Is emotional intelligence what you need to succeed in the digital age?

Issue Two Aug-Oct ‘13 FREE
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EQ
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www.thenewidealist.com
Current affairs
Science
Psychology
ves
Global perspecti
V
Is emotional
intelligence
what you need
to succeed in
the digital age?
iq
HA
VE YOU HEARD OF? Denise Yates, Chie
f Executive of Potential Plus UK high
onto become gifted adults and wha
lights how only 3% of gifted childre
t she intends to do about it.
n go
INTERNATIONAL DIARIES: After the
floods in Germany & rebuilding hop
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT: Doe
e after the parade-day shooting in
s being smart make you happy? By
Dr. Grace Lourdan.
New Orleans.
1
The New Idealist Magazine Contents
The New
Idealist Welcome
The New Idealist
Magazine
Contents
Welcome
Have you heard of…Potential Plus UK? 4
We talk to Denise Yates about why
only a tiny minority of gifted children go on to
become gifted adults and what can be done to
improve this situation.
Six Steps to Personal Fulfilment
14
We continue with step two of our six step
journey here with Karen Meager providing
practical advice on how to manage your
career related hopes and fears.
6
The BIG Debate
With computers able to do complex
calculations and mobiles able to memorise
phone numbers so we don’t have to, is
emotional intelligence more important than
IQ in the digital age? We ask two experts to
debate the benefits of each.
16
Something nice for the weekend…
Visit Brighton
Interested in exploring the city by the sea?
Check out our Brighton weekend guide here.
8
The Student Room
Do sites like ‘hottie in the library’ encourage harassment of fellow students? We asked a few for their thoughts; prepare to
be surprised by the results.
Something to think about:
18
“Does being smart make you happy?” By Dr. Grace Lourdan
Did you watch that Child Genius programme?
For those of you who didn’t, it involves
pitching innately sensitive, delicate children
programmed to be perfectionists against each
other to find the UK’s ‘ultimate’ child genius.
As you can imagine, tears and upset follow
as one-by-one the children crash out of the
competition.
So what does the future hold for these
children? Denise Yates, the engaging Chief
Executive of the Potential Plus UK gifted
children’s charity, explains that only 3% of
gifted children go onto become gifted adults
and outlines the bold attempts she is making
to reverse this dire situation (Page 4).
This rather disheartening statistic is derived
from research by Professor Joan Freeman, a
Chartered Psychologist who carried out the
only long-term study of gifted (and some nongifted) children in the UK and established that
out of 210 children only a minority were what
could be deemed ‘conventionally successful’
as adults.
11
International Diaries
From the mass-shooting in New Orleans to
the flooding in Germany, we hear about the
challenges facing those across the globe.
idealist
the new
TM
Managing Editor
Lydia Andal
Student Editor
Mariana Cerqueira
Designer
Mike Kilkelly
Design Consultant
Julie Thomas
When I enquired with Professor Freeman
about this statistic she commented “I can
certainly say that most gifted children do not
become gifted adults. Life usually gets in the
way”. Professor Freeman is also a consultant
on the Channel 4 Child Genius programme.
Editorial Team
idealist
idealist
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We would like to extend a large thank you to all of our
contributors for this issue: Denise Richardson, Dr. Karen
Niven, Beatrice Rescazzi, Tabz O’Brien-Butcher, Clifton
Harris, Elisabeth Heym, Karen Meager, Dr. Grace Lourdan,
Dr Maria Leitner, Steve Fuller and Nan Sherrard.
2
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Our International Diaries section (Page 11) has
another hard-hitting report from Clifton in New
Orleans, who returns to make us aware of the
difficulties facing the city following the parade
day mass shooting. We also have a wonderful
letter from Germany from Elisabeth, a medical
student who writes about life in her town and
the effect of the terrible flooding this summer.
On behalf of The New Idealist team, I would
just like to thank all those who sent positive
messages following the publication of our first
issue; it’s always nice to know that we are on
the right track. Please send any other feedback
to: [email protected]
L Andal
Lydia Andal, Managing Editor
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If you haven’t guessed already, our theme for
this issue is “Intelligence”, particularly the
differences between IQ and EQ (emotional
intelligence). We had so many interesting
contributions this issue that we couldn’t quite
fit them all in the magazine. You can read extra
contributions from Dr Maria Leitner, British
MENSA Supervisory Psychologist and others at
www.thenewidealist.com
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3
The New Idealist Magazine Have you heard of... Potential Plus UK?
The New Idealist Magazine Have you heard of... Potential Plus UK?
Have you heard of...
completed an Open University degree (age 13), and all that
time he’s been in a mainstream school.
POTENTIAL PLUS UK?
We have children who are musicians; a previous member
of ours wanted to be a composer and he wrote a symphony
when he was 11/12 and he’s just written one for the Olympics
about sport (age 18).
Every issue we will bring to your attention an interesting charity that you may not otherwise have heard of. This issue
Lydia Andal, Managing Editor met with Denise Yates, Chief Executive of Potential Plus UK a charity for gifted and high
potential children.
How did you get involved with Potential Plus?
I became involved because I come from quite a poor area
of Salford in Manchester but I happened to be reasonably
smart and some of my teachers were truly inspirational and
they put me forward for Cambridge when I was about 18.
The first thing that my mum said was “you can’t go there,
people like us don’t go to Cambridge”, and my teacher
pulled her in and said “you’ve got to give it a go because
what’s she got to lose”.
