LABOR AMORIS
EDITORIAL
Hello and Welcome to the St George’s Academic Journal: Labor Amoris
As we enter the new year, this term’s edition collates the Sixth Form’s latest passion projects. Extending beyond its predecessor, this publication of Labor Amoris delves into key debates in the world of science and most importantly, how these connect with the social world. For those who may prefer the humanities, there are articles exploring the arts, the dynamic world of politics and critical philosophical thought. Student, parent, or teacher – there is something for everyone. As this is the second, and last, edition that I will edit of the academic journal, it seems important that I reiterate its meaning. Labor Amoris is exactly what it translates to: Labour of Love. Not only mine, but of the writers, artists and, now editors, who have contributed. Labor Amoris spotlights those who have dedicated their time to invest in something outside of their subjects and go beyond the mark scheme. And what is more important than time? In our rapid and ever-changing world, to give up your time is precious, and as social media progresses and technology improves, I have faith that this generation will be the one to make sure it progresses in the right direction. Nuanced discussion is a dwindling flame, and I hope that Labor Amoris can be the match that strikes it back. The writers are not censored or restricted by prescribed formats and are free to explore their artistic and poetic sides. Accompanied by substantiated opinion pieces or personally inspired cultural critiques, all views and opinions expressed are those of the students alone. No article will ever be the same. With that in mind, enjoy! Elif Akkemik Editor
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS: Charlotte Vosper Jemima D’Sa Clara Bardwell Lorcan Gebruers Martha Doyle
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EDITORIAL
by Mia Dasic
Special Thanks To... Ellie Richards - Director of Marketing & Admissions Jonathan Carr - Head of Sixth Form
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CONTENTS
Contents LABOR AMORIS
6 Politics
& History CHARLOTTE VOSPER ARTHUR DIB HUW EDWARDS
JAKE ZEMMEL BENJI DRYER
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Feminism ELIF AKKEMIK MARTHA DOYLE CAITLIN MILLHOUSE
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Arts ANNA GRAHAM RIA MANKOO
WILLIAM HAWKINS & ZACHARY HOLLEY INDIA BOLAH
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CONTENTS
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STEM ANNA GRAHAM ELIZABETH BURGE MANASA ARUN TOM BAILEY ISLA BETHUNE
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Philosophy CAMERON ALLAN CLARA BARDWELL ELLA BARKER-GOLDIE OLIVIA LADA MOCZARKSI
Languages BETH NOWELL ELIZABETH BURGE
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POLITICS & HISTORY
Climate Activism, Disruptive Process and Soup: The Effectiveness of Just Stop Oil CHARLOTTE VOSPER
On 14 th October 2022, Van Gogh’s The Arles Sunflowers was defaced by a can of tomato soup on behalf of the climate campaign Just Stop Oil, with protestors Anna Holland and Phoebe Plummer proceeding to glue their hands to the wall below the painting and make a verbal statement: “What is worth more: art or life?”
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POLITICS & HISTORY
“What use is music, art, human creativity and brilliance when there are no humans left to enjoy them?”
JUST STOP OIL
that the act of throwing soup was “ridiculous” but regards its coverage to be a breakthrough in climate protest. In a country where the ability to protest peacefully, a protected Human Right, is becoming increasingly restricted by legislation such as the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act (2022), it is progressively more difficult to campaign or protest a political regime. Some suggest that this is why activists are resorting to ‘unconventional’ actions like throwing soup on a painting; however, it is worth noting that the suffragette movement gained great traction from Mary Richardson’s slashing of Velaquez’s Rokeby Venus and consequent imprisonment. Just Stop Oil did not damage the painting, and a point of discussion has been how the art was shielded by glass, thus suffering no damage throughout the protest. Many view the fact that there was no damage done as validation of the group’s actions; however, it is worth asking whether the protest would have been morally wrong if it had damaged the painting itself. The group recently asked the question “What use is music, art, human creativity and brilliance when there are no humans left to enjoy them?” Whilst opinions on Just Stop Oil’s protest in the National Gallery occupy a wide-ranging spectrum, many argue that no person or thing was harmed in the act; furthermore, it is undeniable that their movement gained a large degree of traction and media coverage which is always the intent of a political protest. Many suggest that the anger met by the group would be better redirected at the governing elite who are not acting on the fact that many effects of global warming are already irreversible.
