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Packing Political Action: The Hyper Individualism of Commodity Feminism
Get PDFCommodity feminism is often seen as an unpleasant but predictable attempt to tap a market with increasing mainstream presence, and as a phenomenon which exists in isolation from authentic feminist discussion and action. This essay posits that authentic feminism is in fact eroded by commodity feminism, through the latter’s hyper-individualising effects.By exaggerating the power of the individual, commodity feminism turns political action into an internal psychological process. This harms not only feminist movements but the women who occupy them, who may be left feeling increasingly impotent, and therefore more dependent on reclaiming power in a consumer context
The Future of Women’s Rights in Islam: Towards a More Harmonistic Interpretation of Sharia Law
Get PDFThe future of the relationship between Islamic law and women\u27s rights is optimistic. The inherent pluralism of Islamic law should be used opportunistically to further gender equality through harmonistic interpretation. Where evolutionary interpretive approaches have been adopted - such as in Tunisia and Morocco - women\u27s rights have been recognised through Islamically justified legislation. International activists for women\u27s rights should restrain from positioning themselves aggressively against Sharia to prevent a sense of Western cultural imposition, and equality should instead be sought through combining politico-legal approaches with socio-cultural initiatives at the grassroots
\u27What the hell is it but crumbling masonry\u27: Masculinities and the Fall of the Catholic Big House in Brian Friel’s Aristocrats
No full textThis paper examines the relationship between domestic space, masculinities, and power in Brian Friel’s 1980 play, Aristocrats. Through a close reading of the domestic space of Ballybeg Hall and the play’s male characters—Father, Casimir, and Eamon—the constitution of masculinities within the space of the Catholic Big House is analysed, with particular regard to the complex intersections of class and religion in mid-1970s Donegal that underpin the action of Friel’s play. The male characters in Friel’s are representative of differing, yet interlocking, iterations of Irish masculinities, each constituted in relation to Ballybeg Hall as a once powerful space
Original Visual Art for Vol V
No full textOriginal visual art of Vol V featuring blurbs by the artists, inspired by themes of gender identity
Physics: Editorial Note and Articles
No full textEditor: Pierce Sinnott
Abstract 1:
Nanoantennae : Big Leaps for Small DetectionsAllan J. Finlay, Senior Sophister, Physics
The development of nanoantennae in the early 21st century fundamentally changed the view on light harvesting techniques prior to its inception. The ability of a particle to simultaneously absorb more electromagnetic radiation than is incident to it, concentrate this energy below diffraction limited volume and therefore create substantial field enhancement inspired a new wave of photonic research. Such research enabled the discovery and utilisation of plasmons which seamlessly integrated into the development of hot carrier-chemistry.
This in turn, revolutionised current practices of photocatalysis and photochemistry through the use of antenna- coupled redox reactions. Current studies into the parameters affecting this plasmon-assisted absorption have yielded optimisations in morphology, dielectric tuning and dimer-coupling with future workings directed towards biological applications. This review explains the key aspects concerning nanoantenna performance, namely, their size, surrounding environment and material composition. Moreover, the on-going research into nanoantenna viability as sensors, photocatalysts and nanoemitters will be discussed.
Abstract 2:
Quantum Entanglement & The Legacy of The EPR ParadoxRaymond Isichei, Senior Sophister, Chemistry
The development of quantum mechanics in the early 20th century fundamentally challenged the deterministic view of reality that had been universally held prior to its inception. The indeterminacy of the properties of physical systems until observation was a particular point of philosophical contention. In this review a point of contention famously pioneered by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen in their 1935 paper challenging Quantum Mechanics as a complete theory of nature is examined.
Various inequalities were subsequently formulated that distinguish quantum mechanical predictions from the predictions of local hidden variable theories which might restore determinism. The experimental confirmation of the failure of local hidden variable theories to account for quantum mechanical correlations led to the discovery of quantum teleportation as a novel and unintuitive method of communication
Pitching Possibilities of Emerging Culture: Positioning Kickstarter as a Cultural Institution and its contributions to the development of Cultural Policy Framework for open digital cultural practice
Get PDFThis study considers Kickstarter as a cultural institution, its socio-cultural feats’ alignment with prescriptions of ‘core cultural institutions’, all the while exposing cultural hierarchies and restrictive iterations of ‘culture’.