The (fifth type of) child who is “at risk”. We did some
research last year about young offenders. We were
convinced that if a child is going to be so under-challenged
that they start to mess around in class and all of a sudden
they’re up in front of the head teacher they get excluded
from school and you could see the spiral getting worse and
worse and we want to test the theory that some of these
children could be found in children’s institutions.
…and then the final child who is the ‘self-directed learner’.
How do you identify how a child is gifted?
I’m a Cambridge economist and the reason why I’m in this
organisation is that I wanted to put something back because
When I first joined the organisation it was an IQ of any above
a lot of the children that we support aren’t your obvious
130, it was the top 2% of ability. But I think it’s far more
candidates for being gifted and talented.
complicated than that. IQ tests if you’re not careful are
Can you give us some examples of the kind of children you very culturally biased so a child who is from a middle class
environment where the parents are both professionals and
work with?
have got university experience - if you’re not careful and you
We identify about six types of children; the ‘successful child’, don’t use an IQ test which takes away that cultural bias, a
child who’s been in that environment probably will do better
who is probably the one that most people see when they
than a child who isn’t in that environment.
think of a child who is gifted and talented; the child who is
going to sail through school. But quite often these children
We were set up nearly 50 years ago and we helped to shape
are perfectionists and so if they don’t get things right they
gifted and talented policy in this country and what I’m trying
beat themselves up about it.
to do is to find all the people around the country who were
The second sort of child is the ‘creative child’; these are the ever involved with us to see what they are doing now.
people who are probably taking the TV to pieces at the age of
two or three. They’re the entrepreneurs or engineers of the Only 3% of gifted children become gifted adults without the
right support and what we want to know is how, why, what’s
future.
happening to them.
The third sort are the ‘underground child’; they don’t think
One of the things we’re noticing is that gifted children have
it’s cool to be clever. They start to under-achieve and go
very high degrees of sensitivities so here I’m talking about
underground.
the children who burst into tears in the playground because
The fourth sort, we have a lot of children here who are ‘Dual somebody else is being bullied. The child who has to have
the label cut out of the inside of their jumper or they can’t
and multiple exceptional’, they have a skewed IQ profile,
have a certain wool next to their skin. The child who won’t go
some things they’re very good at, some things they’re not
into a toilet because there’s a hand dryer blowing, because
so good at. What they’re not so good at, what their special
need is, pulls down their ability so you might see a naughty they’ve got noise sensitivities, through to children and
adults who get totally moved by a piece of music. We do a
child or a young person who is very lazy in your eyes. Most
screening test for that and we are noticing that a lot of these
schools are excellent at identifying a special need, lots of
children have a lot of these sensitivities.
schools are not so good at challenging or stretching the
child’s ability.
4
Why do you think gifted children often have difficulty
communicating effectively?
On your website you make reference to the difference
between a gifted child and a child with high potential, what
is the key difference between the two?
A child with high learning potential has the ability, but
they’re not there yet necessarily. The word gifted has got
lots of social connotations which are not necessarily good
for our children. When I say the word gifted quite often
people will think ‘oh he’s a little Einstein’; he’s a little
child who’s going to achieve no matter what. You hear the
word gifted you hear the words ‘white, middle class, pushy
parents, hot housing their child to achieve’. You hear the
word ‘privilege’.
These children have got the potential but…they need
nurturing, they need opportunities to fail as well, fail
positively.
And one of my own abiding memories was that I never failed
anything until I went to Cambridge. I took my first exam and
I failed. I almost packed up and went home again, because
I wasn’t used to it. I’d come top of the class, second in the
class for as long as I could remember and what we want
is these children to have a plan b. They need the coping
mechanisms to say ‘ok that didn’t work but that doesn’t
affect me as a person’.
Gifted implies that you’re there already. High learning
potential shows that you’ve got a journey.
Can you give us an example of a child that your
organisation has helped?
A child of about nine was really misbehaving in school,
particularly in his maths class and a very very forwardthinking teacher gave him a maths GCSE book to study
over the holidays. He ended up when he was in primary
school getting A* maths GCSE because it wasn’t the fact
that he was misbehaving, it was because he wasn’t being
challenged. He then went on to do a distance learning
course in A Level and he got an A* (age 11) and he’s just
They have so much crammed in their heads that sometimes
it’s difficult to get it all out. But don’t assume that every
child is going to be like that because we then move into
the bracket of EQ. Some of the children you are absolutely
bowled over with and you are just enthralled by what they
have to say; the storytellers.
That’s one of the other reasons why straight IQ doesn’t
do it for me. The emotional quotient, the EQ, the ability to
emphasise, the ability to understand where other people are
coming from, the ability to say just the right thing at the right
moment. The ability to be very passionate about something,
these are the children who are going to save the world
tomorrow and they want to go to solve the world’s problems
because that’s what they are, that’s who they are.
What opportunities are there for someone to support your
charity?
It’s not only money that we’re looking for. People with skills,
people with unusual skills who can enthuse the children
would be fantastic. We found somebody who was a graffiti
artist and they ran a session which was very well received by
the children.
What are the key areas you think the Department of
Education should be looking at to support these children?
I think it would be extremely useful to have a national
strategy and that’s one of the reasons we set up ‘GT Voice’.
That’s a grass-roots network for anybody who is interested
in working together on developing support for children with
high learning potential/gifted children, and that’s free to
join.
