On Loneliness: “The tale of two people, a pair of earphones and a lunchtime break”

On May the 2nd 2023, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek released an advisory statement as part of President Joe Biden’s administration’s efforts to address mental health. In that statement, he declared that loneliness was an epidemic affecting many Americans, where if left unchecked, leads to other medical issues, such as sleep problems, higher risks of stroke, dementia and other mental, physical and societal health conditions. Loneliness, however, is not just a US problem. In March 2023, the UK Government’s Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), published the Tackling Loneliness annual report March 2023: the fourth year, which built on the 2018 strategy to tackle loneliness. In the policy paper it addressed how loneliness showed no bias as to who it could affect. After years of policy work, the department sort to “to raise awareness of loneliness and improve the support for lonely people in England.” (1) In doing so, the taskforce acknowledged three areas that needed to be addressed. The first was in ‘reducing stigma’ so that people feel comfortable to talk about loneliness. The second was on ‘driving a lasting shift’, which relates to advocacy work, policy-making and supporting organisations who are doing the work around tackling loneliness and building relationships. The third area, ‘playing our part in improving the evidence base on loneliness’, as the title suggests, is based on evidence, research and published papers, such as the department commissioning a study that looked at the factors associated with loneliness, to see who is at risk (2).

Loneliness Awareness Week falls between the 12th and 18th of June this year. There are many ways in which we can all be advocates in tackling loneliness and for the Marmalade Trust, a leading UK loneliness charity for all ages and the only charity in the world specifically dedicated to raising awareness of loneliness, one of things that we should remember, is that connection matters. Themed as such, they remind us, that it is connection that makes all of us human. So how might loneliness play out, in our interactions in the workplace? Do you have that colleague that reaches out to you and is thankful that you took the time out to check in on them? Or now that many of us are returning to hybrid working and can, perhaps go into the office albeit unwillingly, have the opportunity to connect with others face to face, where for some, remote working is still the only option? In these cases, ‘social connection’ often cited as being the cure to tackling loneliness, remains a virtual reality.

There is a difference then, between loneliness and being alone, and the two should not be confused. As Dr Vivek says, “I think the time you get concerned is when you start experiencing a feeling of loneliness for prolonged periods of time. If you feel lonely, you pick up the phone and call a friend, and then it goes away, or you get in the car and go see a family member, that’s OK. That’s loneliness acting like hunger or thirst, a signal our body sends us when we need something for survival. It’s when it persists that it becomes harmful.” (3)

 

The tale of two people, a pair of earphones and a lunchtime break

 

To read the full article, “It’s only a bit of banter”, you must be a PILAA Member.

 

Notes:

(1) Tackling Loneliness annual report March 2023: the fourth year (2023) Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/loneliness-annual-report-the-fourth-year/tackling-loneliness-annual-report-march-2023-the-fourth-year

(2) Investigating factors associated with loneliness in adults in England (2022) Department for Culture, Media & Sport. Available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/factors-associated-with-loneliness-in-adults-in-england/investigating-factors-associated-with-loneliness-in-adults-in-england

(3) Dillinger, K (2023) Surgeon general lays out framework to tackle loneliness and ‘mend the social fabric of our nation’. CNN Health online. Available at https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/02/health/murthy-loneliness-isolation/index.html

 

“It’s only a bit of banter”

Last month saw the anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence, who was killed in a racially motivated attack in Eltham by a group of white males when he was aged 18 on the evening of 22 April 1993. Whilst his death will forever go down in history, as a miscarriage of justice, his death has still been symbolic. His death reminds the nation of the horrors of racism and of a past we must not turn back to, using the lessons of such injustices and inequalities, especially where some of the five or six people who killed Stephen, have not been brought to justice, to build on the present and to a future that embraces race relations. As Stephen’s father, Neville Lawrence said in his recent article, to mark Stephen Lawrence Day, which is the annual celebration of Stephen’s life and legacy:

“Stephen’s image has come to symbolise so much. For me, too, he is the face for change. But he was also my little boy. I will always remember him as both.” (1)

In the same breadth then, we are reminded that things have not necessarily changed and that as well as good intentioned anti-racism movements have galvanised around these times, just as they did during the murder of George Floyd in 2020, they have also faltered somewhat (2).