Just Stop Oil is a coalition of activist groups founded in the UK on 14 th February 2022, with the aim of ensuring the government ends all new licenses for the use of fossil fuels, claiming that the UK already has more gas and oil than it can afford to burn. Indeed, the UK has 2 billion barrels of proved crude oil reserves alone, with overall oil reserves estimated to stand at around 4.8 times greater than annual oil consumption. The organisation claims that its supporters have been arrested approximately 1700 times since April, and five of them are still in prison, on remand or serving sentences. The evident severity of the consequences of their protest poses the question as to whether their actions are morally wrong, and what can come from further organisation and rebellion. Many critics of the group ask the correlation between throwing soup on a painting to climate change; in the same way jumping in front of a horse does not directly advance women’s suffrage, there arguably is very little connection. However, the very definition of protest encompasses a typically political public expression of disapproval, which has historically been repetitive and disruptive to enforce societal change. Approval was not widely shared amongst reactors to the protest in the National Gallery, with Labour leader Keir Starmer branding the group “wrong and arrogant” and many taking to social media to express their disagreement with the action. Yet ironically, this is exactly the reaction that propels the movement further, enabling their organisation to become reported on in mainstream media and to be discovered by thousands. Protester Plummer herself agrees
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POLITICS & HISTORY
How the Brazilian Presidential Election is Testing the Strength of Brazil’s Democracy ARTHUR DIB
Brazil is one of the largest democracies in the world, with a population of 216 million people. However, it could be argued that the recent Presidential elections are putting a significant strain on Brazil’s democratic process. The election saw two political titans, Jair Bolsonaro and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, simply known as ‘Lula’, go head-to-head in one of the most important and polarising elections in recent Brazilian history. The election represented a massive clash of ideas. Bolsonaro is a member of the Liberal Party, which is a centre right conservative party, although he is often regarded as a far-right leader. Lula is a member of the left-wing Workers Party, known as PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores). The first round was on October 2nd 2022, where Lula got 48.3% of the votes, and Bolsonaro 43.2%. Neither of the candidates achieved more than 50% of the vote, which is needed in order to win the election. This led
to a second runoff election where Lula won with 50.90% (60,345,999 votes) of the votes, whereas Bolsonaro got 49.10% (58,206,354 votes). It’s safe to say that the results were extremely close. The election is proving to be a strain on Brazil’s democracy for various key reasons. Firstly, it is the divisive nature of the results themselves combined with the huge clash of ideals that was already present. With such a slim margin of votes between them, Brazil has been politically split in two, leading to an extremely politically divided nation, each already strongly ideologically opposed. Bolsonaro’s term has been controversial and divisive in Brazil, so this political split was already brewing prior to the election. When results are this close in a democratic election, discontent is inevitable because virtually half of the nation is unhappy to be ruled by the elected leader. Ideally, democratically elected
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POLITICS & HISTORY
leaders should be voted in by a moderate to strong majority of the population. Of course, slim majorities during elections can happen in any democratic nation, but the fact during this Brazilian election has added to the stress placed on Brazil’s democracy when it combines with the following factors. Secondly, it could be argued Lula and PT’s corruption scandals have caused Brazilian citizens much concern and has led to issues that raise questions about Brazil’s democracy. Lula and many members of his party were accused of corruption following Operation Lava Jato, an anti-corruption investigation led by a branch of Brazil’s Federal Police in 2014. Lula and the Workers Party among many other business leaders and politicians was found to be involved in many kickback and corruption schemes, and Lula was consequently imprisoned in April 2018 with a 12-year
sentence for corruption and money laundering charges. In November 2019 Lula was released from Prison after a Supreme Court ruling. This ruling allowed Lula to leave prison and run for president. Some argue that this was a political manoeuvre to allow him to run for president, yet others argue Lula’s trial was fraught with judicial missteps. Whether Lula should be in prison or not is an extremely controversial topic in Brazil, with many Brazilians arguing for and against his imprisonment. Many Brazilians argue that politicians convicted and imprisoned for corruption shouldn’t be able to run for president. It is for this reason that many Brazilians, especially Bolsonaro supporters, are still extremely sceptical of Lula and PT, and have come to loathe him and his party for the corruption they committed. This distrust in politicians, especially one running for president, can consequently undermine faith in Brazil’s democracy.
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POLITICS & HISTORY
Thirdly, Bolsonaro supporters have taken to the streets to protest, as they refuse to accept the election results and claim that there was electoral fraud. This has led to mass protests all over Brazil that are undermining faith in the democratic process. Bolsonaro claims that Brazil’s electronic voting system is not secure and is susceptible to fraud. Regardless of whether his claims are correct or not, it cannot be overlooked that such claims harm people’s trust in the system and therefore can undermine democracy. Moreover, there were also fears regarding whether Bolsonaro would accept defeat or not, and this increased tensions significantly, but Brazil’s Supreme Court has announced that he has accepted defeat after authorising the transition of power. Protesters have erected roadblocks all over Brazil and its major cities, and police are trying to take back control and remove the roadblocks.
These mass protests and roadblocks have brought many parts of Brazil to a standstill. Additionally, Bolsonarists have begun to camp outside military bases all over Brazil, calling for the military to intervene and prevent Lula from gaining office. Bolsonarists have also taken to social media spreading the slogan #Brazilwasstolen, demonstrating their belief that the election was fraudulent. The military conducted an investigation and released a Defence Ministry Report claiming there was no fraud regarding the electronic voting machines. However, some media outlets in Brazil are beginning to report that the Ministry of Defence has released a second report claiming there could have been fraud. Nonetheless, the mass protesting claiming that Brazil’s voting system is unsecure is massively undermining faith in Brazil’s democratic process.
Overall, the 2022 Brazilian presidential election has proved extremely polarising and has brought the country much political unrest. With all the aforementioned factors combined, it has resulted in this election and its aftermath being a strong challenge to Brazil’s democracy, testing it with each day that goes past.
