This text is an analysis of “Sid and Nancy”, originally released in 1986. It is directed by Alex Cox and co-written with Abbe Wool. The genre of this film is drama. A genre is a  type or category of text. Drama films are ones that rely on emotional and relational development of realistic characters. It belongs to this category because of its following characteristics. Its narrative structure follows the relationship that develops between the two main characters at the start of the film all the way to the end of their relationship at the conclusion and how it affects each of them personally. The film offers a bleak ideology or view on society based on its portrayal of fame, love and drug abuse. The film portrays the negative effects fame can have on people and how it can lead them to become involved in toxic relationships and how drug abuse can affect themselves and those around them. The film is written to highlight both personal and societal problems but does not offer solutions to fix them. The writers intend for you to leave the film with a pessimistic worldview but increased awareness of social problems and what they mean for people in all walks of life.  

Representation

Representation is the description and portrayal of someone or something in a particular way. There are many issues being represented in this text, the main ones being love and drug abuse. The main characters of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen are brought together by their use of heroin. Although they are both ambitious people at heart they are both self-destructive with their drug use. Sid is often too strung out to perform and Nancy although proclaiming herself to be his manager keeps bringing him drugs ruining both their chances of being successful. These failures are what however brings them closer together as a couple. Due to his drug use, Sid falls out with his bandmates and only has Nancy to turn to. Similarly, Nancy is rejected by her family when she returns to them with Sid and admits they both have a drug problem. Eventually, they only have each other to rely on. This paints a bleak world view for the characters as they lose everything they have due to their drug use. This is where the stereotype that love kills plays a role in the film. A stereotype is an oversimplified idea of a particular thing. Eventually, it comes to a stage where Sid and Nancy are unable to leave their hotel room due to their addiction, meaning the only interaction they have is with each other. When Sid attempts to leave, intending to start a new life back in England and get off heroin Nancy attacks him declaring he will never get straight and that they will die together. In their scuffle Sid stabs Nancy. Instead of phoning for help, the couple climb into bed together and Nancy dies in the night. Her death not only shows the effects of drug addiction but also her love for Sid. Instead of going to the hospital and surviving but being separated due to him having to go to prison for the attack she chooses to die by his side ensuring she won’t live to see Sid suffer. This scene definitely plays up to the stereotype that love kills because it is their lack of ability to go without the other that sees Nancy die. Before being named “Sid and Nancy” the film was originally going to be titled “Love Kills” suggesting the director definitely had this stereotype in mind when making this film. 

Methods of Analysis

Psychological Analysis

Psychology studies behaviour and personality. The character I will discuss is Sid Vicious. His behaviour, personality and identity changes all throughout the text due to who and what he interacts with. When we first meet Sid, he is new to the Sex Pistols and is eager to live up to his name. We see him spray-painting walls, smashing car windows and chasing after Rod Stewart threatening to shoot him. At first, he appears as an almost innocent and stupid character who is oblivious to the drug scene that has entered the punk rock subculture that surrounds him. Meeting Nancy is a big trigger for a change in his personality. He becomes lazy and stubborn. He prefers to use drugs than practice his music and ignores his bandmates when they warn him that Nancy is a destructive presence in his life and will drag him down. When he goes to America on tour without Nancy his drug use and violent acts increase. We see him carving her name into his chest with glass while under the influence of drugs. This does cement the strength of their relationship as it shows that Sid still cares for her and is thinking about her even though he was separated from her for so long. It is, however, a bizarre way for him to declare his love for her. It shows that he is clearly out of his mind with his drug use but also that he is desperate to live up to his “Vicious” moniker. Nancy’s quote from earlier in the film when she says that “Sid Vicious is the Sex Pistols” has no doubt influenced his behaviour. We see him fighting members of the crowd and performing covered in his own blood.  He is often referred to as “useless” by his bandmates and eventually, the band falls apart. After the Sex Pistols fall apart he becomes a more reserved person and flashes of insecurity appear in his personality. Along with Nancy, he moves to New York to begin working as a solo artist. His drug-taking affects the rest of his performances and eventually, he finds himself performing to nobody. He does not have a good opinion of himself and appears to be ashamed of his own failures. In a particular scene where his hotel room burns on fire, he doesn’t make any attempt to flee and appears to be content to sit there and wait to die until he is dragged out of the room by firefighters. At this moment where he seems to accept his death, we can interpret that he has given up and possibly accept what others around him have said to them when they call him useless. I believe in this scene Sid does not see a future for himself and so accepts that this is the right time for him to die. This bleak mindset and opinion of himself carries on throughout the rest of the film leading there to be no positive connotations with his life. His mindset here is far different from at the start of the film where he is ambitious and has something to prove. By the end, he is content to die as he can only see a bleak future for himself.

