Oyster Magazine - Summer 2021

OYSTE R MAGAZ I N E

LOOKING FORWARD

2021 EDITION

E D I T O R ’ S L E TT E R Welcome to Oyster’s third edition! Having probed into the memory of the past and identity in our two prior editions, we thought it apposite to examine our collective futures in this edition, entitled ‘Looking Forward’.

We are all no doubt looking forward to a full Covid recovery. This necessitates an economic, social, and cultural reset. We seek to provide a perspective outside of the Western sphere of influence, with articles that question what binds us together in such divided times. In the following pages you will find considered pieces on everything from the transition from Pax Americana to Pax Sinica the future may well herald, the ethics of human enhancement, the disparate cultural accounts of the afterlife and the future of our very existence. As we emerge from a year of introspection, we must ensure our interactions with others are rooted in a fundamental respect for the other, that we acknowledge, and account for our inherent subjectivities to learn of experiences we may well be noncognizant of. More cultural sensitivity will no doubt bolster the Covid recovery.

We examine whether cultural identities are subject to change, “belonging to the future as much as the past'' as the Jamaican-British cultural theorist Stuart Hall said. The 21st century signifies the evolution of our model for viewing nationhood; nations are no longer inherently limited in terms of their comprising individuals who are bound by a shared history, language, ethnicity, and religion, as suggested by Benedict Anderson. Hence, we delve into the growing challenges of keeping multinational polities united. Burgeoning independence movements in Spain, and the United Kingdom, prompt citizens to identify with a single identity. Is the answer to chronic social polarisation promoting identification with multiple identities, as said Amartya Sen? We challenge you to question the status quo; to remain open to nuance in spite of growing cultural and technological forces who would have it otherwise; and to share your multifaceted cultural identity in a growing culture of homogenization. As the futurist artist Benedetta Cappa - whose Cime arse di solitudine (Parched mountains of solitude) graces our front cover - sought to overcome “earthbound limitations” in art, we urge you to overcome earthbound limitations in thought.

Our thanks go to our fantastic editors Maheria Rashid and Emilia Ord, as well as a special mention to Mr. Thorogood, who managed to integrate maths into culture. Lastly, but by no means least, we thank Mr Majithia for his assistance in the compilation process.

Happy reading! And remember, the world is your Oyster …

Karel and Anoushka (Editors in Chief)

C O N T E N T S: Humanities: When America’s Reign Will End: Looking Forward to the Next Global Empire, p4-6

The Key to Africa’s Future is Female, p17-18

Sciences: Human Enhancement: Where Do We Draw the Line? p10-13 When Will the Sun Die? p29-30 Attitudes to Mental Health Across BAME Groups and What We Can Do to Help, p31-33 Mental Health From a South Asian Viewpoint, p34-35

Classics: What We Can Learn From King Midas, p7-9 Death and People: How Different Cultures Explain the Afterlife, p14-16

Culture and Philosophy: Less Ignorance, More Tolerance- the Key to Coexistence in Multiracial Democracies, p19-22 How Long is Forever? p27-28

The Appropriation of South Asian Cultures, p23-26

When America’s Reign Will End: Looking Forward to the Next Global Empire Emilia Arguably, the US attained global superpower status after the First World War when it became the world’s leading creditor and the largest owner of gold. As a result, the US could effectively dictate the gold standard (the system where a country’s currency is defined by its worth in terms of gold).

Thus, America wielded enormous economic and political power. After the Second World War, much of Europe collapsed causing empires such as Britain and France to withdraw from their colonies, signalling an end to European imperialism. From there, only the Soviet Union and the US could be counted as significant global superpowers, and with the collapse of the Soviet Union, America has claimed global hegemony for many years.

However, nothing lasts forever and there are some significant competitors for the title of global superpower as America’s power wanes. In the era of Trumpism, the US has been pursuing a more isolationist “America First” policy that has seen America withdraw its influence from international politics and become hostile towards the UN

and NATO. This American fall from grace has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which has caused a huge recession and highlighted the inequality rampant in America. With America’s decline in power, many people have started looking outwards to identify the new world leader who will overtake the US.

Graph showing the largest economies by PPP GDP in 2020 according to the IMF.

Many argue that this new superpower is most likely to be China since it has the largest population in the world.

Besides, China is already a significant military power with its “blue water” naval surface and submarine fleet threatening American control in the western Pacific. However, China only has land bases in three countries whereas the US has bases in almost 40 countries and has 18 more aircraft carriers in commission than China does, which signals that militarily, the US is still stronger. Since China is a forerunner in technology, it has cyber warfare capabilities second only to

Russia which is a significant new type of military strength. This could pose a serious threat to the US and the rest of the world since the majority of our transactions and social interactions occur in cyberspace.

Most importantly, China is a huge economic power with second largest GDP in the world, and the highest GDP based on purchasing power parity (defined as a measurement of prices in different countries that uses the prices of specific goods to compare the absolute purchasing power of the countries' currencies). While the US has experienced a severe recession due to the pandemic, China seems to have survived it rather well as its GDP expanded 6.5% in the last quarter of 2020 making it one of the only countries to have registered positive growth for the year. This stark contrast between the two economies means that China is now forecast to overtake the American economy in 2028. Also, large state-controlled Chinese companies like Huawei and Alibaba are challenging established European and American businesses in many sectors such as telecoms. This is one of the key measures of global dominance and cements China’s potential to establish global dominance over the US. Furthermore, China is extending its influence on the rest of the world

through its “Belt and Road” program, which is akin to a modern-day silk road. This project consists of land corridors and shipping lanes to connect Asia, Africa and Europe as well as foreign investment. This program is a state-backed campaign for global dominance, including 71 countries that account for half of the global population and approximately a quarter of global GDP. It is expected to cost more than $1 trillion to create and help China’s trade links, but there also seems to be an underlying motive of economic imperialism. In eight countries the Belt and Road Loans have been shown to increase the risk of debt distress, and China is often the biggest foreign creditor. As a result, China could use what is called “debttrap diplomacy” whereby they use debt as leverage to gain concessions such as land. This was seen in 2011 when China forgave Tajikistan’s debt in exchange for 447 square miles of disputed territory. This “Belt and Road” project, which has been described by the Guardian as the “most rapidly expansionist global strategy ever devised by a single state”, is a result of Xi Jinping’s ambition to reinstate China as the dominant power.

