Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Building bridges'

Young people who go missing from school through non-attendance is not a new phenomenon and continues to challenge government policy makers and researchers. The research literature in the area has tended to look at deficits either of the young person, parent, school, society or various combinations therein-much of it developed from looking in on their lives as opposed to eliciting the unique views of those who are living those lives. This research project aims to redress this by eliciting the unique perspectives of the young people and their parents on the factors involved, in the young person going missing from school and the issues which this raises for them. It aims to analyse these factors and issues from an ecological and social capital perspective, exploring whether adopting such an analysis can inform an intervention approach to support their route back into education or training. A significant barrier identified was their lack of social capital in relation to knowledge of possible educational options available to them, and a lack of support to help navigate their route back into some form of education or training. Based on this, the researcher adopted a curative approach (Kinder & Kendall, 2005) using the social capital concept of linking social capital as a practical intervention. This involved an intervention with the researcher acting as a linking social tie to bridge the young people back into education or training. The research project adopted a social constructionist perspective and took the form of a qualitative exploratory study, which employed structured discussions and a multiple case study approach (Yin, 2003). The contributors to the research project were a group of young people (n-10), in Year 3 or Year 4 of a Scottish secondary school, who were aged 13 to 15 years. They comprised 6 males and 4 females. Their attendance had diminished to such an extent that school staff felt that they would be unlikely to return to a secondary school. The young people’s parents (n-10) also contributed to the research process. Following the intervention, seven of the ten young people returned to an education or a vocational placement. Implications for schools and professional practice are discussed, as are opportunities for further research.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 1999.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xiv, 429 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-118).

Reading is an area that has concerned educators who work with students who are deaf or hard of hearing for many years. Studies from the 1960s to the present have concluded that students who are deaf read at lower levels than their hearing counterparts. The purpose of this study is to investigate the reading strategies used by students who are deaf, as they comprehend the written text. This study focuses on the strengths of individual students who are deaf, as they realize their potential as efficient readers and writers of a language they cannot hear. Qualitative case study research design initiated and guided this investigation. Through observations, interviews, and miscue analysis, I investigated two students' reading strategies. I was interested in the students' perspectives of their reading strategies, reading strengths, and thoughts about the reading process. Using constant comparative method of reading, organizing, and coding the data, an understanding of the students' reading strategies developed. A significant implication from this study is that students who are deaf use similar reading strategies as students with normal hearing in each of the three reading comprehension categories, predicting, sampling, and confirming. However, findings also and translation of the text from English to ASL, to assist their comprehension. Further research into each of these areas is warranted.

Despite advances in online research methods, there are still significant challenges in sampling certain populations. These challenges include the concealed nature of stigmatized identities, lack of access to the internet, or living in rural or remote geographic locations. In this interactive discussion, we will focus on research with hard-to-reach populations, and successes and challenges encountered while using online methods to recruit participants and gather data. Each of the presenters will briefly talk about different experiences recruiting sexual and gender minority participants in rural areas using online methods. We welcome researchers who have worked with other hard-to reach population, those who are interested in doing so, and those who have used other methods of sampling and data collection using new technology to share their experiences. We will also break into small groups to discuss how recruitment and data collection are made more complex when targeting multiple intersecting marginalized identity statuses that, combined, make them particularly vulnerable to being understudied. Finally, we will collaboratively construct a list of strategies and resources to share with session attendees at the conclusion of the session.

A culture of accommodation and tolerance is a necessary part of establishing and preserving a functional multi-national and multi-ethnic European Union. Civil society organizations and their associated social capital have been shown to foster civic capacity and achievement of public policy goals. However, social capital that is based on group identity can also contribute to a sense of intolerance towards out-groups, undermining the stated tolerance objectives of the social pillar of the European Union. States with a strong presence alongside civil society are expected to be curb the development of the exclusionary bonding form of social capital in favor of bridging social capital which will improve progress toward policy goals. This study tests the link between government capacity, social capital and tolerance using data from the 1990-2009 waves of the World Values Survey and European Values Study. Using path analysis and multi-level models of the relationships between political capacity, social capital and intolerance, the model establishes that government capacity enhances bridging social capital and which increases social tolerance. The study fills a gap in understanding how government capacity and policy can result in improved social capital even with greater diversity. A proposed relationship between political capacity and bonding forms of social capital was not supported.

