Naila Missous2013-05-21T05:27:14-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=naila-missousCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Naila MissousGood old fashioned elbow grease.'We're Hard-Wired to Do Good. I Believe That'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31526682013-04-30T05:19:33-04:002013-04-30T10:45:32-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Meet Tim Armoo: an 18 year old A-level student based in South West London. His vision? To raise awareness, through the medium of design for charitable causes via his company Doodlar. Alongside side Tim, the company comprises of four other members, all of whom are aged 21 and under. The fact that this project is being conducted at such a young age with great success really highlights how drive and passion is still alive and fully fledged within the youth of Britain.
This isn't the first venture Tim has been involved in. It is merely another notch on his ever expanding resume. Having started his first tutoring company at the age of 14, which was the product of a bet with a friend, who, said that he would never make 500 customers before the age of 18. This young entrepreneur has had it in him when everyone else was concerned about how to tie their school tie and personalise their blazers.
Doodlar, though young, has big plans. Their aim is to focus on one charity a month; promoting it, creating a buzz for it via social networks and most importantly, heighten the general public's awareness of it. With this, they create a specially designed t-shirt for the charity of the month, whereby each t-shirt is sold for £5 and every penny of this goes to the chosen charity. The idea behind Doodlar is simple yet effective - it creates the everyday person into a walking and talking advertisement for a cause.
The company aim to unravel and answer the question "Who's to blame?". In the blame orientated culture that we live in, it is too easy to pass fault onto someone else and do nothing about it yourself. As Doodlar state, "the problem isn't those who find themselves in unfortunate positions. The problem is with us - the ones in the more fortunate positions: are we ready to let loose and create change or are we just going to change the channel the next time that advert we don't like comes on?".
The inspiration for all of this came into existence from a media report which claimed that charities were slowly but surely losing their funding. This did not sit comfortably with Tim, stating "this didn't make much sense. I believe we are hard wired to do good. I didn't believe and certainly still don't believe that people are heartless. I believe that when people come together, they can create the most beautiful of outcomes". It was this passion and belief which has lead Doodlar to help fund the creation of wells within the developing world, provide care packages to human trafficking victims, and as of late, the t-shirt campaign has aided constructive surgery of children born with cleft.
The biggest outcome which Doodlar wish to achieve is to raise their target goal of £100,000 in a bid to help further their charitable cause and transform the lives of thousands people through their chosen charities each month. Ambitious, yes but not impossible Armoo adds.
"I think we're in a society now which really wants to feel as part of the change and we [Doodlar] facilitate that a lot. From our posters we put out on Facebook to the blog posts interviewing victims of causes".
His plan is to take the company further as he enters the world of University: expand the audience and awareness through a different portal.
Visit http://doodlar.com/ or follow Tim on twitter @TimArmoo]]>Society Brandingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31642762013-04-26T13:27:54-04:002013-04-29T11:01:06-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
In large, this post is coming into being because of something I experienced firsthand on the Manchester high street. I was on my to a meeting with a friend of mine, who, for the sake of this story, her ethnic background will be disclosed as Black British. At any other time, this would have been irrelevant: we are simply two young women who were about to make our way to a meeting.
On our walk down an extremely busy Manchester high street, we were stopped by a young man. I would say 'we', but it was more my friend was stopped. I was cut across. Why? Because this young gentleman was selling his music on CD's. The genre? Hip-Hop. Why did he cut across me and straight to my friend? Why, because, it could never be that a white person may enjoy this genre of music! And my friend fit his bill quite nicely.
For most, this may strike up many an argument. It did, though I was a lot more interested in why he ignored me which meant he must have been doing this regularly when flogging his music. Which meant a huge potential of fans and customers were being disregarded based solely on the colour of their skin.
I don't mean to take this person as a racist: he isn't. It's simply a re-enactment of what society has come to create of categorising individuals into certain boxes. If a youth wears a hoody and a pair of Nikes, he probably likes that grimy urban music. If a girl is wearing her a pretty dress and make-up, probably pop music. This is just the aesthetics of course. Add ethnic background and race into the mixture and it seems everyone fits into a neat category.