China’s expansionism, as well as its huge economy, strong military and large population, means it could well

be poised to take over the US as the main superpower. However, much is still uncertain because the US maintains its position as the biggest military power and still leads in key areas such as medical science, technology innovation and AI. Also, despite China’s economic growth, American wealth is yet to be matched. The US has recently turned a new leaf by appointing Biden as President; in his first few days in office he has already involved America in multinational agreements such as the Paris Climate Accord, which shows his commitment to an outward-looking America. There is still work to be done to redress political and social schisms in the country, but all is not lost, and perhaps under the right leadership, the US may not have to forfeit its role as leader of our modern world for some time. |

What We Can Learn From King Midas

dreds of years, an early example dating back to Japan in 1697 when the samurai traded in rice.

Matthew Thorogood

Suppose one owns a commodity, such as gold, that they wish to sell in six months’ time. A merchant agrees to buy it at a mutually agreed price six months down the line. Now, suppose they decide to trade the gold after only three months. How do they reason a fair price? This is the game of ‘futures’. Whilst this is an overly simplistic view of the stock market, it is enough to serve our purpose which is to ask, how do traders agree on such a future price considering the extreme complexities of the financial market?

The answer: an equation! It was the Black-Scholes equation (below) that opened the world of derivative and future valuation.

How did the world as we know it change immeasurably in 2008? Arguably, we have a mathematical equation to thank.

King Midas, remembered in Greek Mythology, was famous for his golden touch. It is said that his greed grew too large, and as he saw the world around him literally turn to gold, he soon died of starvation. The parallels of greed highlighted in the financial crash of 2008 and the parable of Midas are stark, although unlike the King destined to fall, those who were responsible did not suffer the consequences.

The word ‘derivative’ has many meanings. I use it almost daily in my teaching to mean the rate of change of one variable with respect to another. In the financial world, a derivative is a contract between two or more parties which derives its value from the changes in an underlying asset. These assets could be stocks, bonds, currencies, interest rates or even rice! They are investments in investments, bets about bets. Such derivatives have existed in one form or another for hun-

Second order differential equation

Further Mathematicians may well recognise this as a second order differential equation (it is actually a partial differential equation due to the rate of changes being with respect to two different variables). The equation, which awarded Fischer Black and My-

ron Scholes the Nobel Prize in Economics involves five quantities: time (t), the price of the commodity (S), the price of the derivative (V), the interest rate (r) and the volatility of the stock (σ2). It expresses the rate of change of the price of the derivative as a linear combination of three variables: the price of the derivative itself, how fast that changes with respect to the stock price, and how that change accelerates.

Put simply, this equation was dubbed as the answer to the ultimate question in stock market analysis: a universally agreed way of valuing derivatives and futures at any point in time before they expire. The whole world jumped upon the use of this equation with boyish exuberance, heralding it as the beginning of a stable economic future.

Indeed, under normal market conditions, it does bring a degree of rationality and certainty to the market. Black -Scholes underpinned massive economic growth. By 2007, the international financial system was trading derivatives valued at one quadrillion dollars per year, 10 times the total worth of all products made by the world's manufacturing industries over the last century!

However, the stock market is anything but normal. We now know a great deal more about how it behaves

thanks to the inception of behavioural economics, which implies a level of complexity and chaos that is potentially impossible to predict. It is too complex to be run on hunches and gutfeelings but also too complicated for the Black-Scholes equation, which the world, much to its detriment, has placed its undying trust in. The equation was created with built-in assumptions about the behaviour of the stock market and if these assumptions cease to hold, it is no longer sensible to use it. Over time, perhaps blinded by greed, these assumptions were forgotten, and people began to use it as some sort of talisman, protecting them from criticism with a scapegoat if things go wrong. In the build up to 2008, the possibility of the model going wrong, to most, was inconceivable.

These forgotten assumptions were brought to the front however when within a few weeks in September 2008, Lehman Brothers, one of the world’s biggest financial institutions, went bankrupt; £90bn was wiped off the value of Britain’s biggest companies in a single day; and there was even talk of cash machines running empty.

Perplexingly, it appears as though the lessons that could have been learnt from the last financial crash have passed us by as we see the pricing of

futures and derivatives being blindly applied once more. The Black-Scholes equation even comes with a built-in prediction for global financial crashes, estimating three per century. Since the Great Depression in 1932, the world has witnessed seven such crashes, demonstrating its fallibility.

So, was the equation to blame for the financial crash? Like any tool, it must be wielded by those who know how it works and understand its limitations.

The financial world arguably needs more mathematics and less greed if we hope to not witness a repeat of history. It is unsurprising that this infamous equation became and is still known in the industry as the Midas Formula. Perhaps it is time the world reminded itself exactly how the story of King Midas ended. |

Human Enhancement: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Kasturi

Human enhancement is defined as the ‘natural, artificial, or technological alteration of the human body in order to enhance physical or mental capabilities’) Buchanan, 2009). Throughout the past 30 years technology has developed tremendously, which has brought great advancements to human enhancement to the point where people have started to question the limits and meaning of human nature.

In today’s society, human enhancements are common and accepted; this can be seen in people’s desire to become more educated, exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle. Enhancements such as altering a person’s appearance to fit society’s beauty standards or increasing one’s memory suggest that humans are not merely using medicine and technology to adhere to one’s health needs, but instead, human enhancements have become a means to access people’s personal life. Humans now have the capabilities to become ‘better than well’) Elliot,

2003; Kramer, 1994)[2], essentially bringing us to a ‘trans-Human’ state.

Modern medicine, much like human enhancement, has become not only a means of restoring a patient’s health, but also ensuring that their lifestyle was better than before. This can be seen when observing people with prosthetic limbs. Primarily, the role of a prosthetic is to provide mobility to an amputee, yet this may also provide the patient with better mobility than before becoming an amputee. Furthermore, medicine has almost always sought to extend life, ensuring that it is lived both happily and healthily as possible, suggesting that perhaps it is only natural that people turn to human enhancement in order to achieve this goal.