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
The technologies used for flight test are evolving. Trusted standards like CAIS and IRIG106 PCM are giving way to new “trusted standards” (and proven technologies/protocols) found in telecommunication and networking such as Ethernet, fiber channel, TCP/IP, UDP, ATM and so on. Currently there is $100Ms+ invested in CAIS and IRIG compliant equipment in the world. A key challenge in this evolution is to provide a reliable solution that allows the FTI engineer to immediately take advantage of these advanced technologies while protecting prior investment in equipment, knowledge, and resources during this transition. This paper presents an analysis of how to protect existing assets while still leveraging the power of the latest technologies. It looks at the characteristics of a “bridge” system, and suggests solutions for merging and linking data from and to different transmission protocols using data synchronization and deterministic data management cycles.

This qualitative, interpretative, interview study is conducted with six young female Kosovar-Albanian and Serbian participants from a peacebuilding, dialogue and training program called Young Women’s Peace Academy. It aims at answering what made the young women who participated so “successful” in breaking antagonism, in spite of the tensions that exist in the post-conflict society they live in. More specifically it is looking at how ethnicity, gender and age interact in the process of peacebuilding to fine-grain theory.

Green design is now a ubiquitous term in the profession of architecture, yet the energy performance of buildings in real-world conditions is poorly documented. A large number of buildings use substantially more energy than is predicted during design, and one possible explanation is that designers do not adequately understand the impact of thermal bridging through insulation on the energy use of a building. This study proposes a methodology that uses the parametric design program Grasshopper to quantitatively analyze infrared images for the degree of thermal bridging in a wall assembly. The end result is a user-friendly tool that architects can use to study the relative energy performance of their buildings in the field, giving them an increased understanding of the energy efficiency of their designs. Case studies of various details show a ten to fifty-five percent reduction in the effective R-value of the overall wall assemblies due to thermal bridging.
10000-01-01

In this thesis, I explore the role of American women missionaries to Korea and how they built cultural bridges that Korean women crossed to become Christian converts. American women missionaries opened their homes to and deliberately sought out relationships with Korean women, relationships centered on evangelism, a common search for Korean language literacy, a shared identity as women and on something missionary women termed a "friendship." These actions by the American women missionaries created opportunities -- bridges -- for Korean women to step into Christianity along a uniquely female path. The bridges I discuss are the intentional actions by women missionaries to make connections with Korean women, the creation of spaces within American homes that met Confucian expectations for women and the production of a "middle ground," a conceptual space of (mis)understanding and new understandings that facilitated cross-cultural interaction. These bridges helped a significant number of Korean women to convert to Christianity and also shed light on the development of a syncretic Korean Christianity.
Doctor of Philosophy