Potential Plus UK would welcome your support or
involvement in its work including funding or fundraising
activities to support its work with low income families
and Helpline; raising the profile of its work and helping to
run exciting, challenging activities for children and young
people around the country. www.potentialplusuk.org
5
The New Idealist Magazine The Big Debate
BIG
THE
The New Idealist Magazine The Big Debate
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I Q VS . E Q . I N T H E D I G I TA L AG E
I S E M OT I O N A L I N T E L L I G E N C E
M O R E I M P O R TA N T T H A N A
HIGH IQ?
D E B AT E
BEATRICE RESCAZZI
I Q VS . E Q . I N T H E D I G I TA L AG E
I S E M OT I O N A L I N T E L L I G E N C E
M O R E I M P O R TA N T T H A N A
HIGH IQ?
IQ is a value which indicates ability correlated with an individual’s
intelligence, while EQ is a response to their sensitivity and
emotions in any given situation. I will not quibble on the precise
effectiveness of these test values, but I am convinced that we are
far more complex than the things these tests measure.
The success in life is equilibrium both within oneself and
within the surrounding world. By the means of reason, we can
understand that, regardless of origin and culture, we are all
human beings, that each one of us has the right to be happy and
not to suffer, and that, consequently, we all have to be understood
and respected.
Knowledge and comprehension generate tolerance, so, therefore,
love and respect. Because we are closely linked, one with the
other, it is a logical consequence that our own wellbeing passes
via everyone’s happiness. The idea of compassion which is at
the core of Buddhist philosophy, for example, is verily where an
emotion itself is born from a reasoned and meditated base.
Rationality and sentiment are therefore two inseparable elements.
This does not take away the fact that diverse people have an
imbalance in one of these two elements and that this always
reveals itself as a damaging trait when it is very accentuated. For
example, a person who acts almost solely via emotion without
rationality can become a dangerous religious or political fanatic,
with an excessive emotional attachment to their convictions or
dogmas, akin to the hate born against those who don’t ‘rationalize’
like them.
A person who is extremely rational will not be able to truly ‘be’,
Intelligence is a potential which manifests itself in many ways; but
because their intelligence will remain a potential which will not be
in this context I will consider it as reason versus feelings.
expressed creatively or in a practical way. Reason and emotions
must guide mutually.
Today we are surrounded by computers and complex devices
which, however, are designed to be able to be used by as many
people as possible. In order to use the internet or a mobile phone
then, it is not necessary to be particularly intelligent.
It is also true that the world is complicated and that a good grasp
of its mechanisms and its instruments allows people to get by
more easily in daily life; yet reason, on its own, cannot subsist in
the same way as emotion.
A surgeon who lets emotion take the better of him will harm the
patient because he will despair and will fear cutting him; one
of little sensitivity, however, will not be motivated to carry out
the operation. Yet, a surgeon with a good balance of reason and
emotion will be compassionate, therefore will operate for the good
of the patient, and will not permit emotions to cloud his mental
faculties.
So, the key to success in the present age and in all ages as well, is
In my opinion, that the heart and mind are two separate entities
not to choose reason or sentiment, but to find equilibrium in both
and, moreover, in contrast with each other, is an idea which
shows out of date, Cartesian reasoning. Indeed, both reason, and of these precious resources.
emotion, originate in the brain, and are closely related. We cannot
take decisions correctly without emotionality. If we sense a sign of
danger, it induces fear, which makes us decide whether to escape
or to protect ourselves.
THE VERDICT:
Comprehending the emotions on the face of an interlocutor
permits us to adjust our consequent behaviour. So, there appears
to be a clear synergy between emotionality and rationality that, if
it is well balanced, permits us to transform the external input we
sense into rational answers appropriate to the environment. The
brain not only completes this course of action (which departs from
the senses and generates rationality) but permits the opposite as
well. By the means of reasoning, we can manage our emotions in
an adequate way.
6
DR. KAREN
NIVEN
Maybe
BEATRICE RESCAZZI IS PRESIDENT OF ATLANTIQ
SOCIETY WWW.ATLANTIQSOCIETY.COM
intelligence (EQ). There is some debate as to the nature of EQ, but
most agree that it is a set of abilities relating to being aware of and
able to manage how we and others around us are feeling.
So why is this type of intelligence important? Many people hold
the belief that emotions are signs of irrationality that prevent us
from performing at our best. But researchers have proven that
emotions have adaptive value, helping us to make better decisions,
to be more creative, and to achieve under pressure. Being able to
harness the power of their emotions may then help people with
high EQ to succeed.
Being able to understand what others are feeling and manage
those feelings when appropriate is also likely to help us to
connect with others. A study by Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel
Sousa Lobo showed that when it comes to who we like to work
Imagine you are given the choice between having a high IQ or the
ability to understand and manage your own and others’ emotions. with, for example, IQ comes second to EQ – we pick “loveable
fools” over “competent jerks”. Not only is forming relationships
Which do you think would be most beneficial for success?
a fundamental human need, but it helps us to get ahead at work.
IQ (standing for intelligence quotient) is best thought of as the
Countless studies on ‘social capital’ demonstrate that people with
general ability that underlies thinking and reasoning. Measured
more connections get promoted faster at work, and that who we
using a series of questions about logic, concepts and patterns, the know is more important even than what we know.
average IQ score is 100, with two-thirds of the population scoring
between 85 and 115.