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POLITICS & HISTORY
History: Finished or Sleeping? HUW EDWARDS
What comes to mind when the word ‘history’ is mentioned? Perhaps the images of various and disjointed periods in the past are conjured, those of Elizabethan monarchs or World Wars. However, what if there is an underlying process, a mechanism, which drives civilizations from one stage to another. If so, what drives this process, and will it eventually end? Such are the questions asked by Francis Fukuyama in his 1992 book ‘The End of History and the Last Man’, an enormously controversial work in which he proposes that humanity has reached this final point, the ‘end of History’. In this book, Fukuyama argues that there is a coherent and evolutionary process which drives the seemingly random occurrence of events, a process called ‘History’ (The uppercase ‘H’ is used to prevent this theory being confused with ‘history’, the record of events). When one reflects on the past, it is easy to view history as cyclical, or at least not ‘going’ anywhere. Especially in the last century it seems that we have lost our optimism that the world is moving to a better state, a conclusion not wholly unreasonable given the atrocities of the World Wars and persistent threats of nuclear attacks. Whereas 18th and 19th century
writers could share Robert Mackenzie’s view of history as a “continual advancement from a lower to a higher platform of intelligence and well-being”, we seem to be thoroughly pessimistic about the future. Perhaps Fukuyama offers a corrective to this crisis of faith in the doctrine of historical progress. Based on an interpretation of Hegel, Fukuyama identifies the process driving History as the ‘struggle for recognition’. According to this view, people strive for their ‘thymos’, a Platonic concept broadly corresponding to dignity, to be recognised by others. When they find this not to be the case, they revolt, often changing their historical circumstances in one way or another, and so History continues. For example, the citizens of France in the late 18th century may have felt as if the Monarchy denied them the recognition of their dignity, eventually revolting against their Monarch in the brutal French Revolution, changing their system of governance in the process. Fukuyama sees the struggles of the French against their Monarchs, the English serfs against their masters, and the Hungarian people against their government, as being protests against faults in the respective systems of governance. In short, civilisations
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POLITICS & HISTORY
“There is a coherent and evolutionary process which drives the seemingly random occurrence of events, a process called ‘History’.” FRANCIS FUKUYAMA
to democracy, it would represent the standing still of humanity’s age-old quest for a society in which everyone was recognised. Written in the 1990s, not long after one of democracy’s powerful enemies, fascism, had been defeated in World War Two and its last surviving antagonist, communism, was on its last legs, it’s not hard to see how Fukuyama felt it the right time to announce the end of History. As one can imagine, Francis Fukuyama’s thesis has come under vast scrutiny since publication, with many critics arguing that it was too soon to announce liberal democracy’s triumph. With the rise of power politics and populism, China’s influence and control over Africa and Taiwan, and extremism of various flavours, it seems to be said that History proudly marches on.
are moved from one stage of organisation to another because they have such fundamental shortcomings. While the Russian people moved from serfdom to monarchy to communism, all of these systems were bound to fail on account of their irreconcilable contradictions according to Fukuyama. However, one method of political organisation stands above the rest in his view, liberal democracy. While the countries which employ this ideology often have their flaws, Fukuyama sees the ideals themselves as close enough to perfect. Based on mutual respect under the rule of law, everybody’s dignity is recognised and as such no struggles are required. If this is the perfect political system, there would be no further ideological evolution, as there was from previous systems
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POLITICS & HISTORY
Is Tribalism Going to be the Conservative’s Downfall? JAKE ZEMMEL
If there’s one thing that the recent Conservative leadership election demonstrated, it’s that having the support of all your party’s factions is vital. Sunak’s cabinet shows the damage that rabid tribalism has caused the Conservatives. This cabinet is Frankenstein-esque, with its arms composed of ERG members, its legs One Nation conservatives, and the remnants of Trussites and Johnsonites left fighting trying to steer the Conservative Party in the direction they want. Of course, in politics there is always an element of appealing to various wings of parties, but the Conservative Party has become so immersed in its own factionalism that it has forgotten what the purpose of government is. The British public is facing a difficult winter with inflation untamed, many relying on food banks, the NHS services over-stretched and under-staffed, energy shortages, an unworkable Northern Ireland protocol and a growing military crisis in Ukraine. None of these are
inconsequential issues. At the same time, one would be forgiven for thinking that the only conversation amongst Conservatives in Westminster is the never-ending carousel of Ministerial resignations, sackings and appointments in turn precipitated by an unwinnable popularity contest at the very top of the party. Why is this contest unwinnable? Because in addition to factions within the parliamentary party, there is a growing chasm between the majority in the parliamentary party, who supported Sunak, and the party membership, who supported Truss, their ideological bedfellow. The recent election bypassed this chasm by going straight to the MPs, but as factionalism eats the Conservative party from the inside out, what does this Sunak government stand for other than preserving their own survival? However, this issue runs deeper than the recent months would suggest.
“Historically, the Conservative party has had a habit of pivoting and moulding its position to suit the needs of the electorate.”