He was taken aback. "She's the Hip-Hop fan. Not me." my friend stated to him. His facial expressions said it all. I questioned him as to why he ignored me. He said it was nothing sinister, and probably a bad judgment on his behalf now that I'd pointed it out to him. It wasn't the first time. I have on a majority of occasions had people say "oh really?" when they find out what I listen to. What music society wants me to listen to, is beyond me.
The individual at hand insinuated that Hip-Hop was indeed "black music, that's all I'm saying". Whether this was to suggest my friend was less of a black individual because she didn't enjoy this music, was something to consider. He quickly turned his attention back to me, but did drop heavily the mention of 'white rappers' who may take my interest more. Music is music, regardless of who is rapping it. Hip-Hop has always been its own culture. Not all of the fathers of Hip-Hop were Black. The original breakers were Black and Hispanic. The first recognised graffiti artist, Taki, was Greek. Hip-Hop bands a culture, not just a music genre and skin colour.
This is not to say that the individual and his friends were deliberately marginalising potential listeners; it's simply a process of conditioning where they have come to understand that certain genres equate to a certain following. Neither, is this to do with the educational background or intelligence of a person. The conscious individual may even slip up now and again and believe the social constructs created for purpose of ease.
Take the example of Historian and Cambridge educated David Starkey. During the 2011 riots, which began in Tottenham and then quickly transcended to other parts of London and eventually the rest of England, Starkey was seen to comment on these acts. Live on the BBC, he became quickly passionate and did not shy away from producing such comments as "the whites have become black", and that "a particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion". Following also with "the black male culture militates against education".
Starkey, as educated as he is, shows on a grander scale, how caught up he has become in the stereotypes available.
The short sociological answer to this situation is, of course, that yes, there are people who live up to those stereotypes about different groups. There are probably some people who fit whatever stereotype you can think of. The problem lies with how stereotypes over generalise about an entire group and blind us to those characteristics in others and other characteristics in the stereotyped groups.
My friend and I probably should have existed the other way round to the wannabe Hip-Hop rapper. This process is insidious and subconscious. We often act on it without thinking.]]>Realness Lies in the Reality of the Lyricstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.30170762013-04-04T16:25:39-04:002013-04-05T09:06:20-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Does is it really comes down to blaming these outcomes on the idea of the self fulfilling prophecy? Strong stereotypes have always existed when it comes to the relationship between urban music and youth, and they never seem to be getting better. In the wake of the 2011 riots, British urban music started becoming the target of accusation: they were blamed for the promotion of a culture of entitlement. Lethal Bizzle, a UK grime artist infamously declared prime minister David Cameron a "donut" for the way in which he demonised an entire subculture and section of society without having any idea of its background or history.
Hip-hop and grime in the UK, perhaps like most cultures, is defined by the internal contradictions it faces. Arguably, it is these contradictions which keep the culture alive and current; pushing it to further its knowledge and reputation. As with most marginalised subcultures, rap, hip-hop and grime within the UK arena touch on some of the most prominent conflicting ideas, namely: materialism versus the more humble idea of life, the differing paths of what society deems successful versus the "keep it real" mentality, and one of the most prominent (which also arises not only in this culture, but has been around for centuries with regards to the notions of race, class and so forth) is that of the community versus the individual. This feeds greatly into the "us" versus "them" mentality. The marginalisation of a subsection of society due to a collection of factors. The factors? In the UK it heavily includes race, the class system, and in some respects, gender also.
The grime genre brings into question whether the media portrayal has tarnished it as a wholly black subculture, or as a distinctive black subculture. It should be noted also that research or information on this genre of music has been somewhat scarce, leading to the misunderstanding and communication not only from the media and politicians, but from the artists themselves.