IQ is clearly important to our success. Those with higher IQs are
shown to have better memory, faster mental processing speed,
better problem-solving, and advanced spatial awareness. In
fact, research studies have suggested that IQ is the best single
predictor of how well a person will perform during education and
in the workplace.
As a result of these advantages, studies suggest that high EQ
is linked to better academic and work performance, even when
taking into account IQ levels. And in the digital age, EQ is set
to become increasingly important. Communicating virtually, via
email, text message, social networking websites etc, means that
being able to manage the emotions that we communicate to others
and to read and interpret others’ cues accurately, is even more
crucial than ever for building relationships and avoiding conflict.
But is IQ really so important now, in the digital age? Access
to digital technologies is at an all-time high; around 80% of
households in the UK have computers with internet access, and
92% of UK adults own a mobile phone. And these technologies are
So which form of intelligence should you choose to propel you to
able to perform many of the mental functions that we can, only
success? In my view, EQ tips the balance.
faster.
Computers and mobiles are able to process and remember most
things with ease, and the internet represents an encyclopedia
of knowledge at our fingertips. As a blogger put it recently, “Our
phones are getting smarter, but are we getting dumber?”
There is some evidence that IQ is becoming less important. A
recent study found that since the Victorian times our IQs have been
dropping at a rate of over 1 IQ point per year. At the very least,
changes in technologies have led to people using their brains
differently. For example, rather than needing to remember things
such as friends’ phone numbers, now we need to remember how
or where to find that information.
So has the increased reliance on technology negated the need
for intelligence altogether? An American psychologist, Howard
Gardner, proposed the idea that rather than just IQ, there are
multiple types of intelligence, including musical intelligence and
bodily-kinesthetic (athletic) intelligence, amongst others.
Yes
THE VERDICT:
DR. KAREN NIVEN IS A LECTURER IN
ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY AT MANCHESTER
BUSINESS SCHOOL, AND EDITOR OF ‘SHOULD I
One type of intelligence that has been long-discussed (even dating STRAP A BATTERY TO MY HEAD? (AND OTHER
back to Darwin’s work, albeit under a different name), is emotional QUESTIONS ABOUT EMOTION)’
Schmidt, F. L., & Hunter, J. E. (1998). The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and theoretical implications of 85 years of research findings. Psychological Bulletin,
124, 262-274.
Colier, N. (2013, May). Our phones are getting smarter, but are we getting dumber? Psychology Today.
Woodley, M. A., te Nijenhuis, J., & Murphy, R. (2013). Were the Victorians cleverer than us? The decline in general intelligence estimated from a meta-analysis of the slowing of simple reaction time.
Intelligence.
Shakarami, A., Mardziah, H. A., Faiz, S. A., & Tan, B. H. (2011). Remembering differently: Use of memory strategies among net-generation ESL learners. Educational Research and
Reviews, 6, 350-357.
Casciaro, T., & Lobo, M. S. (2005). Competent jerks, lovable fools, and the formation of social networks. Harvard Business Review, 83, 92-99.
Lam, L. T., & Kirby, S. L. (2002). Is emotional intelligence an advantage? An exploration of the impact of emotional and general intelligence on individual performance. Journal of Social
Psychology, 142, 133-143.
7
The New Idealist Magazine The Student Room
The Student Room
STUDENT EDITOR COLUMN
My life as a student has come
to an end, after fifteen years
of hard work. Throughout
all those years, I came
across several methods to
successfully revise and every
single one mentioned the need
for a suitable place as the key
to academic triumph. Noisy
places like the kitchen or the
living room were not advised.
But one place I never thought
wouldn’t be suitable was the
library.
The New Idealist Magazine The Student Room
A Penny Pound for
your thoughts
The ultimate question is, if students don’t feel safe to
study at their own library, where will they? I’m just glad
I’ve never been ‘spotted’.
Mariana Cerqueira
Student Editor
Mariana is a graduate
of The University of Manchester
Renso Samuels - TV & Radio
We asked 10 students from the
University of Salford for their thoughts
on the following and gave each one of
them a pound in return. The results
are as follows...
Q. Do sites like ‘spotted’ and
‘hottie in the library’ encourage
harassment or bullying of fellow
students?
influence
’t
n
s
e
o
d
A. 'It
does
it but it it
’
encourage
ing
Video Gam
I first heard about Spotted on my Facebook news feed.
A considerable amount of my connections had liked
it, so I decided to do so as well. It seemed harmless
at first, but after a few posts I realised the potential
of the page – students bored with revision having a
platform to voice whatever they want about the people
they are sharing that study space with, anonymously.
Tabz, the Women’s Officer at Manchester Students’
Union, expresses serious concerns in her article, after
receiving countless complaints from students.
Eight out of the ten interviewed students considered
pages like ‘Spotted’ to be encouraging harassment
of other students – confirming Tabz’s concerns.
Ben Fearn, a current student at The University of
Manchester, also speaks his mind on Spotted – you can
find his article on our website.