Semiotic Analysis

Semiotics is the study of signs. It involves analysing different signs a director will use in their attempt to tell a story and influence the audience’s view of the characters and world they inhabit. When doing a semiotic analysis of this film you must first look at the title of the film. Being called “Sid and Nancy” the title instantly tells you who the film is about. The word “and” conjures up the idea that they are equals and you cannot have one without the other, that they are equally important to the story. A semiotic analysis I will apply to a scene is the final scene of the film. A semiotic analysis of a scene involves analysing the different signs such as music, clothing, non-verbal cues etc. a director includes in a scene. In the final scene against the backdrop of the grey New York city, Sid comes across a trio of brightly dressed kids dancing to disco music. When they first ask him to dance he at first resists but eventually joins in. After a few moments of dancing, he gets in a cab and drives away. Words come up on the screen saying Sid Vicious died on the 2nd February 1979. I think this scene is included as a metaphor for the end of punk rock and the beginning of the ’80s and the disco music that came with it. This scene suggests that when punk rock ended Sid dies with it which is why he is seen driving away at the end of the film. 

Sociological Analysis

This form of analysis studies the different types of societies. David Coates offers a definition of what society means and identifies four types of society. He identifies Liberal, Marxist, Social-Reformist and Conservative societies. I believe that this film depicts the main characters rebelling against a conservative society. Many institutions of the state are shocked by the punk rock lifestyle the main characters lead such as when the Sex Pistols sail down the Thames river in London to rebel against the monarchy many of them are arrested by the police. They are seen as enemies of the state because of their refusal to conform with the society that is around them. A conservative society is one with a strong set of institutions to keep human passions under control. That is why they are arrested when they rebel against this to do what they want.

Feminist Analysis

Feminism is the movement that seeks equality for women and men and to change society’s view of women. Nancy is the only female character that has any contribution to the plot of this film. She appears as a strong character and seems to be in control of the power dynamic in her relationship with Sid. She makes all the decisions and he does nearly everything she says as she is in control of his drug supply. This power dynamic is what keeps her relationship with Sid going as he cannot leave her unless he wants to leave his drugs as well. Her constant feeding of drugs to Sid leads her to fall out of favour of the audience. Viewers of the film will wish Sid to succeed and so will dislike Nancy as she plays a big role in his failures. Because Nancy is the only female who gives Sid any attention this is the reason she has a lot of control over him. His bandmates have a negative view of her because of her influence over Sid as they believe she is getting in the way of him being successful. As Nancy is the only female in the text whose character is ever explored, the text suggests that women have the power to get in the way and prevent men from being successful. This gives a negative portrayal of femininity. 

Marxist analysis

Marxism analyses society from an economic perspective and discusses the power struggle between the wealthy and the poor. We can see elements of this in this film. In the film, Sid and the band are working-class men and rebel against the conservative society the monarchy and government impose on the people. They have the power because when the band plays an anti-monarchy concert on the River Thames they are arrested when they get back on land. In the society portrayed in the film, it is the institutions of the state who hold all the power.

 

In the 21st century communication is one of the easiest things we can do thanks to the advent of new technology. At the push of a button, you can have a chat with somebody that is half the world away. Things like this were not possible not too long ago. Though it has led to an increase in the amount of communication we do I think the advancement of technology has caused people to in reality become more introverted as they prefer to communicate through social media instead of in person. In reality, I think it is very possible that communications technology can damage your interpersonal skills.

Communications technology such as social media has allowed people to create an image of themselves that is not necessarily real and does not reflect their actual personality. Many people can appear interesting because of what they post on Instagram when in reality they are not. Other people believe that because they have a certain amount of followers it makes them “famous” and they go about in the real world with an air of arrogance thinking they are above everyone else when in reality they more than likely to end up being ridiculed because their social media perception of themselves does not carry through into real life. This will always eventually lead to people not understanding who they are because people treat them differently because of the pre-conceptions social media has taught others about them. When people first meet you they will think you are the exact same as you are on social media and behave accordingly which may make some people uncomfortable as they cannot keep up this image 24/7 unless that is who they really are which is rarely the case. 

Many people would say that communications technologies such as social media have had a large impact on private life. I can say from my own experience that people sit on their phones more than talk to the people who are around them. People have become accustomed to 24/7 communication with their friends and so do not communicate with their families as much. This leads to people have weaker relationships than they would have had only a few years ago. People are using technology younger nowadays too. Kids prefer to sit indoors on tablets and phones than go outside which is much different to even when I was younger. This is only going to lead to antisocial generations of people in the future.

While it has its disadvantages the growth of communications technology has had its positives as well. The ability to communicate around the world has improved companies ability to do business and allows people to learn things about what’s going on worldwide faster. It also has its positives for people’s private lives. If people move abroad in the modern world it no longer means you will never see them again. Inventions such as Facetime and Skype mean you can still see and talk to people regularly wherever they are in the world whether they’re down the road or in another country. You are also able to learn information much faster. Instead of having to wait until the next day to learn the information you can hear about things as they happen which could never be done before. 