JAKE ZEMMEL
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POLITICS & ECONOMY
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the dominance of ideology in 20th century global politics has diminished, with Capitalism the bulwark against socialist revolution and Communism the vanguard of a new era. What is left has been a confused, fractured time for the West, clearly felt in British politics. What Britain once mistook to be political certainties, namely the Red Wall and the British Empire, have all but collapsed by the 21st century, leaving an ideological black hole in British politics which might explain the chaos that occurred in the past months. The self-destruction of the Truss premiership was not a fluke. It was the result of a bubbling tension that was suffocated by Cameron’s
charm and May’s majority, but the bubble spectacularly burst under Johnson, as one scandal after another completely polarized the parliamentary party. To some extent, factionalism and the Conservative Party enjoy a fraternal bond, but what has been evident the past month was less Wright Brothers and more Cain and Abel. Factionalism in the Conservative party is not new; for example, the Eurosceptics and Pro-Europeans have been at odds since the 1980s. The difference is that the Conservative party is now descending into individualistic tribalism, unwilling to compromise with opposing views, even within their own party. This leads to chaos and ignorance, with parts of the Conservative party
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POLITICS & ECONOMY
British politics once again, or has the rot truly set in and will we see the Conservatives wiped out at the next general election and slowly fade into the political mist akin to the old Liberal party? In my view, I find this highly unlikely, there is no doubt that an ideological split between the Conservative parliamentary party and the party membership has rarely been so explicit. However, historically, the Conservative party has had a habit of pivoting and moulding its position to suit the needs of the electorate; it is just a question of whether internal issues will force the Conservatives to focus solely on maintaining party unity, rather than on policy that will address the growing list of crises that the public will have to bear the brunt of.
fast asleep, dreaming delightedly about their own righteousness and their thirst for high office rather than seeking effective governance. Is there a way out of this mess? One could tackle this question looking at social behaviourism, and say that we are a belief- based species that needs to have a social order, but is the current political system democratic enough to tackle this? Can it resist the tribal pushes and pulls of the elected and the electorate? It is possible to argue that in a similar fashion to the catastrophic ending of the Major government, the Conservatives just need a time out of office to address the in-fighting and come back united to dominate
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POLITICS & HISTORY
Empire: History Gone Full Circle BENJI DRYER
In 1947 on the cusp of Indian Independence, Winston Churchill reportedly said “all Indian leaders will be of low calibre & men of straw”. Despite this, on the 25th of October 2022, a man whose grandfathers were born in Punjab province, was appointed as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, and leader of the party Churchill himself once led – twice. As India prepares to celebrate 75 years of independence from British colonial rule, this is a year more significant than ever. Issues over the legacy of imperialism mean that both countries share a deeply complicated past, and the remnants of discontent, of course, remain. Therefore, what Prime Minister Rishi Sunak represents in a wider sense and Britain as a post-imperial power ought to be re-examined. Empires by their definition are where one state dominates over another. For many former subjects of the British Empire, colonialism will always have negative connotations for understandable reasons. The direct consequences of divide and rule mean some of the most damaging echoes of Empire exist today, most notably the partition of India and Pakistan. The British took almost 300 years to establish rule in India, comparatively, it took only 70 days or so for them to leave. Despite reluctance to hand over independence, this demonstrates
just how dramatic the collapse of Empire was. The British Empire would be characterised for many Indians by tragedies such as the ‘Amritsar massacre’ and greed, failing to lift many Indians out of extreme poverty. Nevertheless, the British left behind a language (which has facilitated a more inter-connected, globalised world), legal systems and some incredible infrastructure. Comparatively, the ‘American Empire’ withdrawal from Afghanistan left behind airstrips, shipping containers, guns, and the Taliban in charge; the common denominator is that each irreversibly scarred their subjects. One thing that Britain can take away from these events is the importance of understanding history in the context of both the present and the past. Empire paints an increasingly bleak picture at times, but polarised attitudes to its history are by no means helpful. On the one hand, Empire cannot be viewed from a set ideology, but people should be free to speak out about Empire without being denounced as “woke”. Sathnam Sanghera, a well-known critic of Empire, acknowledges that it is impossible to judge Empire as ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Ultimately, to understand Britain, the two (Empire and Britain) are intertwined, with Britain’s multi- racial society and Prime Minister of Indian descent indicative of this.
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POLITICS & HISTORY
It also begs the question as to where Britain finds itself in the world today. Earlier this year, India overtook the UK as the 5 th biggest economy in the world, and in a post-Brexit Britain, the pursuit for a trade deal with India is ongoing. Ongoing questions over the role of the monarchy and its own links to colonialism were highlighted at the death of Queen Elizabeth II and even closer to home, issues over the Northern Ireland protocol are all shaped in some way or another by Empire. However, imperialism is not exclusive to Britain. Empires have sprung up across the world throughout history and will continue to do so in different forms. Even today, imperialism still exists but in a far more subtle form. The dominance of American foreign policy and the growing influence of China across parts of Africa are evidence of a newfound form of predatory imperialism across the modern world, the most obvious form being Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the separatist regions it has claimed such as Crimea.
There is a sense that Britain struggles in finding its place in the modern world. Despite having been on a general decline since the collapse of the British Empire after WWII, Britain continues to exercise enormous soft power across the world. Being a close ally of the US ensures Britain is considered a beacon for liberal values across the world and has a role to play in defending them. While Britain’s first non-white Prime Minister is not the cure to racism or the answer to rampant and divisive ‘populism’ across the West, it does represent multiculturalism in action and a more united Britain coming to terms with itself where some of the barriers to power are slowly being eroded (by no means all barriers). The key takeaway from this, however, ought to be that understanding Empire is key to understanding Britain and its future role to play in a rapidly changing modern world.
