BSJ

The Butler Scholarly Journal

Category: World Issues

  1. When Capitalism Got Woke: The Hypocrisy of Corporate Virtue Signalling and the emergence of Rainbow Capitalism

    Editor-in-chief April Howard explores ‘Rainbow Capitalism’ and the corporate exploitation of trauma and social injustice for profit. [Featured image: Restatement by Andre] To the backing track of gentle piano music, a transgender boy goes about his day- to- day life being called by his deadname ‘Gemma’, the continual misgendering chipping away at him. Until, at Starbucks, the barista asks his name and he can finally tell us it is James. The advert ends with a peaceful scene of people sat in Starbucks, while James walks past the window, coffee in hand. The advert screams, in all senses except the literal,…

  2. Pandemic Papers: Coronavirus’ Impact on US Politics

    In this article, Jessica Pabon will explore the effect the pandemic has had on US politics in a thoughtful, engaged way. [Featured image credit: ‘Jackson: Capitol Building’, by Visit Mississippi] ‘Coronavirus’: the term that will haunt the world for years to come, eliciting memories of a global pandemic in modernity, which was allowed to senselessly cause over a million death in its first year of existence. The pandemic has influenced every aspect of human life, resulting in quarantines, added stress on societal norms, and divides between individuals, both physical and ideological, where they did not exist before. There is nowhere…

  3. Same Old Shopping List

    This poem by Molly Knox explores the pressures of lockdown, especially during the initial lockdown, in a creative, innovative way. [Image credits: ‘COVID-19’ by Jon Taylor/Flickr]

  4. Confinement Chronicles: Freshers’ in Lockdown

    “Despite the potential for a mass outbreak looming over our heads, Josephine Butler students, and Durham students writ large, have shown a true resilience and a fighting spirit.” Jessica Pabon, a Butlerite fresher, discusses lockdown anxieties, homesickness and enjoying university life during a pandemic.

  5. ‘The Role of the Muslim League in the Partition of India’

    The independence of India in 1947, and the subsequent creation of the two separate dominions of India and Pakistan, is an event that is frequently considered a turning point in modern history. [1] The bloody legacy of partition still runs true today, largely affecting present day politics, with both India and Pakistan playing a significant role in the current geopolitical climate. Partition consolidated divisions between the Hindus and Muslims, whilst simultaneously having an impact on the many other religions that were in existence at the time. Border locations, such as Kashmir, are still suffering from the aftermath of this disunion….

  6. Star-crossed lovers crossing cultures: a comparative anthropological analysis

    This study proposes to examine the invention and reinvention of the classic tragic story of love in various cultural settings and how it the story was affected by the local environment. Shakespeare’s phenomenal Romeo and Juliet and its incarnations as the American West Side Story and Russian Could One Imagine? will be examined. This study is anthropological in nature as it is interested in the cultural context of the stories. Firstly, the notion of love as we understand it must be interrogated. Romantic love in Euro-American society is understood as the deep feelings shared by two individuals who idolize one…

  7. ‘Jihadi chic’ or flag of solidarity? The Many Strands of the Palestinian Keffiyeh

    On June 1st, the Palestinian Museum in Connecticut shared a piece of digital art by Waleed Ayyoud of George Floyd wearing a keffiyeh scarf, with the caption, ‘united we stand against injustice’.[1]  Unsurprisingly, the backlash came thick and fast, with one pro-Israel writer tweeting, ‘This picture has the fantastic ability to, simultaneously, whitewash the crimes of Palestinian leaders throughout the last century while also staining the memory of George Floyd’.  In 2007 you could find the scarves sold in Urban Outfitters, in a range of colours to match your outfit, for just £20… until the CEO, Dick Heyne, withdrew them…

  8. Disenfranchised Youth: The Effect of Sanders’ Campaign’s Suspension on young Americans

    When, on the 8th April, Bernie Sanders announced that he was suspending his campaign, he congratulated Joe Biden and said that he will work with him in order to “move our progressive ideas forwards.” Yet, across the US, young voters have lost hope, and many have pledged that they will not vote for either Biden or Trump in the upcoming presidential election. They see no blue light at the end of the tunnel. It is not surprising that the youth of the US would feel disappointed at this development, two- thirds of voters under 45 voted for Sanders. Conversely, two-…

  9. Gender And Power in African Religions: The Case of Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita

    Gender has played an integral role in understanding and (mis)understanding African religion, in particular the case of the Antonian Movement. Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita (1684-1706), a rather obscured African historical figure, claimed in 1704 to have been visited and then reincarnated as St Anthony of Padua during a nearly fatal fever. Quickly gaining a following, Dona Beatriz led what has become known as the Antonian Movement.[1] The aims of the movement were for the reunification of the Kingdom, as well as more general religious changes such as indigenising Christianity to Kongo, introducing new prayers (the Salve Antoniana) and encouraging the…

  10. In the wake of IS: “Holding them to justice”, and “deradicalisation”

    After many years of war and fear, the body which calls itself Islamic State has seen its territory reduced to only a few hundred square metres. However, as their support weakens, this gives rise to a new problem; how do we deal with those individuals who left the UK to fight for IS, but now want to return home? The issue is a complex one, given the brutal actions of IS and their direct attacks on UK land and citizens, on which many have strong opinions. More than 900 people travelled to Syria and Iraq from the UK; of this…