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Home and Away star calls for more diversity

<p><em>Home and Away </em>star Ray Meagher has spoken out about the iconic soap changing direction from its original premise and how he wants better LGBTQ+ representation on the show. </p> <p>Meagher, who has played Alf Stewart on the show since 1988 and is signed on until at least 2027, shared his thoughts on the show's creative direction. </p> <p>The soap, which has explored every possible plot line with cults, abductions, car and motorcycle accidents, health scares, and more, started to go on a different journey following the introduction of the River boys in 2011, with the storyline now focusing more on crimes. </p> <p>Meagher criticised network execs for letting the soap stray from its premise of a seaside community and its original Fletcher family taking in foster children.</p> <p>“There is still penchant for a River Boy,” he said in an interview with <em>TV Tonight</em>. </p> <p>“I mean, that was just a great period. But was it Summer Bay? Hmmm…. in my humble opinion, not to that extent,” Meagher added. </p> <p>He also said that there was nothing wrong with the storylines or the focus on "sex, drugs and rock and roll" but believes that the change of pace "came in too big of a dose," and made the show completely different from its original plot. </p> <p>Meagher also said that it's about time the show had better LGBTQ+ representation, after the show was previously criticised for lack of sustained LGBTQIA+ characters</p> <p>“It’d be nice to have a nice gay character come into the Bay. That would be good,” he said.</p> <p>“However, how many of them do we have in Summer Bay? There would definitely be a percentage, whether they’re above the ground or underground still in a town like the Bay."</p> <p>“The one thing that I have a bit of a problem with is sometimes when you realise there’s a representative hole when people tend to think, ‘Oh, jeez, we’ve ignored that area,’ and then there’s a wash of it. And you think ‘No community looks like that," he added.</p> <p><em>Image: Seven</em></p>

"Makes me vomit": Richard Dreyfuss slams new Hollywood diversity laws

<p>Richard Dreyfuss has taken a stand against new diversity laws that will come into affect at next year's Oscars, saying the new rules make him "vomit".</p> <p>The legendary actor condemned the change to the standards, claiming the laws are trying to legislate people's feelings. </p> <p>Appearing on PBS show <em>Firing Line with Margaret Hoover</em>, a fired-up Dreyfuss said, “This is an art form. It’s also a form of commerce, and it makes money. But it’s an art.”</p> <p>“And no one should be telling me as an artist that I have to give in to the latest, most current idea of what morality is.”</p> <p>Mr Dreyfuss, who famously played Matt Hooper in the 1975 horror film <em>Jaws</em>, went on to say that minorities should not be "catered to" in the arts, but rather awards given based on merit.</p> <p>“What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people’s feelings? You can’t legislate that. And– you have to let life be life. And I’m sorry, I don’t think that there is a minority or a majority in the country that has to be catered to like that,” he said.</p> <p>With the rules set to come into effect in 2024, a film will have to meet certain diversity and inclusion standards in four different categories set out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to be considered for “Best Picture” at the Oscars.</p> <p>The categories, each pertaining to different aspects of a movie’s production, would require new diversity measures to be met through “On-screen Representation,” “Creative Leadership and Project Team,” “Industry Access and Opportunities,” and “Audience Advancement.”</p> <p>“On-screen Representation” is classified as at least one lead character from an under-represented racial or ethnic group, which the Academy defines as women, people of colour, people who identify as LGBTQ+ or people with disabilities, with the new standards meant to encourage diversity on and off the screen.</p> <p>Dreyfuss continued his rant about the new standards, saying the rules will limit what roles actors are able to take, and simply described outdated racist ideals as forms of "art".</p> <p>“Am I being told that I will never have a chance to play a black man? Is someone else being told that if they’re not Jewish, they shouldn’t play the Merchant of Venice? Are we crazy? Do we not know that art is art? This is so patronising. It’s so thoughtless, and treating people like children.”</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p>

Movies

5 books for kids and teens that positively portray trans and gender-diverse lives

<p><a href="https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/blog/trans-day-visibility-global-perspective">International Transgender Day of Visibility</a> is an opportunity to celebrate trans and gender-diverse people – and to raise awareness of the ongoing discrimination they experience.</p> <p>Trans and gender-diverse people <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7826417/">experience</a> higher levels of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal behaviours than the general population. </p> <p>Recent events in <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/25/whats-behind-the-terrifying-backlash-against-australias-queer-community">Australia</a>, <a href="https://time.com/6250646/united-kingdom-scotland-transgender-bill/">the United Kingdom</a> and <a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/5d378d/anti-trans-bills-2023">the US</a> remind us of the need to promote acceptance of trans and gender-diverse young people, and to support their mental health and wellbeing.</p> <p>Community, school and family <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40894-019-00118-w">are vital</a> tools for this. </p> <p>So are books that positively represent trans and gender-diverse experiences, themes and issues. Such books can expand young people’s awareness, understanding and acceptance of gender differences from an early age. They also validate the lived experience of trans and gender-diverse youth.</p> <p>The five books below all positively portray trans and gender-diverse lives in age-appropriate ways.</p> <h2>1. My Shadow is Purple by Scott Stuart (ages 4-9)</h2> <p>This picture book, <a href="https://larrikinhouse.com.au/products/my-shadow-is-purple">My Shadow Is Purple</a>, considers gender diversity through the use of colour. The story focuses on a boy whose shadow is purple: presumably a blend of masculine blue and feminine pink.</p> <p>Early in the story, the boy celebrates his gender hybridity, enjoying a range of both traditionally masculine and feminine activities. Stuart also explores the way society regulates and limits gender expression, and how this can have negative effects on individuals.</p> <p>That said, the picture book is positive and offers a promising message to readers. Through both resistance and collective support, we can acknowledge and celebrate the spectrum of colours our shadows might take.</p> <h2>2. Too Bright to See by Kyle Lukoff (ages 10-12)</h2> <p>In his <a href="http://www.kylelukoff.com/my-books/tbts">award-winning</a> junior novel, <a href="https://www.penguin.com.au/books/too-bright-to-see-9780593111178">Too Bright to See</a>, Kyle Lukoff uses the ghost story to explore <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/gender-dysphoria/">gender dysphoria</a> and grief. </p> <p>Trans boy Bug, aged 11, lives in a house with relatively benign spirits. However, during the summer before school starts, Bug’s uncle dies and a new ghost takes up residence in the house.</p> <p>It is not only the grief of his uncle’s death that Bug must learn to live with. His best friend, Moira, is eager to give him a feminine makeover and the new ghostly resident seems intent on sending him a message.</p> <p>Bug’s investigation of the ghost and his journey of self-discovery and self-acceptance is sensitive and nuanced, allowing readers to learn about transgender issues (and grief) alongside Bug.</p> <h2>3. Euphoria Kids by Alison Evans (ages 12+)</h2> <p><a href="https://www.echopublishing.com.au/books/euphoria-kids">Euphoria Kids</a> is an urban fantasy young adult novel that centres on three trans and gender-diverse teenagers: Iris, who grew from a seed; Babs, the daughter of a local witch; and the boy, named so because his current name does not fit him.</p> <p>The world Evans creates is one of strange magic, free from the trauma and gender dysphoria often associated with representations of transgenderism <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-transgenderism-in-film-and-literature-71809">in literature and film</a>. The characters’ quest to break a curse enables them to demonstrate their resilience, develop their confidence and experience euphoria.</p> <p>Evans explains (in the author note) their decision to create a positive narrative for trans youth, "I want people to know about gender euphoria. I want them to learn about it before gender dysphoria. I want young trans kids that will read this book to be proud of who they are, and imagine wonderful magic lives for themselves."</p> <h2>4. Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee (ages 14+)</h2> <p><a href="https://www.harpercollins.com.au/9780063038837/meet-cute-diary/">Meet Cute Diary</a>, a heartfelt young adult romantic comedy, explores gender identity and sexuality – and recognises self-discovery entails continuous questioning, rather than a linear progression.</p> <p>Noah Ramirez, a Japanese, white, Afro-Caribbean 16-year-old trans boy, loves the idea of falling in love. He writes fictional trans love stories for his blog, “Meet Cute Diary”. Noah is confronted in real life by Drew, a white cisgender boy who Noah has featured on his blog. After Noah explains his actions, Drew agrees to pretend to date him, in order to validate his stories. Their pretending quickly becomes real.</p> <p>Things become complicated, though, when Noah finds himself attracted to his nonbinary and asexual coworker, Devin. The narrative explores the changing nature of relationships and love.</p> <p>Lee creates interesting characters and complex relationships that respect gender fluidity and recognise the blurry boundary between the platonic and romantic.</p> <h2>5. Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender (ages 14+)</h2> <p>Felix, the 17-year-old protagonist of <a href="https://www.harpercollins.com/products/felix-ever-after-kacen-callender?variant=32280909578274">Felix Ever After</a>, is Black, queer and trans. The marginalisation and transphobia he experiences are exacerbated when pre-transition images of him are prominently displayed at his school. Felix’s search for revenge sees him open up more about himself to others. And he forms new relationships, including with his friend, Ezra Patel.</p> <p>Similar to Lee’s depiction of self-discovery in Meet Cute Diary, Callender suggests that learning about yourself and your identity is an ongoing process. Felix continues to make new discoveries about himself, including the realisation that he is not a boy but a <a href="https://queerintheworld.com/what-does-demiboy-mean/">demiboy</a>.</p> <p>Callender’s writing is engaging, and the cast of diverse characters that populate the narrative reflects the variation in our communities. This tender trans young adult romance sensitively explores the complexity of friendship, forgiveness and self-discovery.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-books-for-kids-and-teens-that-positively-portray-trans-and-gender-diverse-lives-202832" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Books