Considering that human enhancement follows the trajectory of modern medicine, it is surprising to see the lack of laws surrounding this topic. This has led many scientists to attempt to compartmentalise the different forms of human enhancement. Professor Andy Miah in ‘Engineering Greater Resilience or Radical Trans-Human Enhacement’ (2008) most notably created 3 subsections to human enhancement:

1) Enhancing Health-Related Resilience 2) Enhancing Lifestyle Functional Capabilities 3) Enhancements Beyond SpeciesTypical Functioning a) Extending Existing Human Capabilities b) Engineering New Kinds of Human Function i) Within the realm of known biological possibility ii) Outside of known biological possibility Miah’s subsections of human enhancement can help evaluate the ethical dilemmas surrounding the topic.

The ethical dilemmas surrounding human enhancement heavily depend on the intention behind the action and the type of enhancement that is carried out. Whilst it may be socially acceptable to enhance one’s eyesight using laser eye surgery (enhancing health related resilience), enhancing one’s performance during a test through drug use (enhancing lifestyle functioning capabilities and extending existing human capabilities) is not

seen as such. Put simply, if the intention behind the action is to become ‘better’ than others, human enhancement is ‘bad’ ,if the intention is to reach the same level as others, human enhancement is ‘good’ or ‘acceptable’ .Yet this matter cannot be viewed as merely black or white, especially when the biological ‘norm’ and human development is not at all stagnant.

So how can human enhancements be assessed? The simplest way is to use existing ethical principles, the 4 Pillars of medical ethics: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice.

Justice is defined as ‘to treat all people equally and equitably’ .Ultimately, despite the intentions behind human enhancement, it is a luxury. It may seem that human enhancement is a way to improve society as a whole, but it is an undeniable fact that this will not be the case. Healthcare worldwide is not seen as a right to all and the development gap that continues to grow between nations is proof. This begs the question whether human enhancement can truly be a just action, considering that some semblance of equality seems so out of reach. Whilst this perspective is certainly idealistic, it is important to take into account the

drastic impact human enhancements could potentially have on society. This could lead to further widening the gap between the rich and poor not only domestically but also internationally, leading to more inequality and discrimination. If human enhancements become more normalised, should they be considered a human right? Certainly, if they are readily available to one particular demographic, human enhancements may become more widespread which causes the concern of exploitation.

Talos prototype from 2018 by United States Department of Defence

Barack Obama spoke to several U.S. Army officials in 2014 to discuss the development of a type of armour that would be bulletproof and enhance a soldier’s strength, called the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit (TALOS).

However, there are questions about who in the U.S. Army would be using

this human enhancer. It could be seen as immoral to only provide this to certain soldiers as this implies that their lives are more valuable than that of their fellow comrades, therefore this armour must be given to all soldiers. Yet, this would remove the soldier’s autonomy - disregarding their own personal morals - in favour of military strategy. Of course, this also leads to the concern of exploitation, which already exists within the military, of both the soldiers and human enhancements through means such as the TALOS.

There are also concerns about human nature and authenticity with human enhancements. Personhood and identity are cultivated through a person’s experiences, shaping the course of their lives. Therefore, the interference of human enhancements challenges how far this ‘enhanced’ human is the same person as before receiving enhancements. Subsequently, the question of authenticity has arisen as a result, as well as the merit of any actions taken by a person who has undergone human enhancement. For instance when an athlete enhances their performance through doping the athlete’s performance is deemed inauthentic as they are not the same as

before. The lack of certainty of the meaning of human nature and personhood highlights that there is no definitive ethical or moral code to follow, especially since these values are so personal to each individual. Rather, evaluating which characteristics of human beings correspond most with human nature and restricting human enhancement on these traits is the best way forward.

In conclusion, creating boundaries and evaluating the ethical implications of human enhancement is imperative to the future of science and medicine and the way it is utilised in society; the lack of restrictions can lead to larger inequalities worldwide and human exploitation. However, ethically and morally, there is no clear division on what ‘too far’ is, due to the subjective nature of ethics and morals. Yet, it is clear that rules and laws surrounding human enhancement must be established internationally, as opposed to domestically, to establish a more equal and just system to address human enhancement. |

References: [1] Miah, A. (2008). Ethical Issues Raised by Human Enhancement. [online] Available at: http:// static1.squarespace.com/ static/563face7e4b06c325c739ba9/56 3fba26e4b0f206db994426/563fba27e 4b0f206db994735/1447016999739/ Miah2011EthicsHumanEnhancementBBVA.pdf?format=original [2] Elliott, C. 2003. Better Than Well: American Medicine Meets the American Dream. New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company.

[2] Kramer, P. 1994. Listening to Prozac. London: Fourth Estate.

Death and People: How Different Cultures Explain the Afterlife Nitya

Whilst morbid, it remains a fact that death is inevitable. Perhaps even more morbid, no person can truly say they know what happens after death from first-hand experience. However, as time has progressed and civilisations have evolved, many different cultures have explained what happens after death, and what awaits us on the other side. With this idea, examining the different ways in which people have described the afterlife through different philosophies and schools of thought, is one way to view the evolution of ideas and human thinking.

The Ancient Egyptians’ perception of the afterlife was moulded by their belief in immortality; rather than viewing it as an end to life, it was seen as a short-term pause. The Egyptians would ensure the continuation of life by worshiping the Gods, both during and after their life. Outside of the burial chamber, food and water would be placed on offering tables to assist the person’s needs in the afterlife, and funerary texts would be placed inside the tomb to aid their journey to the afterlife. The process of mummifica-

tion was done for the soul to return, giving it breath and life back. In addition, the Egyptians considered the journey to the afterlife to be full of peril, as once they passed away, they would have to trek through the underworld, which was inhabited by dragons, armed serpents, and other ghastly creatures. Once they arrived in the realm of the Duat, the Land of the Gods, the deceased faced the seven gates, only being able to pass if they recite a spell at each gate. If the person is successful, they would reach the Hall of Osiris, otherwise known as the place of judgment. The Gods of death would gather to perform the ‘weighing of the heart’ ceremony, a ceremony that determines whether a person’s earthly deeds were virtuous or sinful. This ceremony was conducted by Anubis, the jackal-headed God of death, and recorded by Thoth, the God of writing. Forty-two gods would listen to their confessions, and hear out their claims of innocence against the accusation of their crimes against humanity and the divine. On the scale, their heart would be counterbalanced by a feather that represents Maat, the Goddess of truth and justice. If the heart was balanced with the feather, the person would survive the afterlife and achieve immortality; if the heart was not balanced, it was

consumed by the Goddess Amemet, meaning they would not survive the afterlife.

