The Blight of our Landscape

The human world is currently on the brink of catastrophic environmental disaster.  As President of the USA, Barack Obama, said in the State of the Union Address, “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change” [Obama 2015].  To quote Tony Juniper, author of How many lightbulbs does it take to change a planet?, “We must now face the challenge of meeting expanding human needs while simultaneously maintaining the relatively stable and productive planetary conditions that have sustained our welfare… [because] if we are to build sustainable societies we will need to address some urgent and large-scale interlocking trends, namely, climate change, the impending global mass extinction of species, and the depletion of resources” [Juniper 2007: p.6]. 

The Body Project

“In the affluent West, there is a tendency for the body to be seen as an entity which is in the process of becoming; a project which should be worked at and accomplished as part of an individual’s self-identity… [yet] Body projects still vary along social lines, especially in the case of gender.” [Shilling 1996: p.5]

Should Feminism Rebrand Itself for a Wider Audience?

It has been suggested that feminism, as we know and understand it, should rebrand itself because the brand of the movement, not the message, is turning people off and away from the realities of the feminist fight. 

Therefore, I find myself asking whether feminism should rebrand itself to appease those who dislike the brand so it can appeal to a wider audience.  And I find myself answering no.  Feminism should not need to rebrand itself to be duly accepted by the mainstream.  Feminism should be a movement with a name that continues to be unapologetic in its demand for attaining equal rights, the advancement of women and marginalised groups in society, and the restructuring of patriarchal demands.

In short, no.  Feminism should not rebrand itself.

Honest Roof

Having grown up with a limited scope of knowledge about the world around me, due to living in a western-centric, capitalist and globalised society, has often left me with questions about the experiences, cultures and history of countries not part of the system in which I have been privileged to live.

Being fortunate enough to study at a respected university and work in a supportive and fairly well-paid part-time job has allowed me to create opportunities to travel and learn more about the world in which I live, broadening my horizons and knowledge, reducing prejudice and bias I know I have oftentimes willingly accepted based on the propaganda my media sources exploit as a result of a lack open minded and opposing views.

Christmas, Greed and Consumerism

Firstly, it is not that I dislike Christmas.  I dislike the exaggerated build up to a day which rarely lives up to expectations.

Secondly, Christmas is no longer centred on a traditional Christian celebration.  It is focused on consumerism.

Every year, without most of us realising, Christmas starts earlier and earlier.  This year it started in October.  Shopping centres and adverts entice us to become festive once again and join in with the Christmas spirit.  But what is Christmas spirit?

The Importance of Foreign Languages

http://www.savagechickens.com/ 

In schools you will find that the Head of Modern Foreign Languages is always blathering on about the importance of studying languages.  And quite frankly, they are right to do so.

However, for many in compulsory education, the opportunity to study either French, German or Spanish is challenging and often daunting.  I must agree.  Having studied French from Year 7 to AS Level, and German from Year 8 to A2, I can say with absolute certainty that learning a foreign language certainly presents its difficulties.  It is not helped by the fact that many students have a negative view of the department as a whole and deem language learning unnecessary and a deeply dissatisfactory experience. 

Rape Culture

Rape culture can be defined as, ‘a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women.  It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent.  In a rape culture, women perceive a continuum of threatened violence that ranges from sexual remarks to sexual touching to rape itself.  A rape culture condones physical and emotional terrorism against women as the norm’. 

Rape culture can be seen in many, if not all, areas of social life, including the media, education, the workplace, and the law, as well as amongst peers, colleagues, family members and people in positions of authority.  Rather than seeing the culture of rape as a problem that can be changed, people within rape culture continue to view the persistent existence of rape as the way things are and as something that cannot be altered.  Therefore, by continuing to allow society to portray sexual violence, harassment, abuse and rape as acceptable, we, as logical and intellectual individuals, are casting a vote for the type of society we wish to live in.  Unfortunately, this leads to the perpetuation of rape culture and rape myths / misconceptions.