Mark Easton

[upbeat music] In this edition of Attitudes, we're going to explore British attitudes on masculinity, the roles, the behaviors, the attributes that are associated with maleness.

What do the people of Britain really think about what it means to be a bloke? [upbeat music] Hello, and welcome to Attitudes with me, Mark Easton, brought to you by the National Centre for Social Research.

NatCen has been tracking British attitudes for more than 50 years, and today, the starting point for our discussion is some recent NatCen data trying to understand how people relate to gender identities.

In this program, focusing on masculinity.

As ever, Attitudes begins with a standout statistic on the topic.

So Curtis, can you please reveal our headline statistic for attitudes on masculinity?

Sure, Mark.

So this time our headline stat for this episode is that 52% of men, so a little over half, say that being a man is very or extremely important to how they think of themselves.

You might think of Westminster Abbey as a place of ceremony and coronation, but did you know that within all its Gothic splendor, there are objects and places that illuminate the long story of democracy? Join me, Mark Easton, as I walk through the monumental surroundings of Westminster Abbey with those who serve at the heart of public life.

Together, we'll consider the past, present, and future of democracy.

Westminster in Conversation, wherever you get your podcasts.

In this edition of Attitudes, we're going to explore British attitudes on AI.

From driverless cars, robots in care homes, and government using artificial intelligence to decide who's entitled to welfare, what do the people of Britain really think about the AI revolution? Hello and welcome to Attitudes with me, Mark Easton, brought to you by the National Centre for Social Research, NATSEN for short.

That's an independent, not-for-profit organisation which has been tracking British attitudes on a vast range of topics for more than 50 years.

And today, the starting point for our discussion is some new data on what people think about AI.

Thank you very much.

So can you please reveal our headline statistic for attitudes on AI?

Sure, Mark.

So this time we're going to be talking about AI and our headline stat for this episode is that 72% of the British public say laws and regulations would make them more comfortable with AI, up from 62% in 2023.

My name's Mark Easton and I'm hosting a new podcast from the National Centre for Social Research called Attitudes.

Each edition takes one topic and looks at what the science tells us about what British people really think.

AI, masculinity, university, cannabis, what do the numbers tell us? What do we really think?

And it's the starting point today for a conversation which forms part of the Abbey's autumn season on the long story of democracy, put together by Westminster Abbey Institute.

My name's Mark Easton.

I've been working with the Institute since it began in 2013.

Now, the idea for these podcasts is that someone in public life uses the Abbey itself, the fabric of this extraordinary structure, to illustrate an aspect of democracy.

Well, this is one of three podcasts talking to people in public service about democracy.

If you've enjoyed this episode, do check out the others.

For the moment, from me, Mark Easton, and my guest, Ed Humpherson, from Westminster Abbey, Poets' Corner.

Goodbye.