Posts in Opinion
I Was Treated Like A Burden By My Workplace When I Announced My Pregnancy: A Dive Into The Workplace & Maternity Leave

Research by Pregnant Then Screwed found that over half of all mothers - 52% - have faced some form of discrimination when pregnant, on maternity leave or when they returned. 1 in 5 mothers have left their job following a negative or discriminatory experience. And, disgustingly, 1 in every 61 pregnant women say their boss suggested they terminate their pregnancy. 

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Has Culture Become a Luxury?

Culture has long been considered a vital part of society; a shared experience that brings people together through music, film, theatre, creative endeavours and art. However, as ticket prices soar and the cost-of-living crisis tightens its grip, a question arises: is culture becoming a luxury that only the privileged can afford?

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OpinionJessica Blackwell
Alexa? Stop! Why We Avoid Silence and How We Can Learn to Embrace It

Silence is unsettling.

It’s why we fill every pause in a conversation with half-thought-out words. Why we scroll mindlessly while watching TV. Why we blast music, stick on a four hour podcast, or declare we “need background noise” as we get on with our day.

We talk about slowing down, mindfulness and presence, but we’re constantly going, go, go - mentally, digitally, audibly.

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Splitting the Rent: Navigating Finances, Gender Roles, and Relationship Dynamics

Money. We love it, we hate it and we’re not so hot at talking about it. In this day and age, should discussing money still be something draped in red tape? I think not! I went on a mission to talk to my social circles about the topic of money; the main question to them being, ‘How do you split your finances with your partner?’  The responses garnered opened up discussion points around gender roles, girlboss feminism, and toxic masculinity. 

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OpinionJessica Blackwell
New Year’s Resolutions Reimagined

We all know how this goes: you sit down in December to reflect on the past year, maybe you revisit resolutions that you’ve already forgotten; and suddenly, you feel the urge to create a new self. A version of you that is much better than your present self, more disciplined or polished, capable:  someone who checks all of the boxes from the long list of ideas about this better version of you.

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OpinionJessica Blackwell
“Wassail! Wassail! All over the town!”: A Christmas Tradition Including A Horse Skull, Carols and Curdled Cream...

A slightly more macabre wassailing tradition takes place in Wales, the Mari Lwyd. Mari, who’s head is made from the skull of a horse, with baubles for eyes and flowing ribbons for mane, is operated by a long pole hidden under the white sheet that acts as her body. Snapping her jaw at passers-by, she leads a procession around the town going from house to house. The terrifying nature of the Mari Lwyd is only exaggerated by the fact that she is sometimes so tall that she can knock upon the second-floor windows (Firestone, 1978).

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Access Needs in an Inaccessible World

When I became disabled, one of the things that I struggled the most with was just how much my life changed, practically overnight. 

It wasn't just that I was adapting to no longer being a healthy, able-bodied person, but I was also suddenly transitioning from being able to do so much, so easily, to having a mountain of access needs that had to be fulfilled in order for me to do anything. 

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The 'Black Dog' in English Folklore... Where Does it Come From?

As a nervous and superstitious child, I was convinced that the English countryside was stalked by escaped wild cats and phantasmic black dogs. Whether this notion could be tied to some deep-rooted connection with my ancestors that channelled my psychic awareness or the fact that I was exposed to the 2002 film ‘Dog Soldiers’ too early as a child one Christmas Eve, I couldn’t tell you.

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The Tiktokification of Skincare: The Growth of the Child Skincare Market

According to this article from the BBC , “Data from Statista shows that the baby and child skincare market is expected to experience an annual growth rate of about 7.71% until in 2028, it reaches $380m (£299m) in market volume worldwide…This isn’t just about young kids trying their mums’ creams, but an industry expanding to reach a broader age spread of consumers.”

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Opinion, WellbeingJessica Blackwell