A. 'Just another platform for
bullying’
puter
rton - Com
Aaron Me
A. 'gives people an
outlet to voice
negative opinions’
Steven McGee Callender - Student
A. 'I think it is encouraging bullying’
Ivan Valdivia - MA Wildlife
A. 'because of the anonymous nature,
it may inspire abuse’
Lucy Lowe - Computer and Video Games
A. 'Taking the mick a bit far’
Lucy Cassidy - Student
A. 'Some people mig
take it for gra ht
to insult peoplented
’
Romy Szekel
y - TV
A. 'Unfortunately people find it easier
to be rude than nice’
& Radio
Sam Bond - MA Wildlife
l
A. ’People wil se
u
use any exc ’
y
to be nast
lly Nicole Ke
TV & Radio
A. 'It is an invasion
of privacy and leads to
unwanted attention’
OVERALL
VERDICT:
YES
Katie Dickinson - MA Journalism
8
9
The New Idealist Magazine The Student Room
The New Idealist Magazine International Diaries
THE TROLLS IN THE LIBRARY
You would have had to have had your eyes (or rather
your laptop) shut this year to have missed the growth
of Spotted Facebook pages at Universities and Colleges
around the country. For those of you who shun Facebook,
Spotted pages all follow a similar theme. An anonymous
student or students run the pages, while other students
anonymously submit content for the pages to publish.
These often include fairly benign complaints about people
eating and talking while other students try to study, and
helpful support, such as students sharing info on free
computers, plug sockets and even operating a lost and
found. All valid parts of student life and nothing anyone
would really complain about, if managed responsibly. Yet,
as Women’s Officer at Manchester Students’ Union, I have
received more complaints about these kinds of other sites
than all other complaints about the University put together,
because alongside the lost headphones and broken
printers lurks some particularly unpleasant harassment
and bullying. When students feel too uncomfortable to
go into their own learning spaces because of the actions
of those who secretly run a Facebook page, we have a
problem.
Some students have said that those who feel too anxious or
uncomfortable to use the Library need to “grow a pair” and
“get over it”. To them, I ask, is your right to procrastinate
over spiteful, hurtful and abusive comments greater than
those students right to their own education? Universities
and Colleges are spaces where we are supposed to
develop critical thinking skills and become socially
responsible. Can you really condone those posting pictures
of “fat students” eating snack foods or the mocking
comments afterwards? Do you think its right that women
students have non consensual photos posted for their
peers to rate from 1-10?
Students use these pages to police the appearances
of students, objectifying women students in their
work space. Admins have, on a number of instances,
promoted comments which have been racist, sexist
and/or homophobic in content. Pictures that clearly
identify students are published without their consent,
and at times posts openly attack staff. It’s not about not
having fun. Students shouldn’t have to avoid the library
in case they are shamed on a Facebook page. Spotted
pages could absolutely exist in a way that doesn’t rely on
surveillance tactics that are often offensive, intimidating
The veil of anonymity allows those running and posting
and discriminatory to many students, and it is perfectly
Spotted pages to share some truly obnoxious sexist
possible to have joke without them being at the expense
material, from detailing graphic sexual acts that posters
would like to do to women sharing the library with them to of others. The admins could run pages that are more
spiteful messages encouraging “average looking” women responsible, that take into consideration zero tolerance
to cover up lest they are deemed “sluts”. The boredom and to sexual harassment, and filter offensive discriminatory
material including homophobic, racist and sexist
procrastination of week long library sessions has led to
students in their thousands signing up for Spotted updates, comments which have indeed been ‘spotted’ on these
pages.
no doubt encouraging those running the pages to be ever
more controversial in their postings. Alongside their more
Facebook often shuts these pages down, yet they spring up
blatant cousins, Hottie in the Library and University of
time and again. It is not the internet that is at fault here.
Manchester Fitty Feed, these pages contribute to a hostile
Facebook is a space that reflects the cultures found on
culture reminiscent of American teen flicks, where bullying
our campuses. Whether in the classroom, in your halls
and objectification are seen as commonplace side effects
or on the internet, there is no place for bullying in our
of receiving an education.
institutions. It is time for institutions to take this behaviour
seriously and stamp it out, once and for all. Facebook
A lot of the debate around these pages focuses on the
pages don’t bully students; other students do.
objectification of women students. The National Union
of Students (NUS) has a very strong Women’s Campaign
and as a result Women’s Officers and student groups
from around the country have come together to challenge
their institutions to do something about them. The recent
NUS report, That’s What SHE Said throws further light on
the impacts of “lad culture” on our campuses and in our
classrooms. Yet the damaging impact of these pages is
not only felt by women or based around a student’s sexual
worth. If you’re “too scruffy” or “too smart”, “too fat” or
Tabs O’Brien-Butcher.
“too thin”, basically if you don’t adhere to an anonymous
student’s idea of what is acceptable you are torn apart and Women’s Officer, University of Manchester Student Union.
laughed at.
10
International diaries
New Orleans Journal By Clifton Harris
The biggest story since my last column was the shooting of
nineteen people at a second line parade on Mother’s Day.
A second line parade consist of a brass band, a marching
group that we call social and pleasure clubs in New Orleans
along with people who follow them. They are the second
line. It’s good free fun but since the roots of it are based in
neighborhoods that tend to be kind of rough the atmosphere
can be dangerous sometimes.
he acknowledges too much of our city’s history of problems
then it will slow down progress.
Our city is going full steam ahead looking forward. We
have new professional residents who are moving here
that embrace the culture of our city without any of the
emotional baggage of growing up here. Their new energy is
everywhere. There is construction and new developments
popping up everywhere. There are two new hospitals being
built in the heart of the city. Without a doubt New Orleans is
moving forward.
