Transforming Society podcast

Among the challenges for FIFA, the world governing body for football, when it was set up in 1904, was securing agreement on a shared set of rules for the game. It’s come a long way since then: it’s now a multi-billion-dollar behemoth, an unparalleled power in world sport. But on the eve of what it bills as ‘the greatest show on earth’ – the 2026 World Cup hosted in North America – it’s worth pausing to ask how well it serves the interests of the fans of the planet’s biggest spectator sport. To discuss the past, present and future of FIFA, George Miller is joined by Alan Tomlinson, Emeritus Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Brighton and author of What is FIFA for? Tomlinson is the antithesis of the ivory tower academic; his interest in understanding FIFA’s inner workings has taken him on years’-long quests more akin to investigative reporting than abstract theorising. This book, which one reviewer called the ‘capstone’ of his long interest in FIFA, distinguishes the reality from the rhetoric, the better to map the possible future of the game.  Throughout the conversation, two themes recur: accountability and transparency. For Tomlinson, the greatest challenge FIFA poses is not its size but the difficulty of holding such a powerful organisation to account.Alan Tomlinson is Emeritus Professor of Leisure Studies at the University of Brighton UK and a pioneer of critical sport and leisure research, blending cultural studies with investigative and in-the-field research.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-fifa-forThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/06/05/podcast-fifa-the-beautiful-game-and-billions-of-dollars-where-does-accountability-lie/Timestamps:01:22 - What is your football background?04:22 - What is it about FIFA that has engaged your interest?08:28 - How did your research approach affect what insights you gathered?13:13 - Why is the question of what FIFA is for more complicated than it first appears?18:45 - How transparent and accountable is FIFA?29:18 - How vulnerable is FIFA to corruption?33:28 - What are the top 3 priorities for a reformed FIFA?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Immigration policy is one of the most contested areas of contemporary politics. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Public debate often degenerates to trading numbers – how many people are coming in, and whether that number is too high or too low – but as Madeleine Sumption argues, the reality is both more complex and more difficult to resolve than that suggests. In this episode of the podcast, George Miller speaks to Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford and author of 'What is Immigration Policy for?'. They discuss why there is no single ‘right’ level of immigration, how the same evidence can lead to such different conclusions, and why attempts to control migration numbers so often fail. Their conversation also explores the limits of data in policymaking, the trade-offs between economic, humanitarian and political objectives, and the ways in which public debate often misses the fundamentally different purposes served by work, family and asylum migration.Madeleine Sumption is the Director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, which provides impartial analysis of migration in the UK.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/what-is-immigration-policy-forThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/05/05/podcast-why-immigration-policy-doesnt-add-up/Timestamps:01:33 - What drew you into immigration policy as a career?07:39 - Do most people cost the state more than we pay into it?08:48 - Why is data and policy such a tricky relationship?14:41 - Why can't you effectively cap net migration?19:54 - What is the current state of the immigration debate in the US?24:35 - How can we improve immigration policy?31:11 - What's the one thing you wish everyone understood about immigration?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

We often think of vulnerability as weakness - but what if it’s the very thing that connects us all? In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Melissa Tyler, author of 'Organizing Vulnerability', about why we need to rethink vulnerability as a shared, deeply social condition shaped by inequality and interdependence. From workplaces to the climate crisis, Tyler offers a powerful reimagining of vulnerability that opens pathways to solidarity, dignity and more just forms of organization.Melissa Tyler is Professor of Work and Organization Studies at the University of Essex.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/organizing-vulnerabilityThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/04/14/podcast-rethinking-vulnerability-as-strength/Timestamps:0:47 - Can you tell us about the book that you've written?4:38 - How is vulnerability unequally distributed?5:47 - How do these ideas intersect with the world of work and organisations?7:51 - How does vulnerability relate to your interest in artistic and creative work?11:16 - What is the chapter 'Existing: The Social Relations of Breathing' about?16:06 - What is the chapter 'Enduring: The Social Relations of Grieving' about?20:57 - What is the chapter 'Enacting: The Social Relations of Appearing' about?28:08 - How does this help us make workable lives?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

