The importance of Context

Context is defined as:   “The situation within which something exists or happens, and that can help explain it”.

Context is something that we, as a society, seem to have forgotten about. When the latest atrocity hits our news outlets we look at it in isolation. We try and analyse why it has happened, what could have caused it but this is done without taking into account the context in which the act happened. By dismissing societal norms and ignoring outside influences (unless its extremist islam, we actively look for that)  we fail to fully understand the situation.

Everyday situations also require us to consider context. We are quick to judge or jump to conclusions about each other but often this is done without holding all of the facts. This leads us to a narrow view and understanding of the world.

Recently I have wanted to scream the word context at so many reports on the news or to peoples arguments online. The media takes issues or topics in isolation to report them but this has lead society to treat all things in this manner. Arguments or opinions should be informed with supporting facts and many of these facts are related to the incident, not neccesarily just about that one incident.

Until society, including mediaoutlets, start to discuss things in their context, we cannot hope to reach an understanding of how to stop it from happening again or how to solve the problem at hand. Knowledge leads to understanding which in turn can lead to solutions. Without all the facts, we can never resolve an problem effectively.

Credit Scoring Bias

A generation is defined as ‘the term of years, roughly 30 among human beings, accepted as the average period between the birth of parents and the birth of their offspring’.

I am unlucky enough to be part of Generation Y. We are the generation who are over-qualified, under-employed, renting, in debt and most likely suffering from a mental illness. These things are all widely covered in the news, usually framed as us vs them scenario between generation Y and generation X. What we never hear about is how all of these situations are negatively affecting our credit rating due to an archaic credit scoring system.

Credit reference agencies (of which there are 3 in the UK) are commercial companies which compile information from a number of different sources, including the electoral roll, county court judgements and financial institutions. These reports track what products of lending you have, repayment history on them, amount of credit you have etc. Lenders use this information to judge if you are low risk enough to lend too and also effect the APR you are approved for. Lenders have different lending policies and scoring systems (out-with of your credit report), and so applications to them may be assessed differently. This means that one lender may accept your application but another may not.

Now, when you look closely at the criteria that is collected (outside of lending history), it becomes apparent that this system was made for a different time.  Owning a home generates more points, as does having a house telephone number and staying at an address for a long time. Within each bank they have their own criteria which can put a higher value (i.e. points) to being married, being with an employer for a long time and being an existing customer with that bank or financial institution.

The financial products themselves can also impact credit score. Having an account for less than 33 months can negatively affect your credit score and this can include bank accounts, credit cards, loans, finance deals and mobile phone contracts!  This means that every 2 years when you change your phone contract for a better deal or take advantage of a 0% balance transfer option, you are negatively impacting your credit score. Yet experts and society encourages us to look for the best deal without informing us that we could be doing ourselves more damage than good in the long run.

These are not characteristics of Gen Y. We are the generation of renters, therefore we may move around a lot, employment can be unstable and short term, debt levels are high and marriage for most is unaffordable! We currently have a credit system that puts a typical individual from gen Y at a disadvantage. There is no sign that these patterns of behaviour are going to change soon, so the credit scoring system needs to be revised to continue to keep it ‘fair’.

Yes, I understand why lenders find these characteristics desirable as they are considered low risk customers, however, when the economy is dictating that peoples lifestyles change, surely credit scoring systems and lenders need to realise that low risk doesn’t have to equate to the stereotypical gen X portfolio. Previous lending behaviour should be the priority and indicator of future behaviour rather than the lifestyle someone leads.

Do Morals Exist?

Morality, or ethics, is not an empirical fact. David Hume argues that it is not something which exists in itself, it is a concept that is formed by each group, community or larger society. In this way it is a subjective term that can differ from place to place or within small groups. A larger society may see one action as morally reprehensible whilst a small collection of like minded people may see it as morally acceptable. Or vice versa. The best example of this would be abortion; in many countries it is legal for a woman to have an abortion, but some, particularly in America, believe this is an immoral act despite it being legal. Legality and morality are not linked, and neither is morality necessarily considered the same thing in one place or country.