Kickstarter’s mechanism of practice stands as an open, digital modality to financing ‘creative projects’ through a rewards system structure. Within the platform’s socio-cultural division, this mode of mediation allows for a basis of cultural production that is determined by an engaged public whose motivations may reside outside of commercial interests. Framing the mechanism of practice as a cultural institution serves to illuminate its sociocultural feats’ alignment with prescriptions of ‘core cultural institutions’, all the while exposing cultural hierarchies and restrictive iterations of ‘culture’. A dual methodological approach is undertaken; a discourse analysis is employed to deconstruct the barriers to embracing emerging cultural practices and conditions of production within cultural institutions and cultural industries discourses. The theories of Raymond Williams are applied to support the discursive analysis and comparative construction of Kickstarter’s mechanism of practice as a cultural institution. Socio-cultural dimensions of Kickstarter’s mechanism of practice, including its informal communities of engagement and public knowledge assets, are then situated within Williams’ inferences on technological mediation to cultural production. The public socio-cultural valuing processes, borne of theplatform’s digital mechanism of practice, are understood as determinants to an emerging democratic, digitally-mediated course of cultural production
Desperate Housewives: The Undervaluation of Care Work as a Barrier to Substantive Equality
Get PDFThe achievement of gender equality is multifaceted. While the position of women within Irish society has improved, this article intends to highlight a significant lacuna in society’s approach to gender equality; the undervaluation of care work. It will explore the gendered nature of care work and ask why it is women, rather than men who typically undertake this activity. It will then examine how care work is undervalued and argue that this forms a serious barrier to the achievement of substantive equality
Understanding the Salem Witch Trials through the Lens of Feminist Criminological Theory
Get PDFThis essay seeks to explore attitudes towards women in a societal and criminological context through the lens of the Salem witch trials. Women have historically been regarded as possessing an inherent deviance, either through religious rhetoric, or pseudo- scientific assertions. This deviance is one which was only presumed to be off-set through conformation with expected gender roles; specifically marriage and motherhood. The term “witch” has traditionally been used as a controlling title for the women who dared to venture beyond these norms. Using the events of seventeenth century Salem, I attempt to expose just how little this narrative has changed over the course of three hundred years
Karmakar Medal for Scientific Ethics: Editorial Note and Article
No full textJudges for the inaugural Karmakar Medal for Scientific Ethics:
Shubhangi Karmakar, Editor-in-Chief, TSSR Volume VI; Reviewer, Journal of Medical Ethics (BMJ)
Emmet Ryan, Connected Editor, Business Post
Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence- The Future of Medicine, or a Dangerous, Overhyped Idea?Albert Yee, Fourth Year, Medicine
Ever since AI-powered Watson beat 74-time—winning Ken Jennings on Jeopardy in 2011, artificial intelligence has been envisioned as a viable technology of the imminent future. AI has attracted interest in the healthcare industry because of its potential to reduce error in clinical decision-making and of allowing hospitals to handle larger patient volumes. AI differs from available clinical decision support tools in that it can amend its diagnostic and treatment algorithms with experience; currently, CDS tools are programmed on static coding.
Since the US Food and Drug Administration has approved its first AI medical device for use in 2018,1 several questions warrant answers:
Could the development of AI for healthcare violate patient confidentiality?
Can AI adapt to new treatment guidelines?
Can AI exacerbate health disparities?
Is AI safe for healthcare? Will it require supervision?
Who is responsible for the decisions made by AI?
Arguments will be made in favour of continuing to develop AI for healthcare and of delaying the deployment of AI in healthcare for high-risk decisions until there are satisfactory solutions to the listed questions
Waiting Times for Publicly Funded Hospital Treatment: How does Ireland Measure Up?
Get PDFThe way in which Ireland currently reports waiting times for publicly funded elective hospital treatment limits international comparability and does not give a complete picture of the length of time patients are waiting for services. This analysis uses existing administrative data in a new way to estimate waiting times from consultant referral-to-treatment for selected elective procedures. Results show that by using the more widely reported metric, Ireland’s waiting times are longer than previously reported and compare less favourably with other OECD countries