Many people would argue that people’s safety and privacy have been infringed upon by social media. Almost all social media request to know your location to tailor-make ads to your location and apps such as Snapchat can track your location to within a few metres and unless you turn it off can be accessible to anyone who has access to your account. This raises the question over whether this can endanger people. You can never be sure who has access to your information and therefore knows all these things about you when you do not want them to. It is important that the companies in charge of these apps take their position of guarding people’s information seriously to make sure it cannot be accessed by people who are not meant to see it. 

In conclusion, I think there are both positive and negative aspects of the growth of communications technology. It has had more impact on the shape of the world and people’s lifestyles than anything invented in the past few years. It is still important however that you must leave your social media down at some stage and interact with the people who around you.

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of melted butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 cup of chocolate chips

1. Whisk your baking soda, flour and salt into one small bowl and set aside for them to settle.
2. In a larger bowl whisk in your butter, sugar and your egg. Use the egg and the yolk.
3. Mix both bowls together. The mixture will be thick, but soft and easily stirrable.
4. Stir until all your ingredients are completely mixed together.
5. Pour your chocolate chips into the dough.
6. Leave your dough to settle in your fridge for 3 hours.
7. When removing the dough from the fridge let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This will allow the dough to soften again.
8. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees and prepare your baking tray.
9. Roll your dough into balls. Rolling your dough to be taller than wide will ensure a thicker cookie.
10. Bake your cookies for 12 to 15 minutes.
11. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to rest for 10 minutes.
12. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup of milk
1 small stick of butter
1 small cup of sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 cups of flour
Cooking spray

1. Preheat your oven and prepare your pan.
   Set your oven to 180 degrees. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper and make sure to spray with cooking oil. This will prevent your bread from sticking to the pan.
2. Melt your butter.
   Use a microwave to melt your butter quickly.
3. Mix your butter and sugar.
   Pour your melted butter and sugar into a single bowl and whisk until they have combined.
4. Add your eggs.
   Whisk your eggs into the mixture until the batter is smooth.
5. Add milk.
   Pour milk into the mixture and once again whisk until they are combined.
6. Mix in bananas.
   Mash bananas until there are no lumps. This will ensure a smooth banana bread. After they have been mashed, insert them into the mixture.
7. Add baking soda, flour and salt.
   Measure out these ingredients and add them to the mixture. Mix gently until no flour is visible.
8. Pour the batter into your pan.
   Pour your batter into your pan and smooth over the top.
9. Bake for one hour.
   Ideally, you want to bake until the top of our bread is dark brown. Use a thin object such as a toothpick to pierce the bread. When the toothpick comes out clean your bread is ready.
10. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes.
    Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes after you have removed it from the oven. You don’t want to burn your mouth.

A Man Who Makes A Difference

Paul Uzo is a man who cares, a self-made Nigerian immigrant he has forged a path not just for himself but for fellow Nigerians and Africans at large in Ireland. Uzo arrived in Ireland nearly 20 years ago now and since then has worked tirelessly for the African community in the country. His social work has brought him from the streets of Swords, North Dublin to running in the local elections and even meeting the Pope at his recent visit to Ireland in 2018. I was invited by Paul into his home to discuss just what he does and what pushes him forward.

Paul and his family were very welcoming in bringing me into their home, but I wanted to know what their welcome was like when they came to Ireland.
“I felt I stuck out like a sore thumb,” Uzo says reminiscing on his first days in Ireland.
“I came with a lot of Nigerian people and we all came together, it was probably a shock for some Irish people who had never seen a black man before.” The country Uzo arrived in is much different to the Ireland of today. It is easy to forget that not very long ago there were very little foreign people coming to live in Ireland, compared to today where Ireland is a very ethnically diverse place.
“I suppose I felt isolated when I arrived here, I think a lot of African people still to this day struggle to get involved with the community which is what I aim to change through my work.”

Uzo began to involve himself with the Irish community soon after he arrived in the country, joining Tidy Towns and Neighbourhood Watch committees. He says the welcome he received inspired him to begin trying to help fellow African immigrants find their feet as well.
“I don’t believe us Nigerians should be on our own and only be able to rely on each other, I have seen how accepting the Irish community is and encourage other immigrants to get involved, we are not just Nigerian, we are the New Irish.”

Uzo believes adopting the idea that immigrants are the New Irish has done a lot for newcomers to the country in preventing them from being isolated and seen as outsiders by society at large.
“I have never experienced racism in this country and have never felt like an outsider, I am an Irishman just like you, people see that and don’t have a problem with the colour of my skin.” Through his work Uzo wants all immigrants to feel the same way as him.