“There is no excuse for what I saw”: Stan Grant calls on the ABC to do better

<p>Stan Grant, host of the ABC’s <em>Q+A</em>, has condemned his own network for its lack of diversity during its NSW election coverage. </p> <p>Grant, a Wiradjuri man, wrote a letter to ABC’s managing director David Anderson asking “in 2023, how is it at all acceptable that an election night coverage features an entire white panel?” </p> <p>In the letter, which <em>Crikey </em>shared portions of, Grant stressed that he was not criticising his “well qualified” colleagues for featuring on the panel, but instead that he was tired of how the ABC had “nurtured and promoted white staff at the exclusion of others”.</p> <p>The panel in question was led by David Speers and Sarah Ferguson, with NSW treasurer Matt Kean and Labor frontbencher Penny Sharpe joining them. ABC’s coverage also saw state political reporter Ashleigh Raper, Jeremy Fernandez (who is Malaysian-born), and other reporters across key electorates. </p> <p>However, Grant was far from pleased with the “cameo” roles given to the journalists of colour - despite Fernandez in particular appearing in the network’s promotional material - stating that “the fact that any journalists of colour in our coverage were ‘off Broadway’ in support roles, reporting from the suburbs, only adds to the insult.”</p> <p>“There is no excuse for what I saw on air last night,” he said. </p> <p>“None. I have worked at organisations around the world and nowhere would what we presented last night be tolerated.”</p> <p>Grant called on the ABC to “do better”, and admitted keeping them honest feels like a responsibility on his shoulders. But as he explained in his letter, he doesn’t do any of it for himself. </p> <p>“I have had my career,” he wrote, “but I don’t want to wait another decade for things to change.” </p> <p>According to <em>The Guardian</em>, the ABC’s news director Justin Stevens has responded to Grant’s honest take, stating that “ABC News takes on board any criticism and welcomes constructive discussion.” </p> <p>Stevens went on to note that he agreed with Grant that the network is “not yet where we want to be”, before sharing a series of recent appointments within the ABC. </p> <p>“We will continue to do all we can to elevate the work of Indigenous employees and ensure our coverage and workforce are truly representative of Australia,” he said. </p> <p>“We respect Stan enormously. For decades he has been one of the highest-profile First Nations journalists in this country and with that he has carried the burden of fighting for the advancement of his First Nations and culturally diverse colleagues.</p> <p>“That responsibility is on all of us to carry at the ABC and not him alone.”</p> <p><em>Images: Q+A / Youtube</em></p>

Female artists earn less than men. Coming from a diverse cultural background incurs even more of a penalty – but there is good news, too

<p>Artists all over the world, regardless of their gender, earn <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/handbook/handbook-of-the-economics-of-art-and-culture">considerably less</a> than professionals in occupations requiring similar levels of education and qualifications. </p> <p>But there’s an additional income penalty for artists who are female. </p> <p>In an analysis of gender differences in the incomes of professional artists in Australia that <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/the-gender-pay-gap-among-australian-artists/">we undertook in 2020</a>, we found the creative incomes of women were 30% less than those of men. </p> <p>This is true even after allowing for differences in such things as hours worked, education and training, time spent in childcare and so on. This income penalty on women artists was greater than the gender pay gap of 16% experienced in the overall Australian workforce at the time.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/screen-australia-celebrates-its-work-in-gender-equality-but-things-are-far-from-equal-122266">Some sectors</a> of the arts have tried to redress this problem. However, women continue to suffer serious and unexplained gender-based discrimination in the artistic workplace.</p> <p>Cultural differences are <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w27725">also known</a> to influence pay gaps in many countries. </p> <p>In new research <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/culture-and-the-gender-pay-gap-for-australian-artists">out today</a>, we considered whether cultural factors might also affect the gender pay gap of artists in Australia. In addition, we analysed the gender pay gap for remote Indigenous artists for the first time.</p> <h2>A larger gap for women from a non-English speaking background</h2> <p>In our <a href="https://australiacouncil.gov.au/advocacy-and-research/making-art-work/">2016 survey of 826 professional artists</a> working in metropolitan, regional and rural Australia, we asked participants if they came from a non-English speaking background. </p> <p>Only a relatively small proportion of artists – 10% – came from a non-English-speaking background, compared to 18% for the Australian labour force as a whole. </p> <p>A non-English-speaking background appears to carry an income penalty only for women artists, not for men. </p> <p>We found the annual creative earnings of female artists from a non-English-speaking background are about 71% of the creative incomes of female artists whose first language is English. But there is little difference between the corresponding incomes of male artists.</p> <p>Within the group of artists from language backgrounds other than English, the annual creative earnings of female artists are about half (53%) those of their male counterparts. </p> <p>By contrast, the ratio of female to male creative earnings among English-speaking background artists is 73%. </p> <p>These results suggest that women artists from a non-English-speaking background suffer a triple earnings penalty – from being an artist (and hence as a group earning less than comparable professionals), from their gender, and from their cultural background.</p> <p>Despite this earnings disadvantage, 63% of artists who identified as having a first language other than English thought their background had a positive impact on their artistic practice. Only 16% thought it had a negative impact.</p> <p>When artists were asked whether being from a non-English speaking background was a restricting factor in their professional artistic development, 17% of women answered “yes”, compared to only 5% of men from a similar background. </p> <p>Nevertheless, like their male colleagues, these women artists continue to celebrate their cultural background in their art. They contribute to the increasingly multicultural content of the arts in Australia, holding up a mirror to trends in Australian society at large.</p> <h2>No gender gap in remote Indigenous communities</h2> <p>For First Nations artists working in remote communities, a different picture emerges. </p> <p>For this research, we used results for remote communities in three regions of northern Australia drawn from our <a href="https://apo.org.au/node/257301">National Survey of Remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Artists</a>.</p> <p>The gender gap is not replicated among remotely practising First Nations artists. </p> <p>There are some minor variations in this finding for subgroups in different regions, depending in part on differences in the mix of visual and performing artists in the population. But whatever other differentials may exist between female and male earnings, they do not appear to be attributable to the sorts of systemic gender-based discrimination that affects the residual gender gap for other Australian artists.</p> <p>A possible reason relates to fundamental differences between the cultural norms, values and inherited traditions that apply in remote and very remote First Nations communities. </p> <p>Gender roles in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have been <a href="https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1525/can.1992.7.2.02a00020">described</a> by researchers as distinctively different, rather than superior or inferior. The importance of both women and men as bearers of culture has been clearly articulated. </p> <p>The unique cultural content of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, dance, visual art and literature is an essential feature of the work of these artists. These characteristics pass through to the marketplace, and there does not appear to be any obvious gender gap in the way the art from these remote communities is received. </p> <p>There is always differentiation between the art produced in different remote regions of Australia which varies depending on the complexities of different inherited cultural traditions. But there is no indication of any gender-based discrimination associated with these regional differences.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/female-artists-earn-less-than-men-coming-from-a-diverse-cultural-background-incurs-even-more-of-a-penalty-but-there-is-good-news-too-195646" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Art

Australian Idol brings back Marcia Hines

<p dir="ltr"><em>Australian Idol</em> has brought back Marcia Hines as a guest judge just weeks after the show was blasted for its <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/entertainment/tv/where-is-the-diversity-australian-idol-judging-panel-hits-first-major-snag" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lack of diversity</a>. </p> <p dir="ltr">Radio shock jock Kyle Sandilands will be joined by US singers Meghan Trainor and Harry Connick Jr and Australian pop star Amy Shark as judges on the talent show.</p> <p dir="ltr">Now, Channel Seven announced that “beloved musical treasure” Marcia will be a guest judge for an unspecified period of time. </p> <p dir="ltr">Marcia was one of the original judges on <em>Australian Idol</em> back when the show aired on Ten between 2003 and 2009.</p> <p dir="ltr">Channel Seven announced the judges in September and fans slammed the show for their lack of diversity. </p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkEeZErh4lL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CkEeZErh4lL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Marcia Hines (@themarciahines)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Kyle responded to the criticism saying that it was not about diversity but rather who was the right person for the job.</p> <p dir="ltr">“You can’t say, ‘one judge has got to be a non-binary black person’. That’s not how the real world works. And it shouldn’t,” he said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It should be whoever is worthy of doing it – gay, straight, black, white, non-binary, whatever – that’s not taken into consideration, and it shouldn’t be.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Marcia said she is excited to be back on the big screen to help uncover hidden talent.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Australian Idol is a great vehicle for uncovering some fantastic Australian talent,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I know it’s not an easy task singing in front of strangers, but I hope that contestants show us their heart and the gift that is their voice.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Instagram</em></p>