In today’s escalating climate crisis, more employees are asking how they can make a meaningful environmental difference at work - but where do we start and what can we really do? In this Transforming Business episode, Martin Parker speaks with Barbara Kump and Babette Julia Brinkmann, authors of ‘The Green Handprint at Work’, about how we can all create change from within our organisations. They unpack why the idea of a green handprint can be more powerful and motivating than the language of carbon footprints, the different strategies people use to spark environmental change within organisations and how employee activists can sustain hope and resilience while tackling challenges that often feel overwhelming.Barbara Kump is Associate Professor of Business and Sustainability at the University of Twente. Babette Julia Brinkmann is Professor of Organisational and Group Psychology at Cologne University of Applied Sciences.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/professional-business/the-green-handprint-at-workThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/03/10/podcast-how-to-be-an-employee-activist-for-sustainability/Timestamps:01:05 - How did you get interested in employee activism?05:25 - What is the difference between a carbon footprint and the idea of a green handprint?07:08 - Is the phrase 'employee activist' something of a paradox?10:11 - Are these changes too small in the face of the larger issue of capitalism?14:10 - What were some of the most inspirational stories from employee activists?21:32 - How can people approach decision makers about these changes?25:26 - What risks can come from being an employee activist?28:36 - How can employee activists stay resilient?33:50 - Who do you hope will read this book?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Tens of thousands of individuals are affected by disappearance and enforced disappearance every year, but until now the study of this phenomenon has often been disjointed and disconnected due to academic silos.In this podcast, Richard Kemp speaks with Bahar Baser and Élise Féron, two of the co-editors for the new Journal of Disappearance Studies, about how the journal serves as a space to break these boundaries and give this important field a unified platform.They discuss the difference between disappearance and enforced disappearance, the ethical implications of speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves and how they hope the journal will evolve over the coming years.Bahar Baser is based at Durham University, UK. Élise Féron is based at Ulster University, UKFind out more about the journal at: https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/jds/jds-overview.xmlThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/03/06/podcast-why-disappearance-research-matters/Timestamps:01:28 - What was the inspiration behind starting the Journal of Disappearance Studies?04:20 - What are the different forms of disappearance?08:40 - What is it like for the families who are left behind?14:41 - Why are 'widows' particularly impacted?16:05 - Why are enforced disappearances getting more prevalent?21:13 - What is transitional justice?30:54 - Why was it important for the journal to include poetry and filmmaker interviews, alongside academic articles?34:50 - What ethical issues arise when researching and representing disappearance?38:54 - How do you hope the journal will evolve in future issues?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

What happens when Nature is given a voice, and a vote, in business? In this Transforming Business podcast episode, Martin Parker speaks with Simeon Rose, author of ‘Nature’s Boardroom’, about how businesses can embed ‘Nature governance’ into their organisations. They discuss Faith In Nature and their decision to appoint Nature to its board of directors, the challenges and insights gained, and why more companies should follow suit.Simeon Rose is Brand Director at Faith In Nature and Co-creator of Nature on the Board.Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/professional-business/natures-boardroomThe transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2026/02/16/podcast-when-nature-has-a-voice-in-business/Timestamps:00:49 - What is Faith in Nature?06:08 - How did your role evolve beyond marketing at Faith in Nature?10:22 - When does the idea of embedding nature as a shareholder take place?13:38 - Was there a link between Faith in Nature and Patagonia making similar organisational moves?16:36 - How did you practically embed nature as a shareholder into decision making?19:48 - How does Nature get represented in a typical meeting?25:14 - Do you think something like this could happen at a different company, such as Boeing?30:00 - What do you mean by 'kill your darlings'?Intro music:Cold by yoitrax | @yoitraxMusic promoted by www.free-stock-music.com Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licensecreativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US