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FEMINISM
Hands Off Plaster, Modroc, Latex, Insulation Foam and Acrylic
ELIF AKKEMIK
Unwell Women by Elinor Cleghorn served as a driving inspiration behind this piece as she unpacked the roots of the medical industry in the patriarchal state, and the consequent effects this has on women’s bodies. My sculpture is representative of this pain. With a total of 14 unique male plaster cast hands encroaching on the body cast, it captures the all-encompassing reality that is patriarchy. The history of medicine is as every bit social and cultural as it is scientific, and male dominance is cemented in its foundations. This installation hopes to convey the pain and violation of some women’s experience seeking medical attention, especially within the field of gynaecology. This history goes back farther than we can trace; however, tales of horrific experiments date back to James Marion Sims who experimented on Black enslaved women without anaesthesia. His abuse of enslaved Black bodies as medical test subjects marks the beginning of a devastating recorded history that includes the Tuskegee syphilis experiment and Henrietta Lacks, the
unknowing donor of cells that became the first immortalised human cell line. The subject’s exposed position is one to mimic childbirth, which has the potential to be a violating situation. Covered in layers of red latex and mounted on a mound of expanding foam with hands concealed and reaching for the subject matter, she is objectified and dehumanised. The white, clinical nature of the hands starkly contrasts the tortured body and exemplifies the nature of misogynistic medicine. The process of this sculpture is equally important to consider when articulating the meaning behind it. By overcoming mistakes through rigorous trial and error it led to a particularly apt product. During the process, this sculpture quite literally fell apart and sections disintegrated in my hands. Ultimately, what was once an intact full body cast of a model became a combination of different models’ limbs and torso, a representation of the collective female experience.
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FEMINISM
“Ultimately, what was once an intact full body cast of a model became a combination of different models’ limbs and torso, a representation of the collective female experience.” ELIF AKKEMIK
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FEMINISM
What is the Leading Cause of Later Diagnosis of Neurodevelopmental Disorders for Women? MARTHA DOYLE
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FEMINISM
the thought that something is wrong without the understanding of what that may be. There are many causes of this issue, the main one being down to the lack of awareness surrounding how symptoms of these disorders are presented differently in women compared to men. Firstly, symptoms of ADHD become noticeable from an early age for boys and cause them to be disruptive, hyperactive, and sometimes aggressive. However, girls tend to start developing signs of ADHD after hitting puberty and struggle with problems that are less noticeable for parents and teachers including anxiety, inattention, low self-esteem, and depression. It is for this reason that girls are so much less likely to get tested for ADHD at younger ages; this pattern does not stop here as the exact same issue occurs with autism. Women with autism have a much larger drive to be sociable than their male counterparts; so, despite facing numerous difficulties when attempting to make and maintain friendships, they conform to the autism stereotype much less than men. This results in people who are not familiar with the female symptoms, not noticing these young girl’s difficulties due to their more visible social efforts. Furthermore, from the ages of 4-16 girls tend to outperform boys in terms of average reading and writing ability. This means that girls underperforming with their academics still tend to do better than the boys who are struggling academically so generally the boys are tested before the girls as their scores fall further below the class averages. Therefore, girls suffering with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other disorders that make learning in the normal way difficult are less likely to get diagnosed at a younger age.
In 2020, my brother was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder at 12 years old. Two years later and much older; my mum was diagnosed with the same thing. Unfortunately, women all over the country are faced with a similar problem and it is not just with ADD and ADHD, this trend continues throughout most neurodevelopmental disorders. Only 20% of women with autism are diagnosed before the age of 11 compared to 50% of men, and 2 in 3 children diagnosed with dyslexia are boys despite boys and girls being equally likely to have it. Many women live their entire life struggling with a disorder they do not even know they have. This can lead to detrimental effects down the line such as depression, anxiety, and a constant feeling of helplessness due to
20 % Only
of women with autism are diagnosed before the age of
11 compared to 50 % of men
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FEMINISM
“Girls suffering with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other disorders that make learning in the normal way difficult are less likely to get diagnosed at a younger age.” MARTHA DOYLE
Another reason for the later diagnoses in women is down to the stereotypes of young girls that allow teachers and carers to overlook symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders. Many girls with ADHD are labelled as ‘chatterboxes’ when they disrupt classes or ‘just hormonal’ when they get anxious and upset. So many symptoms of these disorders are viewed as character traits or emotional issues rather than signs of social and learning difficulties. Hyper fixation is a common sign of autism and ADHD however their obsessions with certain things especially music and bands, films and TV shows is often mistaken for stereotypical teenage girl ‘fangirling’ and therefore is not investigated. Additionally, later diagnoses could be down to the fact that most research surrounding these disorders was initially focused on men. This means that signs of neurodevelopmental disorders in women are still much of a mystery and more funding needs to be put into researching the female brain. The lack of female-specific research is a big problem that is affecting lots of female diagnostics in the healthcare industry. There is considerable scientific research
that suggests a difference between male and female brains, so why is biomedical research mostly conducted on males? If this continues neurodevelopmental disorders in women will continue to be guesswork for many and awareness cannot yet be raised to help young girls struggling with their unique brains. In conclusion, there are various causes for the later diagnoses of neurodevelopmental disorders in women. However, I would argue that the lack of research surrounding how female brains work differently to men’s is the leading cause of this issue. Once significant research occurs to help understand the signs and effects of these disorders, sufficient awareness can finally be raised to help girls question if they should be tested or not. Finally, diagnosing neurodevelopmental disorders in young girls and women is so important, it can help them understand themselves and how they learn and interact with others. Diagnosis can allow girls to find their strengths and weaknesses as well as become more confident and seek out support if they require. So, no matter what the main cause is it is so important that this problem is tackled as soon as possible.
