Building Character

There is growing interest in the political and policy importance of certain personal attributes, particularly emotional control, empathy, application to task, personal agency, and the ability to defer gratification—summarized as ‘character’. This interest is the focus of the Character Inquiry launched by the think tank Demos.

Following David Cameron’s recent speech on ‘Building the Responsible Society: The Importance of Parenting and Early Years Support’, the inquiry seeks to gather diverse thoughts and practices around character issues and apply them to contemporary public issues.

Vinspired’s CEO will participate in the inquiry alongside other leading figures and organizations. The Character Inquiry aims to clarify what ‘character’ means in public discourse, review evidence on its significance, test public opinion on its role in social life, highlight public policy areas where a character perspective may add value, produce research on character development in specific settings, and consider implications for government and businesses.

Stay tuned as the inquiry will publish:

• Research briefings
• An interim report
• Podcast interviews with members and experts
• A final report

Explore more about Building Character and Vinspired’s research project with Demos, A New Anatomy of Youth, set to publish soon.