"Where is the diversity?": Australian Idol judging panel hits first major snag

<p dir="ltr"><em>Australian Idol </em>is yet to hit the screens but it’s already facing a major problem with its lack of diversity.</p> <p dir="ltr">Radio shock jock <a href="https://oversixty.com.au/entertainment/music/he-s-a-real-crooner-kyle-reveals-judging-line-up-for-return-of-australian-idol" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Sandilands announced</a> that he will be joined by US singers Meghan Trainor and Harry Connick Jr and Australian pop star Amy Shark as judges on the talent show.</p> <p dir="ltr">The show’s social media accounts also shared the news but many people asked about the lack of diversity with the judges.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Where is the diversity?” queried former ABC News reporter Mark Kearney.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The OG Australian Idol had at the heart of its panel Marcia Hines. This one has … a foul shock jock with a history of racism, misogyny and homophobia? Yucky.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Co-founder of Media Diversity AU Antoinette Lattouf sarcastically said there was a bit of diversity because one of the judges has a hyphen in their name.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjBmkvnhDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjBmkvnhDq_/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Australian Idol (@australianidol)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">“This is an epic and exciting opportunity to get judged by six white people. (To be fair there is some diversity, one has a hyphen in their name.)” she tweeted.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Not sure why anyone is surprised about the Australian Idol judging panel - the other talent shows on our screens are just as bad. If they want diversity they always just have Mel B on,” someone else commented.</p> <p dir="ltr">“I LoVe tHiS rEpReSenTatiOn oF oUr MuLtiCuLtuRaL cOunTrY,” another wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Australian Idol</em> first hit the screen 10 years ago and will come back on Channel 7 in 2023.</p> <p dir="ltr">“(We) start filming the auditions next week. It’ll be me. The other Australian I’ve chosen, Amy Shark will be the other Australian. She’s excellent. She’s a nice girl but she’s been busy, she writes songs, she works hard, she’ll be fabulous,” Sandilands said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Meghan Trainor … and from American Idol … Harry Connick Jr. Yes grannies, get your panties wet now. Harry Connick Jr. is on Australian Idol. He’s a real crooner.”</p> <p dir="ltr">It will take back its old format in which contestants from around Australia will audition before a top 12 is chosen for live shows.</p> <p dir="ltr">Past seasons have come out with incredible stars including Guy Sebastian, Jessica Mauboy and Casey Donovan.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

White, female, and high rates of mental illness: new diversity research offers a snapshot of the publishing industry

<p>Books are fundamental to our society: they shape our culture, education and ideas. To do this well, books should reflect the amazing and varied world we occupy.</p> <p>Those who create books – publishers and publishing industry workers – are the gatekeepers. If those industry professionals are diverse and work within an industry that is inclusive, then there is a better chance that books will represent a wider range of experiences.</p> <p>But how diverse is Australian publishing?</p> <p>The 2022 <a href="https://www.publishers.asn.au//WorkplaceSurvey2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australian Publishing Industry Workforce Survey on Diversity and Inclusion</a>, produced by the Australian Publishers Association and the University of Melbourne, shows there is work to be done.</p> <p>The industry needs to be more culturally diverse: fewer than 1% of Australian publishing professionals are First Nations and only 8.5% have an Asian cultural identity.</p> <p>Perhaps the most startling finding of the survey is the high proportion of publishing workers experiencing mental illness. 35.4% of respondents were experiencing mental health conditions. This compares with 25% of respondents to a similar survey of the UK publishing industry in 2021, an increase from 20% in 2020.</p> <p>While the reasons for the high rate of mental illness are no doubt complex, the message for publishers is clear: staff need support. The industry can also be more inclusive for those with disabilities. 24.7% of publishing professionals reported having a long-term health condition or disability, including a physical or mental health condition, with just over 5% of respondents identifying as living with disability.</p> <h2>Shortfalls of diversity</h2> <p>The Australian survey was a response to Radhiah Chowdhury’s groundbreaking <a href="https://www.publishers.asn.au/common/Uploaded%20files/APA%20Resources/Research/BDEF/BDEF%202019-2020%20Report%20-%20Radhiah%20Chowdhury.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2020 APA-funded report</a> on lessons in diverse and inclusive publishing from the UK, which reverberated around the industry.</p> <p>Chowdhury called for more empirical data to sit alongside qualitative accounts of working in publishing, noting “a paucity of research on the demographic composition of the industry, as well as of our national trade publishing output”.</p> <p>Our survey was launched in March this year and received close to 1000 responses from across the sector. These came from small, medium and large organisations, micro-publishers and freelancers.</p> <p>The broad uptake gives us confidence in the survey as a snapshot of Australian publishing today. It also shows a widespread recognition of the importance of diversity and inclusion within the publishing industry, and a commitment to positive change.</p> <p>What the initial survey reveals is perhaps not surprising for those who work in and around publishing. The industry is largely white, including a high percentage who identify as British. The proportion of those who identify as having Asian or European backgrounds is lower than in the general population.</p> <p>Very few Australian publishing professionals identify as First Nations. This matters, because it suggests publishing is not an industry of choice for Australians of diverse cultural backgrounds, and because it limits the industry’s capacity to produce books that speak to readers of different cultural identities.</p> <p>In other areas, the publishing industry is more inclusive. Survey respondents identify as LGBTQ+ at around twice the representation in the Australian population (21% compared to population estimates of 11%). The majority of LGBTQ+ respondents are open or partially open about their sexuality at work.</p> <p>Women make up the majority of the Australian publishing workforce: 84% of the survey respondents were women. But representation of women and non-binary people shrinks in more senior positions in the industry.</p> <p>There is also work to be done in breaking down the class dynamics of publishing. A minority (33.6%) of publishing workers come from family backgrounds that could be described as working or lower middle class. Only 24.7% are located outside of Sydney or Melbourne.</p> <p>More than 85% of those working in publishing hold a bachelor degree and more than half also hold at least one postgraduate degree. 48% of publishing industry respondents attended private schools, compared to around 30% of the Australian population.</p> <h2>Potential for change</h2> <p>The potential for change in the Australian publishing industry is now evident. The industry would benefit from focusing on how to include workers with disabilities of all kinds and ensure workplaces are accessible. It also has work to do in encouraging participation from around Australia, and in opening up pathways for entry that recognise a range of relevant skills and experiences.</p> <p>This initial survey sets a baseline. It provides the necessary data that will allow initiatives to be targeted. It is already driving practical steps towards change.</p> <p>The industry has committed to act on the results. The Australian Publishing Association has established a Diversity and Inclusion Working Group to monitor progress and target the gaps highlighted in the survey. It has renewed support for paid internship schemes as inclusion initiatives.</p> <p>In response to the survey, President of the Australian Publishing Association James Kellow said:</p> <blockquote> <p>We have a highly able and committed workforce, but our workforce doesn’t always represent the breadth of our culture. This plays into what and how we publish and the extent to which we reach, or don’t reach, all potential readers […] This survey’s hard data tells us we have a great deal of work ahead and provides a solid base from which we can lead change.</p> </blockquote> <p>A better understanding of the book publishing industry can help to improve working environments and, ultimately, diversity in cultural products in Australia. Future surveys will allow changes to be tracked and progress to be measured. We look forward to seeing positive change in the publishing industry and in the good work publishing people are doing.</p> <p><strong>This article originally appeared in <a href="https://theconversation.com/white-female-and-high-rates-of-mental-illness-new-diversity-research-offers-a-snapshot-of-the-publishing-industry-189679" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</strong></p> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Books

