Billionaires represent a scourge of economic inequality, but how do they get away with it within our culture?

In this episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Carl Rhodes, author of ‘Stinking Rich’, explains the dangerous and deceptive myths which portray billionaires as a ‘force for good’.

They discuss the myths of the heroic, generous, meritorious and vigilante billionaire, and how their wealth and power is setting us back to old-fashioned feudalism and plutocracy.

Hosted by leading organization studies professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), Transforming Business is a new series from Transforming Society, featuring in-depth conversations with top experts in work, economy, finance, employment, leadership, responsible and sustainable business, innovation, organising and activism. These insightful interviews explore fresh ideas and bold strategies for creating a more ethical and equitable business world. Tune in to challenge conventions, spark innovation and drive meaningful change.

Carl Rhodes is Professor of Organization Studies and Dean of the Business School, University of Technology Sydney.

Find out more about the book at: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/stinking-rich

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/03/26/podcast-the-myth-of-the-heroic-billionaire/

Timestamps:

00:31 - What did you want to achieve with this book?

01:25 - Why do you think we have an elevated perception of billionaires?

05:45 - The myth of the heroic billionaire

09:51 - The myth of the generous billionaire

14:04 - The myth of the meritorious billionaire

19:20 - The myth of the vigilante billionaire

26:30 - The importance of writing for a non-academic audience

Intro music:

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Everybody wants to change the world, but can we actually make a difference?

In the first episode of our Transforming Business podcast series with Martin Parker, Jane Holgate and John Page, authors of Changemakers: Radical Strategies for Social Movement Organising, discuss the power of activism and challenge the belief that change is impossible.

They explore the distinction between mobilising and organising, the role of optimism in driving social change and how we can actively contribute to meaningful transformation in our communities.

Hosted by leading organization studies professor Martin Parker (University of Bristol), Transforming Business is a new series from Transforming Society, featuring in-depth conversations with top experts in work, economy, finance, employment, leadership, responsible and sustainable business, innovation, organising and activism. These insightful interviews explore fresh ideas and bold strategies for creating a more ethical and equitable business world. Tune in to challenge conventions, spark innovation and drive meaningful change.

Jane Holgate is Professor of Work and Employment Relations at the University of Leeds and a Trustee of the Ella Baker School of Organising. John Page serves on the committee of the Ella Baker School of Organising.

Find out more about the book at: https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/changemakers

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/03/19/podcast-changemaking-and-radical-hope-in-times-of-crisis/

Timestamps:

01:27 - Why is optimism important when thinking about social change?

03:43 - What about people who say this will never change?

06:46 - What is the distinction between mobilising and organising?

11:02 - What is the metaphor of the spider versus the starfish?

14:53 - How do you understand leadership?

17:41 - Can you reflect on the idea of giving people a sense they can participate actively in forms of social change?

21:12 - Can you talk about the difference between Saul Alinsky and Myles Horton's approaches?

27:12 - Who do you hope will buy this book? Who would you like to read it?

Intro music:

Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax

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creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Social work exists in a constant tension between caring and protecting vulnerable people, and the control mechanisms within the broader context social workers operate in. Where are the lines drawn in its dual role as an instrument of the state and an advocate for social justice?

In this episode Malcolm Carey and Gurnam Singh, guest editors of the Critical and Radical Social Work special issue on social work and social control, speak with Richard Kemp about this paradox of care and control.

They discuss the extreme scrutiny faced by unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, the higher standards parents with a learning disability face and the many ways social workers exercise empathy to work both with, and around, the system to help those who need it the most.

Dr Malcolm Carey is Associate Professor in Social Work at Liverpool Hope University. Dr. Gurnam Singh is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick.

Read the special issue: https://bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journals/crsw/13/1/crsw.13.issue-1.xml

The transcript is available here: https://www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/03/11/podcast-social-work-and-social-control/

Timestamps:

1:20 - What do you mean when you say these articles are a comprehensive exploration of how social work operates at the intersection of care, control, governance and resistance?

3:39 - How has the hollowing out following austerity affected the working classes?

6:33 - How does the lack of training for assessing parents with learning disabilities play out in day to day life?

11:33 - Where does the culture of holding parents with learning disabilities to higher standards come from?

13:15 - Are the demands on social workers effecting whether people want to get into social work as a profession?

16:05 - What's fuelling the narrative of the deserving citizen and the undeserving migrant?

23:27 - What are support workers doing to support young people against this hostile system?

30:00 - How can we ensure that social work is focused on safeguarding and not on perpetuating prejudices over vulnerable people?

Intro music:

Cold by yoitrax | @yoitrax

Music promoted by www.free-stock-music.com

Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License

creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.