Anubis weighs Ani's heart against the feather of Maat

Likewise, one could draw similarities between the Ancient Egyptian explanation of the afterlife and the Ancient Greek explanation. The Greeks suggested that at the moment of death, the soul is separated from the corpse and transported to the underworld, taking the shape of the deceased person. The Underworld Hades, named after its ruler, is the counterpart of Mount Olympus; for all the brightness of Mount Olympus, Hades mirrors it with its darkness. Upon entrance to the underworld, the deceased would encounter several immortals such as Grief, Anxiety and Fear. They are then transported across the river by ferry, conducted by the immortal Charon. Having crossed the river and passed Cerberus, the threeheaded guard dog, the deceased spirit is examined by the Judges of the underworld. Similar to Ancient Egyptian thinking, the Greeks describe there being three judges: Minos, Rhada-

manthus and Aeacus. They would judge where in Hades the deceased would go to, based on the merits and faults of their life. Eternity in the Asphodel Meadows was reserved for the people who did not commit any significant crimes or sin, yet did not attain much achievement of greatness; it was the place for those who did not belong. For the souls who wasted their lives with unrequited love, they were destined for the Mourning Fields. Lastly, Elysium was the place for those who led incredibly distinguished lives; the deceased who lived there would enjoy an easy afterlife without labours. When a soul reaches Elysium, they could either choose to stay there forever, or be reborn. If a soul is reborn three times and reaches Elysium three times, they are sent to the Isles of the Blessed eternal paradise.

The Vikings also had their own ideas of the afterlife. In fact, Norse mythology includes five different realms of the afterlife: Valhalla, Folkvangr, Hel, The Realm of Rán and The Burial Mound.

Valhalla, also known as the hall of heroes, is a hall in Odin’s palace where a Viking Warrior’s soul would go after dying, to meet old friends, and fight to prepare for the final battle at Ragnarök. Folkwangr, the field of the people, was the realm of Freyja, a benevolent

fertility Goddess. Whilst little is known about the realm, most scholars suggest it would reflect the kind personality of Freyja. The Realm of Rán was the realm of the giantess Rán, wife of the Lord of the Sea. Her realm was illuminated by the treasure she had stolen from sailors when she caught them in her net; the souls of the sailors she drowned remained in her Realm. The Burial Mound was where the soul of the deceased would remain when the corpse was buried; the soul could remain in the vicinity of its grave and cause problems for the living.

In conclusion, different cultures have created different explanations to the phenomenon of death; from the scales of judgement in Ancient Egyptian beliefs, to the elaborate Underworld from Ancient Greek mythology, to the different realms of Norse writings. At the heart of it, they carry the same essence; the actions of your life determine your destiny for your afterlife. However, it is fascinating to observe how the different cultures have manifested into each thinking, from to the pyramids in Egypt, to the sailors myths with the Vikings. |

The Key to Africa’s Future is Female Anya

There have been many methods used to unlock the potential of the world’s fastest growing workforce - Africa.

These attempts have ranged from increasing infrastructure across the continent to increasing the supply of skilled labour and promoting employment in labour absorbing industries.

However, one of the key things not being addressed is the incorporation and place of women in securing this since they represent a pool of pioneering labour, but the debate fails to maximise their potential and include the structural drivers of gender inequality.

There are currently many constraints on women, since they remain at the bottom of the social hierarchy and have poor access to land, money, health and education. Another extremely important factor in limiting the potential of women in Africa is that they continue to be denied an education, which is often seen as the ticket out of poverty.

It has been observed that where women in Africa are treated more as equals and are given political influence, there are benefits for the econ-

omy. An example to demonstrate this is in Rwanda, where more than half of the seats in parliament are held by women. This has caused the country’s economy to grow and the poverty rate to fall, women are seen as the driving force of the socio-economic development in the country following the 1994 genocide with many taking on leadership roles in their communities.

Giving women a greater voice helps encourage long-term thinking and discourages conflict. The feminisation of politics has been introduced by Stephen Pinker as one of the causes for a reduction in discontent.

Young African women who have been given an education and are at the forefront of action on climate change

In order to confront the developmental challenges that Africa faces it is vital to implement more gender inclusive sectors and gender integrating efforts from the international community. Women face gender biases in legal frameworks, as well as less finan-

cial, social and political assets. In addition, the majority of workers counted in the informal economy are women and they are also not supported in a business environment.

There are many challenges that make closing the gender gap a difficult task.

One of these challenges is the lengthened conflict across Africa. Civil unrest in sub-Saharan African rose by more than 800% during 2020 and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) remains the world’s least peaceful region for the sixth consecutive year.

Conflict affects women excessively, and it is the largest factor of forced displacement (this includes refugees and internally displaced people). Secondly, there are also extreme and triumphing patriarchal ideologies which affect the structural gender inequalities in the continent. Using quotas is not always the best idea to address this structural problem since the power lies with those making the decisions, which may not always progress gender equality. A third obstacle is the rapid increase of violence against women and girls in Africa, a threat which reduces the development of an ‘enabled’ environment. If Africa can make gender equality and female empowerment a key area to focus on, African states may be able to improve their policies. By recognising that em-

powerment is linked to equality, Africa can deploy their resources from the private sector to fund initiatives in advancing gender equality.

In Africa, more than 70% of the agricultural labour force is represented by women, and that is a third of GDP, which highlights that women form the foundation of Africa’s economy. However, they do not earn much profit, cannot innovate and they receive salaries up to 50% less than men. This is due to the laws and regulations put in place regarding owning land, taking loans and therefore investing to increase profits which are all prohibited for women. In order to boost productivity, it is necessary to provide women with rights to their land. The Food and Agriculture organisation actually states that: ‘Closing the gender gap in agricultural inputs alone could lift 100150 million people out of hunger.’ If the continent can mobilise to reduce the gender gap and unlock the enormous potential offered by women, then many people will be lifted out of poverty and there will be economic growth. |

Less Ignorance, More Tolerance - the Key to Coexistence in Multiracial Democracies Karel 2020 has no grand lessons to impart.