Now, these parades happen all the time and usually no one
gets harmed but the chance is always there because it’s an
open free party which means anyone can be out there. It’s
At the same time we have deep rooted issues of poverty,
these kinds of stories that highlight our criminal element and
crime, and homelessness. Most of the public school system
the challenges we have at stemming the epidemic of violence
was taken over after Katrina but it still has its challenges.
in our community.
Our murder rate is still among the highest in the nation.
We have serious issues with substance abuse and mental
Spring is the time where New Orleans residents spend a lot
health. Our police department and jail both have consent
of time outside. It’s full of festivals and social events that
decrees from the federal government that the mayor says we
take place outdoors. There’s a festival for just about every
can’t afford to implement. Despite all the new developments
aspect of South Louisiana Culture. It’s a great time to get
out and embrace who we are and the things that make living and opportunity, there was a recent study highlighting the
challenges of black men in the workforce.
here special. You may have to put up with the occasional
thunderstorm but it’s a small price to pay for a great time.
While I am excited about the future I am also concerned
The majority of springtime is also right before hurricane
about our problems. While we are building new things and
season so anxiety is low and bad memories are still being
having a great time we still haven’t come that far where a
maintained.
teenager won’t feel compelled to shoot a gun into a crowd full
of people. New Orleans has come a long way but we have a lot
Hurricane season runs from June to November. During this
more work to do.
time of year you keep focused on what you are trying to
accomplish and one eye on the tropics because you never
know when life may change. This period symbolizes the
feeling I have living here currently as a lifelong resident. I’m
caught between hope for the future, the pain of the past and
the frustration of the present. I have to move forward and
do everything I can to make this city a great place to live
for myself and my children to thrive in. At the same time I
can’t ignore the issues from the past and the problems that
continue to give us problems. I feel I have an obligation to
acknowledge those things.
Our mayor Mitch Landrieu is a very progressive and
ambitious mayor. He’s made a lot of changes in the city just
like his father did in the 70’s. I don’t have any issue with his
progressive agenda. I would much rather a forward thinking
mayor than the one who just sits around and lets things
continue to fall apart. My only concern is that he never talks
about anything in the past. Sometimes I think that he feels if
ly resides in New Orleans East with his family. He is an Information
Clifton Harris is a lifelong resident of New Orleans. He current
organizations with providing services to the homeless in the city.
Systems Coordinator that assists case managers and nonprofit
When he isn’t working he enjoys writing, and being a full time father.
focuses most of his writing towards social and community issues.
He has been writing his blog cliffscrib.blogspot.com where he
t.com.
Rebuilding the city. Parade photos online at www.thenewidealis
11
The New Idealist Magazine International Diaries
The New Idealist Magazine International Diaries
There is no real financial damage, but it was hard work
and they really loved it there. It will be some years
until they will finish tidying up everything.
International diaries
Elisabeth Heym In Jena, Germany
My name is Elisabeth Heym and I’m a
student of Medicine in Jena, a one
hundred thousand inhabitant city
in the middle of Germany. That’s
not that big, but the atmosphere
of our science and university city’
is great! every fourth person in the
street is a student!
Dresden, a town which is situated on the river Elbe.
After some years of attending school and university
here, I always see some familiar faces on the campus
or in the park. My parents often joke and say, ‘Look,
all the students here – they just relax and sunbath,
drink coffee, enjoy life and don’t have to work hard
for their study. It must be easy these days.’ Of course,
I counter then, `Every afternoon there are different
people. It’s just the big number of students and the
small area of the meeting places. And they use a single
free afternoon in a month’ But I know that Jena with
its inhabitants is very happy to have all these young
people in town. We are a rare example of a growing city
here in our region.
Deciding on a field of work wasn’t very easy for me
after school. But now, I realise, that I’m very content
with my choice. I was in the fortunate position of being
completely free of my study plans. So my parents told
12
me to choose whatever I can imagine working in, the
university next to my home village offered a lot of
study choices, which seemed interesting to me and my
requirements from school enabled nearly every job
idea.
After a very long period of mediation and deciding and
having completely different plans and deciding again
and being unsure for days and days, I gave myself
a start and applied for one of the 260 places in the
Medical Faculty. No year abroad, jobbing, travelling,
doing nothing, finding my inner balance, whatever –
just starting a degree and learning all the doctor-like
stuff.
Yes, our study is loaded with anatomy, histology,
dissection courses, physiology, biochemistry and so
on, but me and my fellow students, we can’t complain,
it’s self-imposed stress. And the requirements for a
successful study are absolutely given. I feel well taught
and visits to the daily hospital life are included by now.
And of course, it simplifies things if you don’t have to
care for anyone other than yourself.
We were lucky that the water didn`t reach the city
centre of Jena.
The ‘Augustusbrücke’ of Dresden.
Our political and economical situation is very good,
we don’t have to fight for educational rights or jobs
– doctors are always needed. We just have to fill our
minds with thousands of pieces of information and
pass the horrible exams in the end.
But in the last weeks we were in exceptional
circumstances. Do you remember the park I
mentioned? Imagine, there wasn’t a green area
any longer. And you couldn’t see the streets and the
sports fields and the stadium and the garden plots
anymore... everything sunken in dirty brown water.
The flood, caused by heavy rains for days, destroyed
the waterside all along the river Saale.