This thesis deals with prefabricated composite bridges in general, and prefabricated concrete deck elements with dry joints in particular.As outlined in Paper I and Chapter 2 prefabrication has several advantages over in situ construction, and has hence been discussed for decades in the construction business. Further, the house building sector has taken large steps towards a more industrialized approach, in which prefabrication, lean thinking and Building Information Modelling (BIM) are all important components. Numerous studies have also examined the applicability of such an approach in the bridge sector, and several types of prefabrication techniques have been tested. Nevertheless, in many countries the bridge sector seems to lag far behind in the general shift towards more industrialized construction processes. One of the reasons for the relatively slow progress may be the fact that bridges are often unique objects with unique specifications and constraints. This hinders the standardisation that is often regarded as a key to industrialised construction.Chapter 2-3 and Paper I, presents evidence from a literature review together with information gathered from a Workshop, attended by bridge designers and researcher in Europe and the US, that prefabricated deck elements are still quite rarely used in bridge construction. Deck elements with dry transverse joints are even rarer. Few examples have been reported. In addition, the degree of prefabrication and the rate of progress towards more industrialised construction processes seem to vary substantially from one country to another.However, as described in Chapter 3 and Paper II, a prefabricated concrete deck element system with dry joints has been developed in Sweden for constructing composite bridges. The transverse joints are completely dry, and all forces are transferred by contact pressure between concrete surfaces. This implies that no tensional forces can be transferred over the transverse joints. Shear forces are transferred by overlapping concrete shear keys, designed as a series of male-female connections. The research presented in this thesis is focused on the structural behaviour of this deck element system. In order to investigate this, laboratory tests have been performed as well as field monitoring.Results of large-scale laboratory tests, presented in Chapter 4 and Paper V, show that a bridge of this type is less stiff than a similar bridge with an insitu cast deck slab. The concrete elements’ contributions to stiffness are negligible in sections with hogging moments, but make some contribution to global stiffness in sections with sagging moments. At moderate load levels, the interacting concrete area is much smaller than in a similar in-situ cast section. This is believed to be due to the combined effects of small gaps in the joints and continuous in-situ cast concrete in the injection channels.After the channels have been injected, existing gaps will be more or less permanent, since the in-situ cast concrete must be compressed up to a certain limit before the rest of the joint will be closed. Destructive testing showed that the differences in stiffness and stresses between a deck of this type and an in-situ cast bridge deck are much smaller in the ultimate limit state. In this case it could even be reasonable to design a cross-section according to Eurocodes, neglecting effects of the joints.As shown in Chapter 5 and Paper III, the overlapping shear keys are a critical detailing in this deck system. Therefore, they were tested in the laboratory to determine how they fail and evaluate their load capacity. The tests revealed two failure modes. The first is a rather ductile failure, activating the shear reinforcement. This was the expected failure mode for shear keys of this design. The second failure mode observed was a quite brittle failure in the concrete covering layer. It has only been observed in small-scale tests, and might be related to the test set-up. Nevertheless, overlapping of the rebars in the male-female shear key connection is strongly recommended to assure the robustness of shear transfer if failure occurs in the concrete covering layer.To complement the laboratory tests, a single span bridge was monitored in the field (Chapter 6 and Paper IV). The bridge was built in 2000, using the prefabricated deck system that this thesis is focusing on, and was tested in both 2001 and 2011. The tests, and subsequent Finite Element analyses, showed that under moderate loading the interacting concrete area is smaller than for a similar in-situ cast bridge. No significant long-term effects were observed, except that under eccentric loading the distribution of the deflection between the girders decreased slightly during the 10 years between tests. This indicates that the joint gaps may have narrowed and at least partly closed during this time.Chapter 7 summarises the research and presents recommendations for dealing with general issues related to the design and construction of a bridge of this type. The design methods are generally the same as for a conventional composite bridge with an in-situ cast deck slab. However, the Eurocodes require some modification for the design of prefabricated deck elements with dry joints, particularly regarding global analysis and the resistance of cross-sections. Finally, conclusions, a general discussion and suggestions for further research are presented in Chapter 8.