A film I watched recently raised these ideas for me. All of us have had thoughts about committing actions that would be considered immoral on some level, whether it be to steal an item, be unfaithful in a relationship or to lie and blame someone else for something. Yet we do not always act on these impulses. Do we not act because we know it is bad or is it fear of punishment and judgement from society?

The film in question is “Spotlight”. I won’t ruin the film for those who haven’t seen it but for some context the film concerns the Boston Globes investigation into allegations of cover ups of abuse by catholic priests. One such priest they speak to openly admits to molesting young boys but stresses that he got no pleasure or gratification from the act, almost as if this reasoning excuses the acts.

The idea sprung from here for me: if behaviour like that is almost accepted within a group of people (in this case the priesthood of Boston) then does it remove the restraints on the men who have these urges therefore allowing them to justify their actions because they need not fear any harsh consequences? If so, is the only thing holding society together the mutual, tacit agreement of the population that certain acts are immoral therefore we won’t do them and we will punish or socially exclude those that do? Also, if the immoral act itself is kept secret, if we knew we could ‘get away with it’ would we do it?

To look at this I turned to the work of Lawrence Kohlberg. He theorised that we go through 3 stages of moral development. The first stage is that of a young child who avoids certain acts or behaviours out of fear of punishment rather than an innate knowledge that the act is morally wrong. It is often stressed that parents must teach their children the difference between right and wrong and almost always this is reinforced through the threat of punishment. If a child is not taught this then they can learn some form of morality from their interactions with others through school, play etc. however, if the society around them lacks a strong moral code and reinforcement of such code, then the child may grow up lacking this basic fear and knowledge.

The second stage of his philosophy states that the decisions we make are based on what satisfies our needs at the time; easy to see where this relates to with young adults. Selfish behaviour rules here but again, punishment or negative consequences of these actions help to solidify moral codes.

The third main stage is where we conform to what is considered moral in the society we live in. Our thoughts and actions are dictated by the fear of the negative perception of others or possible punishment. In this way certain actions or behaviours are kept secret, for example a man may present himself in a favourable manner in public but beat his family at home; if he believes he can get away with it then he will continue to do so.

In this way his theory confirms the idea that people are ‘good’ because they fear societies punishment. It also argues that given the option, people would choose to do as they pleased even if this act was considered to be immoral or ‘bad’.

Its a bleak look at society, but in this day and age of consumerism and selfishness its a fitting theory. People are not innately good or bad, we make decisions based on what will benefit us best, even if the best option is just to avoid judgement from others or punishment. At the end of the day, most people would choose to do what they wished if they could, the only thing that is stopping us if ourselves. Which in this case, I would consider it a good thing that we do keep ourselves in check.

Legalising Sex Work

Despite being ‘the oldest profession’, sex work is a profoundly controversial issue in this day and age. Many consider sex work to be purely prostitution or porn actors but this term also covers phone sex lines, exotic dancing, webcam modelling and peepshow performances. In the UK this type of work is still looked down upon and the women and men who are employed in this industry face prejudice and in some cases persecution from the law.

Earlier this year, Amnesty International made the decision to recommend the full decriminalisation of all aspects of consensual sex work. The word choice that has been used is critical in understanding what they are supporting. Consensual has been included to stress that the organisation still recognises the issue of sex trafficking and is not endorsing this. Sex trafficking is considered a separate issue to be tackled in various ways. Some argue that decriminalisation can help this; if all sex workers are registered as such then those that operate illegally will be easier to spot and therefore help.

Despite the good intentions, Amnesty International has faced a lot of criticism from various women’s groups for this decision. The decision is important as the organisation will use its weight to lobby governments to accept its point of view.

“We recognise that this critical human rights issue is hugely complex and that is why we have addressed this issue from the perspective of international human rights standards,” said Salil Shetty, the secretary general of Amnesty International. “We also consulted with our global movement to take on board different views from around the world.”

For years the debate has raged around whether or not this work should be legal and regulated, particularly in the case of prostitution. On one hand, it is argued that legalising sex work increases the chances of sex-trafficking and ignores the experiences of women who have been forced into prostitution in the past. This side of the debate maintains that men should be criminalised for buying sex therefore reducing the attraction of the trade for traffickers. Advocates for this model believe that no one chooses to enter or enjoys prostitution therefore legalising it only continues the harm that is being done to these men and women.

the other side of the argument states that prostitution can be a choice and by regulating it we can protect those who sell their body from harm. Decriminalising the act would mean that these men and women are entitled to the same rights and protection as other employees. It also could create more income for the governments in the form of taxes therefore taking the money out of the pockets of criminals and putting it to good use in society.

