a scheme which has already proved successful. The Mentors and Peers (MAP) project matches young people with volunteer mentors who meet regularly for a period of six months. One such young person is 11 year old Bobby who is anxious to avoid the fate of elder brothers who have served prison sentences.

The first programme in the series looks at the American social psychologist Solomon Asch and his studies on conformity in the 1950s. Claudia Hammond investigates the reasons for conformity and asks whether we're more or less likely to conform today.

More than half a million people in Britain have autism, and the numbers of diagnosed cases is rising rapidly. Yet we know very little about this puzzling condition. In a month-long series of programmes and features, Radio 4 attempt to separate fact from theory, and to find out what is available to help autistic children and adults, and their families.

This episode of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed series includes a segment on children and sexuality in the light of the recent Pitcairn case where disclosures of widespread child abuse were pitted against a defence of traditional cultural practices. Laurie Taylor asks if there is such thing as a universal sexual morality particularly concerning children and discusses the construction of childhood and children's sexuality.

This episode of Radio 4's Thinking Allowed series consists of two segments. In the first Laurie Taylor is joined by Rob Hornsby who as a trainee sociologist got an insight into the current workings of the Youth Justice System when he worked as an Appropriate Adult at a police station, supporting young offenders following their initial arrest.

Harsh Realities looks at how doctors, nurses, social services, and advisers take vital decisions about our lives. The first programme in the series tackles child abuse. When a medical professional suspects that a child has been assaulted, what course of action should they take? Removing a child from his or her home is a dramatic step. If there is even a hint of doubt about the case, should the professionals act – or play it safe?

This episode of Radio 4's Woman's Hour series looks at ageism including why, with such a good economic case for making sure people over 50 are in employment, prejudice against this age group is such a growing problem. Host Jenni Murray finds out if it’s harder to find employment if you’re a woman over 50 than a man, asks what we can do to stop this trend and debates whether we should we be treating ageism like sexism and racism.