It does not have to vindicate anything, and we should avoid framing it as such in creating narrative fallacies. Nonetheless, one thing we have learnt with certainty- as a biproduct perhaps- is that lack of expression begets multiple, often irreconcilable narratives of reality.

No doubt you would have indulged in an obscene amount of Netflix binging this past year. I wonder what image the Jewish representation left upon you? The Adam Sandler, bagel-eating, Yiddish-speaking, white-passing Jew. I appreciate this archetype for what it’s worth; it pays homage to the experiences of the Jewish émigrés who made it in America. Nevertheless, it does not preclude my regretting the Jewish representation in the media.

For me, this is evidence of the world being so at ease with the American Jewish self-concept, that it has become uninterested in learning of the Jewish people as an aggregate. Indeed, in a year that has been marked by a reckoning of inequities pertaining

to race, it seems apt for the media to diverge from their ashkenormative paradigm, and introduce the world to another facet of modern Jewry. I choose the word facet here, because Judaism, like any other concept is multifaceted; Jews are not homogeneous.

As such, my reference to ‘Ashkenormativity’ highlights the tendency for every aspect of Judaism to be defined by Ashkenazi1 culture.

Whilst you may, understandably, affiliate Judaism with gefilte fish, matzo balls, and bagels, acknowledge this array has no cultural, nor culinary resonance with me, along with many other Jews. My family eat moufleta, msmen, sfenj, dafina, couscous, harira …

Figure 1 Msemen

These foods are each rooted in a specific cultural experience borne out of the Jewish diaspora. For instance, dafina, pictured left, can be considered the Sephardic2 counterpart to Ashkenazi cholent. Because Jews are prohibited from cooking on Shabbat

(the Sabbath), many Jewish communities have dishes that were traditionally prepared on Friday prior to sundown, and left to stew overnight. Dafina is the quintessentially Moroccan Jewish dish, derived from the Arabic addafina, meaning covered.

for Shabbat lunch, meaning there was no violation of the commandment against cooking on the Shabbat.

Dafina emblemises the spirit of coexistence in Morocco.

Figure 3 Entrance to Marrakech synagogue

Figure 2 Dafina

Although Jews have been living in Morocco for more than two thousand years3, the Jewish community swelled in the aftermath of the 1492 Alhambra decree announcing the expulsion of all Jews from Spain. Dafina- versatile as its people- adapted its composition to include local foods. It is a testament to the Sephardic experience; a memento of our ability to integrate into society without abandoning our core Jewish tenets. It is interesting to note that until the 1970s, women from the Moroccan Jewish community gathered around the municipal bread oven on Friday afternoon, carrying their pot of dafina. The preparation of the dish was entrusted to the village baker and brought home to be eaten

And whilst you may conjure images of dreidels, jam-filled doughnuts, and latkes at the world ‘Chanukah’ , )‫(חנוכה‬ Moroccan Jews typically eat sfenj.

Sfenj is an Arabic word meaning sponge4, owing to the light texture of the beignet, and its crispy outside.

The sfenj originates from Islamic Spain, and can be traced to particular Amazigh tribes. Hence, sfenj too retain the Sephardic trajectory in their airy midst. To cite Rabbi Joseph Dweck of the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Community of London, the diversity of Jewish experience has made for a nation whom often function as the repository of the world’s cultures5.

As we navigated our exiles, we accreted distinct cultural items and integrated them into Judaism.

The reason I have subjected my culture to the derision of AutoCorrect’s perfunctory red underline, is because we- anyone who’s experiences are not represented in mass media- should not hide under that all-too-familiar awning. I won’t be doing my culture justice if I say ‘sfenj’ in an English accent; they’ll laugh; they’ll ask you to substantiate your Judaism…

Figure 4 Sfenja Sephardic Chanukah

When we do not divulge the entire beauty of our respective cultures, we risk their being forgotten, and we ensure a lack of representation. What may emerge out of the will to preserve, contains the impending threat of loss. In feeling comfortable essentializing my culture into select token motifs, the masses have moored my being into a confined ‘white’ space; creating the optimum environment for gaslighting.

I hope that perhaps in the future, we might be shown more of the Jewish

experience than the American assimilated Jew. Instead of the odd Yiddish expression, which would have often become subsumed within our everyday speech, it would be nice to see some of the many languages spoken by non-Ashkenazi Jews. The Jews of Morocco, for instance, speak Arabic, Tamazight, Spanish, Judeo-Arabic6, Judeo-Spanish (Ladino), Haketia (a dialect of Ladino spoken in Ceuta and Melilla), French, Darija (a dialect of Arabic) …

Whilst it may be difficult to understand the nuanced complexities of every group- Jewish or otherwise- we need to become more accustomed to seeing faces, languages, cultures which diverge from our rationalized comprehension. I feel my experience navigating this globalized world as a French Moroccan Sephardic Jew is microcosmic of that of many other individuals’. Despite 2020 potentially heralding a farewell to globalization, migration and intermarriage mean that unary racial and ethnic markers will be harder to discern going forward. Essentially, when you ask someone where they are from, do not expect a straightforward answer. Especially when you seek to confute their response when it does not align with your preconditioned expectation of what their nationality looks like. Put

simply, the polarizing ‘but where are you really from’ will now not only be unnerving, but unavailing.

I believe with increased understanding of layered cultural experience, lies the answer to harmony in multilingual, multiracial democracies. Hopefully we can take this away from 2020 and move forward to a future where no one’s self-expression is stymied. |

Footnotes: 1

Ashkenazim are a cultural, ethnic, and/or religious subgroup of Jews, whose unique identity developed while living in Europe despite origins in the Levant.

2

While the word Sephardi is derived from the Hebrew Sefarad, meaning ‘Spanish’, the term traditionally refers to the customs that originated in the Mediterranean, namely the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal), as well as to the Jews whom lived there. Many Moroccan Sephardim trace their ancestry back to Iberia, while others identify as Sephardi due to their adoption of Sephardic customs.

3

https://eurojewcong.org/communities/ morocco/ 4

https://www.196flavors.com/moroccosfenj/ 5

https://shalommorris.com/2015/12/12/ the-sephardi-origins-of-the-dreidel/ 6

Note that Judeo-Arabic is the product of writing Arabic in Hebrew script, sometimes considered a dialect Useful article: ‘Covid has no Grand Lesson for the World’ Financial Times

The Appropriation of South Asian Cultures Neesha Everyone has heard of the phrase cultural appropriation but what does it actually mean? To break it down, cultural appropriation is when a traditional item such as clothing, hair, rituals are taken from a culture that is not their own and it is used in a different exploitive way. In most cases this is done without the initial clarification of where these traditions came from and also not acknowledging the importance that they hold to the people of the culture.

