Class Act

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Class Act looks at class in Australia and we ask some questions: What are the divisions? How did we arrive at this point? What can we do about inequality? And why are we so weird about class?

ABC Radio National


    • Jul 7, 2022 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 31m AVG DURATION
    • 109 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Class Act

    02 | The King of Kowloon — Transition

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2022 29:31


    As Hong Kong hurtles towards the transition from British colony to Chinese territory, the king becomes an unlikely celebrity artist. Governor Chris Patten prepares to hand back Hong Kong to the Chinese, and as talks between the global powers take place, the people of Hong Kong are consigned to be spectators, powerless over their own future. Louisa continues her quest to discover the truth behind the king's claims of dominion, and meets a man who might provide some answers. With thanks to Getty for use of news footage

    01 | The King of Kowloon — Disappearance

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2022 26:06


    The King's calligraphy once covered Hong Kong, but now it has all but disappeared. Louisa searches for traces of the King, and for any truth to his claims of dominion over Kowloon. In this quest, she goes to the heart of his kingdom — Kwun Tong is an area full of high-rise factories, churning out t-shirts and souvenirs. There she discovers the first of the King's courtiers; and begins to understand that the search for the king is the search for Hong Kong itself.

    INTRODUCING — The King of Kowloon: A Most Unlikely Icon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2022 3:28


    He called himself the King of Kowloon and, for almost half a century, he used his misshapen Chinese characters to wage a calligraphic campaign claiming his dominion over Hong Kong. Journalist Louisa Lim follows the trail of a man who was first known as a crank, then an artist, then a most unlikely icon.

    04 | Face Value Empowerment or exploitation?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 22, 2022 39:47


    The decision to get cosmetic enhancement is complicated. It could be triggered by childhood bullying, influenced by social media, or stem from a belief that you're not good enough. The beauty industry encourages you to tie your self-identity to your appearance. It promises to empower you. In the final episode of Face Value, we delve further into why so many people are driven to change the way they look. Who are they doing it for? And do cosmetic procedures make people happier or more confident?

    03 | Face Value — Killer curves and harsh realities

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2022 40:23


    Cosmetic enhancement comes with plenty of risks. Botched surgeries, safety breaches, and in the worst-case scenario, fatal results. They've been reported for decades. Horror stories aside, chasing your aesthetic ideal is no easy task. Beneath every Insta-perfect photograph is a tonne of time, energy and money that's often glossed over. And that's not to mention the pain and prolonged recovery that can come with invasive procedures. Why are so many people willingly submitting themselves to putting this much effort into how they look?

    02 | Face Value — Ethnic ambiguity and the Kardashian effect

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2022 42:10


    For the longest time, Western beauty has been celebrated. The desire and pressure to look more 'Western' has led to skin whitening products, nose jobs and double eyelid surgery. But the tide is turning. Celebrities like the Kardashians are leaning into an ethnically ambiguous aesthetic. Is this cultural appropriation or cultural appreciation? What do people of colour, who've often been racially vilified for their appearance, have to say about others cherry-picking their features?

    01 | Face Value — Beauty boom in the age of Zoom

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2022 40:25


    COVID-19 has changed the way we do things. We're relying on video platforms to work and to connect. And it turns out that seeing our faces on-screen everyday has triggered more people to seek cosmetic enhancement than ever before. Couple that with the constant stream of impossibly beautiful — and heavily edited — people on social media, and you have the perfect storm to create appearance insecurity. Where is all this leading us to?

    INTRODUCING — Face Value

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2022 2:51


    The cosmetic enhancement industry is booming. Injectables and surgical procedures promise age-defying beauty. But they come with real risks. From anti-wrinkle injections and fillers, to nose jobs and Brazilian Butt Lifts, why are so many people choosing to enhance their appearance? The first episode is released on Friday, 29 April,

    Presenting-Stuff The British Stole

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2021 5:12


    Have you ever wandered around a museum and thought “How on Earth did all of this stuff get here?” You're not alone. Throughout its reign, the British Empire stole a lot of stuff. Today those objects are housed in genteel institutions across the UK and the world. They usually come with polite plaques. Stuff The British Stole tells the stories about the not-so-polite history behind those looted objects. If you're a fan of Patient Zero or This Much Is True, you might also like this series.

    04 | This Much Is True — Getting Out

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2021 39:27


    By some estimates, 15 per cent of Americans believe in QAnon, the conspiracy movement connected to the storming of the US Capitol in January this year. QAnon can be all-consuming, ending relationships and splitting families. So what's it like to climb back out of its embrace?

    03 | This Much Is True — Cults, QAnon and those left behind

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2021 38:52


    Alex's bible classes started taking over his life — then he discovered who was really running them. Emma's mum went from crystals to a clique that believes in aliens and past lives. And Tim and his dad fell into QAnon together, but what happened when one wanted to leave? We find out how cults and conspiracy theories can isolate you from your family, friends, even flatmates. And we hear what it's like to lose a loved one to a dangerous belief system.

