Northumbria Student Academic Journal

Uncovering Gender and Temporal Dynamics

2025-03-25T09:36:08+00:00

This study examines whether the Conservation of Resources theory propositions are supported using three-wave survey data (one month between measurements) of 543 employed individuals, as analysed via Latent Growth Modelling. Subjective career success fluctuated throughout the two months of the study, decreasing in the absence of career resources. Human capital, environmental, motivation, and self-management resources predicted workers’ subjective career success over time, but these effects were moderated by gender. Human capital only predicted the objective career success of women, not men. This means that men’s subjective and objective success are aligned and predicted by the same resources, whereas women need to mobilise different resources to achieve each type of success.

Noah's Benches

2025-03-25T10:56:22+00:00

This project features 12 out of 19 unique benches, each inspired by secret, real-life locations across Europe. These installations highlight the crucial need to preserve our natural beauty within the ever-evolving landscape of urban environments. In a fast-paced world, these peaceful spots invite us to pause and reflect, providing necessary moments of quiet amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.

Research suggests that spending time sitting in nature improves both mental and physical health (Hart, 2016). With the constant pressure our environment faces from urban pollution, spaces like these become essential for human well-being. I worry about the future of these locations and fear that they may one day fall victim to development, much like many others before them.

Although I can’t disclose the exact locations, I chose each site because they have served as places of peace at different points in my life. For this reason, I have deliberately released only four of the coordinates, as these specific sites are currently protected by local groups and landowners. By highlighting these select installations, I hope to raise awareness about the value of our natural spaces and advocate for their preservation for future generations. Embracing nature within our cities is vital, and we must strive to protect these little oases in our urban landscape. The illustration style I chose reflects how I perceive nature—structured and organized by straight lines with an underlying grid system.

Hart, J., 2016. Prescribing nature therapy for improved mental health. Alternative and Complementary Therapies, 22(4), pp.161-163.

"The Big Seven": The Romantic "Peasant Poet"

2025-03-25T11:10:35+00:00

It would be reasonable to suggest that John Clare has perhaps not attained rightful pride of place alongside his predecessors and contemporaries on the pantheon of Romantic poetry, despite being described as the English equivalent to Robert Burns, and by his biographer Jonathan Bate as the greatest labouring-class poet that the country has ever produced. This academic poster is a complement to the paper ‘A case for the ‘Big Seven’? The “intrinsic merit” of John Clare’s “showing and telling” in Poems Descriptive of a Rural Life and Scenery’. The paper itself is a critical re-introduction to Clare’s first published collection of poetry. Through highlighting specific examples from this first anthology, which was published in 1820 by John Taylor, it explores the inherent literary value of Clare’s verse, notwithstanding the Helpstone-born poet’s extraordinary background and remarkable life story. Moreover, it emphasises the symbolic significance and enduring relevance of Clare’s work for a modern readership and in a contemporary global context. This poster, meanwhile, summarises why it is that John Clare matters in a world which, unfortunately, remains blighted by crippling poverty, a precarious environmental situation, widespread language endangerment through dialect levelling and marginalisation of minority cultures, alongside multiple mental health crises.

Marlboro Belt

2025-03-28T14:12:59+00:00

Smoking kills. This project critically examines smoking culture and its impact on consumer behaviour. By censoring familiar design elements associated with cigarette advertising, the work challenges the romanticized imagery often used to promote smoking. The bold red-and-white aesthetic, long linked to notions aspirational lifestyles, is subverted to reveal the stark health consequences and the aggressive marketing strategies employed by the tobacco industry. Through this artistic exploration, the piece highlights how branding shapes public perception, particularly among younger demographics, and raises ethical concerns about the normalisation of smoking. The project underscores the contrast between the symbolic appeal of cigarette advertising and the harsh reality of tobacco-related harm, encouraging viewers to question the power of visual identity. By distorting these recognisable motifs, the work aims to provoke critical reflection on the responsibilities of both corporations and consumers in addressing the global health crisis linked to smoking. Beyond tobacco critique, the piece invites viewers to reconsider the ethics of visual communication and the social responsibility of designers, how colors, typography, and imagery provokes emotional and psychological responses.

Work-Life Balance in the IT Industries: A Comprehensive Study

2025-03-28T13:04:11+00:00

In the IT industry, particularly experiencing dynamic and demanding operations, the concern about the quality of working life has become a predominant issue. They identified flexible work schedules as a trend that has been changed by COVID-19, leading people to transform from a well-structured work environment to working from home. Working from home has mixed up work and personal life, creating new mental and practical challenges. This research explores the shift to remote and hybrid work, flexibility of remote work on work-life balance in IT, using productivity, well-being, and socio-technical formations. IT professionals, in terms of productivity and flexibility, and, in contrast, some others experience elevated stress levels and isolation. For example, while some of the software developers noted that remote working had enabled them to avoid daily traffic and set flexible working hours, others reported distraction and poor working environments caused by ineffective domestic working stations led to stress on their health. In addition, existing studies reveal that personal preference for remote or office work can largely depend on factors such as family obligations, technical support, and available pro-organizational culture, suggesting that IT workers may require differential support to achieve work-life balance. This study emphasizes the challenges and factors affecting work-life balance in the IT industry.