BLACK BOX SOCIETY AUTOPSY 2: FACT NOT OPINION
This work is questioning responsibilities, and accountabilities, of politicians time in office.
When I first approached the subject of time I was interested in the effect grief has on the brains ability to track time. From personal experience I've been struck with my loss of time tracking when overwhelmed by emotional distress, as if my brain is experiencing periodic loss of passage of time syndrome - Dyschronometria.
When doing research into homelessness I had come across the Suicide By Occupation report. It stayed with me because of the relevance to the current education system, which is so weighted in time.
Time, in the most simplistic approach, can represent the man-made numerical systems, which I think has become intrinsically linked with the other big man-made numerical system: money. Using weight to allegorically mesh the two I've chosen to explore breaking points through the use of the National Offices of Statistics report: Suicide By Occupation and the Kirkaldy Testing Museum. Fact Not Opinions is the slogan used by the Kirkaldy testing company.
FACT: ONE
'Male and female carers had a risk of suicide that was almost twice the national average.'
FACT: TWO
'The risk of suicide among low-skilled male labourers, particularly those working in construction roles, was 3 times higher than the male national average.'
FACT: THREE
'Males working in the lowest-skilled occupations had a 44% higher risk of suicide than the male national average; the risk among males in skilled trades was 35% higher.'
FACT: FOUR
'Females within the teaching and education profession had a lower risk of suicide but specifically for primary and nursery schoolteachers there was evidence of an elevated risk.'
FACT: FIVE
'For males working in skilled trades, the highest risk was among building finishing trades; particularly, plasterers and painters and decorates had more than double the risk of suicide than the male national average.'
FACT: SIX
'The risk of suicide was elevated for those in culture, media and sport occupations for males (20% higher than the male average) and females (69% higher); risk was highest among those working in artistic, literary and media occupations.'
FACT: SEVEN
'For females, the risk of suicide among health professionals was 24% higher than the female national average; this is largely explained by high suicide risk among female nurses.'
FACT: EIGHT
'Individuals working in roles as managers, directors and senior officials - the highest paid occupation group - had the lowest risk of suicide. Among corporate managers and directors the risk of suicide was more than 70% lower for both sexes.'