    02 | This Much is True — Dream weavers

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2021 39:49


    Why do people spread information that isn't true on social media? Especially when they know that's what they're doing?

    01 | This Much Is True — Tradwife rabbit hole

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2021 37:45


    Equality is for ugly losers. Feminism is cancer. #submissivehousewife. Welcome to the world of tradwives, a movement with two distinct subcultures: one wholesome, one harmful. For many, it's about cooking from scratch, caring for children, and getting back to nature. But there's also an insidious side. Scrolling #tradwife on social media exposes a loose thread in an otherwise tightly knit image of happy family life. Pull the thread, and ugly things reveal themselves

    INTRODUCING — This Much Is True

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2021 4:57


    What do you believe? There's some very weird stuff out there. From fringe ideas to full-blown conspiracy theories, we dive into the rabbit hole to find out why it's so human to fall for them. We hear what motivates those who spread misinformation and what is it like for the families when someone they love goes all in on a cult. We meet people who got out of QAnon and learn how to immunise against false information. 

    08 | Patient Zero: First Outbreak

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2021 44:00


    In 1789, a disease tore through Aboriginal communities around Sydney Cove, or Warrane, leaving dead bodies floating in the harbour, and scattered along the shorelines. Some think that this outbreak was a fire that was deliberately lit.

    07 | Patient Zero: Back From The Brink

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 40:30


    A six-year old boy in Papua New Guinea wakes up one day and is suddenly unable to stand by himself. Less than a year later, children in three other Asia Pacific nations are experiencing the same alarming symptoms. A disease that was eradicated from these countries is back -- and it appears to be spreading.

    07 | Patient Zero: Back From The Brink

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 40:30


    A six-year old boy in Papua New Guinea wakes up one day and is suddenly unable to stand by himself. Less than a year later, children in three other Asia Pacific nations are experiencing the same alarming symptoms. A disease that was eradicated from these countries is back -- and it appears to be spreading.

    06 | Patient Zero: Ticking Time Bomb

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2021 40:30


    You’re a doctor faced with a dilemma: your patient isn’t responding to treatment. In fact, they’re getting worse. You run through a list of what might be wrong, but nothing seems to fit. And then suddenly -- whatever is wrong appears to be spreading. It’s a race against time, and a medical mystery that only a seasoned disease detective can solve.

    05 | Patient Zero: Spillover In Suburbia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2021 40:55


    A sleepy suburb in Brisbane is the scene of a gruesome disease outbreak, where the streets literally run with blood.

    04 | Patient Zero: How We Got Here

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2020 43:48


    This is the big one. The history we’re living. From Melbourne to Munich, Lombardy to Wuhan and all the way back again: this episode is about what happened when we faced those first coronavirus cases. Where things went well, where they didn’t — and whether there’s anything we could have done to stop it.

    04 | Patient Zero: How We Got Here

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2020 43:48


    This is the big one. The history we’re living. From Melbourne to Munich, Lombardy to Wuhan and all the way back again: this episode is about what happened when we faced those first coronavirus cases. Where things went well, where they didn’t — and whether there’s anything we could have done to stop it.

    03 | Patient Zero: The December Transplant

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2020 40:40


    Three transplant patients die within a week of each other and alarm bells start ringing.

    03 | Patient Zero: The December Transplant

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2020 40:40


    Three transplant patients die within a week of each other and alarm bells start ringing.

    02 | Patient Zero: Basement Files

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 40:08


    A junior doctor uncovers a mystery that rewrites the story of a famous epidemic — and we learn the troubling origins of 'patient zero' as a concept.

    02 | Patient Zero: Basement Files

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 40:08


    A junior doctor uncovers a mystery that rewrites the story of a famous epidemic — and we learn the troubling origins of 'patient zero' as a concept.

    02 | Patient Zero: Basement Files

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2020 40:08


    A junior doctor uncovers a mystery that rewrites the story of a famous epidemic — and we learn the troubling origins of 'patient zero' as a concept.

    01 | Patient Zero: Something In The Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020 41:15


    Disease is spreading in the wake of a natural disaster on the Caribbean nation of Haiti — and everyone thinks they know where it's coming from… (Spoiler: They don't).

    01 | Patient Zero: Something In The Water

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2020 41:15


    Disease is spreading in the wake of a natural disaster on the Caribbean nation of Haiti — and everyone thinks they know where it's coming from… (Spoiler: They don't).

    00 | Introducing... Patient Zero

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 4:16


    Even big diseases start small.

    00 | Introducing... Patient Zero

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2020 4:16


    Even big diseases start small.

    01 | Section 71 — Tasmanian crime of gay sex

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:38


    It might surprise you to learn that until 1997, a man could go to jail for up to 21 years for having sex with another man in Australia.

    02 | Section 71 — The High Court Dog-Fight on Schools Funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:38


    The High Court showdown over religious freedom that could help you understand how schools are funded to this day.

    06 | Section 71 — The Race Power

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 11:41


    An extra episode in the series about High Court cases which have changed Australia. Series producer Jane Lee unpicks the origins and uses of Section 51(26) of the Australian Constitution, which gives the Federal Parliament the power to make special laws for a particular race of people.