Having originated in the 2000s and as an off shoot from the UK garage scene, grime started to acquire followers when the likes of Wiley and Dizzee Rascal became more prominent circa 2003: releasing their albums Treddin' on Thin Ice and Boy in da Corner respectively. Many, as previously stated and much the belief of many in the present day, believe that grime music (as with hip-hop) plays a crucial role in the glamourisation of drugs, violence and misogyny. One may want to argue that yes, these assets are discussed heavily within the lyrics of grime music; but whether they are glamorised can be disputed greatly also. These elements it seems are incontrovertible and that yes, grime does have a grounding in these. Yet, who is to say that there are many artists who are not glamourising them but instead rapping against these stereotypes and idea? An example of grime artists who have time and again talked about these topics within their raps are Akala, Mic Righteous and Lowkey. Just as their other grime counterparts, they acknowledge that drugs are rife to some, that women are disrespected and that violence is sometimes only a cuss away. Akala has been recorded stating, in the Channel 4 documentary Life of Rhyme that within the culture of rap battles (whereby one MC battles/free verses against another under time constraints), he chooses not to partake, "whilst I respect the skill involved, I personally don't battle. Simply because MC's can and will resort to everything from blatant racism, to cussing each other's mums... And that's not really my thing".
To mark out the qualities of a skilful rapper, one must look out for verbal mastery, delivery, creativity and personal style. Successful rappers in the grime scene, be they male or female, entice an audience through their stage presence, persona and what their lyrics have to say. Of course, successful rappers' lyrics must reflect the appearance of total self-confidence, and they must commit to what they are saying. The realness lies in the reality of their lyrics.
Predominantly in its infancy, grime was the work of the black working class youth subculture, though having now escalated to all races and ethnicities. As of late, grime has seen a surge in what is not normally thought of as the target market; with many artists infusing the genre with pop or dance beats broadening the audience capacity. Examples lie with more indie films such as the 2006 film Kidulthood and the 2008 film Adulthood, to more mainstream and commercialised portrayals of UK urban youths (mainly in and around London) such as E4's most recent show, Youngers.
Cultures such as grime have had profound effects and influences within British society. Since post emigration of ethnic minorities from the Commonwealth era, Britain has witnessed distinctive ethnic cultures emerging. Rooting from the growing racism and discrimination, happening through a number of avenues. Parent culture somewhat influenced youth subcultures. And the result sounds better than ever: don't dismiss it before you hear it.]]>'My Culture Is Not for Sale'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.29643062013-03-27T12:41:22-04:002013-03-28T10:59:41-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Of late, it is repeat offender Urban Outfitters who have taken to misusing, mislabeling and misguiding its fans and shoppers with what can not only be deemed as racist, but also culturally ignorant.
Just because it is fashion, doesn't mean it can't be in touch with the audience on a cultural and global level. How many times do we see labels promoting the fact they will donate any proceeds from their collection to the woman who have sewn their dresses? Or that for every pair of shoes bought, a child in Africa will be bought a pair for themselves? Intelligence and fashion are not mutually exclusive. Yet, once again, Urban Outfitters seem to have forgotten this.
Within their collection, Urban Outfitters launched a dress which was falsely labelled as a 'Vintage 90's Linen Dress'. On top of that, the price was extortionate also. Instead of giving the rightful owners and designers the full credit of the design, the label decided to make it as westernised as possible. A huge brush under the carpet moment with a touch of imperialist mentality sprinkled on top.
The dress, was in fact an Ethiopian and Eritrean traditional dress called a "hager lebs" or "zuriya"
.
Just a brief evaluation of the dress being sold by Urban Outfitters and one is able to see that this isn't even 'inspired' by the Ethiopian or Eritrean culture: it is straight plagiarism. The blatant disregard for an entire culture and the weight of importance held by these items of clothing by its women and people shows nothing more but a money hungry industry who are happy to trample all over the non-western guy to get a few more sales in their pockets.
Of course, a huge uproar has occurred because of this. Namely in the form of Lolla Mohammed Nur; an Ethiopian and Eritrean blogger and journalist who, without raising her voice, would never have caused the commotion she wishes to continue producing.
Lolla opted for the social media platform of Twitter to get her message out: hashtags (#MYcultureNOToutfit), blog entries and open letters and tweets to Urban Outfitters themselves, Lolla has made it her mission to educate, elevate and inform not only Urban Outfitters but all about her cultural heritage and its misuse.
With the world become such a globalised village, sharing ideas and cultures has never become easier because of the internet. But sharing and plagiarising are worlds apart. Urban Outfitters either didn't bother to do their research properly, or they genuinely do not care. As mentioned however, as repeat offenders (whereby they released a racist 'Navajo' line among others), it's sad to say no one should be surprised.