Uzo has studied financial and legal services and international sales for sales professionals and worked as a Department Manager in Penney’s for 12 years, things he would not have been able to achieve had he not been accepted into the country.
“Ireland has given me so much so now I want to give back, that is why I do my work.” Uzo has recently taken up a job providing emergency accommodation to the homeless in his hometown of Swords.
“It breaks my heart to see so many people going cold and hungry, there is plenty of work the government needs to do to solve this crisis. Homelessness organisations can only do so much, we need help and funding and I would encourage people to volunteer” he tells me with conviction. Seeing people being isolated is what drives Uzo forward with his work. The idea that nobody should feel alone is central to his beliefs. His work for several other organisations such as the Fingal Public Participation Network, Cleaner Community Initiative and Royal Friends Club of Ireland reflects that.
“People who come to Ireland can join these groups, meet neighbours and make friends, don’t isolate yourself, get involved.”

Fingal has recently seen a spike in the number of violent gang-related crimes. Though condemned by many not much has been done in the way of stopping. These gangs mostly made up of young teenage boys have shown Paul the dangerous side of young people being isolated and alienated by their community.
“I am passionate about seeing young people become part of the community, the gangs are a reaction to the isolation felt by some youths, what we are seeing is young people finding this in common with each other and lashing out. The enemy is not those around them but instead their mindset towards those around them.” Uzo addressed this issue in a community meeting he was invited to by parents. They asked him to speak to their children about their issues and try to find the source of their problem. Though he believes there is much work to do he is hopeful for the future.
“In speaking with young people, I have seen their problems and seen why they are angry. I hope that getting actively involved with the community will help them turn around and get away from criminal activity.”

A constant source of inspiration for Paul is his religion, looking around his home it is plain to see the devotion he has to his fate.
“My religion has helped me many times with my work, whenever I feel unmotivated or tired, I turn to my God for inspiration.” He is actively involved with the African Chaplaincy Archdiocese which he finds rewarding. His dedication to his fate has not gone unnoticed and during the recent papal visit to Ireland in August 2018, Uzo and his family were chosen to represent the African community of Ireland, meeting Pope Francis on the altar during Mass in the Phoenix Park.
“I consider it the greatest honour of my life, to have my work recognised by Pope Francis was an honour beyond words, I couldn’t describe it.” This recognition has only spurred Uzo on to continue his social work and to carry on helping others and he credits meeting with Pope Francis in motivating him to carry on.

Since his meeting with the Pope, Uzo has worked harder than ever culminating with running in the 2019 local elections for Dublin Fingal. Although unsuccessful the large amounts of votes he received clearly shows that there is a demand for a fresh face on the council and that the Irish people are not concerned with a candidate’s nationality and ethnicity.
“Although I was not elected, I want to thank those who voted for me because they showed me that not only does the public appreciate my work but also recognise and want to tackle the same issues that I do, now I know to continue with what I do.”

The result leaves Uzo hopeful for the future, a future where newcomers to the country and seen for who they are and not for what they look like, a future where everyone is equal, and everyone is given a chance.
“We all live in a new Ireland that has changed very much from when I first arrived and a place where I am recognised as the New Irish and not another immigrant.”

 

Kayleigh Nangle is an Irish tattoo artist working out of North Dublin. She discusses how to make it in an often stigmatised industry and what regulation will mean for her work.

When put to Kayleigh when and why she became interested in the tattoo industry, she speaks of the art and colours that defined her childhood.

“I’d always fancied myself as a bit of artist. When I was younger I always loved painting and drawing and was always fascinated by different colours. As I got older I kept the same fascination with drawing so I think tattooing is just an extension of that.”

“I don’t think you could get into the tattoo industry if you didn’t see yourself as an artist first.”

It is easy to forget that a tattoo artist must be very talented at drawing first. The road to becoming a tattoo artist often starts long before people get tattoos of their own and is often rooted in childhood.

The tattoo industry is often considered difficult to access for new artists especially those who do not already have established links with other shops.

“Starting off in the industry is definitely tough, I think young artists don’t often get the credit they deserve for what they can do. I think with the bigger, more established shops, egos and competitiveness can make it hard for a newcomer to come down and get involved.”

“Make a portfolio and just keep trying.”

Securing an apprenticeship is the first step many young people take when starting off in the tattoo industry and is considered very valuable in terms of helping you perfect your craft. When trying to get work in a tattoo studio, having been an apprentice of a well-regarded artist can be key in helping young artists stand out from the crowd.

 

“I did my apprenticeship abroad in England. I started off doing a lot of shadowing and just helping out around the studio. I definitely think making a good impression as a person and not just an artist can go a long way.” 

Young people accessing the industry often provide a portfolio of drawings they’ve done to show artists their skills but also the type of work they are best at. It is a good way for artists to judge whether an apprentice is right for them and if they are the right person to show the newcomer the ropes. 

“Getting the hang of the tattoo machine is the first big step, drawing with a pencil on paper doesn’t translate straight away but it’ll come naturally.”

“You’ll start doing work on pig skin before you ever go near a person, the pigs are meant to have skin that’s the most similar our own; it’s gross but it works!”

Pigskin is often used by artists to learn the ropes and practise new ideas on. Pigskin is ideal for new artists as is it layered the exact same as on a person, making it very helpful to learn your skills on before you upgrade to tattooing people. 

