Category: Academic
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On the Need for Provocation: A Response to Solanas’ SCUM Manifesto (1968)
Valerie Solanas’ “SCUM Manifesto” was a call to arms for women to overthrow the male sex and establish a feminist utopia. However, her emphasis on violence led to polarisation – compounded by her shooting of Andy Warhol in 1968. Georgia Smith explores the discourse surrounding this infamous feminist work.
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The Brontë Sisters and the Importance of Women’s Education in the Nineteenth Century
In their personal lives as well as through their novels, the Brontë sisters challenged patriarchal norms surrounding a woman’s role in society. Isabelle Shaw examines the impact that their work has had on efforts for equal education in the nineteenth century and beyond.
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The Walker Expedition: Unmanifested Destiny
Written by Sam Marks. In the earliest years of its founding, the United States of America underwent rapid expansion, driven by filibusters who held the belief that such aggressive territorial acquisition was destined. Sam Marks explores the colonisation efforts of William Walker and the ensuing uprising against his regime.
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Little Freedoms: So-Called ‘Liberation’ in the Wake of the Black Death
Written by Ailsa Fraser. In the aftermath of the Black Death, a lower population allowed those at the lowest social strata to demand higher higher wages. But did this equate to greater liberation for the peasantry? Ailsa Fraser discusses the changing landscape of Britain and the legislations which impacted their lives.
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The Use of Art as a Political Tool in Renaissance Italy
Written by Shea Ferguson. Whilst the likes of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo have become household names as masters of the Italian Renaissance, the powerful patrons behind their private works are lesser known. Shea Ferguson explores how art became embroiled in the political sphere of fifteenth-century Italy, and what this meant for its players.
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The Road to Romer
Written by Connall MacLennan. What lead up to the Romer v. Evans Supreme Court Case, fundamental to gay rights in the United States? Connall MacLennan traces it back to the shifting struggle for gay rights in Colorado, many crucial participants of which have been unrecognised.
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The International Geophysical Year: The Greatest Science Fair of All Time
Written by Sam Marks. The International Geophysical Year changed the course of scientific development – not least for the technological advancements it oversaw but the collaborative efforts between the nations involved. Sam Marks explores the legacy of this important, albeit largely forgotten, moment in human history.
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Voyeurism, Virility and the Vicarious: The Philosophy of Desire, Masculinity and Imaginings of the Female Body as a Political Image
Written by Georgia Smith. Much of late twentieth-century feminist thought pertains to images of the female idea related through the ‘male gaze’. Georgia Smith explores the objectification and consumption of the female body, the manner in which it reflects masculinity, and how this interdependence might be transgressed.
Retrospect Journal 