In the recent months, cultural appropriation has been a major controversial concept that has created an uproar, significantly revolving the careless and ignorant minds of people.

These people had conformed to the conclusion that cultural appropriation is devoid due to the freedom of expression. Still, there is a fine line between cultural appropriation and appreciation. Cultural Appropriation is defined as; ‘The unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of costumes, practices, ideas of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people society’.

Cultural appreciation, on the other hand, is when parts of a culture are understood and used in honor and respect of the root of where they initially originated from.

South Asian culture consists of vibrant, radiant colours and ingenious intricate design that are invaluable to the culture and tradition, but also to its innovative forever evolving style.

Nonetheless, South Asian Culture has been treated as a disposable, inexpensive commodity by many fashion brands and non South Asians. For South Asians who have once been ridiculed for wearing these traditional garments, it has been embraced by others and considered ‘ethnically chic’.

Therefore I have to give these ironic notable mentions of the commodification of South Asian cultures that range from body tattoos that look like henna and have Ganesha on it, to jewellery that have the ‘Ohm’ sign on it.

There have been evident examples of celebrities and magazines culturally appropriating South Asian culture by using it for ‘festival looks’ or ‘fashion accessories’. One indisputable case is wearing traditional clothing such as the salwar kameez or saree -that is worn to functions as a sign of respectto festivals. This is mainly faulted in the rebranding of South Asian fashion to glorify it as acceptable for festival

wear. Many global festivals like Coachella and ones in the UK embrace this appropriation by overlooking thisfor instance, the actress Vanessa Hudgens is a perfect example of someone who should be held accountable for wearing South Asian style outfits to Coachella. Furthermore, with the increasing popularity of these festivals alongside the rise of social media and access to different jewelleries and garments, South Asian culture is put at a global front and certainly not for the correct reasons.

Similarly, another celebrity accused of cultural appropriation is Beyoncé. In the music video for Coldplay’s ‘Hymn for the Weekend’ she was sighted in a traditional South Asian outfit completed with the accessories, dupatta, headdress and henna. Regardless of the role she played in the music video (a Bollywood star), she did not belong to the culture, and therefore it is deemed wrong of her to do this. Inevitably, when the music video was released this caused frustration on twitter where many people tweeted and shared their anger for Beyoncé’s cultural appropriation. Furthermore, the Bindi and henna, along with other fashion accessories have been culturally appropriated to the point where it is now the normality to see non South Asians wearing them without recog-

nizing the meaning behind them. The lack of education and insensitivity towards South Asian fashion has been spotlighted beyond doubt in recent years and months and it pains me to see this dazzling culture slowly become overridden by an overpowering and equally unapologetic community of people who deem it acceptable to adapt fashion from other cultures.

Some of the cases where people and celebrities have appropriated South Asian culture. The middle picture is of two girls wearing part of the religious/auspicious dress, Beyonce wearing the headdress and Sari.

South Asia is brimming with many refreshing religions from Hinduism to Islam, Sikhism and Buddhism. However, there have been incidents of appropriating religion that formerly originated from South Asia. The magazine Harper’s Bazaar had Willow Smith dress up as a Hindu God - Kali. This is yet far from cultural appreciation especially with the notorious mastermind for the shoot- Jean-Paul Goude, who has been called out numerous times for his racist imagery and divisive shoots. In addition, the media

feeds into the appropriation of South Asian heritage and culture by portraying it in ‘a dimmed light’ by having backdrops of dark skies to show the ‘poorer living conditions’ and an overload of slums, when in reality there is much more beauty and dazzle to these places than what is represented in the media.

The Harpers Bazaars’ cultural appropriation and religious mockery. This is Willow Smith dressed up as Kali, a Hindu Goddess, for a magazine article.

As a South Asian person I would advise you to stray away from wearing traditional clothing to a ‘bohemian themed party’ or stage it as street style purely because it is uncool and plainly ignorant. Those who are eager to wear attires that stem from other cultures need to recognize the gravitas behind it and educate themselves on the culture they have taken it from. I happily embrace those who show cultural appreciation to other cultures and its intricacies but there has to be a point where a line is drawn to do

this without offending South Asians and treating them as outcasts for simply embracing their own culture in public. I agree that our culture is beautiful and the colours look gorgeous on people.

However, I am offended with the normalisation of cultural appropriation and how it is being swept under the rug. Whiteness is synonymous with beauty and anything that deviates from this is termed as exotic and everything except ‘normal’ and this can be traced back to imperialism. There is a fundamental irony in the fact endorsing foreign traditions that were first established by indigenous peoples of colour is lauded as creative by Westerners, yet those same westerners pity the brown people whom don their traditional clothes. Applauding and standardizing these actions from both celebrities and laypeople allows for cultural appropriation to be perpetuated, and engenders a psychological manifestation of this as well. Stealing from people of colour who hardly get adequate representation for their own creations as well as traditions is patently wrong.

Therefore to minimize this we as a society have to understand this and realise that there is a lack of cultural awareness and this provides a disservice to the rich, authentic history of

the respective culture. Nevertheless, hopefully with the new level of education and respect I believe that there will be chances to appreciate South Asian culture without appropriating it.|

How Long is Forever?

Mary Large numbers and concepts such as infinity, eternity, and forever can be very difficult for humans to grasp.

Time is digestible in small divisions, such as seconds, but get too big or small, and it can be difficult to understand. Such is the concept of forever when one thinks about the length of forever, it can be difficult to wrap one’s head around the seeming enormity. However, such an ambiguous concept can have many different interpretations.

Looking at the universe, its age, and its lifespan, can give us a sense of forever. The human race, Homo sapiens sapiens, evolved about 200,000 years ago and despite that, the number is just a blip in the age of our planet and universe: the earth is 4.5 billion years old, while the universe, from the Big Bang, is 13.8 billion years old. The human experience, particularly the modern human’s, is less than minuscule.