Denna avhandling behandlar ämnet prefabricerade samverkansbroar i allmänhet och prefabricerade betongelementfarbanor med torra fogar i synnerhetPrefabricering är ett ämne som har diskuterats i byggbranschen under de senaste decennierna. Husbyggnadsindustrin har gjort stora framsteg i riktning mot ett mer industriellt tänkande, i vilket prefabricering, Lean och BIM är viktiga pusselbitar. Även i brobranschen har mängder med forskningsprojekt utförts runt om i världen och flertalet olika prefabricering lösningar har testats genom åren. Trots detta så förefaller det så att brobranschen ligger lång efter i utvecklingen mot en mer industrialiserad byggprocess. Den långsamma utvecklingen kan till viss del förklaras av att varje bro ofta är ett unikt objekt med unika förutsättningar. Detta utgör ett hinder mot standardisering vilket ofta är beskrivet som nyckeln till industrialiserat byggande.En litteratur studie kompletterad med en Workshop, för insamling av information och erfarenheter från brokonstruktörer och forskare i Europa och USA, visar att prefabricerade farbaneelement fortfarande är ganska ovanliga på den globala byggmarknaden. Farbaneelement med torra fogar förefaller vara extremt ovanliga, enbart ett fåtal exempel har påträffats i litteraturstudien. Prefabriceringsnivån och utvecklingstakten mot ett mer industriellt byggande varierar mycket från ett land till ett annat. (Paper I och Kapitel 2-3)För samverkansbroar har ett prefabricerat farbanesystem med torra fogar mellan betongelementen utvecklats i Sverige. De tvärgående fogarna är helt torra och all kraft överförs genom kontakttryck mellan olika betongytor. Detta medför att inga dragkrafter alls kan överföras genom fogen. Tvärkrafterna överförs genom överlappande betongklackar som är utformade som en serie av hane-hona kopplingar. Forskningen som presenteras i denna avhandling är fokuserad på konstruktionens strukturella beteende. Detta beteende har undersökts via labbtester såväl som genom fältförsök. (Paper II och Kapitel 3)Storskaliga labbtester visar att en bro av denna typ är mindre styv än en liknande bro med en plastgjuten farbaneplatta. I områden med negativt böjmoment är betongelementens bidrag till styvheten försumbart. I områden med positivt böjmoment bidrar betongelementen till den globala styvheten. Vid måttlig belastning är dock den medverkande betongarean avsevärt mindre än i en motsvarande platsgjuten konstruktion. Detta orsakas förmodligen av de små glipor som finns i fogarna, i kombination med det faktum att de injekterade kanalerna är kontinuerliga över elementskarvarna. Detta medför att de initiala fogöppningarna mer eller mindre blir permanenta då kanalen injekteras, eftersom den injekterade betongen i kanalen måste tryckas samman till en viss gräns innan den resterande delen av fogen stängs. Förstörande provning visar dock att skillnaderna i spänningar och styvhet är avsevärt mindre i brottgränstillståndet. Det är därför rentav rimligt att utföra tvärsnittskontroller, i brottgränstillstånd, i enlighet med de regler som anges i Eurokoderna och därmed försumma de effekter som fogarna ger upphov till. (Paper V och Kapitel 4)De överlappande betongklackarna är en väsentlig detalj i det aktuella prefabriceringssystemet. Dessa klackar har därför testats i ett laboratorium för att för utreda hur de går i brott samt vilken last kapacitet som de har. Testerna resulterade i två olika typer av brott. Den första typen av brott aktiverade skjuvarmeringen, vilket resulterade i ett tämligen duktilt brott. Denna var även det förväntande brottscenariot och tämligen i linje med de dimensionerings metoder som föreslås för denna typ av betongklackar. Den andra typen av brott som observerades var ett tämligen sprött brott i betongens täckskikt. Denna typ av brott har enbart observerats i dessa labbtester och är möjligen relaterad till utformningen av testriggen. Det rekommenderas dock starkt att utforma armeringen i klackarna så att armeringsjärnen i hona-hane överföringen överlappar varandra. Detta för att säkerhetsställa en residualhållfasthet för skjuvöverföringen även efter ett eventuellt brott i betongens täckskikt i klackarna. (Paper III och Kapitel 5)Som ett komplement till labbtesterna har fältförsök utförs på en enspannsbro. Den aktuella bron byggdes år 2000 med den prefabriceringsteknik som denna avhandling behandlar och har instrumenterats såväl år 2001 som 2011. Även dessa tester och de efterföljande FE-analyserna visar att den medverkande betongarean, under måttlig belastning, är klart mindre än den medverkande arean för en platsgjuten betongfarbana. Inga väsentliga långtidseffekter har kunnat observeras. Enbart nedböjningsfördelningen mellan balkarna, vid excentrisk last, har minskat en del efter 10 år. Denna skillnad kan indikera att fog öppningarna var större år 2011, dessa kan åtminstone delvis ha stängts under den tid som förlöpt mellan testen. (Paper IV och Kapitel 6)Huvuddelen av denna avhandling avslutas med ett kapitel som summerar den utförda forskningen genom att presentera råd och förslag på hur det går att hantera generella konstruktions- och produktions-frågor för en bro av denna typ. Dimensioneringsmetoderna är i regel de samma som för en konventionell samverkansbro med platsgjuten farbana. För denna typ av prefabricerade farbaneelement finns det dock vissa områden där dimensioneringsreglerna i Eurokoderna bör modifieras eller rentav ändras. Systemanalys och tvärsnittskontroll är två av de dimensioneringssteg där reglerna i Eurokoderna bör modifieras en del. (Kapitel 7)
Godkänd; 2012; 20120817 (robhal); LICENTIATSEMINARIUM Ämnesområde: Stålbyggnad/Steel Structures Examinator: Professor Peter Collin, Institutionen för samhällsbyggnad och naturresurser, Luleå tekniska universitet Diskutant: Professor Ian May, Herriot-Watt University Edinburgh, UK Tid: Måndag den 24 september 2012 kl 14.00 Plats: F1031, Luleå tekniska universitet

