MFL

Why did Italy get rid of the monarchy? 👑

Italy is a republic and has been since 1946. However, before then Italy had been a monarchy, although the country was only founded in 1861. The monarchy was exiled after 1946 and only in 2003 were the descendants of the royal family allowed back onto Italian soil, as long as they didn’t participate in politics. So why did Italians vote to abolish the monarchy? Did they even actually have a democratic referendum on the matter?

💡 Things to consider

• Fascist years: The main reason Italy abolished the monarchy was due to Victor Emanuel III’s complicity during Mussolini’s fascist regime. He appointed Mussolini as Italy’s prime minister in 1922 and remained silent on Mussolini’s treatment of Italian people and his policies. He only acted in 1943 when he deposed Mussolini. However, he then fled to Brindisi in the south of Italy and abandoned Rome, which allowed the Germans to establish a puppet state in northern Italy. This made the monarchy seem cowardly and ignorant to their people’s suffering, causing a massive increase in anti-monarchy sentiment. Many politicians and everyday citizens were for establishing a republic. If Victor Emmanuel had stayed in Rome, do you think he would’ve remained king after the war?

• Italian Unification: Italy only became a country in 1861. Before then, it had been a mix of city states and regions belonging to other kingdoms, such as the Austrio-Hungarian Empire and the Spanish crown. This means that what we recognise as Italy today only had monarchs for a relatively short period: less than a hundred years, with only four kings! Italians had less attachment to this ruling dynasty, partially because they lacked the history, partially because Italians still felt stronger connections to their regions and previous kingdoms. Some of the main figures involved in Italian reunification also hoped that, one day, Italy would become a republic. Was it right to implement a ruling dynasty on a newly formed country which could have established itself as a republic?

  

  The Unification of Italy

• Political Upset and Fear: A referendum was held on 2 June 1946 in which 53% voted for the abolition of monarchy and 47% voted against it. However, it is widely alleged, although never confirmed, that the referendum was rigged by politicians to allow the republicans to win. In post-war Italy, the second largest political group were communists and Western countries feared Italy would align itself with the eastern bloc. Abolishing the monarchy was a way to appease the left and a way to prevent a communist uprising. Others argued that the vote was rigged because there were 3 million Italians that hadn’t been able to vote. Realistically, the rigging of the vote has never been proven. The pro-monarchy southern Italian votes were counted quicker than the pro-republic northern Italian which initially made it seem as if the public were in favour of the monarchy.

🔎 Find out more

• Monarchy vs Republic

• Italy: The Birth of the Republic

MEDICINE

Schizophrenia: what’s its real cause? 🧠

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder which can distort thoughts and perceptions, causing people to lose contact with reality. Common areas of concern are delusions (false beliefs held with complete conviction) and hallucinations (sensations without an external stimulus e.g. hearing voices). Despite this affecting a significant proportion of the global population, we are still unsure of the true mechanisms of schizophrenia or where it really comes from. Read on for some of the main theories and super interesting ways clinicians and psychologists are trying to improve the lives of those with the condition.

💡 Things to consider

• Genetics: A significant amount of heritability has been seen in schizophrenia (meaning it runs in families). If both parents have the condition, you are at a 40% risk of developing it. There is no specific ‘schizophrenia gene’ but certain small genetic variants, deletions or duplications can contribute to the risk. On the other hand, 90% of schizophrenia patients don’t have an affected parent and identical twins only show 50% concordance (probability that they both have the condition given that one of them has it). So, maybe the genetics of the condition aren’t as clear as first thought - can you think of any environmental factors that may contribute?

• Dopamine & glutamate: Dopamine and glutamate are 2 neurotransmitters (chemicals released by nerves) that can be associated with schizophrenia. Too much dopamine in an area of the brain called the striatum has been suggested to underly the delusions and hallucinations seen in the condition. Meanwhile, other research has looked at the contribution of poorly functioning glutamate receptors to schizophrenia-like behaviours. Most anti-psychotic drugs used for schizophrenia affect one of these chemicals. Do you think just one of these hypotheses is true, or do you think that both might contribute?

  

  Glutamate

• Neurodevelopment: Some think that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder (affected by the way your brain develops), like ADHD. This is supported by the fact that some of the features of the condition have a prenatal (before birth) origin. Risk factors are mainly prenatal or peri-natal (just after birth) and pre-schizophrenia children show changes similar to the condition e.g. impaired movement skills. New research has shown that even your mother’s placenta can affect your risk.

🔎 Find out more

• What’s the link between dopamine, glutamate and schizophrenia? 

• The neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia 

• An introduction to gameChange VR therapy (to treat paranoia) 

• An introduction to avatar therapy (for people who hear voices) 

• The voices in my head (TED Talk by Eleanor Longden)

🍒 The cherry on top

• 💁‍♀️ Pop Feminism: Generally, pop feminism refers to the kind of feminism that focused on emphasising ‘girl power’, without critically questioning the existing societal structures. Did pop feminism, aiming for inclusivity, unintentionally reinforce existing structures? Why did the 2010s focus shift towards personal choices over systemic change? This is a great YouTube video if you’re interested in Politics or Sociology!

• 🧠 Making Memories: Interested in how the brain makes and stores memories? Would you like a breakdown of the different types of memory and means of processing we have? This CrashCourse Psychology video will do just that, giving you the low down on the relationship between the brain and memory. An interesting watch if you are interested in Psychology or Medicine.

• 🔱 Shipwrecks: What do we do about all the ships at the bottom of the sea? Are there degrading clues giving us insight into the past? Whose responsibility is it to recover all this, or not at all? The case of the San José ship tries to navigate these answers. This article is a fascinating read for anyone interested in History, Anthropology, or International Relations.

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for…

• 25th March - UEA Biology Taster Webinar

• 26th March - Sheffield German Taster Session

• 26th March - Essex Economics, Politics, and International Relations Taster

• 26th March - University of Portsmouth Student Finance Webinar for Parents and Supporters

• 26th March - St John’s College Cambridge Admissions Clinic

• 26th March - Trinity College Cambridge MML Webinar (Teachers)

• 27th March - University of York Public Lecture: Exoplanets and Public Lectures

• 27th March - University of York Public Lecture: From the Lab to Patients: What Today’s Nuclear Physics Contributes to Tomorrow’s Nuclear Medicine

• 28th March - St John’s College Cambridge Choosing your Degree Webinar

• 28th March - Bath Supporting your Child: Student Finance, Scholarships, Bursaries, and Budgeting Webinar

🗳️ Poll