According to a UK Government publication, that has re-visited the Macpherson report, a 389-page review document written in 1999 by Judge Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, to look into the murder of Stephen, 23 years later there has been:

“significant improvements in the policing of racist crimes, in the commitments made to promoting equality and diversity and in good examples of local community policing. But our inquiry has also identified persistent, deep rooted and unjustified racial disparities in key areas including a confidence gap for BME communities, lack of progress on BME recruitment, problems in misconduct proceedings and unjustified racial disparities in stop and search.” (3) 

Whilst there has been some movement then, we are still currently witnessing the same issues arising within the Metropolitan Police today, where one is reminded of the saying by Sun Tzu, the Chinese military general, that “the Wheels of Justice turn slowly but exceedingly fine”. These feelings towards seeking justice, in what can be described as a slowly changing long process, are further echoed in the words of Baroness Lawrence, Stephen’s mother, when she said that “things have become stagnant and nothing seems to have moved.” (4)

To read the full article, “It’s only a bit of banter”, you must be a PILAA Member.

 

Research Associate Vacancies

PILAA Research Associate (Consultant) Vacancy – Disability, accessibility neurodiversity and mental health

We are looking for PILAA personalities to become part of our growing family of PILAA Research Associates. Are you an expert or have relevant experience in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion themes, but specifically on disability, accessibility neurodiversity and mental health and well-being.

Do you have what it takes to educate and inspire others in a fun and creative way, utilising PILAA’s key values which embody FOCUS (Fun, Open-mindedness, Creativity, understanding, Sincerity)?

If you want to make a difference to people’s and businesses lives, through action and learning and if you think you have what it takes to become a PILAA personality, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

  • Delivering and facilitating training on EDI related topics, specialising in disability, accessibility neurodiversity and mental health and well-being, or multiple is desirable and also, at the intersections
  • Offering consultancy to clients from various industries and being able to adapt expertise or training to tailor that industry
  • Facilitating bespoke conversations on EDI, especially with new narratives and ways of thinking, that are not typically discussed within the EDI landscape and as they relate to the subject of this role
  • Creating bespoke training in accordance with clients’ needs and under guidance and support from PILAA Account Director
  • Be part of the thinking behind our visual campaigns, newsletters, quarterly resource guides, and developing monthly webinars and Q&A’s related to the subject of this role

Key Person Specifications

  • The ability to inspire others, utilising strong presentation skills
  • Strong research background or relevant experience in chosen field(s) of expertise (PhD level or relevant would be advantageous)
  • Strong or growing public profile or the desire in working towards this
  • Someone who can see all sides of the argument
  • Creative approach, storyteller, fun facilitator of training
  • Creative, visual, artistic, performative, background which can be applied to EDI would be advantageous
  • Can demonstrate embodying PILAA’s 5 values: FOCUS (Fun, Open-Mindedness, Creativity, Understanding and Sincerity
  • Can adapt EDI training to multiple industries and tailor material accordingly
  • Someone who genuinely wants to make a difference and has the patience and resilience to do so
  • Someone who is interested in human behaviour and improving organisational workplace cultures
  • Forward thinkers, innovative thinkers, compassionate thinkers, creative thinkers
  • Good knowledge of EDI themes, anti-discriminatory laws, policies and awareness of the 9 protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, as well as catering to new knowledge in around these areas

Salary – Consultancy day rates and training rates apply

How to apply

If interested please send a CV, along with a 500-word statement or thereabouts (by text, audio, video, or any other alternative way) on why you want to be a PILAA personality, addressing the points mentioned in the job vacancy.

Send to info@pilaa.co.uk

In email subject heading add: PILAA Research Associate Vacancy – Disability, Mental Health, Neurodiversity, Well Being

Deadline – Open until Tuesday 5pm on the 9th of May 2023.

We welcome anyone to apply, from all walks of life, from all backgrounds as long as you want to make a difference. Our roles are open to all!

PILAA Research Associate (Consultant) Vacancy 

We are looking for PILAA personalities to become part of our growing family of PILAA Research Associates. Are you an expert or have relevant experience in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion themes, whether that’s on race, gender and sex, disability, neurodiversity, age, class, the psychology of human behaviour, facilitating difficult dialogues, inclusive leadership, policy and advocacy or any other topic not mentioned above or typically not talked about?

Do you have what it takes to educate and inspire others in a fun and creative way, utilising PILAA’s key values which embody FOCUS (Fun, Open-mindedness, Creativity, understanding, Sincerity)?

