UKC

This is quite interesting. Some takeaways for me are how class and race can be pitted against one another, with poor northern white people having immigrants held up as the reason for their lack of economic success, and how poor white boys from the east of Glasgow do the same (economically and socially/criminally) as poor black boys from London.

The impacts of exclusions from school during the later school years and serving time in prisons, and the correlation of economic status on life chances are covered, too. He's a really intelligent and knowledgeable man. 

youtube.com/watch?v=atfVUgyEIOI&

Have a listen.  

takeaways? 

Look at the time I posted, is that the time when people's command of English is at it's peak? Probably not.

Have you listened to what's in the link? Probably not?

There are two problems with this thread.

• You post a link to a video over an hour long, honest not many people are going to watch it.
• The video is about a book, and the opening words of the presenter are "I have not read the book"

now sorry to be picky Timmd, and I do generally like your style, but come on

Pardon me, that was 'Friend cheekiness', rather than how one should respond to somebody one doesn't know. 

True on both counts, but it's interesting too. Not everybody who writes a book and is interviewed about it, turns out to have written a book for self promotion, when you hear him speak, it's clear (to me at least) that he's more interested in spreading information.

I don't really mind whether this thread continues along the lines of people pondering whether it was a sensible link to start a thread on, if a couple listen to it and post about it, and a few more put it on in the background and think 'Aha interesting', that's good enough. 

• I just watched it (working from home; shhhhhhhh!) and glad I did
• It touches on the themes from his book likely but uses them as base points for wider discussion

Akala's a very compelling speaker and I always enjoy his output. Thanks.

10 minutes in - already learnt a lot. 

Thx

That's how I took it. 

I didn't have time to watch the interview beyond the introduction, but I have seen Akala interviewed before. I am about half way through the book which, in my view, is very well researched, interesting, informative and honest about race and class in the UK. I'd recommend it as a good read.

Excellent watch. Can't stand O'Brien but Akala more than makes up for that.

I first saw Akala on Question Time, and he seemed massively more clued up and articulate than the politicians.

Thanks - it's on my list. Vey relevant to where I am (US) it seems to me and as was alluded to on occasion. 

Good grief, Akala thinks a lot and thinks fast! There's a lovely comment from O'Brien where he says "I'm having a bit of trouble keeping up". Excellent interview. Made me think about my upbringing in a very  different light. 

He was excellent on Frankie Boyle's show last week, covered very similar ground to by the sounds of it this vid.

After too many hours without sleep I skim read this and all I took away was "Some takeaways can be pitta'd against one another".  

Which I thought was quite funny

 class and race can be pitted against one another

Yes.  Leads to Tommy Robinson and his types.  

 how poor white boys from the east of Glasgow do the same (economically and socially/criminally) as poor black boys from London.

Poverty of aspiration  Almost impossible to fix.  Add in drug dealers targeting kids in certain areas it is a cluster!@#$.  

In my opinion that is a very accurate measure of earlier problems and not a cause. 

Kids don't fail exams through exclusions.  They fail exams because the aren't learning while they are racking up enough behaviour to get excluded  (quite a lot for a permanent exclusion).  

I haven't read the book or watched the video but anyway...

I find it quite interesting that we're from different points of the spectrum politically and both found it to be an excellent watch, it's presumably a sign that he's objective and fact based in what he says. 

He is actually "of the left" (Corbynite actually)but not in a stereotypical way. This is one reason I found O'Brien irritating. There was a touch of the Cathy Newmans in his "so this is what you are saying" when actually Akala was saying something much more nuanced. And Akala is not prone to the demonisation characteristic of so many  of the left.