The labelling of a dress, that has existed within a culture for centuries, as 90's is ignorant and disrespectful. What deems Urban Outfitters to name a design whatever it wants in order to add it to their all American westernised collection? Would they do the same with a traditional Japanese Kimono? Time and again such designs have always been correctly labelled if not used in conjunction with terms such as 'inspired by'. So, what makes the Ethiopian and Eritrean culture exempt?
To date, Urban Outfitters are yet to respond to the chaos happening. Until now, the only sign of awareness we see is that the dress was removed from their online site. This is a step: whether in the right direction is questionable however.
An online petition has been started by Lolla, in a bid to reach out to not only Urban Outfitters, but the whole of the industry to let them know that the reappropriation of an entire culture for their own benefit is never welcome.
Find Lolla's petition here.]]>Since 1911 til...tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.28007902013-03-06T15:37:24-05:002013-05-06T05:12:01-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
I don't want this blog post to be obvious; showcasing how one celebrity do-gooder has helped promote an international charity group, or how a female politician has visited a village in some far away nation. Of course, these are all positive and wonderful things to happen and things that continue to happen. They're what we see day in day out through media coverage. We even have whole shows dedicated to celebrities visiting villages and how we, mere mortals, should take initiative and do something of a similar nature.
I want to pull this closer to home. I want to talk about the women you find surrounding you. Those female campaigners around campus. Those females who take time off from their everyday schedules to volunteer. Those ladies who push for what they believe in from their bedroom, laptop and beyond.
It is sometimes too easy to think that those with greater power and a greater following have more authority to make a change or make a difference. I believe anyone, as long as they have the compassion and passion can do just as much. Be it through your local community and building it up into something bigger, to the person who donates smalls sums of money or time to create a brighter future.
A bright future may mean teaching a child once a week a new language, helping them with their homework or simply being there. One of my favourite examples is that of the young Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai - the youngest individual (as well as female) to ever be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Her dream was to be educated, and she campaigned for all females her age and beyond to have this right. A shot to the head by Taliban gunmen did not dampen her passion and persistence. After a steady recovery in a UK hospital, Malala now wishes to organise the Malala Education Foundation, which would help poor girls have the opportunity to go to school.
Sometimes, too much emphasis is put on the biggest organisations to inspire and influence you to work towards a goal. But as the example of Malala shows, you can be any age, have gone through anything and still feel ardour to continue and make a difference.
Here's to the campaigners. The mothers. The daughters. The students. The ones with an idea in their head. Act on it. It's never wrong to be afraid of a small idea that will probably grow into something a lot bigger and more beautiful.]]>Do Arab Women Have a Voice?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27985152013-03-05T17:13:33-05:002013-05-05T05:12:01-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Here lies a huge misconception, problematic, and sadly concrete stereotype. The issue of religion is somewhat governed by the Western media to its audience with regards to woman. Of course, one cannot blame the media entirely, though the role it has played has not done females the justice they need. The Arab woman has become a distorted image. A passive, voiceless individual. It must be remembered that it is not solely the religion of Islam which resides within the Middle East and North Africa, but also Christianity, Judaism and the smaller branches of these faiths. Thus, for one to immediately point the finger and proclaim that Islam oppresses women is in fact ill educated.
At the personal front, an Arab woman is not the damsel who is chained to an arranged marriage and forced to obey her father and now her husband. Unknown to many, under Islamic law, women also have the right to divorce as that equally of men.
In every Middle Eastern and North African state in the region, women are acting as social entrepreneurs, setting up organizations to combat domestic violence, oppose government malfeasance, and increase educational opportunities for girls and advocating change. One does not have to stretch far but as recent as November 2011 where Tawakul Karman, a Yemeni Journalist, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize: the first Arab women and also first Yemeni to have ever received the prize.