We can be very happy there aren’t
so many districts directly
situated on the river. But my
grandparents own a garden next to
the Saale and they have to grapple
with the consequences. Usually
they spend their summertime in
this garden, grow vegetables and
fruit, relax in their bower and
watch the cactuses prospering in
their greenhouse. But after days
of being the floor of an ocean, all
the plants don’t want to sprout
anymore, the bower is filled with mud
and the cactuses wish themselves
back to the desert.
In other German cities, the consequences are much
worse. Urban quarters try to protect themselves
against the water, but sandbags and banks don’t help.
The pictures on TV were really disastrous. But the
weather is better now, the flood is decreasing and I
hope for sunshine and a dry summertime.
The city centre of Jena with the ‘Jentower’.
Elisabeth Heym, 19 years old, her parents and her
little sister live in Großlöbichau, a small village
near Jena, Germany. After attending school for
twelve years, she decided to stay and started
studying Medicine at the University ‘FriedrichSchiller’.
the UK and
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get in touch with
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13
The New Idealist Magazine Coaching Workshop
The New Idealist Magazine Coaching Workshop
Coaching workshop
SIX STEPS TO PERSONAL FULFILLMENT…
Welcome to part two of our Coaching Workshop series,
designed to help you find simple ways to improve your
1) Allow yourself to dream — what do you really want
from your career?
2) Work the dream into a plan
In this second part of the process, you are considering
‘How could I get to this dream?’ Again, keep the critic at
bay and think about how it might be possible to get from
where you are now to where you want to be.
life and feel more fulfilled. We continue with business
and psychology expert Karen Meager who will help you
identify what obstacles may be preventing you from
experiencing the career you aspire to.
• Are there different paths to achieving this?
First, break down your career hopes by answering the
following questions:
• What do you enjoy about what you do?
Part Two — Professional Situation
How to manage your career related hopes and fears
• What tasks would you avoid if you could?
• How do you really feel about managing other people?
• What do you get out of your work?
Many people get to the point in their working lives
where they are unhappy and considering a career
change. This is not surprising because what we wanted
to do or thought fitted our skill set at the start of our
career can alter as we get older. But this prospective
change can make us feel unsettled. Sometimes
staying with a job we don’t like is a more comfortable
proposition than taking shaky steps in a new direction.
This fear is totally understandable but potentially
• Who do you admire professionally and why?
• What do I need from a career now? In five and 10
years?
Next, brainstorm ‘What is important to me about
my career?’ onto sticky-backed notes. Once you’ve
written them all out, sort the pages into order, with the
most important at the top. The top three or four will
represent factors that are absolutely critical for your
work satisfaction.
• Do you know anyone else who has done this or could
you read about someone who has?
• What’s the very first step? This could be as simple as
doing some research
• What resources would you need? Time, money, skills,
support from others?
3) Analyse the plan
Now it is finally time to consider the plan critically.
Stand back and contemplate:
• What is missing in this plan?
• What specifically are you afraid of? (If anything)
• What are the potential unintended consequences of
this plan? Think about your family, your free time, other
areas of your life. Are you OK with these consequences?
disabling. At its worst, it can prevent us from thinking
clearly through what we want from the rest of our lives.
It is important to think freely and not to let your inner
critic get in the way. The part of you that says ‘that’s not
possible because of XY and Z’ will have its turn later.
4) Revise the dream and take your first steps
This process will enable you to unpack your hopes and
fears in an easily manageable fashion. It will empower
you to start to understand what career means to you
and where it fits into your lifestyle.
By the end of stage one, the purpose is not to identify a
job title and industry, but to start to develop a sense of
what a fulfilling career would look like and feel like to
you.
Now take all you’ve learned back to your original
dream:
• What could be changed or revised?
• What new ideas do you have?
• If you found some consequences you didn’t like,
14
brainstorm ways to overcome them or incorporate
some changes into the plan.
Write down three things you are going to do to get
your plan moving. This could be as simple as talking it
through with your partner, doing some research into
courses and talking to someone who already what you
would like to do. The key is to do something active right
away to get you started.
If you have reached the end of these four steps and
still feel muddled in your thinking, you may need to
go through the process several times. Sometimes it
helps to have someone else to guide you through the
questions so that you can think freely.
Karen Meager draws on her business and psychology
expertise to create leading edge training programmes
that deliver both business needs and individual personal
development. Karen has an MBA specialising in
strategy, financial strategy and human development.
She is also a UKCP registered Psychotherapist
(DipNLPt) and an INLPTA certified NLP Master Trainer.
www.monkeypuzzletraining.co.uk
THE SIX STEPS TO
PERSONAL FULFILLMENT…
Part One — Current Situation:
What is the main obstacle or challenge
you are currently facing?
Part Two — Professional Life:
How to manage your careerrelated hopes and fears.
Part Three — Family & Friendships:
How to make the most of your social life.
Part Four — Making a difference:
Are you using your skillset effectively?
art Five — Personal Goals:
P
Do you know what you want from your
life?
Part Six — Action Planning:
How to make change happen.
15
The New Idealist Magazine Something For The Weekend
Something for the weekend
N. THE
VISIT BRIGHTO
EA.
CITY BY THE S
Brighton is one of the few places in the UK which seems to receive universally positive reviews.