“I wouldn’t expect to get paid either doing an apprenticeship so take up another job while you’re still learning.”

 

The tattoo industry is one that is constantly evolving as trends come and go. At their most popular as they have ever been, more and more people are coming to tattoo shops with different designs and ideas. The modern tattoo artist often has to be skilled at doing many different types of tattoos to make a name for themselves today.

“Even when I’d finished my apprenticeship and came home to work I still try and learn new skills. A lot of people come in with a specific idea they want but others give you more creative control so that’s when its good to be able to do a wide range of things. I’m always open to trying new stuff out.”

 

Kayleigh started off her tattoo career in her late teens doing DIY tattoos on her friends with a method known as stick and poke. It involves using any kind of sharp point, such as a sewing needle and using that to get the ink into the skin. It is a slow and methodical type of tattooing but can be done for cheap and in the comfort of your own home.

“I started poking tattoos into my friends when I was 16,17. Its good craic and good practice but it’s hard to make them last forever.”

“I definitely prefer the tattoo machine though, much easier.”

“Nothing is stopping any untrained person with a tattoo machine drawing a dragon on a 10-year-olds back.”

 

While tattoos have become much more common in Ireland in recent years, a stigma still remains around the subject. Though bills have been proposed to introduce legislation for the tattoo industry, at the moment there is still no law governing them. Issues such as the legal age and the necessary safety and health precautions are still only enforced by the artists doing the tattoo. This means, in theory, that anyone of any age can legally be tattooed in Ireland. Many artists believe that regulation for the industry will remove the bad name tattoos have with certain people.

“Of course I support regulating tattoos. Nothing is stopping any untrained person with a tattoo machine drawing a dragon on a 10-year-olds back. Every artist I know ensures a client is an adult but legally its something they don’t have to do.”

“I think regulation would go a long way in making tattoos seem normal and safe and get rid of the stereotypes a lot of people towards the job.”

 

As of August 2019, Health Minister Simon Harris has ruled out introducing laws and regulations surrounding the tattoo industry. The Department of Health is, however, creating a list of guidelines around the practice, particularly in regards to hygiene and the safety of those being tattooed.

“I don’t know when this list of guidelines is supposed to come out but I’m sure it’ll make interesting reading. I just hope they’ve taken it seriously cause God forbid someone gets sick from a dodgy tattoo artist.”

“We’re one of the few countries in Europe that doesn’t have any type of rules. When I was in England the law says you have to be 18 and I know its at least 16 in most other places. I don’t understand why they can’t put through some sort of rulebook over here.”
Only time will tell what will happen with the law surrounding tattoos in Ireland. For now, Kayleigh hopes that tattoos get the respect they deserve as a form of art and that newcomers to the industry keep trying their best to make their dreams come true.
“Hard work and self-belief is the key to making tattooing your full-time job. Just keep at it and don’t give up.

Before the 1970s, women’s participation in the workforce was low. Society at the time suggested that men should go out working and earning an income while women should stay in the house, raising children and doing domestic chores. Since the 1970s, in OECD countries we have seen more and more women leave their traditional gender role and branch out into the workforce. The number of women entering the workforce nearly totally matches the number of men that do so. This essay will discuss the changes in conditions to allow this to happen. 

The idea of a decline in dividing society into social classes has played a role in the growth of the number of women in the workforce. The traditional ways of dividing society into classes, outlined by the likes of Max Weber and Karl Marx has become outdated and alienated from the society in which we are now living. The idea of class based on things such as wealth and property is now almost archaic and to define people by a class based on those principles alone is difficult to do in modern society. Situations such as the post-war boom in America and the decline in trade union membership in Britain have allowed people to escape from the typical confines of class. People have now moved beyond the typical descriptions of the basic class setup. Trade union membership now no longer places you at the bottom of a social pyramid and a member of the working class. Peoples ability to be able or not to scale the social ladder is now dependant on other factors such as gender, race or the country they are from. Are white men and black women who work the same jobs, members of the same class, or is there now more factors that divide them than there was before? 

 

The first-wave feminist movement is the first topic I will discuss that had a large impact on women’s participation in the workforce beyond 1970. According to the Miriam-Webster dictionary, feminism can be described as the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes and organised activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests. First-wave feminism occurred during the 19th century and the early 20th century. Its primary goal was to bridge the political gap between men and women. The first feminist movement began in the 1850s led by the likes of Barbara Bodichon and Bessie Rayner Parkes. They owned a periodical entitled The English Woman’s Journal which was released between 1858-64. They were mostly concerned with the plight of middle-class women and were not too concerned with the working-class majority. First-wave feminism lasted until the first world war and its major achievements revolved around the education of women, particularly the opening of higher-education services to women. Though the first-wave feminists were unsuccessful in their goal of securing women’s voting rights, they directly inspired the suffragette movement which did what they could not.

