Augustine Agwuele, Texas State University A grown man wearing his hair in dreadlocks is bound to attract attention in Nigeria. And it’s not always positive attention. Many Nigerians, regardless of their education and status, view dreadlocked men as dangerous. The hairstyle sometimes even gets a violent reaction. This bias is deeply rooted in traditional religious beliefs and myths, especially those of the Yoruba and Igbo people. My book on the symbolism of dreadlocks in Yorubaland tries to explain what knotted hair means to Yoruba people, and where these ideas come from. Numbering around 40 million, Yoruba people predominantly occupy southwestern…
Author: Pride Team
Richard Mattson, Binghamton University, State University of New York How important is it to consider a romantic partner’s genetic profile before getting married? It is logical to think that genetic factors may underlie many traits already used by matching sites – like personality and empathy – which many assume could promote initial chemistry and long-term potential in specific couples. So it is perhaps not surprising that there are now websites that combine genetic testing and matchmaking. But does matching intimate partners on the basis of specific genes have any scientific foundation? Studies have shown that genetically identical twins, raised separately,…
Today our Woman Crush Wednesday is Amina Mohammed, United Nations Deputy Secretay General. Ms Amina J. Mohammed was Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria from November 2015 to December 2016, where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action, protecting the natural environment and conserving resources for sustainable development. Before this, she served as Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning, where she was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals. Before joining the UN, Ms Mohammed worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as…
Elizabeth C. Tippett, University of Oregon In the greater arc of the #MeToo movement, lawyers have lurked in the shadows, unnamed scribes formalizing agreements meant to stay secret. But in “She Said,” the behind-the-scenes story of how Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey brought down Harvey Weinstein, the lawyers finally come into view. And it’s not a pretty picture. As a professor and employment lawyer who has followed the #MeToo movement since Kantor and Twohey’s award-winning expose in 2017, I expected their book to relay the stories of the women who publicly accused Weinstein. Of course, there’s plenty of that. What…
Aisling McMahon, National University of Ireland Maynooth; Alena Buyx, Technical University of Munich, and Barbara Prainsack, Universität Wien Mustafa loves good coffee. In his free time, he often browses high-end coffee machines that he cannot currently afford but is saving for. One day, travelling to a friend’s wedding abroad, he gets to sit next to another friend on the plane. When Mustafa complains about how much he paid for his ticket, it turns out that his friend paid less than half of what he paid, even though they booked around the same time. He looks into possible reasons for this…
Reading 1 Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ “I see how stiff-necked this people are, ” continued the LORD to Moses. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to…
Jessica Cooke, University of Calgary and Sheri Madigan, University of Calgary “How was your day at school?” “Fine.” Does this sound familiar? This is the dreaded response to a well-intentioned question that parents might ask. The robot-sounding response is what parents hear when their child limits the information they share with parents, or has stopped sharing information, about their school day. When parents hear “fine,” they may react in different ways. Some parents may seek out information by asking more questions. However, research has shown that asking too many questions can feel invasive, especially to developing teenagers. Other parents may…
Traditional and Contemporary focuses on Ankara fabric spliced with contemporary tailoring. African fashion has taken a spike in creative designing over the years and we are ultra-excited to be documenting its progress one stylish picture at a time. Every Fashion Friday, we’ll be surfing through social media streets to find design inspirations for our Pride Woman (which is you, by the way). See our weekly style catalogue. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dakore Egbuson-Akande (@dakoreea) on Nov 6, 2018 at 3:22am PST View this post on Instagram A post shared by Crystal Kasper (@crystal_kasper) on…
Katherine Mills, UNSW; Frances Kay-Lambkin, UNSW, and Maree Teesson, UNSW Robin Williams’ death earlier this week has unleashed an outpouring of grief. It’s undeniable that Williams brought much joy and laughter to the world, but he also talked openly about his depression and problems with alcohol and cocaine. Depression, alcohol and drug dependence are killers – and they’re indiscriminate killers. It doesn’t matter how wealthy, funny or beautiful you are, these conditions, which often co-exist, can defeat the strongest. Williams’ death has shone a spotlight on just how devastating this perfect storm can be. Alcohol, drug and mental disorders More…
Ron Beadle, Northumbria University, Newcastle In the recently released film Blinded by the Light, Pakistani teenager Javed discovers commitment and courage through the music of Bruce Springsteen. Based on journalist Sarfraz Manzoor’s 1980s memoir, the dreams and frustrations of a working-class boy from Luton, north of London are given wings by the experience of another working-class boy from Freehold, New Jersey. Inspired, Javed shares his writings and his feelings. The difficulty of retaining hope and virtue remains as much a feature of Springsteen’s work in 2019 – when he has just enjoyed his 11th UK number one album – as…