Personally I support the legalisation of prostitution. there is a number of issues surrounding the trade but I believe the only way to protect people is to allow them to be open and honest about what they do. This allows them the freedom to ask for help when they need it and also the freedom to leave the profession when they chose to do so. At the moment, explaining a four year employment gap in a CV could put most employers off.

I also think it is unfair to say that all men and women in this line of work do not enjoy it even if they say they do. It belittles the experiences and opinions of a wide swathe of sex workers who are bascially told that they cannot think for themselves because they are happy in their work. People should be allowed to make their own decisions in life, even if it is one that others don’t agree with.

Whatever side of the argument you stand on, Amnesty International’s decision is a huge one. The frame of mind concerning sex work around the world is changing, finally pulling the practice out into the spotlight and dealing with the various issues that it brings.

 

For more information around this topic I suggest reading

 http://www.thenation.com/article/should-buying-sex-be-illegal/

 

 

Zero Hours. Zero Power.

An estimated 1.8 million people in the UK are on zero hour contracts – a form of employment that does not guarantee a set number of hours of work per week/month for the employee. These contracts are argued to provide a flexible working environment for part-time workers, such as students and single parents, whilst at the same time benefiting companies who have a workforce that can be called upon when needed.

My personal opinion of zero-hours contracts is that a “flexible jobs market” has come at the expense of basic worker rights, basic human dignity and fair remuneration. The employee is an expendable worker employed on a contract where the business’s needs are met, but the employees are not. From week to week or month to month there is no security of guaranteed pay meaning every day is spent worrying about money. Holidays or events are difficult to plan part because you may not have enough money but also because if you are offered hours that day you may not be able to afford to turn them down. This makes life all about survival, with little ability to plan for the future.

Zero hour contracts take away workers’ rights by stripping them of sick pay, holiday pay (until accumulated) and the ability to challenge their superiors. Their hours are at the discretion of the manager so any disagreement with a manager can result in loss of hours and therefore loss of money. To be in such a position, where every move or action can impact your hours, makes the working environment a dictatorship. It also restricts the ability of employees to suggest new ideas or to go to HR about a manager. The second any complaint gets to a manager they could cut your hours and there’s no way to prove it’s because of any disagreement or complaint. Everything is the manager’s discretion, leaving the employee at their mercy.

These worries put massive amounts of stress on the employee. Mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, are on the rise and one of the biggest impacts on mental health is the work environment and money. However, being on a zero hours contract means that there is no sick pay, so time cannot be taken off to address these issues. This can cause them to get worse, slowly reducing the employee to the inability to work or lacking the desire to go to work anymore. Zero hour contracts do not place any value on the employee reducing them to nothing more than a worker who can be easily replaced.

One final point worth mentioning is that it’s not really a case of small companies being unable to afford more permanent hires – the most frequent users of zero-hours contracts are businesses with more than 250 staff. So the argument that these contracts can help small businesses the most is untrue. They help large businesses become larger.

Zero hour contracts must end. They are a factor in high poverty levels, contributing to mental health issues and preventing people from living a full life. Perhaps most importantly, ending zero-hours contracts will mean that staff are counted, and that we deserve the basic human dignity that has been stripped from us by exploitative and one-sided labour practices.

Out of Control

Have you ever ‘watched’ yourself saying or doing something and thinking “who is this person, that’s not my opinion!”. If you have then you know what I mean when I say that it is one of the worst experiences you can have. I watch myself spitting out hateful opinions that I know I don’t actually believe just to get a reaction from the person I am talking to and all because I have frustration and anger that I don’t know how to deal with.

This past week I have ‘watched’ myself trying to provoke arguments about sex. Normally I would say I am very liberally in my opinions towards this subject, people can do what they like as long as they aren’t hurting anyone. However, I am aware that I have deeply set insecurities that have formed during my childhood and early 20’s due to my up-bringing and my marriage. These are apparently the opinions that my brain is choosing to express at the moment.