Women are also using both established and new forms of artistic expression to throw light on the issues they consider most important, to critique their societies, and to point the way to their own visions of a more equitable life. Myriam Bouchentouf, otherwise known as Master Mimz, is of Morrocan descent having moved to London in the past two years. Her artistic form? Hip Hop. Myriam is utilising her love of the genre, with the current upsurge of the Arab nations of 2011 to drive home the message of rising up, even performing a song entitled "Back down Mubarak" prior to his resignation in Egypt. To add to this, she is also increasing the global voice of Arab women of today.
In order to ensure that women's rights frameworks are emphasised, gains made over the years are sustained, and momentum is gained from the unrest in the region. Arab women need to keep reminding regional and international authorities that women's issues and gender equality need to be doubly protected, especially in this transitional period. One has to remember that in some Arab states, such as UAE, women were not granted to vote until 2003.
New initiatives and enhancing programmes organised by the women of the Middle East have the important role of being increasingly responsive to the current situations: to seize the potential of new opportunities and situations presented.
The Arab Spring may have seemed like the perfect diving board for the women of the Arab world, heightening their agendas on the world front. However, this does not mean that the prejudice surrounding them has been eradicated and more over, the images presented of women has been either highly romanticised or, as regularly seen, exposed as overly oppressed.]]>Pretty Green Thingstag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.27098982013-02-18T07:11:42-05:002013-04-20T05:12:01-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Take my fellow University of Manchester students Anoud Al-Fawwaz and Alyazia Sabra: one a Town and Country planning student, the other an Environmental Management student who, along with their love of landscape and design, fused these two entities to create not one, but two different yet innovative blogs and online store.
The first is Green Eve (http://www.thegreeneve.blogspot.co.uk/), a blog page dedicated to motivating all students to think with an environmentally friendly mindset in all aspects of life: shopping, food, charity, whatever. They write that "everyone in the society must understand their obligation towards our planet. It has so much beauty to offer us so why can't we do the simplest of things, such as recycling, to give back to it and preserve what is left of it? ".
Not many students would put greenery and helping the environment on their to do list along with 'hand in essay' and coffee dates. But these girls want to celebrate the earth we live on by taking easy and simple steps to promote a greener outlook on life while still enjoying student life on the side. They collect and archive all the top stories about ethical clothing, charity opportunities as well as combining them with their own original photography of the various awe inspiring cities, towns and landscapes they have travelled to and from.
Anoud said "I enjoy photography and writing, so I get to do both on Green Eve. I created a platform for myself to practice what I enjoy while also promoting ideas that I believe in."
It's all good and well that these two success induced ladies to have placed their green fingers in the pie of opportunity (I know, I know), but they seized another on campus opportunity after being constantly approached by fellow style aware students who loved Anoud and Alyazia's uniquely styled earrings. This, lead to the birth of à la Audrey (http://alaaudrey.tictail.com/).
"It's all about creating an opportunity for yourself out of ideas and activities you are passionate about. And as a woman, it's important to embrace the idea that there aren't any limits to what you can achieve."
à la Audrey, their second venture caters for green aware (of course) and style ready students who want to enjoy fashion but without the negative impacts it can have on the environment. They bring you a collection of vintage earrings for the modern yet chic fun-loving girl. And the clincher? All packaging is eco-friendly!
Students are constantly getting a reputation for expecting everything to be posted to their front door with a heavy salary attached; though I know as well as many others that this is strongly untrue. Whether it is in the city of Manchester, or any other city in Britain, students like Anoud and Alyazia are connecting with people from all over the world to greater their potential, meet new people, advertise a good cause while working on something they truly believe in.
If an individual or many can balance their degree alongside other ventures, what's your excuse?]]>Catch 22tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24707772013-01-14T06:40:34-05:002013-03-16T05:12:02-04:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Recent figures have shown that for the year 2013 there has been an increase of 6.4% within the graduate market from that of 2012. So that means more jobs, right? Yes and no. Yes because this means more students are not having to opt for unpaid internships or consider more debt inducing further study in order to make themselves stand out more so in the jobs market. No, however, because those lucky few who are getting hired are hired because of previous work experience within those companies. I think it's called dog eat dog.
It has been suggested that if young people really want to see an end to unpaid internships, they must all refuse to work for free whatever their economic background. As someone who has been working for free to build any sort of repertoire in as many fields as possible, and nearing the end of my degree, I can safely say that working for free - for all the praises and few retweets - is really not a choice any more.