 

The suffragette movement was born from the Women’s Social and Political Union (WPSU). Founded in 1903 by Emmeline Pankhurst, they were a militant organisation who engaged in civil disobedience and direct actions based on their motto “deeds not words”. In 1918 the suffragette movement had their first victory when the Representation of the People Act was passed in British Parliament. This gave women over 30 the right to vote, but only those who fit the property requirements. This still meant that the majority of British women still could not vote as the British working-class women could not hope to reach the property requirements. Social class still prevented women from voting. In 1928 following further campaigning The Representation of the People (Equal Franchise) Act was passed giving any woman over the age of 21 the right to vote and finally giving women the same voting rights as men. The passing of this act added 5 million women onto the electorate overnight. Following this act women now made up the majority of the British electorate. This act greatly empowered women, especially those in the lower classes because they now had an equal say in society to anyone. Working-class women no longer had to remain as a silent majority. 

 

Following first-wave feminism and the suffragette movement women now had an equal say in society but still did not have an equal place in it. The next part of this essay will discuss second-wave feminism and its role in challenging the theory of a woman’s place in society and the end of traditional social class thinking as a whole.

 

Second-wave feminism began in the 1960s in America and lasted roughly 20 years. Second-wave feminism was concerned with challenging society and finding women’s new place in it. A woman’s place in the workplace was challenged as well as the traditional nuclear family model. Women were no longer content to sit on the sidelines, while their husbands went out to work but instead wanted to be responsible for their own income. Second-wave feminism concerned itself with removing the traditional image of society and creating a new one, a society where women and men are equal in all areas of life. The roots of second-wave feminism began during world war two.

 

 During the second world war when the men went off to fight abroad, women stayed home and took up jobs that had been left unoccupied. With men gone abroad, women had to work the industrial jobs required to maintain the war effort. Tanks, planes and guns were all built by the women at home who still had to juggle their more traditional roles such as raising families and looking after the home. The war gave women a newfound sense of independence and appreciation in society and gave many an insight into the jobs they could have if they were not burdened by the traditional gender roles. Following the end of the war and the return of the men, for the most part, women returned to their domestic jobs but not without a taste of what their lives could be like. In 1961 the contraceptive pill became available in the US following the approval of the Food and Drug Administration. Availability of the contraceptive pill had an enormous role in the change in women’s social status. Women now had full ownership over their bodies and full control of pregnancy. Women no longer had to worry about leaving work due to becoming pregnant. They could now put off pregnancy until they were ready or avoid it altogether. The contraceptive pill also gave women the ability to now plan a career, something which they could never do before. This was to have a big impact on their participation in the workforce. 

 

Women’s participation in higher education became much more common after the introduction of the contraceptive pill. Across the world, numerous studies have shown that an increase in education for women results in a lowered birth rate. These lowered birth rates combined with the success rate of the contraceptive pill meant that women had more freedom and were not confined to domestic work and caring for families from a young age. This meant women could focus on other things when they were young. Women’s place in careers and education became a much more common sight from the 1960s onwards. Education meant women could rise higher in companies than just cheap labour and break through the glass ceiling which so far had prevented them from reaching potential.

 

 Traditional views of society were beginning to change during this period. In Britain, as people began to become more educated and earning more money, people began to transcend their class and the traditional views of the working and middle classes began to erode. As Trade Unions began to have less influence so did the confines of social class. People were no longer born working-class and dying the same way but could now get an education and improve their income and with that their standard of living. A similar occurrence began in the United States. Following the second world war, many families now had an abundance of money waiting in their bank accounts, sparking both the post-war economic and baby booms. Young families now began to leave the cities into the new purpose-built suburbs. The post-war boom allowed many people to transcend the social class in which they were born. This happened mainly for white people in the US as African-Americans did not have the same income levels and educational opportunities, creating a new class differentiation. America’s new lower class was now mostly made up of African-Americans. This is a crucial point in the changing of traditional societal class setups. Like when first-wave feminism primarily targeted the middle-class women in society, second-wave feminism was only benefitting white women in the most part. Poorer African-American women were not being afforded the same opportunities as white women. Traditional views of class setup no longer applied because now discrimination based on race and ethnicity was clear to see. 

 

Following the successes of the second-wave of feminism, issues such as gender inequality in the workplace now became clear to see. While women can now get jobs, and high paying jobs there remains a glass ceiling in many industries and workplaces where women are frozen out of reaching their full potential. High ranking jobs such as management over organisations are still dominated by men. In the US in 2019, women are making 79 cents to a man’s dollar. This figure clearly shows that full and total equality between men and women has still not been reached. In the US, women having children sets income back 31% according to a study led by Henrik Kleven of Princeton University based on his proposed specifications around the birth of the first child. The Caring Company, based out of Harvard University Business School researched US companies and found that 56% do not measure their employee’s care demographics. This research also showed that 70% of employees have caregiving responsibilities and 32% have left their job because of that. Women make up most of that 32% who leave their jobs and the primary reason is to look after children. Lack of affordable childcare options means many women still have to leave jobs and put their careers on hold to have children. These figures play a substantial role in the gender pay gap as they revert women to their traditional roles of domestic work and bring them out of the workforce. There are still pay differences for women in the US based on ethnicity and race with Hispanic and African-American women earning substantially less than White and Asian women. These facts back up many of the criticisms of second-wave feminism where it is often derided for having failed minorities.  