    05 | Section 71 — The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Affair (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 27:53


    In the second part of the long running and divisive case known as the Hindmarsh Island bridge affair, the battle heads inside the High Court.

    04 | Section 71 —The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Affair (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:36


    Ever wondered how the term "secret women's business" entered the Australian lexicon? It's part of a bitter legal battle over land, culture and history in South Australia.

    03 | Section 71 — Communists, Terrorists and the High Court

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:38


    How much power does the Federal Government have to protect Australians from international threats?

    04 | Section 71 —The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Affair (Part 1)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:36


    Ever wondered how the term "secret women's business" entered the Australian lexicon? It's part of a bitter legal battle over land, culture and history in South Australia.

    05 | Section 71 — The Hindmarsh Island Bridge Affair (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 27:53


    In the second part of the long running and divisive case known as the Hindmarsh Island bridge affair, the battle heads inside the High Court.

    02 | Section 71 — The High Court Dog-Fight on Schools Funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:38


    The High Court showdown over religious freedom that could help you understand how schools are funded to this day.

    01 | Section 71 — Tasmanian crime of gay sex

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 28:38


    It might surprise you to learn that until 1997, a man could go to jail for up to 21 years for having sex with another man in Australia.

    06 | Section 71 — The Race Power

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 10, 2020 11:41


    An extra episode in the series about High Court cases which have changed Australia. Series producer Jane Lee unpicks the origins and uses of Section 51(26) of the Australian Constitution, which gives the Federal Parliament the power to make special laws for a particular race of people.

    04 | Hot Mess — Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2020 39:26


    Despite all the gridlock on Australia's climate policy, there are moves towards a decarbonised economy. The exit from coal is gathering pace in the finance and insurance sectors. On the technology front, cheaper renewables are driving new green hydrogen projects that could make Australia an energy super power. And there's the kids - the Climate Strike generation will soon be voting and they want action. Perhaps there's a chance we can really change.

    04 | Hot Mess — Hope

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2020 39:07


    Despite all the gridlock on Australia's climate policy, there are moves towards a decarbonised economy. The exit from coal is gathering pace in the finance and insurance sectors. On the technology front, cheaper renewables are driving new green hydrogen projects that could make Australia an energy super power. And there's the kids - the Climate Strike generation will soon be voting and they want action. Perhaps there's a chance we can really change.

    03 | Hot Mess — Party lines

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2020 38:33


    There's more to our climate politics than the circus of losing a succession of Prime Ministers. Export earnings, donations, access, revolving doors between politics and industry mean that both sides of politics are close to the fossil fuel sector. In our tight Parliament, mining regions have become crucially important. And actions like the recent Stop Adani Convoy have only deepened climate change divisions.

    03 | Hot Mess — Party lines

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2020 38:33


    There's more to our climate politics than the circus of losing a succession of Prime Ministers. Export earnings, donations, access, revolving doors between politics and industry mean that both sides of politics are close to the fossil fuel sector. In our tight Parliament, mining regions have become crucially important. And actions like the recent Stop Adani Convoy have only deepened climate change divisions.

    02 | Hot Mess — Spin Cycle

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2020 40:08


    The fossil fuel industries ignored their own research as far back as the 1960s and then denied climate change was going on. We hear how a small group of think tanks and a compliant media pushed our buttons, undermined the science, and turned it into a controversy.

    02 | Hot Mess — Spin Cycle

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2020 40:08


    The fossil fuel industries ignored their own research as far back as the 1960s and then denied climate change was going on. We hear how a small group of think tanks and a compliant media pushed our buttons, undermined the science, and turned it into a controversy.

    01 | Hot Mess — Human frailties

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2020 36:46


    What it is about us, all of us, that makes climate change hard to get our heads around and even harder to do something about? We talk to people who understand that climate change is a real danger and people who don’t. And we hear from researchers looking at why we are the way we are.

    01 | Hot Mess — Human frailties

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2020 36:46


    What it is about us, all of us, that makes climate change hard to get our heads around and even harder to do something about? We talk to people who understand that climate change is a real danger and people who don’t. And we hear from researchers looking at why we are the way we are.

    INTRODUCING Hot Mess — Why haven’t we fixed climate change?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2020 4:46


    It’s been over three decades since most of us first heard about global warming. Meanwhile, the 20 hottest years on record have all occurred in the last quarter century. We’re had heatwaves, storms, drought and bushfires on an unprecedented scale. Why has it been so hard to agree and take action on climate change? How can we rise to meet the challenge?

    INTRODUCING Hot Mess — Why haven’t we fixed climate change?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2020 4:46


    It’s been over three decades since most of us first heard about global warming. Meanwhile, the 20 hottest years on record have all occurred in the last quarter century. We’re had heatwaves, storms, drought and bushfires on an unprecedented scale. Why has it been so hard to agree and take action on climate change? How can we rise to meet the challenge?

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