A social worker from Lanarkshire argues that her profession is integral to holding together society and challenging injustice but is treated with contempt – it’s time social workers began sticking up for themselves

SOCIAL workers are meant to be truly agents of social change, challenging injustice where we see it, and trying to make sure that individuals can reach their full potential in a society that is unfairly stacked against them.

Bronagh Gallagher says it’s time to reset what we think we know

YOU are living through a revolution. One you might not notice. One that may not be visible in the streets, but one which will, no doubt, have profound implications for anyone who wants to make change in the world. 

This is a silent revolution. One that takes place at a level which is so often unexamined that when first encountered it can leave you dizzy as some long-held assumptions are fundamentally challenged. I know it did for me. 

CommonSpace columnist Jonathon Shafi explains why it's vital to restore a sense of community in order to prevent the far right taking hold

'THERE is no such thing as society.' This claim was popularised by Margaret Thatcher, who played a key role in ushering in neoliberal capitalism - a type of economics defined by deregulation, privatisation, destroying the power of unions and creating atomised consumers.

Yes, I know, the last thing you want to read about on a Friday is economic systems, but stick with me, it'll soon make sense.

Survey finds 31 per cent unhappy about a close relative marrying or forming a long-term relationship with a Gypsy Traveller

THE Equality & Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in Scotland has expressed concern about the findings of the social attitudes survey which showed that a third of Scots polled hold negative views about the gypsy traveller community.

Over a third of respondants stated that they were unhappy about a close relative marrying or forming a long-term relationship with a Gypsy Traveller

In the final instalment of a three-part series on how technology is changing the fabric of society, Derek Bates examines the importance of community

UNLIKE terrorists, whose purpose appears to be to stop progress, restrict our freedom and compel us to accept laws and mores which applied many centuries ago, most of us are aware that it is impracticable to inhibit advancement. 

Tom Crompton, director of the Common Cause Foundation, explains how a new report has shown that Scots care more than they acknowledge

YOU may love your phone, worry about paying the rent, and quite fancy your boss's job. But if you're typical of people living in Scotland you'll nonetheless place more importance on 'compassionate values' (for example, responsibility, friendship, honesty, social justice and equality) than on 'selfish values' (for example, image, money and success).

CommonSpace columnist Fraser Stewart says the Americanisation of Europe and policies such as TTIP bring grave dangers

RICH people really, really love oil. Many would probably trade their children for a mid-sized well in the back garden.

Most of us, however, like oil the appropriate amount. Where investors see black gold, some of us see it for what it really is - an interim fix at best, and the primary motivator of western vanity expeditions into the likes of Iraq and Syria at worst.

Writer David Simpson says the UK is firmly on a destructive course and voting the Tories out of office on 7 May will only delay the inevitable

IN 1694, 13 years prior to the Acts of Union 1707 that marked the founding of the United Kingdom, the Bank of England was established as the government's banker and debt manager. In a sense, then, the debt of the United Kingdom is older than the United Kingdom itself.

Glasgow journalist Ian Dunn says that Jim Murphy's quest to bring back alcohol at football games in Scotland is not actually a bad idea, but argues that in his opportunism he has sidestepped the guts of the debate

LAST weekend around 75,000 Scots attended professional football games, 1.4 per cent of the Scottish population. Yet suddenly, whether or not this merry band can take a drink during the game or not is an issue of paramount political importance.