 

I conclude this essay having provided the steps women in OECD countries have taken to achieve equality in the workplace and the challenges they still face. It is apparent that education and contraception are critical for women to be able to match men in the workforce. Starting from the 1850s women have fought successfully to challenge social class and their standing in it and give themself more rights in all walks of life. While they have been successful in terms of gaining education and employment, women still face challenges such as equal pay and opportunities for participation. Maintaining a career whilst raising a family remains a challenge as OECD countries and most companies within them still lack the facilities to enable women to manage a successful work and family life balance. Only time will tell if that problem can be solved in the future.

The world is a big place. As of April 2020, it is estimated that there are 7.8 billion people living worldwide. The mind boggles at such a number. It is impossible to imagine what such a number looks like. Humanity has reached every corner of the Earth (and beyond) and made it home in one way or another. People live in different circumstances and have varied lifestyles, but what if there was something, we all had in common?

As science has progressed, we have been learning much about who we are where we have come from. Science has taught us there was no Garden of Eden and there was no Adam and Eve; but what if there was something similar?

In the bible, we are all descendants of Adam and Eve who were kicked out of their paradise for giving into temptation and giving birth to the human race. We are, however, all descendants of two individuals, who by chance have had their unique DNA quirks survive to modern times and take over the world.

Mitochondria is what we must study to unlock this ancient mystery of where we came from. The human body is comprised of trillions of cells, and inside a select amount of those cells are mitochondria. Passed down solely from your mother, it is the key to unlocking your connection to ancient human history. Around 200,000 years ago as the first anatomically modern human beings began to evolve a woman lived who gave birth to a daughter. That daughter had a daughter and so on. This unbroken lineage of daughters eventually encompassed the entirety of the human population. If we could trace our family tree’s back 200,000 years, we would find we all have the same common ancestor. This does not mean she was the first woman or had any divine power. It simply means that the unique genetic mutation in her mitochondria outlasted all others.

The ability to trace this mitochondrial history has allowed us to learn about early human migration. As mutations get passed on, they start to form patterns. This allows scientists to be able to divide the population by their mitochondrial ancestry. If you share mostly the same mitochondrial DNA as someone else, then you belong to the same Haplogroup. There are six major Haplogroups in the world and five of them exist solely in Africa or in people of African descent. The other Haplogroup, called L3, is found in all remaining people in the world. There are still people who belong to the L3 haplogroup in Africa today as well; this tells us that all human beings around the world are descendants from that small group of people who migrated out of Africa 200,000 years ago.

By discovering fossils belonging to this haplogroup we can see the story of human migration. Dating fossils has allowed us to learn that early humans first travelled from Africa and into Arabia. They later went on to call Asia home. Another group broke off from this first large group and went on to inhabit Europe.

A tiny part of your cells called mitochondria helped us unlock the story of our ancient past and how we have gotten to where we are today. It has also shown us that we have come from the same place and were once united. This is something the modern world should learn to do again.

There has always been a trend in the music industry to use material left behind by dead artists to create new material that they would not have planned on ever being released during their life. Artists from Elvis to Dolores O’Riorden have had their unreleased material rehashed and re-released time and time again since their death’s. It raises the question of if this is morally justifiable by carrying on their legacy or is it just another ploy by a record label to generate more profit.

A modern and recent example of a dead artist having their unreleased tracks and demos being sold is an American artist by the name of Jahseh Onfroy, known professionally as xxxtentacion. Onfroy was murdered at just 20 years old on the 18th of June 2018 by gunmen attempting to rob him. The hip-hop scene around the world by his death. A controversial figure during his life, Onfroy was regarded as a hero by many due to his songs that contained stories of depression, loneliness and anger but derided by others who discredited him as sexist and violent. Regardless of peoples opinions on him, he was still considered a leading figure amongst the new generation of hip-hop artists who left many shocked by his sudden death.

During his lifetime Onfroy released a wealth of songs on music streaming platform Soundcloud as well as two full-length album releases. By the end of 2019, he will have four albums released to his name as well as a large number of features on other artists songs who have paid large amounts of money for his unreleased verses to be utilised on their songs. In 2018 we saw the release of his first posthumous album Skins. It is clear when listening to this album that it is unfinished and cobbled together for release. Several songs on the album are short only containing one verse and a chorus while others contain features from artists such as Kanye West, someone who Onfroy never worked with during his lifetime. The album scored poorly with reviewers from sites such as the NME, the Guardian and Pitchfork and across the board was derided as being rushed, aimless and structurally unsound. Listening to the album it is clear that very few if any of these songs were conceived during Onfroy’s lifetime as songs have no meaning and often don’t sound rightly paired with the instrumentals underneath them. The cardinal sin, however with this album is its length. Altogether the album is less than 20 minutes long yet still manages to contain a tracklist of 10 songs.