Cette dernière décennie a connu une prolifération des réseaux d'accès sans fil, dominée par les réseaux locaux sans fil (ou Wireless Local Area Network - WLAN), les réseaux cellulaires 3GPP de troisième (3G) et quatrième génération (4G) et en moindre mesure les réseaux Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) pour la télévision numérique. Conjugué à l'apparition des téléphones intelligents (Smartphone) et des tablettes, les réseaux sans fil ont changé la façon dont les utilisateurs consomment les applications Internet, où on constate que l'accès aux plateformes vidéo (Youtube, vidéo à la demande, Télé sur IP) et aux réseaux sociaux à partir des réseaux sans fil et mobiles a explosé. L'accès massif à ces applications par le biais des réseaux sans fil introduit de nouveaux verrous, liés principalement à l'augmentation du trafic et l'aspect temps réel de certaines applications, où un certain niveau de Qualité de Service (QdS)/Qualité d'Expérience (QdE) doit être assuré. Par conséquent, un certain nombre de défis se posent : (i) aux opérateurs des réseaux sans fil et mobiles, pour lesquels il est nécessaire d'avoir des nouveaux mécanismes et protocoles réseaux pour éviter la congestion et garantir la QdS/QdE aux utilisateurs ; (ii) aux fournisseurs de contenus (service provider) qui doivent s'adapter au contexte de l'utilisateur (bande passante, terminal utilisé, résolution, etc.) lors de la création de contenus audiovisuels (audio et vidéo). Afin d'adresser les problématiques citées dans la section précédente, l'originalité de nos contributions se situe dans la proposition de protocoles et mécanismes de contrôle de réseau dits dynamiques ou adaptatifs. L'approche dynamique permet de s'adapter : (i) aux changements de l'état du réseau (niveau de charge/contention) ; (ii) aux changements de l'état du canal sans fil (dégradation/amélioration du canal physique) ; (iii) à l'augmentation ou la réduction du trafic d'une application ; (iv) à la dégradation de la qualité de service/expérience de l'utilisateur. De ce fait, nos travaux ont généralement considéré le réseau (ou l'application réseau) ainsi que la fonction ou le mécanisme à contrôler comme un système en boucle fermée, dont le but est de modifier (contrôler) l'état d'entrée (accepter ou refuser un nouveau flux, augmenter la durée de mise en veille d'une station, maitriser la congestion, etc.) du système et mesurer les paramètres en sortie (délais, QdE) pour les prendre en compte lors des prochaines décisions du mécanisme de contrôle. Ces mesures se font soit au niveau du réseau, terminal ou application. Nos contributions sont classées suivant la nature de la mesure utilisée. Une partie de nos travaux utilise des mesures centrées QdS/réseau (tel que l'intensité du trafic, la taille de la file d'attente, débit de la station, délai applicatif), et l'autre partie est centrée sur l'utilisateur (ou human-centric) à travers la mesure de la qualité d'expérience perçue par l'utilisateur.

