In this playlist, explore the many factors that influence our health and wellbeing, from mental health and healthcare innovation to child development and disability. Join Will Hutton and guests to learn more about how research and policy can help build healthier, fairer and more inclusive societies.
The We Society podcast: Health & Wellbeing
S11 Ep2: Placing the Right Kind of Attention on Women’s Health with Professor Sophie Harman
In this episode of the We Society podcast, host Will Hutton is joined by Professor Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London and recipient of a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize, to discuss her research into the political forces that shape women’s health, UK healthcare systems and the global governance that determines health outcomes. She argues that collective action is needed to rebalance the prejudices and assumptions in women’s healthcare, backed by strong social policy and research.
S10 Ep4: How happy is the world in 2026? With Jan-Emmanuel De Neve
What can we learn from the happiest countries in the world? In this episode of the We Society podcast, Professor Jan-Emmanuel De Neve, Professor of Economics and Behavioural Science at the University of Oxford, joins host Will Hutton to discuss the findings of the 2026 World Happiness Report and what we can learn for putting wellbeing at the heart of public policy.
S10 Ep3: Using virtual reality to build a more inclusive NHS with Stephani Hatch
How can we use technology to make workplaces in healthcare more inclusive? In this episode of the We Society podcast, Professor Stephani Hatch FAcSS, Professor of Sociology and Epidemiology at King’s College London, shares insights into her research on the discrimination faced by NHS staff members from Black and ethnic minority backgrounds, the impacts this has, and how using virtual reality headsets is helping to tackle the problem.
S9 Ep7: Investing in the Early Years: Can policy catch up with evidence? with Eleanor Ireland
How do we get it right for children in the early years? To unpack this, Eleanor Ireland, Programme Head of Education at the Nuffield Foundation, joins Will Hutton to discuss how setting children up for better educational outcomes, and better health and employment prospects in later life, starts before birth and encompasses maternity services, health visitors and parenting support, as well as affordable high quality early education
S9 Ep5: Evidence for change: rethinking child poverty policy with Alex Beer
More than 30% of children in the UK live in relative poverty. Alex Beer is Assistant Director of Strategy at the Nuffield Foundation where she leads strategic research into welfare, work and family, driving projects aimed at improving outcomes for children and families across the UK. She joins Will Hutton to discuss what recent social science research, funded by the Foundation, can tell us about tackling this challenging issue for the benefit of the UK’s children, families and wider society.
S8 Ep7: The Social Life of Pain with Tom Shakespeare
In the UK alone, around 1 in 4 adults experiences chronic pain, and over 16 million people, almost a quarter of the population, live with some form of disability. In the penultimate episode of season 8 of the We Society podcast, leading sociologist and bioethicist, Professor Tom Shakespeare, joins host Will Hutton to discuss the link between social science and disability, including how pain and disability aren’t just individual experiences but that they are part of the We Society too.
S5 Ep1: Should governments care about wellbeing? with Professor Richard Layard
In the first episode of season 5, host, Will Hutton, speaks to Professor Lord Richard Layard FAcSS, renowned economist and Peer, on the social science of wellbeing and how it contributes, not only to individual happiness, but also to wider society.
S3 Ep3: Can sport change the wellbeing of the nation? With Professor Louise Mansfield
Professor Louise Mansfield has dedicated her working career to improving the physical and mental health of the nation through her research on sport and exercise. In this episode, she tells host Will Hutton how sport engagement is a microcosm of society by reflecting existing inequalities. They delve into issues around gender stereotypes, class, and access to facilities in this fascinating conversation along with an exploration of the London 2012 Olympic legacy.
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