Body positivity ad slammed for removing prosthetic limb

<p dir="ltr">A body positivity campaign has hit a poor note after the models featured claimed they weren't compensated and even photoshopped to remove prosthetic limbs or onto another person's body.</p> <p dir="ltr">The advert from the Spanish Ministry of Equality was published last week as part of a campaign to promote body positivity during summer at Spanish beaches, with the caption 'Summer is ours too' displayed over an image of diverse women with non-standard bodies.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-28029417-7fff-32aa-21eb-382810d0b660"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Fatphobia, hatred and the questioning of non-normative bodies - particularly those of women, something that's most prevalent in the summertime," the ministry said.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHmaPUo8WU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CfHmaPUo8WU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by S I Â N G R E E N-L O R D (@sianlord_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">But, model and activist Sian Green-Lord said she was left "shaken" after friends recognised her in the campaign - despite her not giving permission for her image to be used.</p> <p dir="ltr">Green-Lord suspects her image was taken from her Instagram page. Her prosthetic leg, which she has had since she was hit by a taxi in 2013 and had her leg amputated, had been edited out.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I don't even know how to even explain the amount of anger that I'm feeling right now," the UK model told the <em><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jul/28/all-bodies-are-beach-bodies-spains-equality-ministry-launches-summer-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Guardian</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-94ed9d42-7fff-5359-dbf8-ecaa75df93fa"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"I'm literally shaking, I'm so angry."</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="es">Con que "el verano tambien es nuestro". Al igual que la imágen y manipulación que le han hecho a Sian Green-Lord sin su permiso <a href="https://t.co/zvb0onut0z">pic.twitter.com/zvb0onut0z</a></p> <p>— Zikade (@zikade_art) <a href="https://twitter.com/zikade_art/status/1553718707049959425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p dir="ltr">She isn't the only one whose image was used or altered without permission.</p> <p dir="ltr">Nyome Nichols-Williams, a London model and activist who has worked with Green-Lord previously, said the use of her image by the ministry was "downright disrespectful", after she recognised herself in the advert.</p> <p dir="ltr">"It really is deflating and then on top of that having to fight on my own to get paid," Nichols-Williams said.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-d8a08b8b-7fff-6d4a-c7fc-9dfd656d3d5e"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">"Do I not deserve to be paid for the usage of said image?"</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd0S5p9ggX2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd0S5p9ggX2/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Nyome Nicholas - Williams (@curvynyome)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">Juliet Fitzpatrick is the third woman to make the surprising discovery that she was feasted- though only her face seemed to have been used.</p> <p dir="ltr">Fitzpatrick, who has undergone a double mastectomy, found that her face had been photoshopped onto the body of another woman who had undergone a single mastectomy.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I have no breasts," she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I am furious if the image has been used without my consent."</p> <p dir="ltr">Australian paralympic swimmer Jessica Smith was among those slamming the advert, saying it was "so wrong and so gross on so many levels".</p> <p dir="ltr">She criticised those involved for editing the models' images and for failing to ask for permission to use them.</p> <p dir="ltr">Arte Mapeche, the artist credited with creating the advert for the ministry, was reportedly paid €4,490 ($AUD 6573 or $NZD 7289) to create the image.</p> <p dir="ltr">She has since reached out to the models whose images she used, as well as a graphic design company whose font she used without licensing, and has issued a public apology.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I would like to publicly apologise to the models for having been inspired by their photographs for the "Summer is ours too" campaign and for having used an unlicensed typeface," she wrote.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Given the - justified - controversy over the image rights in the illustration, I have decided that the best way to make amends for the damages that may have resulted from my actions is to share out the money I received for the work and give equal parts to the people in the poster," the artist said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"I accept my mistakes and that is why I am now trying to repair the damage caused."</p> <p dir="ltr">Nicholas-Williams said she was happy to have “inspired” the artwork, but said she should have been contacted beforehand and remunerated, while a trip to Spain for a photoshoot would have been a nice extra.</p> <p dir="ltr">The Spanish government has yet to comment on the matter.</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a6db1dbc-7fff-a739-a6c2-8b91e99d7e29"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: The Ministry of Equality</em></p>

Legal

The “marshmallow test” of delayed gratification is actually culturally diverse

<p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford marshmallow experiment</a> is one of the most enduring child psychology studies of the last 50 years.</p> <p>The test is a simple one. A child aged between 3 and 6 had a marshmallow (later experiments also used a pretzel) placed in front of them and told that if they wait, they could have a second marshmallow when the tester returned. The original study found that those who waited for the extra marshmallow had more success as an adult than those that scoffed the marshmallow down, suggesting that being able to delay gratification is an important life skill. </p> <p>But since its inception, people have argued whether waiting for a marshmallow as a five-year-old can really tell you how successful, thin and educated you’ll be as an adult, or if there might be other, more complicated factors going on behind the scenes.</p> <p>A new study published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09567976221074650?journalCode=pssa" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><em>Psychological Science</em></a> has suggested one of those factors – showing that cultural upbringing could change the way children respond.</p> <p> “We found that the ability to delay gratification – which predicts many important life outcomes – is not just about variations in genes or brain development but also about habits supported by culture,” <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/07/21/new-take-marshmallow-test-when-it-comes-resisting-temptation-childs-cultural-upbringing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">said one of the researchers</a>, University of Colorado Boulder psychology researcher Yuko Munakata.</p> <p>“It calls into question: How much of our scientific conclusions are shaped by the cultural lens we, as researchers, bring to our work?”</p> <div class="newsletter-box"> <div id="wpcf7-f6-p199467-o1" class="wpcf7" dir="ltr" lang="en-US" role="form"> <form class="wpcf7-form mailchimp-ext-0.5.62 resetting spai-bg-prepared" action="/people/marshmallow-test-cultural-diverse/#wpcf7-f6-p199467-o1" method="post" novalidate="novalidate" data-status="resetting"> <p style="display: none !important;"><span class="wpcf7-form-control-wrap referer-page"><input class="wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text referer-page spai-bg-prepared" name="referer-page" type="hidden" value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" data-value="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/" aria-invalid="false" /></span></p> <p></form> </div> </div> <p>This is a larger problem than just some kids eating marshmallows. Historically, science – across <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/clinical-trials-have-far-too-little-racial-and-ethnic-diversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clinical</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1745691620927709" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">psychology</a> research – has a habit of having too little cultural diversity, and the new research shows why this can be an issue.</p> <p>The researchers found that the 80 children in Japan were much better at waiting to eat food when asked than the 58 children in the United States. However, this was reversed when asked to wait to open gifts. </p> <p>“This interaction may reflect cultural differences: waiting to eat is emphasised more in Japan than in the United States, whereas waiting to open gifts is emphasised more in the United States than in Japan,” <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/09567976221074650" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the team write in their new paper.</a> </p> <p>“These findings suggest that culturally specific habits support delaying gratification, providing a new way to understand why individuals delay gratification and why this behaviour predicts life success.”</p> <p>This small study doesn’t look into the longer-term results of the original marshmallow experiment, like whether the kids will be more successful as adults. Along with cultural differences, other studies have shown <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/marshmallow-test/561779/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">qualities like affluence</a> are also a defining factor.</p> <p>All of this is only if the marshmallow test actually holds at all. <a href="https://anderson-review.ucla.edu/new-study-disavows-marshmallow-tests-predictive-powers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Recent follow up studies</a> with <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797618761661" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">larger groups</a> of children followed into adulthood have shown that those who chose marshmallowey goodness straight away are not generally more or less financially secure, educated or healthy than their food-delaying peers.</p> <p>It seems that 50 years later the test is still telling us things – just about our own biases rather than predicting the future of five-year-olds.</p> <p></p> <p><img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=199467&title=The+%26%238220%3Bmarshmallow+test%26%238221%3B+of+delayed+gratification+is+actually+culturally+diverse" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p></p> <div id="contributors"> <p><em><a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/marshmallow-test-cultural-diverse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cosmos Magazine</a> and was written by <a href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/contributor/jacinta-bowler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jacinta Bowler</a>. Jacinta Bowler is a freelance science journalist who has written about far-flung exoplanets, terrifying superbugs and everything in between. They have written articles for ABC, SBS, ScienceAlert and Pedestrian, and are a regular contributor for kids magazines Double Helix and KIT.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p> </div>

Caring

Sports Illustrated Swimsuit: Is inclusive objectification something to celebrate?