It’s near enough to London to be convenient for international and local travellers, yet far
The New Idealist Magazine Something For The Weekend
A ROOM WITH A VIEW
AT LEGENDS HOTEL
A five minute taxi ride from Brighton station and two minutes’ walk
from the beachfront, Legends Hotel is a lively, resort-style hotel
with lavishly decorated luxury rooms, many of which have absolutely
stunning sea views. Located right in the heart of the gay nightlife
scene, the hotel has a bar and basement club, and offers a warm
welcome to all guests both straight and gay.
enough away to feel like a whole different experience from the busy city. For those who don’t
Price: Standard Double from £75 Luxury Double from £90
per night with breakfast included in both rates.
mind shingle beach, if you happen to be by the sea a hot day, with beautiful blue skies it really
Web: www.legendsbrighton.com
can feel you are on holiday. Here’s some tips for how to make the most of Brighton.
THE SEA LIFE CENTRE
Located centrally on Brighton’s seafront, SEA LIFE Brighton is
the world’s oldest operating aquarium.
SEA LIFE Brighton has an underwater tunnel and is home to
over 1,500 creatures and 50 marine displays. You could also ride
on the UK’s first Glass Bottom Boat and join in with the free
rockpool experience.
Price: Standard tickets are £14.50, £12.60 if booked online.
Extra charges apply for the boat ride.
Web: www.visitsealife.com/Brighton
The BEAchfront
and pier
At beach level, the restored Victorian seafront arches are alive with bars, cafés, restaurants and clubs
and twenty of the smallest arches have been turned into artists’ studios. Traditional and modern
seaside fun can be had on Brighton Pier with its full size funfair, candyfloss stalls and arcade games.
If you like exploring you could visit the North Laine, Brighton’s Bohemian Quarter, with its Saturday
street market and quirky and unusual shops.
Brighton by Numbers
Population Size: Around 253,800
Number of Hotels: Around 43
Number of Pubs: Around 900
Price: FREE
Number of Mainline Stations: 1
Web: www.visitbrighton.com
16
17
The New Idealist Magazine Something to think about...
...
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Are those with a higher EQ better off than those with a higher IQ when it comes to happiness?
So far, there is some evidence that those with lower IQ
are less happy than those with higher IQ. There is also
evidence to suggest that there is no relationship between
the two.
The underlining message is that having a higher IQ will
either make you happier or no better off. However, there
are many other life domains that those with a higher IQ
are more likely to perform well in that also influence
happiness.
For most people, when they think of a child doing well
in school they will first think of exam scores. It is these
scores that gain the same child entry into university, with
their IQ level majorly determining how well they do in their
degree.
Children with low levels of EQ generally have worse life
outcomes, and are more likely to commit crimes, become
unemployed and get divorced as adults. Research also
indicates that those with higher EQs have higher levels of
happiness and life satisfaction. This may however be an
indirect relationship given that EQ overlaps significantly
with other personality traits that can influence happiness.
What we do know is that a high EQ in childhood is
predictive of happiness over the life-course. In addition,
those with higher EQs are more likely to have stable
marriages, be happier in their jobs and raise children with
higher EQs.
Neither EQ or IQ are enough on their own to lead to a
successful life. Research to date is undecided about
whether either have direct influences on happiness,
however both can influence it indirectly through the
opportunities in life they bring. Arguably, for happiness EQ
is more important, given that many of the gains from IQ in
terms of happiness are eroded by relativity and adaptation.
In the same vein, when they think of an adult doing well
in life they often think first of income and job type. Again,
IQ has some influence in this regard. So the question
is, whether having a degree, having a higher income, or
having a certain type of occupation affect happiness? If they
By the time we are adults our IQ is determined — this
do, while IQ may not raise happiness directly it does so
is mostly genetic but can also be influenced by early
indirectly through these pathways.
environment, early nutrition, nurture and even birth order!
However, some researchers believe that we can alter our
The answer here is not clear-cut as research shows that
EQ.
for all of these life outcomes, it is not a person’s own
achievements that matter but relative achievements. That
In this regard, the first step is to manage stress. After
is, having additional income will only make you happier if
this, a person can work on their emotional awareness with
your neighbors and social circle have less.
studies suggesting meditation as having a high return.
Similarly, having a prestigious job will only change your
Next, a person can work on their verbal and non-verbal
level of life satisfaction if others around you do not. Any
communication skills. While some individuals are gifted in
gains that do occur are temporary and individuals adapt
this regard, there is also substantial scope to learn such
to their higher social standing. So while having a high IQ
skills. Even if investing in these skills do not make you
will open many opportunities in life up to you, it does not
happy directly, decreasing stress will help your mental
guarantee you happiness.
health, improving emotional awareness will help your
relationships and working on communication skills will
EQ or emotional intelligence concerns the ability to
perceive, control and evaluate one’s own emotions, as well help your work life.
as be in tune with the emotions of others. It consists of four
main elements; self-awareness, self-management, social Together, improving these dimensions — as well as many
others — will indirectly make you happier.
awareness and relationship management. EQ therefore
has a big influence on how we interact with others on a
Dr Grace Lordan, Health Economist, LSE
daily basis.
18
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> Read an extra insight on The BIG Debate feature from Dr Maria Leitner,
British MENSA Supervisory Psychologist and Jo Maddocks from JCA
(Occupational Psychologists).
> Consider The Limits of Rationality: When Reason Falls Short of Itself from Steve Fuller, University of Warwick.
> Nan Sherrard, careers advisor at Graduate Prospects can help recent
graduates consider future possibilities and realise their career dreams.
> Extra photos from our New Orleans Journal.
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