Thinking Allowed Folgen

In the wake of the murder of Ronan Kerr, a Catholic police officer in Omagh, Laurie talks to Dr Mary Gethins about her research into the Catholic police officers who have joined the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). She conducted a survey of 300 serving officers followed by in depth interviews with 70 current, trainee and officers and explored the rewards for doing a job which can isolate people from their communities, expose them to prejudice from colleagues and always carries the risk of violence from dissident republicans. Community policing is an enduring problem for the force with some Catholic communities utterly rejecting the legitimacy of the police. Will the PSNI eventually becoming an integrated force, respected by Catholics and Protestants alike? Perhaps the strong reaction against the murder of Ronan Kerr will help establish the authority of the police force across Northern Irish society.Also on Thinking Allowed, Facebook in Trinidad. Laurie talks to Danny Miller about his ethnographic study of Facebook users in the Caribbean island. He finds it can wreck your marriage, put your job in jeopardy but actually bolsters community and augments many of the positive aspects of modern life. Producer: Charlie Taylor.

In 1905 Russians gathered at 6 different points to march on the Winter Palace and the streetscape of St Petersburg contributed enormously to their success. The Russian poor were cheek by jowl with the rich and this inflamed a class consciousness which - despite industrialisation - the poor suburbs of Europe did much to dissapate. How does urban geography effect the way societies develop? What have streets given to politics? As street protests continue to challenge authority across the Middle East and violence characterises the marches in our own capital, Laurie is joined by Leif Jerram and John Clarke from the Open University to discuss the role the street in the history of politics. Also on the programme Jeffrey Alexander discusses how the revolution was 'performed' for Egypt and for the rest of the world from Cairo's central square. That compelling drama provided a powerful symbol which was enough to bring down the government. Producer: Charlie Taylor.

Woodstock did not have a sponsor, people flooded to Hyde Park for a free concert from the Rolling Stones but now a top price ticket to see Bon Jovi - the 'Diamond Circle VIP Experience' - can cost you something approaching $2,000. What has happened to live music to transform it into the industry it has become? How have concert performances become a successful way of funding music when recorded music has been in retreat? Laurie Taylor speaks to two authorities in the field of popular music studies, Simon Frith and Martin Cloonan, to discuss the social and economic changes which have brought music performance to the fore. Also we hear of Russian mobsters in New York, Chinese Triads in London and Italian Mafias across the western world, but is organised crime really spreading like a global virus? The criminologist Federico Varese explores the capacities of mafias trying to conquer new territories. Producer: Charlie Taylor.