<p>The last two weeks of May generated a flurry of celebratory media commentary about the diversity of models in the <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/model-years/2022">2022 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue</a>. It was praised for “<a href="https://www.thestreet.com/lifestyle/sports/si-swimsuit-issue-maye-musk-breaks-barriers-cover-model-at-74">breaking barriers</a>,” “<a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220516005285/en/Kim-Kardashian-Ciara-Maye-Musk-and-Yumi-Nu-Are-Revealed-as-Sports-Illustrated-Swimsuit%E2%80%99s-2022-Cover-Models">empowering women</a>” and “<a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/style/story/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-2022-maye-musk-kim-kardashian-84748799">trailblazing</a>.”</p> <p>This year’s firsts included: Ashley Callingbull (<a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/respect/diversity-inclusion/3492947-indigenous-first-nations-woman-featured-in-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-edition-for-first-time/">the first Indigenous model</a>), Yumi Nu (<a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimsuit/model/yumi-nu-2022-si-swimsuit-photos">the first Asian American curve model to appear on the cover</a>), Maye Musk (<a href="https://people.com/style/maye-musk-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-2022-cover-at-74-something-i-could-never-dream-up/">the first woman in her 70s</a>), Kelly Hughes (<a href="https://www.thecut.com/2022/05/a-model-with-a-c-section-scar-is-in-sports-illustrated.html">the first swimsuit model to show her C-section scars</a>) and Katrina Scott (<a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimnews/katrina-scott-first-visibly-pregnant-woman-in-si-swimsuit">the first visibly pregnant model</a>).</p> <p>In recent years the magazine has highlighted more diversity, including <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimnews/halima-aden-si-swimsuit-2019-model-kenya">Halima Aden in a burkini</a>, more <a href="https://parade.com/1381969/allienelson/athletes-sports-illustrated-swimsuit/">athletes</a>, trans models like <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/07/20/1018381498/sports-illustrateds-swimsuit-issue-trans-model-leyna-bloom">Leyna Bloom</a> and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/carlieporterfield/2020/07/10/valentina-sampaio-becomes-first-trans-model-in-sports-illustrateds-swimsuit-issue/">Valentina Sampaio</a> and more <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimsuit/model/hunter-mcgrady">curve models like Hunter McGrady</a>.</p> <p>But most of the models are still stereotypically young, thin and white.</p> <p>With the celebration of firsts, an important question falls by the wayside: Is including a broader range of women in the pages of a magazine issue whose sole commercial purpose is to present them as sexual objects for a mostly straight male readership a good thing?</p> <p><strong>‘Properly feminine’</strong></p> <p>I am a feminist philosopher who works on <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/moral-responsibility-in-collective-contexts-9780199782963">responsibility in oppressive social contexts</a> and co-founder of the blog <a href="https://fitisafeministissue.com/">Fit Is a Feminist Issue</a>. In society, where sexist structures and attitudes are abound, women’s value — and by extension, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-a-womans-glam-appearance-affects-her-career/11671912">range of opportunities — is frequently determined by their attractiveness and sexual desirability to straight men</a>. So I question whether expanding the field of women who are sufficiently sexy and, <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Femininity-and-Domination-Studies-in-the-Phenomenology-of-Oppression/Bartky/p/book/9780415901864">to borrow the words of philosopher Sandra Bartky</a>, “properly feminine” to “merit” inclusion in the swimsuit issue, constitutes overall meaningful progress for women.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mayemusk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mayemusk</a> joins us to talk about her <a href="https://twitter.com/SI_Swimsuit?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SI_Swimsuit</a> cover, what it was like juggling multiple jobs and more. <a href="https://t.co/bR5B2gHLu4">pic.twitter.com/bR5B2gHLu4</a></p> <p>— TODAY with Hoda & Jenna (@HodaAndJenna) <a href="https://twitter.com/HodaAndJenna/status/1531645368659849217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Granted, there is something to be said for <a href="https://bpr.berkeley.edu/2019/12/20/one-size-does-not-fit-all-the-rise-of-diverse-fashion-models/">challenging the stereotypical esthetic ideals of normative femininity with diverse models</a>. And even though <a href="https://www.shape.com/celebrities/news/kate-upton-body-attention-criticism">model Kate Upton expressed discomfort about the public scrutiny and discussion of her body</a>, others, including Yumi Nu, describe appearing in the swimsuit issue as <a href="https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3179391/sports-illustrated-swimsuits-first-asian-plus-size-cover">a validating experience</a>.</p> <p>Yet the swimsuit issue continues to promote sexual attractiveness as women’s main currency. As <a href="https://women-gender-equality.canada.ca/en.html">women fight to be taken seriously</a>, repeating this message <a href="https://www.forbes.com/2009/12/05/appearance-work-pay-forbes-woman-leadership-body-weight.html">is harmful</a>.</p> <p><strong>Sex does sell</strong></p> <p>When <a href="https://fitisafeministissue.com/2022/05/28/inclusive-objectification-anyone/">I wrote a blog post about this</a>, readers on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/feministfitness">the blog’s Facebook page</a> mostly agreed with me in comments writing: “yay, now us fat girls can be objectified too” and “even in ‘inclusivity’ the goal of the swimsuit issues is still policing feminine bodies.”</p> <p>But some said “sex sells: get over it” and “where’s the harm?” Others argued my view throws a wet blanket over a beach party where finally (finally!) women of diverse shapes and sizes are not just welcome but considered sexy and beautiful.</p> <p>Sex does sell and it’s too bad that the sexualization of women is a multi-billion dollar industry in which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/business-facts-about-the-sports-illustrated-swimsuit-issue-2013-2">the swimsuit issue trades</a>.</p> <p>The swimsuit issue is a setback for women and models are engaging in what philosopher Shay Welch, in her book <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498505413/Existential-Eroticism-A-Feminist-Approach-to-Understanding-Womens-Oppression-Perpetuating-Choices"><em>Existential Eroticism</em></a>, calls “oppression-perpetuating choices.” She defines “existential eroticism” as women’s oppression through beauty and sexuality.</p> <p>Basically, some women’s choices contribute to conditions of oppression for women as a group even if we can understand why women make them.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ced0FcSgm3t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ced0FcSgm3t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Sports Illustrated Swimsuit (@si_swimsuit)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p>While we would be better off without the swimsuit issue (we’d be better off without lots of things), I’m not suggesting it be censored or banned. Nor is this an objection to the display of bodies, even skimpily clad bodies. But is there a different way of going about it?</p> <p>Look to <em>ESPN</em>’s <a href="https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/27400369/the-body-issue">The Body Issue</a>, which depicts a diversity of athletes (not only women and not only non-disabled), nude and often in action shots that display their athleticism within their chosen sport.</p> <p>It presents a completely different esthetic of physicality, based in athleticism. Athleticism isn’t the only dimension along which to appreciate bodies, but it’s not clear how the swimsuit issue, the very essence of which is to represent a particular type of sexualized bodies, could morph into something that celebrates the body in a different way.</p> <p>Swimsuit issue editor-in-chief <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimnews/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-2022-cover-models-kim-kardashian-ciara-maye-musk-yumi-nu">MJ Day says</a>, “We encourage readers to see these models as we see them — multifaceted, multitalented and sexy while they’re at it.” As multi-dimensional as these women may be, their suitability for the swimsuit issue ultimately depends on being sexy.</p> <p>We should be wary of uncritically accepting the sexual objectification of women for the sake of inclusion and diversity. When we do, we’re celebrating the swimsuit issue as something empowering for women and praising it for “breaking barriers.” Given its context and target-audience — straight, cisgender men — doing so perpetuates the pernicious idea that women (all women) need to be sexy-to-men to be acceptable.</p> <p>We can promote inclusion and celebrate the beauty of diverse bodies without piggybacking on that relentless message about what makes women worthy.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184211/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/tracy-isaacs-967042" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tracy Isaacs</a>, Professor (Philosophy), <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/western-university-882" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Western University</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/sports-illustrated-swimsuit-is-inclusive-objectification-something-to-celebrate-184211" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Images: Sports Illustrated</em></p>

Beauty & Style

P&O Cruises celebrates diversity

<p dir="ltr">As cruises make their way back to Australia, P&O Cruises is celebrating with a weekend at sea for members of the LGBTQIA+ community, their friends, family and supporters. </p> <p dir="ltr">The ship will set sail on November 4 from Sydney and is a three-night event to allow Aussies from all walks of life to celebrate diversity and inclusion.</p> <p dir="ltr">The celebrations won’t stop there though, with a Pride Cruise departing from Melbourne on December 9, as well as another three cruises in 2023. </p> <p dir="ltr">P&O Cruises Australia’s Partnership Manager Chris Rich said the cruise line was excited to return to service and offer guests its first dedicated Pride sailing.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Guests on the Pride cruise will be able to celebrate the themes of love, compassion, respect and understanding through lectures, educational and spiritual events, same sex marriages and renewal of vows,” he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The cruise will welcome everyone who is a member or supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community – as well as the unique blend of love and laughter that makes the LGBTQIA+ spectrum so special.”</p> <p dir="ltr">LGBTQIA+ community organisations such as Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Harbour City Bears and Queer Screen have helped P&O Cruises make this possible. </p> <p dir="ltr">The cruise line has gone a step further to include some of “the best names in the Australian entertainment business” to make the three nights memorable. </p> <p dir="ltr">Some names dropped by the cruise include international superstar Hans the German, Simon Dunn - the first openly gay male to represent any country in the sport of bobsled – P&O Cruises Queensland Rugby League ambassador Meg Ward and ex-Rabbitohs rugby star Ian Roberts.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: P&O Cruises</em></p>

Cruising

White male artists dominate US galleries

<p>The walls of art galleries in the US are hung, almost to the exclusion of all else, with the works of white men.</p> <p>That’s the conclusion of a team of statisticians and art historians, <a rel="noopener" href="https://doi.org/%2010.1371/journal.pone.0212852" target="_blank">published</a> in the journal PLOS One.</p> <p><span>The researchers, led by Chad Topaz from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Williams College in Massachusetts, US, examined the public online catalogues of 18 major US museums and extracted records for 9000 named artists.</span></p> <p>These were then given over to a crowdsourcing platform, and with the help of the many people thereon the majority of the artists were successfully identified and biographies built.</p> <p>“Overall,” the authors report, “we find that 85% of artists are white and 87% are men.”</p> <p>Topaz and colleagues position their work in the context of previous studies that have examined diversity in museum and gallery staff, as well as visitor profiles.</p> <p><a rel="noopener" href="https://mellon.org/programs/arts-and-cultural-heritage/art-history-conservation-museums/demographic-survey/" target="_blank">One study</a>, for instance, found that 72% of members of the US Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) identified as white. The same study found that while 60% of museum staff are female, women occupy only 43% of senior positions.</p> <p><span>Other studies have looked at visitors, and identified communities to target through outreach programs in attempts to increase diversity.</span></p> <p>The present work, though, is the first to study diversity among the artists represented.</p> <p>“If museums find knowledge of staff and visitor demographics important for programming decisions,” the authors write, “one might ask if demographics of the artists are important for collection decisions.”</p> <p>They cite “anecdotal evidence” that in the field of contemporary American art some collections are being actively augmented to rectify diversity imbalance, with the welcome effect that “it is now not unusual for these museums to compete with each other for major works of African American art”.</p> <p>However, the big picture – no pun intended – remains overwhelmingly coloured by men who are white.</p> <p>“With respect to gender, our overall pool of individual, identifiable artists across all museums consists of 12.6% women,” the authors report.</p> <p>“With respect to ethnicity, the pool is 85.4% white, 9.0% Asian, 2.8% Hispanic/Latinx, 1.2% Black/African American, and 1.5% other ethnicities.”</p> <p>Introducing greater diversity, however, is perhaps not as difficult as some might imagine.</p> <p>“We find that the relationship between museum collection mission and artist diversity is weak, suggesting that a museum wishing to increase diversity might do so without changing its emphases on specific time periods and regions,” the researchers conclude.</p> <p>They also admit that their analysis is constrained by a couple of limitations. First, a small proportion of artists identified could not be satisfactorily identified by gender or ethnicity. Second, artworks made by more than one artist were not included, and, third, many works of art – those from the Graeco-Roman period, for instance – are not assigned to identifiable individuals.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Shutterstock</em></p> <p><em>This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/society/white-male-artists-dominate-us-gallery-collections/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Andrew Masterson. </em></p>