The whole process makes me feel out of control of myself; a feeling that I have difficulty in addressing. I am slowly pushing the people that matter to me away and becoming a person that I hate. Last time I was like that I engaged in behaviour that I would never normally even consider because I hated myself and needed a way to punish myself for being a horrible person.

Acting like this also makes worry that people will hate me too; that friends will leave, my partner will leave and I’ll be left alone with nothing but my anger to comfort me.

I consider myself to be a highly strung person that needs control over all aspects of my life and I manage this need for control by going to the gym, working hard at my job and planning what I can in advance as it gives me comfort and calms my anxiety. To be out of control of myself in the way I have been scares me more than I can describe. I try and grasp back the control but often it is after I have started the argument and I don’t know how to fix the damage I’ve caused.

This is anxiety. This is what it does to me. It takes apart who I am and brings out the worst aspects of my personality which makes me feel unworthy of people so I attack them.

Choosing to come off my medication was the right choice for me because I thought I could manage these thoughts and feelings. I will manage them, I just forgot that bad days/weeks do occur and I can’t let them defeat me. To anyone else who is struggling with the same issues, you are not unworthy of people and you are never alone. We just have to remember this.

Domestic Violence: Where are the male victims?

The Home Office definition of a domestic violence incident is:

Any incident or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or are family members, regardless of gender or sexuality.

Domestic abuse is a subject which has received more coverage and legislation in the past few years thanks to various charities and organisations hard work to raise awareness that although it happens behind closed doors, that is not where it should remain. More convictions are now made with harsher punishments as police institutions are being taught to treat these incidents with the seriousness they deserve. Despite this, 1 in 4 women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes and between 6-10% of women suffer domestic violence in a given year.  Lesser known facts about domestic violence centres around that of violence against men with 14.7% of men report that they have been a victim of domestic abuse since they were 16. To put this into perspective; of every three victims of domestic abuse, two will be women and one will be male.

Male domestic abuse still has a stigma attached to it illustrated by the reluctance of men to report these incidents to the police. This also means that it tends to be under-reported giving the false illusion that it is not as large an issue as domestic violence against women.

Male victims are twice as likely than women to not tell anyone about partner abuse due to this stigma leaving many of them to suffer in silence. This choice to stay silent can be due to numerous reasons, many of them personal, but society places expectations on the male identity to be the strong and dominant one in a relationship; for a man to admit that this is not the case strips him of his masculinity in the eyes of some in society.  For a man to be beaten by their female partner is viewed by society as being unlikely as the male is normally more physically powerful than their female partner. However, psychical strength has little to nothing to do with abuse.

Very little support is available for men in these situations. Some charities do exist but there are only 12 organisations that offer refuge with 63 spaces, of which only 17 are dedicated to male victims of domestic abuse. Compared to the nearly 400 specialist organisations for women that offer over 4000 spaces in the UK and the disparity between the sexes becomes ever starker. More support needs to be made available and this will come naturally once society’s perception of male domestic abuse evolves.

Traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity are damaging to our self-perception and relationships. A man, just like a woman, should not stay in an abusive relationship, whether this is physical, mental or sexual abuse. For men to feel more comfortable reporting these cases institutions such as the police and schools need to be educated and educate society about the harm not reporting can cause and to make it more socially acceptable for men to come forward as victims of domestic violence. Only then can this issue be taken out of the dark and the correct support provided for all that needs it. Domestic violence is not just a woman’s issue, it is a societal one.

Note: I have not addressed Domestic Violence in LGBT relationships in this piece specifically but I will at a later date and have another blog piece dedicated to the myriad of issues that comes with it.

Gaming and Children; Age Ratings Matter

Last week was every gamers favourite week; E3. E3 is the entertainment expo that allows gaming companies to showcase their upcoming titles and for console companies to reveal their latest hardware/software developments. Gamers of all ages love a chance to see the next thing in gaming being revealed at these shows. Yet little consideration is taking into account that the games shown are not suitable for all ages.

