Thinking Allowed Folgen

Britain congratulates itself on the success of its restaurants and its stable of 21 multiple Michelin-starred eateries, but how many people know that Germany has nearly double that figure? What are the Germans cooking up that leaves the Brits behind? Economic sociologist Christel Lane discusses her recent research with Laurie Taylor, arguing that, while French culture still dominates in restaurants awarded multiple stars by the 'little red book', it is a regional emphasis which sets Germany apart. Food critic and editor of Waitrose Kitchen William Sitwell joins the discussion of the extent of globalising factors in the high end restaurant industry. Does the ubiquity of lemongrass or the rise of the Othello Cake show that French influence is starting to wane? Also in the programme: why do we show dignity towards the dead when they are not around to appreciate it? Dignity is a quality which pervades many aspects of modern life. Philosopher Michael Rosen explains the practical applications of dignity, how it forms the basis of notions like human rights and the tangles and confusions that arise from diverging notions of what dignity means. Producer: Charlie Taylor.

What does the idea of home mean to us in Britain? How is that changing, and are those new needs being met? A new economic landscape and an irresistible pressure on housing are changing the way we live. For the first time since the 1980s home ownership is decreasing, more people are renting longer and people are starting to club together in bigger groups. In a special edition recorded at the Royal Institute of British Architects, Thinking Allowed examines the concept of home and its relationship to housing. Laurie Taylor is joined by an audience of the public and an expert panel: Angela Brady, President of RIBA; the housing economist Susan Smith, Mistress of Gurton College Cambridge; sociologist Esther Dermott from Bristol University and the architectural writer Jonathan Glancey. The event draws on a series of investigations of listeners' homes in which Laurie Taylor and a team of sociologists have explored the future of private life. It will also reflect on the RIBA exhibition on the history of the British Home, 'A Place to Call Home'. Producer: Charlie Taylor.

The MIddle Eastern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have been characterised by widespread deployment of private military and security companies. Their job has been to provide protection to army compounds, aid agencies and governments. Most of these men are American but a third are British. Laurie Taylor hears about new research by Professor Paul Higate, a Reader in Gender and Security at Bristol University. His study finds that British operatives see themselves as cool headed professionals but regard their American counterparts as 'trigger happy cowboys'. But is this perception an objective reality or a self serving illusion? The sociologist, Professor Anthony King, joins this discussion. Also, artifice versus authenticity on the traveller trail. Professor Karl Spracklen from Leeds Metropolitan University talks about the quest for the 'real' and 'authentic'' in tourism. Whisky tours are now as central to Scottish tourism as buying heather or eating haggis. Has 'tasting a dram' become just another element in the construction of invented tradition? Producer: Jayne Egerton.