The universe is theorised to have an endpoint as well - the heat death of the universe. In the next 100 billion years, the bigger stars will burn out, leaving only dimmer red and white dwarfs. These too will eventually burn

out over trillions of years and leave the universe at its last stage – heat death – where the universe will be in a state unrecognisable to humanity: cold, dark and unchanging.

The universe is so large temporally and spatially, it can be equated to forever from a human perspective. If forever is synonymous with the universe, forever could be defined to be as long as the lifespan of the universe, from the Big Bang to its death. Thus, forever can be assigned a numerical value, albeit a number so large and imprecise, that we are no better off than describing forever as forever.

Another view of forever could link to temporal illusions. Time can be felt prospectively (feeling time as it happens) or retrospectively (feeling time after it has happened). Whenever a period of time feels brim-full of events or stress, during that time, one may prospectively feel that time is short, as there is so much happening in little time. Yet retrospectively, it can feel

longer, as if it was more eventful, the time is more memorable and ‘full’. On the other hand, during a period of time that feels unfulfilling and boring, prospectively time may pass slowly, but retrospectively that time period will not be memorable. This means that our perception of time can be distorted. A numerically short time period can seem subjectively eternal, and a time period that was numerically long can feel subjectively insignificant.

To quote Lewis Carroll, “Alice: How long is forever? White Rabbit: Sometimes, just one second.”

Similarly, our past and everything that came before it could be considered to have happened instantaneously, as they are nothing but speculations (or memories if it is directly tied to oneself). In a sense, we have all already experienced forever. Time before one’s birth can be perceived to have passed in an instant, despite possibly starting from the beginning of time as we know it. 13.8 billion years have passed since our birth, yet if such a large stretch of time worthy of being called nearly forever can be perceived as inconceivably small, then perhaps forever isn’t so large. To quote Kurzgesagt, “Close your eyes. Count to one that’s how long forever feels.”

Forever can be considered with another lens – the lens of an individual hu-

man. It is unknown what happens after death. Religion can provide different beliefs on the afterlife, for example, reincarnation in religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism, or heaven and hell in Christianity. These ideas may give us solace and an impression of what forever means in terms of after death, but due to the unknowns surrounding death, it is impossible to measure, meaning we may end up dead forever. Following the certainty of life, it may therefore be suggested that forever is one’s lifespan. One may consider that the existence of an individual doesn’t cease after their death, as they can live on in the memories of their loved ones, but if our own life is the only thing we can experience, then why should anything else matter? As time is subjective, one may view forever from a personal perspective, and thus define forever as the length of their own lifespan.

A concept that seems as large as forever at first, can be interpreted to have a range of lengths, or even seemingly contradictory interpretations – how can forever be viewed as so obscenely long, yet so forgettable short, and vice versa? Such is time: subjective and open to interpretation. Therefore, forever is as long as one thinks it is. |

When Will the Sun Die? Sarmbavi The sun is what gives energy to life on Earth and without it, none of us would be here. Our sun is a star that was formed more than 4.5 billion years ago when a huge cloud of dust and gas, composed of mostly hydrogen and helium collapsed under its own weight. But like most things, our sun will eventually die. However, since the sun is presently classified as a ‘main sequence star,’ it is currently in the most stable phase of its life cycle, meaning that it will not run out of hydrogen for approximately 5 billion more years. Stars need a strong core, one that can fuse hydrogen into helium through the process of nuclear fusion, though once all of the hydrogen has been used up, the sun will grow out of its stable phase and will form a shell of hydrogen around the core, since there would be no hydrogen left there.

Soon after, the core compresses and becomes denser, which allows the rest of the sun to expand so large that it could even engulf the Earth; it is at this point that the sun becomes a red giant. The red giant is so big that it can expand to almost 1000 times the size of the sun and it will stay in the red giant stage for just a few million years.

In spite of this, since the sun is gradually increasing its brightness by 10% every 1 billion years, it could potentially end all life on earth, so there may not even be any human beings or other living things left on our planet for the sun to cause any harm to.

At this point, all life on Earth will come to an end, as the oceans will evaporate and the surface of the earth will be too hot for any water to form.

When stars morph into red giants, they change the habitable zone, so as the sun gets larger, its warmth will extend to the outer depths of our solar system. Despite the possibility of life on Earth existing in a few billion years being small, by the time the sun stops burning the hydrogen in its core, Mars will be in the habitable zone meaning that there is a greater probability that Mars can support liquid water, provided that there is sufficient atmospheric pressure.

What happens after the formation of the red giant is still deemed to be an uncertainty by many scientists, but one of the most possible theories is the development of the planetary nebula. When the hydrogen in the outer core diminishes, it leaves only helium; it is from this element that heavier elements such as oxygen and carbon will be formed. Eventually all helium available will disappear and the sun will shrink into a white dwarf, due to gravity. The sun will spend the rest of its time as a white dwarf, slowly dimming and cooling as time passes.

All the outer materials which are left will then dissipate, leaving behind a planetary nebula, which is a bubble of dust and gas. This nebula is believed to only last tens of thousands of years, so not too long but after this, our star will eventually die. |

Attitudes to Mental Health Across BAME Groups and What We Can Do to Help Kate Mental health is just important as physical health and slowly but surely we are moving towards destroying the stigma surrounding it. Many people from a Western background and other cultural backgrounds find it hard to understand what mental health and how it can be supported. However the attitude towards mental health has been changing over time, and we are pleasingly becoming more aware of the importance of starting conversations and supporting one another with our mental health.

Depression has been ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the leading causes of disability worldwide and is found to be higher among people from Black and Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups.

Although recorded in 2014, this graph shows that those from BAME groups were much more likely to experience a common mental disorder, but were comparatively less likely to seek treatment.

Source: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England 2014 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds41999412

One example to support this statistic is that Asian communities often value having high expectations and keeping up appearances, so tend to shy away from seeking support for fear of public embarrassment. Young members of the Asian community have expressed concerns regarding the avoidance of conversations surrounding mental health.

According to clinical psychiatrist Kirmayer: ‘Where the person is conceived in terms of the family or a larger social unit…stigma of illness affects

the entire unit and demands a collective response.’ As a result, in Asian communities the stigma surrounding mental health may be a lot more severe than in other cultures due to its centring of families as a whole- a shared grief. However the upside to this is that it can encourage a family network of support and presence of mental illness within families may strengthen kinship.