Games, just like films, have age ratings which are determined by the content of the game. Violence, sex, horror and drugs are just some of the factors taken into account when rating a game. The Pan European Game Information (PEGI) was launched in 2003 as a single system used throughout Europe to rate games according to age appropriate content. The age ratings are 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18 and include warnings on the labels to warn of particular content to make both gamers and parents aware of what the game consists of and why it has been given the particular rating it has. PEGI was only to be used as a guideline until 2012 when it was accepted as law in the UK, making it illegal to sell an 18 rated game to anyone under that age.

Research has shown that children are influenced by playing games. It mostly centres on skills such as visual attention, reaction times, the development of cognitive skills such as spatial perception or strategic thinking, planning or hypothesis testing. Video gaming could be used to enhance skills of flexibility (ability to shift from one task to another) and behavioural inhibition (ability to prevent oneself from doing something inappropriate) in children. This would have a significant impact on their ability to regulate their own thoughts and behaviour, which is one of the developmental challenges of childhood and could be of great benefit to children. There are other potential benefits of video games in terms of offering the chance to open up the imagination and explore other worlds, conquer fears and develop a sense of identity. There are many potential areas where games could have great positive potential for the mental and physical health of children and for education”

However, there is also a chance for gaming to have a negative impact when parents ignore age ratings and buy their children 18 rated games. ‘Grand Theft Auto’, ‘Left for Dead’, ‘Mortal Kombat’ and ‘Saints Row’ are all games that have high levels of violence, sex, gore and sexism, yet are often played by children as young as 8. Games are not just aimed at children any longer and those targeted at adults have content that can be potentially damaging to a child’s development.

I am not saying that playing ‘Grand Theft Auto’ will make a child go and kill everyone but I am concerned that these games can foster a view of the world that is unhealthy and can stunt a child’s emotional development. A common criticism of games is that they are extremely sexist; women are often there for sexual gratification, either of the characters or the players through the female characters (often skimpy) clothes. A young child playing this could form a harmful perception of women and see violence towards them as acceptable.

Most parents would not let their child watch a film that is rated 18 as they would not want their child to be exposed to the scenes, yet, arguably, gaming is more harmful as it is an interactive experience where the child chooses to commit the acts on screen instead of passively watching it, like a film.

Parents need to be more involved in their children’s gaming choices or at least educate themselves on the content of the game before purchase. Gaming can and is meant to be harmless fun but parents need to consider the age rating on games as important as those on films.

Internet Communities: A new way to tackle loneliness

Loneliness is something which all of us experience at some point in our lives whether it be when we move to a new area, start a new job or split up with a partner. For some, loneliness is their only companion and in this day and age where very few people say hello to their neighbour, never mind know their name, it is becoming increasingly common for people of all ages to report being lonely. This issue used to be one associated mainly with the elderly, especially if they have no family left, but recently it has been noticed that younger generations are finding it just as difficult to make friends as their elderly counterparts.

In 2010 the Mental Health Foundation found loneliness to be a greater concern among young people than the elderly. The 18 to 34-year-olds surveyed were more likely to feel lonely often, to worry about feeling alone and to feel depressed because of loneliness than the over-55s. This is problematic because of the close relationship between loneliness and mental health – it is linked to increased stress, depression, paranoia, anxiety, addiction, cognitive decline and is a known factor in suicide.

The growth of the internet in helping to combat loneliness is constantly debated. Some argue that social media can actually make people feel more alone as no one presents a true version of themselves online and seeing others going out regularly while you are in the house can make feelings of depression etc even greater. However, for others the internet can present the opportunity to create support networks that grow into true friendships.

The latter option has been my experience. For the past six months I’ve been a part of several facebook groups filled with like-minded girls** all of whom have one thing in common: their love for the clothing brand Black Milk Clothing and all other things shiny nylon. Being a fan of this clothing brand presents the opportunity to be in a community of girls from around the globe who are known as ‘Sharkies’*. The sharkie community is made up of girls from all age groups, ethnicities, walks of life and religions (although for many nylon is a religion).

Photo courtesy of Camp Sharkie Con

Although the one thing bringing these girls together is clothes the bond quickly goes beyond that. The conversations on the pages range from excitement about latest clothing releases to discussing relationship issues, mental health problems, life choices and funny stuff. Actively involving yourself in these interactions leads to relationships being formed with girls that live miles away, sometimes even on a different continent. For many these friendships don’t stay online, regular meet ups are arranged for girls in local areas to get together for lunch/dinner/drinks and get to know each other even better. Some of these have led to great friendships being born that have lasted for years; these would never have existed and influenced people’s lives if these groups did not exist.