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FEMINISM
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FEMINISM
Are Gender Biases Affecting Women’s Education in STEM CAITLIN MILLHOUSE
Women possess the equal ability to learn mathematics and science that men do, however, what they lack is the equal opportunity to acquire these key skills. It is a common misconception that in the UK sexism and the consequent advantages for men in these fields are problems of the past, yet this is not the case. STEM is an area affected significantly by these gender injustices. According to a recent study by UNICEF, girls worldwide are struggling behind boys in mathematics, and sexism and gender stereotypes were said to be among the root causes. The report found that boys have up to 1.3 times the odds of obtaining mathematic skills than girls. Even when sitting in the same classroom, reading the same books, and listening to the same teacher, boys and girls receive vastly different educations. Whilst young girls tend to come out on top in standardized tests, the socialisation of gender within schools
assures that girls are made to believe that they are unequal to boys. The socialisation of gender is the process through which children, from an alarmingly early age, learn about the social expectations, attitudes and behaviours associated with men and women. Whilst girls are praised by teachers for being neat, quiet and calm, boys are encouraged to be active and speak their minds. Negative gender stereotypes are often held by teachers, parents and peers regarding an innately female inability to understand mathematics and these stereotypes are projected onto young girls. This undermines their self-confidence and sets them up for failure. Sometimes just these beliefs can be enough to dissuade women from pursuing further studies in STEM fields. Furthermore, it does not help that so many classes in STEM-related subjects have incredibly uneven ratios of boys to girls. Some would argue that it
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FEMINISM
If these problems are an issue within our undoubtedly privileged community, it is haunting to think about how much more pervasive these problems are in third-world countries. Many girls are not allowed to attend school and certainly not permitted to pursue further education. Numerous countries carry the social belief that women are fit only for reproductive and community roles. These attitudes make it so hard to institute real change as they are almost ingrained into the fabric of these societies. Overall, it is hard to dispute that gender stereotyping hugely impacts the world and the opportunities that girls are presented with. Though it is difficult to create change when some of these issues are so fundamentally entrenched within the structures of society, it is imperative that action is taken to combat this.
23 % In 2021, only
of UK A Level Physics students were female
is not biases, but simply the pre-existing disproportionality in most STEM courses and careers that causes women to look towards other fields of expertise. Even just looking at the 2021 A-level physics statistics for the UK, only 23% of the students were female. At St George’s, in Upper Sixth, while double the national average, girls studying physics are still in the minority. Statistics like these invite concern as to whether the ratio can ever be fully evened out and if that would even change the way stereotypes impact women’s education.
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ARTS
Can Consumers Stop Fast Fashion? ANNA GRAHAM “1 in 6 people on the planet work in the fashion industry and only 2 percent receive a living wage.”
This is, unfortunately, the sad reality we face today. Fast fashion is all consuming, and not partaking in it is nearly impossible. Whilst the new, trendy, and brightly coloured, cheap clothes conceal the harsh reality hidden beneath, we are conditioned to believe having the latest clothes is of utmost importance... but this is far from the truth. With the influence of social media, popular online influencers are constantly promoting the latest brands, whilst simultaneously placing the blame on consumers for allowing the practise of fast fashion to continue... but is fast fashion really something we, as consumers, can fix?
Fast fashion started to gain popularity with the rise of celebrity culture, monetised by BIBA. BIBA opened in 1964 and focused on making clothing widely accessible being affordable to the general public and advertising their new clothing through the exploitation of celebrities like Twiggy to sell ‘not just clothes but a lifestyle’. The idea of wearing new, celebrity endorsed clothes caused BIBA to rise to mainstream rapidly, developing into a multi-story store. However, the profits were inadequate to support their work and in 1975 it finally shut down... but this was not the end – it was only the beginning.