A film released this year ‘Definition Please’ aimed to open up discussions about mental health within Asian communities. It aims to give authentic representation to these communities through its portrayal of a young speller Chowdry and his families hyphenated identities. This film portrayed an ordinary family facing mental illness who sought help. Through narratives like these, minority groups are informed of the importance of seeking medical support when facing mental illness and are dissuaded from the negative stigmas surrounding mental health. With more awareness through social media, newspapers and other forms of art we can destroy the blame and shame connected with mental illness. Once the normality of mental illness is integrated amongst Asian communities, this shift in attitude will trigger a new-found openness to mental health discussion.

Black communities within the UK often suffer the stigma around mental health both as a result of cultural values and difficulties within the support system itself. The Afrocentric perspective seeks to affirm and integrate common black experience into society through reconnection with authentic African tradition. Despite the movements success in celebrating the wonders within black communities, Afrocentricity centres males as role models, patriarchs; and this has given rise to a stigma around male mental health. Often black men are taught to hide emotion or vulnerability. This is a controversial topic because oppression of people of colour within Western society leads to a further sense of isolation which can lead to mental illness. In the past and nowadays still ‘white superiority’ labelling black men as angry and temperamental, forces them to suppress emotion and in fact this further manifests resentment.

Therefore people of colour are often left in a situation where they face mental illness and are unable to speak out.

In a qualitative study in South East England in June 2010 black and ethnic minority groups recognised reluctance to seek help amongst men as a major factor in ignoring help services. Furthermore, key factors that hindered

the relationship between service users and healthcare providers were: timeless waiting queues for initial assessments and language barriers which

References:

hindered communication. Participants were also discouraged by healthcare providers lack of cultural appropriation nor consideration for their ancestral views surrounding mental health.

Despite many of people colour saying they had learnt to accept mental illness, they found that the support available to them was not sufficient.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.1177/030639689303500106

Typically Western approaches to mental health focus around treatments affecting brain function alongside therapy to get to the root cause of trauma and soothe it. However, there is a deep need for cultural sensitivity to support BAME groups. In the future, it is important for professionals to learn about cultural experience prior to treatment and for initial appointments to be prioritised so that everyone is heard. The Black Spaces Project set up in 2003, aimed to reduce ethnic inequality in mental health services and build a workforce able to service a multi-cultural population. With more similar up to date projects, we can create a society more accepting and adaptable to dealing with mental health problems. |

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/ pdf/10.3109/00048679709073848 https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/11/ e012337

https://www.vox.com/firstperson/2018/6/18/17464574/asian-chinese -community-mental-health-illness https://www.nbcnews.com/news/asianamerica/new-film-dismantles-south-asianstereotypes-tied-spelling-bee-mentaln1241618 https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/statistics/ mental-health-statistics-uk-andworldwide#:~:text=Mental%20health% 20problems%20are%20one,the% 20overall%20disease%20burden% 20worldwide.&text=Mental%20health% 20and%20behavioural%20problems,to% 2029%2Dyear%2Dolds. https://digital.nhs.uk/blog/transformationblog/2018/the-past-present-and-future-ofinnovation-in-mental-health

Mental Health From a South Asian Viewpoint Neesha Mental Health is a representation of the inclusion of our emotional, psychological and social well being. All of this can affect the way we think, feel and act. In addition it helps determine how we handle stress, how we relate ourselves to others and how we make choices. Mental Health therefore is very crucial at every stage of life, from childhood, adolescence and through adulthood.

In the South Asian community this is all considered as shameful and talking about mental health is a taboo. This culture of shame is too familiar for those within the South Asian community who suffer in silence with mental health problems. Discussing this psychology is regarded as taboo and holds an unnecessary amount of stigma within the community. There is the phrase, ‘to be of sound body, you also need to be of sound mind’- they go hand in hand and hold the same amount of importance. This needs to be made aware to everyone especially within the South Asian community.

There has been endless amounts of research to find the answer to why

mental health is stigmatised, and the conclusion was that it is the shame and fear of others finding out about it.

In the Western culture there is a huge focus on individualism whereas the South Asian culture takes a holistic, collectivist approach. Regardless, mental health issues should be spoken about to allow and help more people recognise their issues and break the cycle of silence. but, ultimately, should be a private matter. This is where the research highlights the cultural impacts in the South Asian community.

There is a significance that culture normalities are paramount therefore, there is an inestimable value of strong family relations and networks within the community. Ironically, the dichotomy between living in a Western World but still following cultural norms can stem mental health issues in terms of cultural identity or struggling to keep up with the pressure of being the ‘perfect’ model of either one of the cultures.

Moreover, there were also articles that revealed that some people of South Asian descent attribute mental health issues to supernatural forces such as evil eye, demonic possession and black magic. Therefore action has to be taken to reverse these deep rooted mentalities that can be argued to be somewhat outdated.

Talks were held with the South Asian community to hear their thoughts surrounding the topic of mental health and it was vocalised that there was an overall lack of understanding and selfawareness and lack of knowledge that psychological disorders have accumulated and concluded to negative attitudes. It was also stated that when the word ‘mental’ comes up, it is taken literally; it is also stressed that mental health issues are deemed as ‘hidden illnesses’ therefore dealt with insensitively and not as seriously. As there is such a strong sense of community, there are reputations and cultural expectations that have to be met and that could be a factor to why there is an anathema towards mental health.

In addition, there are multiple examples that help support the statement of the South Asian Community not being open minded especially with the older generations and antiquated traditions. The older generation tend to approach mental health as issues that

are just in your head, or the infamous quote of ‘we never had this in our era’.

Many psychologists had conversions with people within the South Asian community and the repeated common theme of all the studies with these people was the necessity of better education within families in order to identify signs and symptoms at a young age before it reaches an uncontrollable point for those that suffer from mental health problems. Additionally with the appraisal of integration within the community it should further reiterate the importance of family involvement in mental health.

So how do we break the mental health stigma in our community? Remove misconceptions. How do we educate people on the subject of psychological well-being? We need to collectively be more open, and have honest conversations with relatives and family members. To address this issue no matter our culture, religion or beliefs, here is an analogy to accept mental health - if someone had a broken leg, you would not simply ask them to walk on it.

Therefore why would you say to someone with a broken mind to ‘just get over it’? |