Photo courtesy of camp sharkie con

Recently a large meet up was organised in the UK dubbed ‘camp sharkiecon’; a weekend involving 70-plus girls in centre parks. Unfortunately I could not attend but the stories and pictures that have been shared by the girls who did attend make it look amazing. They went swimming, cycling, swapped clothes, had pancakes, chilled in hot tubs and generally had a great time getting to know each other. This experience will stay with these girls and the great memories that were made may help them through tougher periods of their life.

photo courtesy of https://instagram.com/justge0rgia

Black Milk Clothing also organises official ‘Sharkie cons’ around the world with one being held in Australia (where the company is based), LA and Europe. This is where the global aspect of the community comes into play. Girls who may not even speak the same language come together to party for a weekend with the creator of Black Milk and go home with new friends from across the globe. These conventions involve trying on new styles that the company are working on, pool parties, beach parties etc. Although not cheap to attend they form a connection between the participants and the brand making both of them stronger.

Photo courtesy of Erica Fox Wilde https://instagram.com/ericafoxwilde

Some of the members of the community have shared stories about how fellow sharkies have helped them through tough times. Anonymous presents often get sent to girls who have posted about having a hard time, people have lent each other money to get by, ill members have received support from across the world and for me personally one girl took the time out of her day to help me tutor my little sister in maths. One friend from a group even tried to raise the funds for me to go to a meet up in London on May 4^th! These generous and altruistic acts of kindness are what, for me, perfectly sums up the community. I love being a part of it and for me is somewhere I can turn to when I’m having a bad time or even just to chat too if I’m ever feeling lonely. I now count some of these girls as friends and I can’t wait to meet them when I finally attend a meet up.

It’s difficult to put into words how much of a positive influence these groups have been for me and I know it’s the same for a lot of the members of the community. It’s often difficult for people to understand that I have so many internet friends that I share so much with but in the day and age of the internet this is where support networks and friendships are formed and I’m so glad that I know I can count on these people if I ever need them.

Of course not everyone’s experience of the internet is the same and many argue that it actually enhances our sense of loneliness. However for me, and all my fellow sharkies, the internet has grown a community where acceptance, support, love and friendships thrive.

*Sharkies got their name because on release nights its a feeding frenzy and in the early days of BlackMilk they caused the site to crash. The owner then put up a picture of a shark until they got it back online again. And the term ‘Sharkie’ was born

**there is boys in the community but for the purposes of this post I’ve made it girls as most groups I am active in are exclusively girls.

The new age of colouring

Mental health has been in the papers, yet again, for all the wrong reasons. The recent German-Wings tradegy which has left over 150 people dead is being blamed on the co-pilots ongoing battle with depression. This coverage is leading to the idea that anyone suffering from this mental illness isn’t fit to work and undermines some recebt progress that has been made towards lifing the stigma associated with depression.

 Thankfully, despite this coverage, there has been a rise in new ways to manage stress, anxiety and depression. The most popular of which is adult colouring books.

‘Secret Garden’, a book by Johanna Basford, has sold more than 1.4m copies and hit the top of Amazon’s bestseller list this month. This is a book consisting of 96 pages of intricate floral and animal designs to be coloured in anyway the ‘artist’ desires. This is one of many of these types of books on the market. The quiet focus this involves invokes a deep relaxation allowing the mind and body to let go of stress and anxiety. Colouring requires artistic choices to be made in regards to colour and design promoting the use of our creative faculties which has been proven to help individuals manage depression.

Children are encouraged to colour as it can aid creativity and learning, why should the same thing not apply to adults? As we get older we forget to play and life becomes a series of worries and planning for the future. By going back to basics we allow our minds to wander free and to get back a sense of fun we experienced as children which in turn can help to manage these everyday stresses and any mental illnesses associated with them. These books are meant for everyone, so grab a pen and a book and get creative.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2015/mar/05/colour-therapy-an-anti-stress-colouring-book-gallery