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ARTS
“Sell ‘not just clothes but a lifestyle’.” BIBA
Despite the evidence that producing cheap, mass-produced clothing was not economically viable, once the public had a taste of cheap clothing, there became a demand for more. The key reason for this lack of profitability was the quality, so it had to give. From here, a multitude of fast fashion brands were born, and began to make trendy, practically disposable clothes, with the cheap quality of the clothing hidden behind the glamour of the influencers and celebrities paid to advertise it. Additionally, to ensure production remained cheap, many companies began outsourcing production to other countries with more relaxed regulations surrounding child labour and minimum wage where clothing can be mass-produced quickly, in harsh conditions, for little money. For example, in 2013, cracks began to form in an eight-story factory in Bangladesh called The Rana Plaza. Upon noticing these cracks, many workers began fearing their safety, yet were told that if they refused to work in the building then their months’ wages would be docked. As a result, they had little choice but to continue working in this unsafe environment, until eventually the building collapsed injuring 2,500 and killing 1,134 workers. In response, the factory bosses stated the workers were not to blame as they are grossly underpaid by the large brands who hired them and refused to maintain the building, however the big brands counter-argued that it was not their responsibility to look after the factory conditions but placed the blame on the consumers unwillingness to pay more for products, consequentially meaning they had less to spend on the factory. The overall
consumer response indicated the government was to blame; they condemn child labour and modern-day slavery yet have simply turned a blind eye to the practises of these fast fashion companies as it boosts the economy. In these situations, it is evidently very difficult to pinpoint a clear culprit responsible, as it is not just one group’s fault, but a combined responsibility needs to be taken upon all of us. This blame-game is what allows fast fashion to continue to exist as if no one can decide who is at fault, no one faces repercussion, and nothing is solved. So, what can we do? Firstly, I believe educating people about the detrimental effects of fast fashion is crucial in the hope that more people will stop buying, or at least reduce their consumption from these unethical brands. There are many alternatives, such as buying second hand, attempting to repair our own clothes and upcycle old ones, or research and buy from the more ethical stores available. However, money remains a central problem, particularly for those who cannot afford the luxury of choosing more expensive sustainable options. In summary, we can make a positive change, but this cannot be done alone. We need more affordable sustainable brands. We need our government to introduce sustainability taxes against fast fashion companies, forcing them to improve their quality and in turn, improve payment to factories. We need factories to take responsibility for worker welfare, and to set all these initiatives in motion we need to pressure the government to change. These changes are like dominos and we, as the consumers, need to be that very first push to initiate the action.
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“A synonymous flowing piece.” RIA MANKOO
Pen on Paper RIA MANKOO My collaging concept was constructed using interesting parts of buildings such as Gaudí’s architecture, looking at the Art Nouveau movement and how organic nature and buildings can work together through intricate and detailed designs. I rearranged the buildings to be in a synonymous flowing piece as I wanted the outlines of the buildings to link together creating my own Barcelona skyline, taking you through different areas of the city in one pathway. The shape itself can mimic a more organic flow rather than having rigid lines to finish the edges.
by Ria Mankoo
ARTS
TikTok: The Music Industry’s Latest Disease
WILLIAM HAWKINS & ZACHARY HOLLEY
and as a result, record labels are constantly analysing this data with artists encouraging them to throw all of their musical talent into the first 30 seconds of a song. ‘Tootsie Slide’ by Drake utilised its understanding of this data. Its chorus begins 19 seconds into the track, lasting 13 seconds and detailing the moves to a line dance, clearly designed with no other intention than to be a TikTok dance trend. It worked. TikTok users have put their spin on the song in over 5 million videos. Similarly, Lil Nas X’s ‘Old Town Road’, was a hit TikTok song with 2.238 billion streams on Spotify with his song only 1.53 seconds long with a chorus and multiple hooks within the first 30 seconds. The short video platform only further incentivises more effort put into these first 30 seconds. A more niche trend is songs designed to be lip-synced by creators on the app. ‘Just Did A Bad Thing’ by Bill Wurtz exemplifies this with a vague and easily relatable song. It is straight to the point with the 15 second famous jingle at the start of the song holding enough attention to receive a stream from a music hosting platform.
TikTok is a short-form, video-sharing app that allows users to create videos on any topic, and its dramatic rise to popularity has had undeterminable effects on modern media to come. TikTok’s chokehold on the music industry has become ever present, as artists and record labels seek to capture the attention from an impressionable audience with dwindling attention spans; TikTok is drastically altering the music industry and the way we consume music. Tik Tok and the modern streaming music industry is a match made in heaven. Songs are beginning to be designed solely for virality in clips worth 15 seconds to be danced to or lip-synced. This has already had observable effects: There is a 24% chance on Spotify the average listener will skip a song within the first 5 seconds, a 29% chance they will skip the song within the first 10 seconds and 35% chance it will be skipped within the first 30 seconds. This is key because artists do not get paid unless somebody streams a song for over 30 seconds,
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ARTS
“Artists now just share their hard drives... it’s lost its meaning.” JME
exposure they need in their careers, shooting to stardom when a song of theirs goes viral. Olivia Rodrigo’s song ‘Driver’s Licence’ began as a 25 second clip and has now been streamed over 2.5 billion times. Combined with the rest of her discography, she has accumulated 7.6 billion streams. “If a song is going viral on TikTok labels are scrambling to sign that song or that artist,” stated music industry analyst Tatiana Crisano. “They’re obsessed with expanding their market share and making sure they don’t lose any market share to independent artists.” This overwhelming market share is controlled by three enormous recording labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group. Together, these retain over 70% of the market share of the music recording industry and a 58% market share of the music publishing industry (intellectual property of the music, the copyright of the lyrics, melody and of the general composition).
