Written by: Prim Phoolsombat. On 18 June 2019, California governor Gavin Newsom officially recognized and apologized for the systematic genocide of California’s Native Americans. Continue reading The 19th Century California genocide
Written by: Justin Biggi. Content Warning: This post contains graphic discussions of violence, gore, and self-harm. I believe that an ulterior dimension can be added to how we read Seneca’s use of violence if we read it through the lens of modern-day horror theory. Continue reading Seneca Revisited
Written by: Laila Ghaffar. In the narrative of the British colonisation of India, it would be very easy to understand the Indians as passive and helpless in the face of rapid British expansion. After all, history is written by the winners. However, one look at ‘Tipu’s Tiger’ and an entirely different story is conveyed. Continue reading ‘Tipu’s Tiger’ and the Importance of Visual Language
Written by: Prim Phoolsombat. Before its demolition in 1994, Kowloon Walled City occupied only six-and-a-half acres in Kowloon Province, Hong Kong and had the world’s highest population density ratio. With a chaotic reputation for opium dens, brothels, and crime syndicates, it’s complex history as a political no-man’s-land between Chinese and British authorities throughout the twentieth century has rendered it a famed, almost fantastical site of cultural memory. Continue reading Remembering the legacy of Kowloon Walled City
Written by: Kvitka Perehinets. The media has always had significant political influence in communist societies, such as Yugoslavia. It soon became clear that as Yugoslavia fell apart, the media of the individual republics served not as an informational platform for its peoples, but rather as a tool for boosting support ‘for the stances taken by their leaderships’. Continue reading The Significance of the Media in the Provocation and Resolution of the Conflict between Bosnian Serbs and Bosnian Muslims (1992-1995): An Analysis
Written by: Jack Bennett. The international political, economic and military landscape was chilled by the ongoing tensions between the USA and USSR during the Cold War. These hostilities contributed to the flaring of ‘hot conflicts’ through ‘proxy wars’ across Africa following the process of decolonisation during the latter half of the twentieth century. Continue reading Shadow Wars: Cold War Foreign Policy in Africa
Written by: Tristan Craig. Christ Mocked, one of only eleven known wood panel paintings attributed to the artist, was found hung inconspicuously above the stove of the anonymous woman’s home. There remains a great deal of mystery surrounding this discovery – especially how it came to be hung on the wall of a kitchen in Compiegne. Continue reading The Lost Cimabue: Reflections on a Medieval Master
Written by: Lisa Doyle Myths from the past permeate modern society and culture to an extent that most people are not aware of. When using the word ‘mythology’, I am, in fact, referring to stories. Stories that have been told and re-told across generations. The mythological stories of Ancient Greece are the ultimate examples. Of course, many people are aware of Zeus, the god of … Continue reading Ancient Myths Retold
Written by: Lisa Doyle Sexual relations between men are amongst the most remarked upon features of ancient Greek society. It is indeed prevalent in the various sources we have for this period, including literary and visual. Although much of the scholarship and research on this subject uses the term ‘homosexuality’ to describe these relationships, this modern terminology is not strictly applicable to the ancient Greek … Continue reading ‘Homosexuality’ in Ancient Greece
Written by: Carissa Chew The ‘Strike for Freedom’ treasures exhibition, displayed at the National Library of Scotland from 4 October 2018 to 16 February 2019 in commemoration of the 200 year anniversary of Frederick Douglass’s birth, celebrates the life and work of one of the most renowned black American abolitionists and his historic connections to the Scottish capital. Frederick Douglass (c.1818-1895), who escaped slavery in … Continue reading ‘Strike for Freedom’: Frederick Douglass, Scotland, and the Slave Trade
Written by: Martha Stutchbury John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) is a man whose lasting influence on the Western liberal tradition cannot be overstated. He is recognised for attempting to reconcile utilitarianism – the political philosophy which notoriously prioritises ‘majority rule’ over the individual, with self-governance and individual rights. He is perhaps most famous within academic circles for articulating the ‘harm principle’, an argument for near-absolute freedom … Continue reading A Look at the Life of John Stuart Mill
Written by: Scarlett Butler In a recent interview Emily Weiss, the CEO of the successful new beauty brand Glossier, said that her business was both a beauty and a tech company. Weiss emphasised the company’s innovative use of social media to involve their (primarily female) customers in design, product development and promotion. Despite their technological leaning, Glossier sits in a longer legacy of effortless cool … Continue reading Making Beauty History with Glossier