Art

Politician slams diverse new Wiggles line-up

<p>Coalition senator Matt Canavan has launched a targeted attack on <em>The Wiggles</em> after it revealed their new racially diverse characters.</p> <p>Along with the existing ensemble of Anthony, Simon, Emma and Lachy, the children’s entertainment group has added four new members, in a bid to make it more culturally inclusive.</p> <p>15-year-old Tsehay Hawkins, 15, is from Ethiopia and will wear red, while Evie Ferris is a 24-year-old Indigenous woman who will be the blue Wiggle.</p> <p>Kelly Hamilton, 45, is Asian-Australian and will wear yellow, and John Pearce, 28, from the pop group Justice Crew, is Filipino and will wear purple.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7843342/wiggles.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/c8e42b26a7174dc9a4b9c150b6a24b80" /></p> <p>Founding blue Wiggle Anthony Field revealed to <em>NCA NewsWire</em> he came up with the idea, saying: “morally, we have to do this”.</p> <p>“I looked around the world and I thought: ‘We have to reflect our audience’.</p> <p>“Our audience is not just one culture; we want children to see a mirror of themselves. I hope people, mums and dads as well, will feel included.”</p> <p>The new characters will be feature on a new YouTube series called <em>Fruit Salad TV.</em></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Today we’re announcing our new YouTube exclusive, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FruitSaladTV?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FruitSaladTV</a>! For the first time ever, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheWiggles?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheWiggles</a> have expanded their line up to eight Wiggles, which is sure to double the fun! 💛💛💙💙❤❤💜💜<br /><br />Fruit Salad TV premieres on our YouTube on Saturday September 4th! 🙌 <a href="https://t.co/PS6kvUYjid">pic.twitter.com/PS6kvUYjid</a></p> — The Wiggles (@TheWiggles) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheWiggles/status/1429216749484838914?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2021</a></blockquote> <p>However, QLD Nationals senator Matt Canavan couldn’t help but voice his distaste for the new line-up.</p> <p>The conservative is not shy about raising his voice against progressive social issues, and he hasn’t stopped at the new Wiggles cast.</p> <p>Senator Canavan told <em>The Australian</em> that the recent announcement will destroy <em>The Wiggles.</em></p> <p>“<em>The Wiggles</em> are free to do what they like. It was nice while it lasted. But you go woke, you go broke,” Senator Canavan told the newspaper.</p> <p><em>The Wiggles</em> outfit is one of the most successful in Australian entertainment history, and rakes in at least $30 million annually thanks to their major global following.</p>

Music

Big win for woman who campaigned for change in Coles and Woolies

<p>A Melbourne mum who led a campaign calling on Australia's supermarkets to sell makeup for all skin tones has had a win with both Coles and Woolworths, who have agreed to stock a broader range of foundation colours online from next month.</p> <p>Rebecca Willink, who is of Indian descent, created an online petition back in April demanding action from the supermarket giants to end "makeup discrimination" after being unable to find any foundation suitable for her.</p> <p>The petition gathered over 4000 signatures, with many women of colour speaking out against major supermarkets, saying they were frustrated at the lack of shades available both in-store and online.</p> <p>In a statement to nine.com.au, Coles confirmed it would soon be tripling the current colour range available on two of its most popular Maybelline products.</p> <p>"We have listened to our customers' feedback seeking a more diverse range of foundation shades and we will be undertaking a three-month trial both online and in-store, starting in late August with our supplier Maybelline," Coles Australia's General Manager of Non Food, Health and Home, Jonathan Torr, said.</p> <p>"During this time, we will be offering the full range of Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation, tripling the current range available to Coles customers including 40 shades in total."</p> <p>Coles will also be selling the full makeup range at 10 stores across the country, which had been handpicked because they service a large number of postcodes and diverse customer base.</p> <p>"Subject to customer feedback, we would then look to roll this out more broadly across our stores."</p> <p>The chosen stores include three in New South Wales, four in Victoria, and one in Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, he said.</p> <p>Woolworths' trial, to begin on August 23, will cover the same Maybelline products as its rival Coles, but is only being offered to online customers in the NSW and Victoria metro areas.</p> <p>"From the end of August, customers in more than 500 suburbs across Sydney and Melbourne will have access to a wider range of foundation tones through an online trial," a Woolworths spokesperson said.</p> <p>"We understand the trial won't reach every customer, but we hope to learn from it and continue to work on increasing access to a more inclusive makeup range."</p> <p>Ms Willink said she was delighted that the supermarket giants had listened to the demands of their customers.</p> <p>"I am delighted that both Coles and Woolworths have acknowledged the need to be more inclusive and are both taking steps to address this issue.</p> <p>"For too long, Australians with skin colours deemed too dark or too light to be worth catering for have been excluded and neglected.</p> <p>These trials may seem like a minor step, but the impact will be significant for individuals who have been ostracised for decades.</p> <p>"I don't want my daughter to experience the same disappointment and shame I felt as a young woman denied the right of accessing basic products. I want my daughter to grow up seeing herself represented in the world around her, and this could be part of the change that makes that happen."</p>

Beauty & Style

In 20 years of award-winning picture books, non-white people made up just 12% of main characters

<p>A highlight for Australian children’s literature is the announcements of the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Book of the Year award winners. This year’s winners will be announced on Friday October 16 — right before the start of CBCA’s Book Week on October 19.</p> <p>Making the <a href="https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2020">shortlist</a> brings great exposure for the books and their creators. The shortlisted books are put on special display in public school libraries and supermarket shelves. They are even made into teaching <a href="https://petaa.edu.au/w/Teaching_Resources/CBCA2020/2020_CBCA_Guide.aspx">resources</a>, suggesting an exploration of the book’s themes, for instance.</p> <p>Crucially, award lists contribute to the “canon” of literary works that become widely read. This canon is distributed through libraries, schools and homes. Sometimes, benevolent relatives <a href="https://theconversation.com/5-reasons-i-always-get-children-picture-books-for-christmas-127801">give them as gifts</a>.</p> <p>We investigated the diversity — including ethnicity, gender and sexuality — of the 118 shortlisted books in the early childhood category of Book of the Year between 2001 and 2020. We also examined diversity among the 103 authors and illustrators who have made the shortlist over the past 20 years.</p> <p>Our yet unpublished study found most (88%) human main characters in the shortlisted books were white; none of the main characters were Asian, Black or Middle Eastern.</p> <h2>Why diversity matters</h2> <p>The <a href="https://cbca.org.au/">CBCA</a> was formed in 1945, as a national not-for-profit organisation promoting children’s literary experiences and supporting Australian writers and illustrators. The first awards began in 1946.</p> <p>There were originally three categories for Book of the Year: older readers, younger readers and picture book.</p> <p>In 2001, “early childhood” was added as a category. This was for picture books for children up to six years old.</p> <p>Picture books are significant for not only developing early literacy skills, but also for the messages and values they convey about society. They <a href="https://www.betterreading.com.au/podcast/new-6-part-podcast-series-a-conversation-about-diversity-in-childrens-books/">help children learn about their world</a>.</p> <p> </p> <p>The diversity children see represented in that world <a href="https://theconversation.com/bias-starts-early-most-books-in-childcare-centres-have-white-middle-class-heroes-130208">affects their sense of belonging and inclusion</a>. At this age, cultural values and bias settle in and become the foundation for how we develop. These values and biases have a profound influence on our successes and struggles in our adult lives.</p> <h2>A positive for gender diversity, but not ethnicity</h2> <p>We used visual content analysis to examine ethnic diversity, we well as gender, disability, sexuality and linguistic variation in the 118 early childhood category shortlisted books — between 2001 and 2020.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363296/original/file-20201013-13-1teg5bo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/363296/original/file-20201013-13-1teg5bo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="The cover of picture book Go Home Cheeky Animals" /></a> <span class="caption">Illustrator Dion Beasley.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/childrens/picture-books/Go-Home-Cheeky-Animals-Johanna-Bell-illustrated-by-Dion-Beasley-9781760291655" class="source">Allen & Unwin</a></span></p> <p>We also examined diversity among the 103 authors and illustrators who have made the shortlist over the past 20 years. Only one person — Alywarr illustrator Dion Beasley, from the Northern Territory, and winner in 2017 for <a href="https://cbca.org.au/book/go-home-cheeky-animals">Go Home Cheeky Animals</a> — identifies as Indigenous.</p> <p>Female authors and illustrators, however, were more represented (66%) than male (34%).</p> <p>Looking at the picture books, we first identified four major types of characters: human (52.5%), animal (41.5%), object (4.4%) and imaginary (1.4%).</p> <p>We then distinguished between main characters and those in supporting roles that make up the story world in which the main characters act.</p> <p>One of the most encouraging findings was the gender parity among main characters. We identified 52 solo human main characters across all 118 books. Fifty-one of these are children, with 25 boy and 24 girl main characters (two main characters were not identified by gender).</p> <p> </p> <p>This placed boys and girls equally in the role of the protagonist, which stands in contrast to <a href="https://theconversation.com/i-looked-at-100-best-selling-picture-books-female-protagonists-were-largely-invisible-115843">previous research looking at best-selling picture books</a>.</p> <p>But in terms of ethnicity, the human main characters are overwhelmingly white (88%). There are just two Indigenous main characters and one who is multiracial. There have been no Asian, Black or Middle Eastern main characters.</p> <p>Looking at the wider story world, supporting characters are still overwhelmingly white. But this world does marginally include characters of Asian, Black and Middle Eastern heritage. Overall, human characters appear in 85 (72%) of the 118 books.</p> <p>White characters appear in 74 of these books, and only nine books have no white characters. Non-white characters appear in a total of 18 books (21%).</p> <p>Our results for ethnic diversity don’t correlate well with the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/migration-australia/latest-release">latest Australian census data</a> (from 2016). The cultural heritage of Australia’s population is described as: 76.8% white, 10% East and Southeast Asian, 4.6% South Asian, 3.1% West Asian and Arabic, 2.8% Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, 1.5% Maori and Pacific Islander, 0.7% African, 0.6% Latin American.</p> <p><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362846/original/file-20201012-12-21c85x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/362846/original/file-20201012-12-21c85x.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" alt="" /></a> <span class="caption">The 2020 Early Childhood Book of the Year shortlist.</span> <span class="attribution"><a href="https://cbca.org.au/shortlist-2020" class="source">CBCA/Screenshot</a></span></p> <p>The CBCA early childhood shortlist minimally represents other forms of diversity. We see only two main characters living with a disability and no characters who are sexually and gender diverse.</p> <h2>Other types of diversity</h2> <p>Linguistic variation is also minimal, in only four books, which does not reflect the linguistic diversity of the wider Australian population.</p> <p>In response to our queries regarding their judging criteria, the CBCA said:</p> <blockquote> <p>we do not select books for entry into our awards. It is the publishers and creators who select the books for entry. Our main criterion is literary merit, we do not actively exclude diversity, themes or genre.</p> </blockquote> <p>Only two of the six 2020 shortlisted books in the early childhood category have human main characters. And these are both white.</p> <p>The age of zero to six years is a crucial stage of development. It is important for young readers to see people and surroundings that are like their own to cultivate a sense of belonging. It is equally important to see a different world they are not familiar with.</p> <p> </p> <p>If award-winning books sit at the top of reading lists, these books also need to embrace and reflect the full and rich diversity that makes up our country.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/147026/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/helen-caple-730360">Helen Caple</a>, Associate Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-1414">UNSW</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ping-tian-1124969">Ping Tian</a>, Lecturer , <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-sydney-841">University of Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-20-years-of-award-winning-picture-books-non-white-people-made-up-just-12-of-main-characters-147026">original article</a>.</em></p>