One billion monthly users worldwide and a market value of £50 billion, TikTok is the new gold rush for music labels. With 24% of teens admitting they are on the app ‘constantly’, many major record labels are employing aggressive marketing strategies to hook onto this profitable demographic, financing upwards of £30,000 to high profile influencers on the app for a string of videos. Specialised teams monitor TikTok during this period of advertising so they can help promote a trending song if it starts to take off. If it doesn’t work, they pump similar amounts of money into the next song until they reach success. This exacerbates the oligopoly of the music industry as smaller record labels or independent artists can’t invest time and money into researching data trends increasing the inequality of opportunity within the industry. However, TikTok is a free marketplace which can help independent artists to get the
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ARTS
2.5 and has now been streamed over song ‘Driver’s Licence’ began as a 25 second clip Olivia Rodrigo’s
them the power to diversify into TikTok and harness it as a great advertising tool. But from the perspective of a purist, TikTok currently overshadows the music industry and will continue to for years to come; intensifying the gap between the top 3 record labels and independent artists and labels by increasing their leverage and hold over data. As these 3 labels drive the narrative for the music industry, creating lower quality and less meaningful music, it forces other artists to follow suit due to demand. For example, in 2000 the top 100 billboard average song duration was 4 minutes long, with no songs being under 2 and a half minutes. Now the top 100 billboard average song duration is 3 minutes and 30 seconds with more than 10% of the songs being under 2 and a half minutes. JME said ‘artists now just share their hard drives’.... ‘it’s lost its meaning you used to feel something’....’just hoping your music is used for a meme or a background song for TikTok’.
billion times
Combined, this oligopoly holds immense powers of leverage and negotiation with streaming services for licensing contracts and playlist curation. This again puts independent labels and artists at a significant disadvantage. However, many independent artists can only acknowledge and accept this fact, ever hopeful to hit the jackpot and experience a similar TikTok success story to Olivia Rodrigo. From the financial perspective of Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, TikTok grants
“If a song is going viral on TikTok labels are scrambling to sign that song or that artist.” TATIANA CRISANO
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by Bee Scott
A Dissection of Blonde and the Fetishisation of Female Suffering on Screen INDIA BOLAH
subsisting through the lens of pain’s gaze on screen. This trope, if executed well, can be an immensely powerful tool in liberating female spectators and fostering a sense of affinity. However, if executed poorly, this presentation can result in a deeply disturbing experience for viewers; who are encouraged to view feminine pain as a sort of sexual reverie.
Andrew Dominik’s Blonde proved to be yet another grossly distorted depiction of the life and death of Marilyn Monroe. In part, due to its source material being a fictional interpretation of Monroe’s life, but additionally concomitant with even greater problem plaguing contemporary cinema: the perennial fetishisation of female suffering. For as long as film has existed, women have been depicted
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“This sensationalisation and subsequent fetishisation of female suffering is prevalent in countless pieces of media.” INDIA BOLAH
This romanticisation/sexualising of female suffering additionally exists beyond the realms of cinema, seeming to permeate many other forms of media; most notably impacting our perception of women whose suffering has been repackaged to be exhibited as mere entertainment. Celebrities like Amy Winehouse, Anna Nicole Smith and Whitney Houston fascinate us: their sorrow is almost magnetic, as an air of tragedy surrounds their personas, making them seem all the more alluring and seductive. Being a sex symbol has seemingly become synonymous with melancholia and emotional trauma, arguably due to the conflation of youth and innocence with femininity. This brings me to the emphasis placed on Marilyn’s relationship (or lack thereof) with her father throughout the film. The absence of a father figure during her childhood proves to render Marilyn emotionally fragile, as she seeks a kind of paternal love through her marriages, almost seeming to regress in maturity in an attempt to heal her inner child. This depiction becomes harmful when combined with the excessive on-screen nudity of Ana De Armas, which seems all the more disturbing when married with explicit displays of physical abuse enacted by Monroe’s first husband: Joe DiMaggio. Marilyn’s torture doesn’t end here though, as audience members are subject to seeing the actress undergo two involuntary abortions; neither of which are confirmed to be historically accurate. Director Dominik goes
on to then delineate a newly pregnant Monroe communicating with a CGI foetus, who begs for its life just moments before she miscarries; almost implying that she is at fault for not carrying the foetus to term. The aforementioned events are accompanied with egregious depictions of sexual abuse, which only serve to further delineate Monroe as an impotent victim and nothing more. In Blonde, she’s reduced to an infantile sex-doll, as Dominik strips Monroe of any and all agency, totally compressing her personhood into a uni-dimensional caricature. This sensationalisation and subsequent fetishisation of female suffering is prevalent in countless pieces of media, largely due to our ingrained socio-political ideas surrounding women and the sanctity of the female form. This brings us to question whether or not female pain can be depicted on screen independent from said beliefs, or whether the perception of women’s suffering as provocative and sexually charged is ultimately inescapable. Should one also take into account the architect of these displays? Can these exhibitions be excused when a woman is responsible for their conception, and is recognising the art’s value in association to its creator’s identity a responsible/ ethical stance to adopt? The subjective nature of this debate leads me to believe that there is, in fact, no way to ensure that women’s suffering can be viewed independent to its sexual connotations by all spectators; however, I do believe that there is significant room for improvement regarding Hollywood’s tactless handling of the subject matter.
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