However, the refusal to work for free is not really in the hands of graduates or students. If I refused to work for free, I'm certain the employer wouldn't worry too much: there's most probably another student elsewhere who desperately wants to add that brand name to their CV list. Not all students have lazed around during their three years at university; many have built experience in differing sectors, volunteering for charities or groups they didn't see as long term, but rather were interested in the transferable skills they gained.
It is rather a vicious cycle. Plumping your CV with experience doesn't guarantee any success after graduation. Job profiles state that experience is must, but what does experience equate to? One week? One month? A year? It brings into light the idea of networking also; it's about who you know not what you know.
If I am being pitted against someone who is also a humanities major, it doesn't really matter what my module choices were really or what I learnt. We're considered equal in the jobs market. Equally struggling.]]>Beauty and the Labeltag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23581602012-12-24T05:39:14-05:002013-02-23T05:12:01-05:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Where is this, though? Piccadilly Circus? New York? In terms of beauty, spirit and the eclectic mix of nationalities, it could be any of these places and more. Yet, no. This is Dubai. The now capital of capitalism. Flaunting this they are very good at.
The women of the Arab lands have a great heritage of femininity to live up to. Past ages in this area have been dominated and memorialised by the beauty and wealth of Nefertiti and Cleopatra, the allure and diplomacy of Belkis and the Queen of Sheba. Yet it is only in the last decade or two that women in the Middle East have come into their own--nowhere more dramatically has this risen to such shallow heights than in the Middle East's playground of Dubai.
Women strive to be more and more beautiful in today's increasingly glossed-over world of super models and movie stars. And this is one factor that cannot be missed in Dubai either. Each mall is cushioned by another mall, all roads leading to one thing: commodities and plenty of them. Capitalism is in full effect and it's hard to separate the relationship between the city and money. Dubai has time and again been described as the ideal dream world of neo-liberalism, the place where capitalism is allowed to flourish without the least impediment by government regulation.
However, that which is most striking, but not the least surprising, is that money here buys you a western ideal. A western ideal of what the lifestyle and luxuries living in Europe or North America could bring. But instead on their doorstep. And the women are not shy from showing this.
For example, the Arab beauty standard has traditionally, and sadly, favoured ladies with fairer skin. Although you would think that this standard would change with the evolving diversity of society, it remains a big problem in the east as a whole. It seems that the standard is egged on by "whitening" beauty products that promise a fairer complexion and overall success apparently. The companies marketing these brands, are of course, from the West. It's hard to miss the Clinique counter and the barely-speaking-English worker trying to force you to try a sample cream on your hand and "see the difference!" as you scurry past trying to avoid the Scarlett Johansson Chanel advert with her skin an illuminating white.
Unfortunately, in the UAE as well as in many other countries with a non-white majority, racist beauty standards still exist, which assume the superiority of the colour and the features of 'whites'. Internalised racism has begun to crawl to the surface, whereby women assume that all races are inferior to 'whites', marginalising themselves.
But worry not, money can wash away your dark complexion and Givenchy can give you a brand new set of red lips. L'Oreal can tame your hair to make it manageable and sleek like that pop star and, hey presto. You're no longer a Middle Easterner in the Middle East. You're a stranger in your own city.]]>The Stay at Home Studenttag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23111752012-12-16T09:58:49-05:002013-02-15T05:12:01-05:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
Increasingly, more and more students are opting to live at home, be it for their undergraduate or postgraduate degrees, reaping the economic benefits as well as enjoying the home comforts.
Other European countries have long encouraged studying at a University in your home city, where moving away is almost a last resort. And they don't even pay the same extortionate fees that students in England do. So should British students take heed from the continental cousins?
I am in my final year at the University of Manchester, in my own city of Manchester. I did apply to universities away from home, the furthest being London. But I stayed put. I can't say that I predicted the future and knew that in the long run I'd be making a good choice personally, but coming to the end of my degree has definitely emphasised how much money I have saved and what pros I have gained from staying at home.