Books

Empathy starts early: 5 Australian picture books that celebrate diversity

<p>Early exposure to diverse story characters, including in ethnicity, gender and ability, helps young people develop a strong sense of identity and belonging. It is also crucial in cultivating compassion towards others.</p> <p>Children from minority backgrounds rarely see themselves reflected in the books they’re exposed to. Research over the past two decades shows the world presented in children’s books is overwhelmingly white, male and middle class.</p> <p>A 2020 study in four Western Australian childcare centres showed only 18% of books available included non-white characters. Animal characters made up around half the books available and largely led “human” lives, adhering to the values of middle-class Caucasians.</p> <p>In our recent research of award-winning and shortlisted picture books, we looked at diversity in representations of Indigenous Australians, linguistically and culturally diverse characters, characters from regional or rural Australia, gender, sex and sexually diverse characters, and characters with a disability.</p> <p>From these, we have compiled a list of recommended picture books that depict each of these five aspects of diversity.</p> <p>Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander characters<br />Tom Tom, by Rosemary Sullivan and Dee Huxley (2010), depicts the daily life of a young Aboriginal boy Tom (Tommy) in a fictional Aboriginal community — Lemonade Springs. The community’s landscape, in many ways, resembles the Top End of Australia.</p> <p>Tom’s 22 cousins and other relatives call him Tom Tom. His day starts with a swim with cousins in the waters of Lemonade Springs, which is covered with budding and blossoming water lilies. The children swing on paperbark branches and splash into the water. Tom Tom walks to Granny Annie’s for lunch and spends the night at Granny May’s. At preschool, he enjoys painting.</p> <p>Through this picture book, non-Indigenous readers will have a glimpse of the intimate relationship between people and nature and how, in Lemonade Springs, a whole village comes together to raise a child.</p> <p>Characters from other cultures<br />That’s not a daffodil! by Elizabeth Honey (2012) is a story about a young boy’s (Tom) relationship with his neighbour, Mr Yilmaz, who comes from Turkey. Together, Tom and Mr Yilmaz plant, nurture and watch a seed grow into a beautiful daffodil.</p> <p>The author uses the last page of the book to explain that, in Turkish, Mr Yilmaz’s name does not have a dotted “i”, as in the English alphabet, and his name should be pronounced “Yuhlmuz”.</p> <p>While non-white characters, Mr Yilmaz and his grandchildren, only play supporting roles in the story, the book nevertheless captures the reality of our everyday encounters with neighbours from diverse ethnic backgrounds.</p> <p>Characters from rural Australia<br />All I Want for Christmas is Rain, by Cori Brooke and Megan Forward (2017), depicts scenery and characters from regional or rural Australia. The story centres on the little girl Jane’s experience of severe drought on the farm.</p> <p>The story can encourage students’ discussion of sustainability.</p> <p>In terms of diversity, it is equally important to meet children living in remote and regional areas as it is to see children’s lives in the city.</p> <p>Gender non-conforming characters<br />Granny Grommet and Me, by Dianne Wolfer and Karen Blair (2014), is full of beautiful illustrations of the Australian beach and surfing grannies.</p> <p>Told from the first-person point of view, it documents the narrator’s experiences of going snorkelling, surfing and rockpool swimming with granny and her grommet (amateur surfer) friends.</p> <p>In an age of parents’ increasing concern about gender stereotyping (blue for boy, pink for girl) of story characters in popular culture, Granny Grommet and Me’s representation of its main character “Me” is uniquely free from such bias.</p> <p>The main character wears a black wetsuit and a white sunhat and is not named in the book (a potential means of assigning gender).</p> <p>This gender-neutral representation of the character does not reduce the pleasure of reading this book. And it shows we can minimise attributes that symbolise stereotypes such as clothing, other accessories and naming.</p> <p>Characters living with a disability<br />Boy, by Phil Cummings and Shane Devries (2018), is a story about a boy who is Deaf.</p> <p>He uses sign language to communicate but people who live in the same village rarely understand him. That is, until he steps into the middle of a war between the king and the dragon that frightens the villagers.</p> <p>He resolves the conflict using his unique communication style and the villagers resolve to learn to communicate better with him by learning his language.</p> <p><em>Written by Ping Tian and Helen Caple. This article first appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/empathy-starts-early-5-australian-picture-books-that-celebrate-diversity-153629">The Conversation</a>.</em></p>