If you want to make a difference to people’s and businesses lives, through action and learning and if you think you have what it takes to become a PILAA personality, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

  • Delivering and facilitating training on EDI related topics, specialising either in a particular area, as listed above or multiple is desirable and also, at the intersections
  • Offering consultancy to clients from various industries and being able to adapt expertise or training to tailor that industry
  • Facilitating bespoke conversations on EDI, especially with new narratives and ways of thinking, that are not typically discussed within the EDI landscape and as they relate to the subject of this role
  • Creating bespoke training in accordance with clients’ needs and under guidance and support from PILAA Account Director
  • Be part of the thinking behind our visual campaigns, newsletters, quarterly resource guides, and developing monthly webinars and Q&A’s related to the subject of this role

Key Person Specifications

  • The ability to inspire others, utilising strong presentation skills
  • Strong research background or relevant experience in chosen field(s) of expertise (PhD level or relevant would be advantageous)
  • Strong or growing public profile or the desire in working towards this
  • Someone who can see all sides of the argument
  • Creative approach, storyteller, fun facilitator of training
  • Creative, visual, artistic, performative, background which can be applied to EDI would be advantageous
  • Can demonstrate embodying PILAA’s 5 values: FOCUS (Fun, Open-Mindedness, Creativity, Understanding and Sincerity
  • Can adapt EDI training to multiple industries and tailor material accordingly
  • Someone who genuinely wants to make a difference and has the patience and resilience to do so
  • Someone who is interested in human behaviour and improving organisational workplace cultures
  • Forward thinkers, innovative thinkers, compassionate thinkers, creative thinkers
  • Good knowledge of EDI themes, anti-discriminatory laws, policies and awareness of the 9 protected characteristics under the 2010 Equality Act, as well as catering to new knowledge in around these areas

Salary – Consultancy day rates and training rates apply

How to apply

If interested please send a CV, along with a 500-word statement or thereabouts (by text, audio, video, or any other alternative way) on why you want to be a PILAA personality, addressing the points mentioned in the job vacancy.

Send to info@pilaa.co.uk

In email subject heading add: PILAA Research Associate Vacancy – Open

Deadline – Open until Tuesday 5pm on the 9th of May 2023.

We welcome anyone to apply, from all walks of life, from all backgrounds as long as you want to make a difference. Our roles are open to all!

Age and Experience: Tackling the Dreaded Conundrum to Inclusivity

“A basic truism in gerontology is that age per se is meaningless: it is always mediated through social processes and cultural attitudes.” (John Macnicol, 2006)

On March the 13th we witnessed the 95th Academy Awards, otherwise known as the Oscars, where history was made on multiple grounds. Stealing the spotlight were two of Hollywood’s greatest women, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis, winning Oscars for Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Actress in a Supporting Role, respectively, for the film Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). In Yeoh’s speech as she collected her award, she goes to say:

“For all the little boys and girls, that look like me, watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that dreams, dream big and dreams do come true. And ladies, don’t let anybody tell you, you are past your prime. Never give up.”

Her words were significant, for Yeoh had made history. History as the first East Asian actress, of Chinese-Malaysian heritage to win the award, bringing visibility to such minority communities on the grounds of racial difference. Simultaneously, and perhaps more pertinently, her speech also addressed, what sometimes is seen to be a hidden conversation, one which references age, and in this case, at the intersections with gender. This Oscars along with other key award ceremony’s this year, were dubbed “as the year that actresses in mid-life and beyond are finally getting their due.” (1) Along with Yeoh, we saw actresses like Angela Bassett and Jennifer Coolidge, all in their 60s being nominated, with statistics proving that women over 40 made up 4 out of 5 of the nominations for best Actress at the Oscars, and 5 out of 6 of the leading Actress and Supporting Actress nominations at the Bafta’s.

Moving away from the workings of gender, on the flip side of the social perceptions around age, on March the 28th, we saw Humza Yousaf being sworn in as the current First Minister of Scotland. Not only is he the first minister of South Asian heritage and who is Muslim, but who has also become the youngest person to take up post at the age of 37. It is worth noting here, that the First Ministers first role within the political landscape, came in 2006, when he worked as a parliamentary assistant for Bashir Ahmad, Scotland’s first Muslim MSP in 2007 until Ahmad’s death two years later. He also went on to be a parliamentary assistant for other MSPs, including Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon, who 16 years later, he has now taken over from.

