How ‘socially responsible’ brands hurt rather than help Black Lives Matter and the struggle against racism
By Charles Hill
“On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis. Nike released a video entitled “For Once, Don’t Do It”, Netflix declared that “to be silent is to be complicit”, and Amazon, Ben & Jerry’s and even Barbie posted their approval for the protests. If companies can use their influence for good, surely we should be celebrating their newfound social conscience?”
Photo credits: Le Parisien
Digital Privacy vs Freedom: Is there really a trade-off?
By Mostafa Hegab and Basheer Alsayd, Writing Analysts at Unicast Entertainment
From Facebook selling ad information to personal data breaches, headlines have one thing in common: privacy. As personal data continues to be exploited, the focus has shifted from why we need privacy to how we can protect it as our dependency on the internet grows. So while society takes on this debate, it might be beneficial to understand how humanity has dealt with privacy throughout the ages, and how privacy has become intertwined with democracy.
Photo credits: UnSplash
Lessons from ‘It’s a Sin’: The Importance of Climate Exceptionalism
Eva draws societal, functional and political parallels between the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the current climate crisis. She uses these to reflect on how exceptionalism should again be implemented to counter Earth system breakdown.
Photo credits: Ben Blackall / Channel 4
You have to stop romanticising your life: how social media impacts our realities
By Emma McKeown
“In a generation raised on aesthetics, social media has become the ideal platform for romanticising - for proving ourselves and convincing others that we are having a good time rather than actually enjoying the moment”
Photo credits: Stamford University
Education, Education, Education
By Clara Tipper
“Every individual should be empowered to make their own political opinion, given impartial and sufficient information. Further, a country’s government should reflect the diversities of its people - this is far from our current reality”
Photo credits: BBC
Holyrood 2021: Labour and the Race for Second Place
By Calum Stewart
In this article, Calum explores Labour's pitch for second place in the Holyrood elections, and details a drinking game to get you through the results.
Photo credits: Getty Images
“Unity is not an option; unity is a duty”
By Jennifer Geminiani
Jennifer critically analyses current Italian political affairs and the past election dilemma. If you are Italian, or just have an interest in international relations, this is a must read!
Photo credits: Andreas Solaro / AFP
How is Contemporary Art Reacting to the Refugee Crisis?
By Clara Tipper
In this article, Clara explores the diverse ways in which contemporary artists are shining a spotlight on the refugee crisis, and ultimately, why political art can be an effective medium for change.
Photo credits: Oliver Lang / Konzerthaus Berlin
How We Change
By Grace Vollers
“To think of change, I believe, is to see a pandemic rip apart lives and families, or to see layers of systemic oppression reach their boiling point. It is to watch as world leaders are dragged down and to see governments break. It is to externalize transformation. But to perceive change, that is to feel it in each of us individually.”
Photo credits: Dallas News
India’s Farmer Protests - On Due Process And Legal Exploitation
By Hitanshi Badani
In this article, Hitanshi presents a brief introduction to India's ongoing farmer protests against the 2020 Farm Laws. She further analyzes the legal implications of these laws and how they underscore some of India's broader socio-political issues.
Photo credits: Time Magazine
Alex Salmond, Get Your Hands Off Scotland
By Joseph Daly
In this article, Joseph Daly discusses the potential impact of Alex Salmond’s latest vanity project on the Scottish Parliament elections.
Photo credits: Getty Images
From Daphne to the Little Dancer: The History of Sexual Violence in Art
By Laura Bennie
“When women are portrayed one dimensionally, it is easy to overlook sexual violence. It is far past time to challenge these conceptions, and to do so, it is important to understand how embedded they are in art history.”
Photo credits: Wikipedia / Susanna and the Elders by Artemisia Gentileschi
On Stand With Alison
By Hilary Chan
Hilary explains how the decision to make Dr Alison Kerr redundant needs tripping up by its own reversion, where gender studies and the philosophy of hegemony protests an institution's narrative on women.
Photo credits: Mubi
The Vaccine Race is Increasing Global Inequality
By Marina Damji
Marina explains how inequal vaccine distribution is exasperating inequality between high-income and low-income countries.
Photo credits: Markus Spiske / Unsplash
Apologia of the uselessness
By Giulia Colangeli
Life's too short to do things "because you have to, period". Enjoy uselessness, enrich your life with novelty and explore: you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
Photo credits: imgfave.com
Beware the Malthusian Trap: We Aren’t the Virus
By Calum Stewart
Calum explores the Malthusian discourse surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change
Photo credits: Calum Stewart
#Cottagecore, Crochet, and Our Current Sociopolitical Climate: Oh My!
By Catherine Mullner
Catherine offers political insight and historical background into the aesthetic we can’t seem to escape (and frankly, don’t want to)
Photo credits: Vogue Mexico
Debt Diplomacy: A New Front in the US-China War?
Valentina explores the complex realities of debt diplomacy starting from a recent financing war for Ecuador between the US and China, and invites readers to question a geopolitical narrative that neatly corners countries into “good” and “bad”
Photo credits: Presidencia de la República del Ecuador, 2018
Getting on the Blacklist
Emily examines the extremeties of censorship in regards to Russian experimental duo, IC3PEAK
Photo credits: @ic3peak