The perks I found throughout my time at university were that I never had to do a food shop. My meals were cooked. My sheets were cleaned (though don't be fooled into thinking parents will let you have too much of a free ride - helping around the house will become part of the routine too). Any money I did earn through part time work, really was my own money to spend or save. Which in turn meant I could save without turning to a loan for my Erasmus placement in Barcelona. A hint of pride at my own motivation for doing this. Though it doesn't all come to down to the money.
What about social life, I hear most students cry? That's a personality trait. I know of students that, if it wasn't for moving into halls, they really don't feel they could have integrated into university life. But for those who don't, consider joining societies of your interest, start your own groups, and just simply be active and involved in your own degree seminars and lectures. After all, that's the first point of call isn't it, students on your course surely have that same basic interest.
In the NUS Experience report of 2010, a fifth of students would turn towards living at home with parents over the coming years during their course. Ever-increasing is the trend of students having lived away for their undergraduate degree returning to the nest for another year of postgraduate study or search for paid work. But can you blame students? The Guardian recently wrote that four out of five parents fear their children will leave home later than they did, but why fear? The current economic climate refuses to aid students in any way.
Mounting debts and low job prospects means that the only way to simmer the situation for many students is by staying at home.]]>Changing Society: The Multicultural Universitytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22776892012-12-11T11:45:06-05:002013-02-10T05:12:02-05:00Naila Missoushttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/naila-missous/
I feel time after time the need to critically assess the viewpoint of how diversity may fashion a student's experiences during the University years; where in my current situation, half of my degree discipline holds a high percentage of white British students over other backgrounds, and whether this is even noticeable for those who aren't from an ethnic minority background.
Earlier this year, London Metropolitan University were spotlighted after the UK Border Agency (UKBA) suspended its highly trusted sponsor status in July, leaving over 3,000 students uncertain whether they can complete courses and potential ones uncertain if they can take up offers.
Questions were brought up about the value that international students place on the role of multiculturalism in British Universities, and an important aspect in internationalising higher education is to encourage home students to see beyond a parochial worldview, to become aware of alternative ways of thinking and to challenge stereotypes.
Statistics from the University of Manchester's Equality and Diversity Unit shows that the percentage of Non-UK undergraduate students at the University has increased each year since 2006; where 10% of students were international, to more recently 19% for the academic year of 2011. Similarly, Non-UK postgraduate statistics were also on the rise, with even higher results of 36% from 2006 to 46% in 2011. All this in comparison to the rather static result of 67% in 2006 of students who self identified as white students, with the percentage slipping slightly to 63% but still dominating.
Yet even with the surge of international and ethnic minority students, should Universities rethink the organisation and representation of minority groups in British Universities? Are they unfairly represented? Does the lack of diversity effect certain student's time at University?
Infamously, David Cameron stated during his 2011 EU summit speech that "state multiculturalism has failed" . Of course, he was referring to the larger scale of multiculturalism. But does this lie within British Universities also? He claimed that it had failed to the point where national identity lacked in Britain.
Many Universities hold departments and centres dedicated to ethnic diversity services, existing as a sideline service rather than something that should be considered a norm, to unify students and staff of all differing backgrounds. Speaking to the Equality and Diversity service at the University of Manchester, they felt that it was important that the University included this, saying "as an Equality and Diversity Unit we provide support and advice to staff and students from different groups including ethnic minorities".
Professor Aneez Esmail, the Associate Vice President for Social Responsibility at the University wrote "it is important we recognise and respect the values and beliefs of every individual at the University. By embracing diversity we can learn a lot about ourselves and others and work and study in an inclusive environment."
Yet with this in mind, one has to wonder whether other students at University realise this service exists. As a British but ethnic minority student, the information was not served as part of the introduction to University life. If I had not sought it, I would be oblivious as would many others.
Personally, I feel meeting people with different values and beliefs asserts that multiculturalism is inherently positive and life-enriching, as it allows different nationalities to integrate, to learn about each other, and to enjoy the cultures of other countries. Not only does multiculturalism enable people to see the world beyond their shores, but it also heightens cultural awareness. And even more so allow you to meet individuals you probably wouldn't have met at all if you hadn't gone to university.
It is essential that our universities offer a supportive environment: for the sake of home students as much as those from abroad.]]>