Books

“Very sad”: ABC blasted for all-white line-up

<p class="p1">The ABC is copping an influx of backlash after they revealed their upcoming line-up of news presenters for 2021, with people questioning the lack of cultural diversity among the broadcaster’s key programs.</p> <p class="p1">The broadcaster released its 2021 programmings schedule on Wednesday but it was the publicity photos of the presenters running its flagship news programs that left many unimpressed.</p> <p class="p1">It didn’t take long for viewers and ex-staff members to call out the network for their lack of diversity, with the majority of journalists coming from caucasian backgrounds.</p> <p class="p1">Former Four Corners and ABC News reporter Sophie McNeill took to Twitter to black the broadcaster, saying it was “disappointing”.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">It's disappointing that my beloved <a href="https://twitter.com/abcnews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@abcnews</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABCTV</a> has still such a long way to go to ensure the network accurately reflects the Australian population <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/diversity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#diversity</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatdiversity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatdiversity</a> <a href="https://t.co/xvjxCfSOcr">pic.twitter.com/xvjxCfSOcr</a></p> — Sophie McNeill (@Sophiemcneill) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sophiemcneill/status/1331462479902248960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">At some point, when you’re assembling these photos, you’d pause and think “Hmm something not quite right here”. It should so embarrassing that they shouldn’t be able get away with it. But who is going to hold them to account? Everywhere else is even whiter, lol.</p> — Osman Faruqi (@oz_f) <a href="https://twitter.com/oz_f/status/1331453866211123201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <p class="p1">Ex-deputy editor of ABC Life, Osman Faruqi, also joined in.</p> <p class="p1">“Do the people who run ABC News not understand how weird this looks?” he asked.</p> <p class="p1">“At some point, when you’re assembling these photos, you’d pause and think ‘Hmm something not quite right here’. It should so embarrassing that they shouldn’t be able get away with it. But who is going to hold them to account? Everywhere else is even whiter, lol.”</p> <p class="p1">Australia’s former Race Discrimination Commissioner and Culture Strategy Professor at Sydney University, Tim Soutphommasane, said the ABC has a “long way to go” in terms of diversity.</p> <p class="p1">“Let’s remember the ABC has it in its charter that it should reflect the cultural diversity of the Australian community. So where is it?” he wrote on Twitter.</p> <p class="p1">“And thanks to those who highlight there is diversity elsewhere on the upfront. That is of course good to see. But the diversity is not there in many of the flagship and other high-profile programs, especially news and current affairs.”</p> <p class="p1">In response to the backlash, the ABC released a statement saying it was proud of the “diverse talent” across its programs.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">We’re proud of the great, diverse talent on the ABC. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ABCyours?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ABCyours</a> <a href="https://t.co/mdo9Zallb1">pic.twitter.com/mdo9Zallb1</a></p> — ABC Communications (@ABCMediaComms) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABCMediaComms/status/1331484235132145670?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2020</a></blockquote> <p class="p1">“Our 2021 slate reflects our commitment to representing and reflecting modern Australia, across diverse backgrounds, ages, genders, abilities and cultures,” the broadcaster said.</p> <p class="p1">The ABC said increasing diversity across the company was a priority, as they talked about their Diversity & Inclusion Plan and Reconciliation Action Plan.</p> <p class="p1">“There’s no doubt that, like all media organisations, the ABC has significant work to do to live up to our goal to reflect the full diversity of our community,” the ABC said.</p> <p class="p1">“But we are making progress.”</p> <p class="p1">The network then shared an image to Twitter, showing all the diverse talent that will be appearing on the ABC in 2021.</p> <p class="p1">But that wasn’t enough to convince some, with Mr Faruqi and Ms McNeill saying there was still a lack of representation in ABC’s top news programs.</p> <p class="p1">“There is a significant gap between what appears to be coming of factual and entertainment TV and news in terms of whiteness, but it’s very funny the ABC is responding to concerns about the lack of diversity on news shows by saying “We also make Superwog!” Mr Faruqi wrote on Twitter.</p> <p class="p1">He added: “It’s really weird that the ABC’s response was to subtweet everyone by pointing to shows about Chinese restaurants (which I can’t wait to watch tbh). They really are in denial, it’s very sad.”</p> <p class="p1">Ms McNeill shared the same sentiments, saying while they are diverse, they are still lacking in major areas.</p> <p class="p1">“It’s not really diversity in ‘Super Wog’ or ‘Chopsticks or Fork’ that I’m chasing. It’s in the flagship, heavy hitting, political programs & at an editorial level,” she wrote.</p> <p class="p1">But not everyone was so quick to criticise the ABC, with some viewers praising the broadcaster for featuring a wide range of programming and working towards even more diversity on screen.</p> <p class="p1">“This is an easy attack but if we move beyond the ‘glam’ of TV, the ABC provides a diverse but not perfect platform. It does provide a variety of voices. Let’s not belittle it or grandstand in front of nodding heads, let’s look at the alternative & commit to make the ABC better,” one person wrote.</p> <p class="p1">“I think ABC Australia has done a much better job of diversifying its presenters than any other visual media here has. Well done ABC,” another person said.</p>

Karl Stefanovic hits back at claims of non-diversity

<p>Karl has come under fire after hitting back at a new report that labels Channel Nine as the “worst offender” in showing diversity on-screen.</p> <p>The <em>Today</em> show host says he is "proud" of his "diverse heritage" and said his employer have "always supported that."</p> <p>Stefanovic's comments come in response to a new report conducted by Media Diversity Australiaa that revealed the “embarrassing chasm between the multicultural make-up of Australians, and the on-air journalists, presenters and commentators featured in local news and current affairs programming,” as<span> </span><em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://over60.monday.com/boards/63889387/pulses/news.com.au" target="_blank">news.com.au</a></em><span> </span>reported.</p> <p>Nine is identified as the "worst offender" in the report. It showed that just 3 per cent of its on-air talent comes from a culturally diverse background.</p> <p>The article which was first reported by journalist<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/australian-audiences-are-let-down-by-tv-networks-lack-of-diversity/news-story/53ca210f589f0e7bc01af4b3c27e1205" target="_blank">Wenlei Mai</a>, received a cutting response from Stefanovic. </p> <p>"Im not sure how diverse you need to be to qualify for diverse but I'm of Yugoslav German and British heritage with a surname Stefanovic. I used to be called a wog at school.</p> <p>“I'm proud of my heritage. Im pretty sure it's diverse and nine have always supported that," he wrote.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Im not sure how diverse you need to be to qualify for diverse but I’m of Yugoslav German and British heritage with a surname Stefanovic. I used to be called a wog at school. I’m proud of my heritage. Im pretty sure it’s diverse and nine have always supported that.</p> — Karl Stefanovic (@karlstefanovic) <a href="https://twitter.com/karlstefanovic/status/1295117656287191040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2020</a></blockquote> <p>Stefanovic's response was met with a mixed reaction online.</p> <p>"Maltese Serbian here. We're pretty damn white in the scheme of things, Karl. This isn't our fight mate," <a rel="noopener" href="https://twitter.com/mikedoeslife/status/1295124004718522369" target="_blank">wrote fellow journalist Mike Stevens</a>.</p> <p>Media Diversity Australia, the non-profit group that conducted the research responded to Stefanovic's tweet, explaining that he was "counted in the data as having a European background."</p> <p>Channel 9 and Channel 7 have both responded to the report, questioning it’s methodology.</p> <p>"I don't think simply counting surnames on TV is an effective way of addressing the issue or helps in finding practical solutions to these challenges," Darren Wick, Nine's director of news and current affairs said in a statement to <em>news.com.au.</em></p> <p>"This report has clear errors and ignores the significant contribution of someone like Brooke Boney on Today, where is she one of four main hosts on the desk, instead simply listing her daily and regular contribution on the program at somewhere between 0.1 per cent and 0 per cent [an early copy of the report rounded Channel 9's overall Indigenous representation to 0 per cent but was revised to 0.1 per cent in the final release].</p> <p>"This is not reflective of the real changes and proactive appointments we have been making in improving diversity in our television business."</p>

News

Diverse, daring and rugged – highlights of exceptional New Zealand

<p>Diverse and daring, New Zealand is a destination of exceptional beauty – imagine horse rides through otherworldly gorges and glaciers, soaring around dramatic coastlines and gliding down the best ski fields of the southern hemisphere.</p> <p>Home to ethereal landscapes featured in the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, natural hot springs and idyllic beaches, New Zealand is celebrated for its breathtaking phenomena – the perfect choice for those after a serene natural escape.</p> <p>An exceptional port of call for adrenaline-seekers, New Zealand is renowned as an adventure capital, with everything from sky diving and white-water rafting to spectacular hiking trails and, of course, world-renowned skiing Queenstown.</p> <p><strong>Toast the coast</strong></p> <p>For a comparatively tiny country, New Zealand’s geography boasts 14,000 km of coastline, making it the 10th longest in the world. From boisterous west coast beaches, to the more family friendly east, with such a modest population – just 4.7million at last count – you’re sure find the perfect cove, sometimes even an entire beach to yourself. Although, if you’d rather follow the herd, in the height of summer you can join the crowds on the beach at Mt Maunganui or Takapuna and settle in amongst the heavenly bodies.</p> <p><strong>On Your Bike</strong></p> <p>Cycle tourism in New Zealand is taking off, largely thanks to the birth of Nga Haerenga: The National Cycleway featuring everything from rail trails to forests. With 22 Great Rides, the less famous but equally fabulous cousins of New Zealand’s Great Walks, these trails provide mild to wild adventures on two wheels. From The Twin Coast Trail in Northland which connects the east and west coasts to Alps2Ocean in the South Island, a journey that rolls from Mt Cook to the coastal town of Oamaru, you can ride for days or an afternoon and with the advent of e-bikes, you don’t even have to be that fit.</p> <p><strong>Picture perfect</strong></p> <p>Renowned for dramatic landscapes and pristine natural beauty, New Zealand is paradise for photographers and painters or simply those who like to look. And with many beauty spots made famous by Sir Peter Jackson’s films, location tourism has really taken off. From the twinkling waters and diving dolphins in the Bay of Islands, to the majestic alps, gorges and glaciers of the South Island, this is a country where you don’t want to be in a hurry, as you’ll be needing to stop and stop often to truly appreciate the breathtaking sights.</p> <p><strong>Satisfy your cravings</strong></p> <p>Wining and dining in the land of The Long White Cloud are taken very seriously with world-class experiences available in big cities and small towns. From Pacific Fusion cuisine to small family run eateries from around the globe, New Zealanders pride themselves on fresh food, fine wine and a vibrant culinary scene. Whether you’re shopping at a farm gate to prepare a Masterchef masterpiece in your campervan or stopping in at one of the over 500 vineyards you’ll find as you roam – you’ll treasure your gastronomic adventures.</p> <p><strong>Hot Spots</strong></p> <p>Bursting with geothermal energy, beneath New Zealand’s surface there bubbles a steaming heat that regularly warms waters to temperatures that humans find perfect for relaxation. From laid-back Ngawha Springs in Northland to the plethora of spas in the central North Island and beyond, bathers can choose to bathe in high-end spas or in the bush surrounded by nature.</p> <p><em>Written by Elisabeth Easther. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/diverse-daring-and-rugged-highlights-of-exceptional-new-zealand/">MyDiscoveries.</a></em></p>

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