This article then, looks to the question of age, from both sides of the spectrum. It will look to why age is part of the Equality Act and how discrimination plays out, where for example someone perceives you to be older or younger than you are and treats you unfairly because of it. In any case, age should not be an issue when it comes to getting the right person to do the job, however we know that throwaway comments that you might often hear in the workplace, around age, such as “being over the hill”, “of a certain age”, “little old lady”, or “your young and naïve”, would suggest otherwise.

 

To read the full article, “Every Statement Needs a Platform: Guidance For When to Make a Statement”, you must be a PILAA Member.

 

 

Notes:

(1) White, T (2023) Women Over 60 Are Finally Winning Awards, But Is It Enough? ELLE online. Available at [https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/a42907939/awards-season-older-women-representation/]

(2) Macnicol, J., 2006. Age discrimination: An historical and contemporary analysis. Cambridge University Press.

 

Review – Trade Union Conference: Fighting for anti-racist workplaces

Photo by Y K

On Saturday the 4th of February Stand Up to Racism an anti-racist mobilisation action group, alongside the Trades Union Congress (TUC), hosted the one-day Trade Union Conference, “Fighting for anti-racist workplaces”, at SOAS University. The conference took place against the current back drop of national strikes across multiple sectors that have gripped the nation, including those by Teachers, Ambulance workers, Nurses, Rail workers, university staff and at the end of this month, Junior Doctors.

The timing of this conference was therefore well placed. This reflective review has been written, with the hope of addressing the key themes, as they emerged throughout the day, and as we have understood them. The article is structured in a way, that addresses three broad themes, and then uses them to give tips as to how you can go about fighting for an anti-racist workplace or to tackle other forms of social injustices.

 

Terminology - Black

Four Screen, 2008

The first place we start, which may be a contentious point, is in reference to how the term Black was being used during the opening of the conference. Whilst it is important to address the experience of racism faced by black union members, the focus solely on this group, at a conference positioned as fighting for an anti-racism workplace, did two things. The first suggests that racism, was only experienced by and about black bodies and reinforces a black and white colour divide, with black people and those of African and Caribbean descent, at the eternal bottom of the rung, and other minority racialised groups, above in the hierarchy of race.

Focusing on black workers in itself would not have been problematic, if the conference stated that it was addressing anti-black racism. This term can be referenced, especially when taking into account the nuances of racism by different communities. However, under the present conference title and the way in which racism was referenced only in relation to black workers, by default, it omitted other racialised minority groups from the discussion. Indeed, it seemed slightly at odds, for two panellists in the opening plenary session, Kudsia Batool, the Chair of TUC Head of Equalities and Riz Hussein, a member of the TUC Anti Racist Taskforce, to speak about black workers, with no reference to their experience, as members of other minority racialised groups. In some ways, this harked back to the use of political blackness as an umbrella term ethnic minorities from both Black African and Caribbean descent and Asian communities in the 80s, used in solidarity to fight against racism.

Margaret Greer, the Unison National Equality Officer, then spoke about the challenges of achieving race equality, especially where support had fell short, even for members within the unions themselves. This was an interesting point made by Greer, in a speech that was reminiscent of the sentiment shared by anti-slavery and women’s rights campaigner, Sojourner Truth’s in “Ain’t I a Woman?” delivered at the 1851 Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio. Greer reminds us that unions are made for the workers and that if their needs were not being met, members had the right to hold the unions to account. Racism as we learnt, can seep through all aspects of the workplace, even inside the very support systems for workers, that unions have been built on.

Key advice 1:

1. Be clear on terminology. If the focus is on specific identity groups and the impact of racism, then state it as such. For example, “black anti-racism”, would be different to, ‘Asian anti-racism”, or from “indigenous anti-racism.”

2. Whilst it may be true that black people experience disproportionate levels of racism in certain contexts more than other minority groups, and there will be other times, when this will not be the case, you should also consider the impact of absorbing and being positioned at the bottom of the rung, or of others being sympathetic to one’s situation, as if outside such systems of oppression. We are reminded here, of two instances of liberational thinking. The first is from Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights activist, when he said in 2013, that “you need to abandon your minority complex and adopt a majority complex.” The second is from what race educator, Dr Joy DeGruy describes as ‘post-traumatic slave syndrome’, and the challenge to undo the impact of the legacies of slavery, and its effect on the mental health and well-being of the African American subject, and White Americans too.

 

To read the full article, “Every Statement Needs a Platform: Guidance For When to Make a Statement”, you must be a PILAA Member.