The album, released by Empire Records, still performed exceptionally well, reaching number 1 on the US Billboard 200 with 132,000 sales. Onfroy’s fans lapped the album up, eager to hear anything more by the artist who was struck down in his prime. The album continues to stream well to this day, no doubt generating vast profits for its labels. These profits have brought us onto the current situation which is the upcoming release of another studio album by the artist’s estate. This album, Bad Vibes Forever, scheduled to be released on the 6th of December is going to be by all accounts made up of demo’s and unreleased snippets, none of which were ever planned to be made into songs by the artist during his lifetime. The label states that this will be the final album released under Onfroy’s name and that they are only completing the plans he had made during his lifetime. Collaborating with his Mother to release the album everything seems morally sound, but is it?

Though it is nothing new to the music to milk a dead artist for all that it is worth, can it still be said that it is the right thing to do? Famous examples of this are artists such as Elvis, who has 150 certified gold albums in America despite releasing less than 50 albums during his lifetime and Roy Orbinson, who is currently touring the world as a hologram. Has the music industry gone too far? On the one hand, it is easy to look at the profits these companies are making and say that there is clearly a demand for the music these artists created and that labels are completely justified in selling to the market the product they demand. The argument can always be made the opposite way, however. Should they be putting an artists name on an album that they didn’t make, that they never even thought to make? Going back to the example of Jahseh Onfroy you can clearly see the moral problem. Onfroy is not dead 2 years and already is releasing music from beyond the grave, should we believe the record label when they say that his next album will be the last?

Using dead artist’s work to make albums does not look like a problem that is going to go away. Leonard Cohen recently had an album released posthumously. The album Thanks for the Dance, was made by Cohens’ son in collaboration with a plethora of talented musicians. The album scored highly with reviewers and is currently selling well. We now must wait and see if this will truly be the last material released under Cohen’s name or will it be the first of many releases from beyond the grave. Only time will tell. Unlike in the case of Onfroy, it can be said that Cohens’ album was at least made tastefully. Though it comes only a few years after his death in 2016 it is still clear to see that time and effort went into crafting these songs with the unused material Cohen left behind rather than in the case of Onfory where the producers and label have simply launched everything he ever said in a record into the public domain.

Only time will tell if Onfory’s Bad Vibes Forever has been made well or if it is reviewed poorly like his labels first attempt at resurrecting his career. Either way, it is still anticipated greatly by his audience and no doubt will create vast profits for Empire Records. They won’t mind regardless.

A look at the career of Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and his role in both the success and downfall of the club.

Described by some as the “Seventh Glazer son”, Woodward played a crucial advisory role in the financial takeover of Manchester United in 2005. Not long after helping the Glazer family secure a 70% stake in the club, Woodward was recruited to work a financial planning role. Two years later, Woodward took charge of all global commercial and media operations at the club, which is where he has enjoyed the most success.

Woodward’s greatest success at the club was successfully converting Manchester United’s entire global fanbase into a source of revenue, rather than relying on just fans at home. In 2012 the club was estimated to have around 700 million fans worldwide and Woodward was a pioneer in being able to use those fans to create profit.

 Woodward identified that counterfeit jerseys were being sold in vast quantities in countries such as China, Nigeria and Malaysia and so set up regional partnerships and sponsors with companies in those areas. Manchester United now enjoy vast profits from all over the world. Woodward came to be regarded as a trailblazer in his role for pioneering this business model. His scheme saw the club’s commercial revenue rise from £48.7 million in 2005 to £117.6 million in 2012.

“The club is being milked dry, all they care about is profit.”

In  February 2013, Woodward succeeded the club CEO, David Gill. His new role would see him now oversee both commercial and sporting responsibilities. In May of that year, club manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired and both the clubs’ and Woodwards’ troubles would begin.

Following the summer transfer window of 2013 where Woodward failed to sign any big-name players that had been targeted, calls were made by fans for Woodward to be fired. These calls have only dogged Woodward since. Poor performances on the pitch and four managers in the space of 6 years have not helped Woodwards case.

“You can see that results are not what matters to Woodward and the Glazers,” said Peter Bolton, a United fan who has not missed a home game since 1974.
“The fact Woodward is still in charge of transfers despite overspending constantly and never securing the proper players shows that the club is only a business to the owners. The club is being milked dry, all they care about is profit.”

Bolton’s views are shared by many fans who have had enough of calls for patience by the club, having watched their team have such a stark fall in grace rarely seen in sport. This view is opposed to by the club, however, who indeed are determined to stick with Woodward through thick and thin, highlighting the ever-growing disparity between fans and the board.