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of urban planning interventions in interrupting the degenerative socio-spatial cycle which perpetuates division in divided cities. To analyze the abilities of different types of urban planning projects to transform division, this paper implements a new system of classifying urban planning interventions in divided cities, delineating projects by their object, rather than by process. Under this system, urban planners pursue one of three objects: segregation, the creation of integrated spaces, and the transformation of divided space at a micro-spatial level. Applying this model to six urban planning projects in Belfast and Mostar from 1969 to 2008, this paper finds that segregation perpetuates inter-group conflict, the creation of integrated spaces separate from divided cities fails to impact such conflict by bypassing contested areas, and that symbolic micro-spatial projects have the potential to transform space to positively impact conflict.

Learning English as a second language is a key factor to promote globalization, because the language has spread widely. Furthermore, learning English vocabulary for the fast-paced global business environment is highly dependent on the imagined future of a business major; he or she must imagine in what context the business career will take place: what sphere of activity will be involved, in which scenarios of language usage, and what lexical items will be needed. Vocabulary learning has long been characterized by the use of decontextualized vocabulary academic word lists. As an alternative, this project researches the use of an integrated language thematic mode--the theme being business communication-with a focus on incorporating various linguistics aspects of learning English. This research will emphasize the integrated linguistics approach to the acquisition of academic vocabulary. Additionally, the project explores the use of an individual’s imagined community in setting vocabulary goals and second-language-acquisition strategies. The study took place at the English Language Program and College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) at California State University, San Bernardino in the spring of 2016. International students were asked to participate in a survey; an interview questionnaire was designed to discover the students’ preferences strategies and in learning English with respect to their future career. The results varied based on students’ backgrounds, their specific majors, and their personalities and preferred ways of learning.

This thesis describes our efforts to design and synthesize selective probes for the PIM kinases (PIM-1, PIM-2, and PIM-3), because of their important role in cancer. During the course of the investigation we also examined the splicing kinases CLK1, CLK3, CLK4, DYRK1, DYRK2, SRPK1, and SRPK2. In Chapter 2, SAR and molecular modelling studies were carried out using a known benzothienopyrimidinone PIM inhibitor1 (J. Med. Chem., 2009, 52, 6621-6636). A series of analogues were synthesized providing low nanomolar activities towards the PIM kinases but showing little selectivity between the isoforms. Within these studies on PIM selectivity, the discovery of potential CLK4 chemical probes was made, which led to the first CLK4 X-ray crystal structure with a compound bound within the ATP binding site. Chapter 3 describes the discovery of a new series of compounds containing a phenyl pyrimidinone core which showed excellent activity against the PIM kinases. The scaffold offered potential for multiple points of diversity and applications in future programmes. A one-pot strategy for the synthesis of the phenyl pyrimidinone core is also described. Chapter 4 presents the discovery of a benzothienodiazepine scaffold. Through SAR studies, molecular modeling, and biological evaluation, potential PIM-1 and PIM-3 selective probes with good selectivity as well as low nanomolar activities are discussed. An X-ray crystal structure of PIM-1 with one of our analogues is also described, confirming that the compound is bound in the PIM-1 ATP binding pocket. Chapter 5 describes the biological evaluation carried out with the potential PIM-1 and PIM-3 selective probes. Solubility, permeability, in vitro and in vivo assays are detailed, providing low nanomolar activities as well as excellent selectivity towards a wide panel of kinases. Selected probes are further being characterized. On validation, our aim is to make these probes available to the biological community in order to dissect the fundamental biology of these important receptors.

This study investigated the actual and potential role that cultural resources embedded in Latino households are incorporated into parental participation in schooling practices. By examining various aspects of parental involvement that exist at a particular school site in the Southwest United States - including the various manifestations of the involvement, the enabling and sustaining factors for parental participation - and the challenges and possibilities for improvement of parental participation, this study aimed to provide a framework for how to authentically engage the participation of Latino parents within the school setting.A qualitative approach was selected as the primary methodological perspective, which included ethnographic interviewing based on Funds of Knowledge research (Moll, 2004) and action research as a participant observer being utilized for data collection. Observations of parent activity at the school were conducted over a three-month period at a school setting called "parent room", which served as a meeting place for parent volunteers to work, socialize, and attend classes. Twelve parents were interviewed to determine the kinds of skills parent volunteers employ through parental involvement at the school and whether or not these skills can be categorized as Funds of Knowledge. Six staff members were interviewed to establish a history of parental involvement at the school as well as to establish an understanding of the role of the parent room.The researcher presents results on parent involvement in a school setting that includes a space specific to the needs and work of parent volunteers. The parent room scenario, which has previously not been included in parent involvement research in schools, is determined to be a valuable and viable possibility for schools wishing to increase parental involvement by immigrant and minority parents or those parents who are generally uncomfortable in the traditional classroom setting. The framework and results advance our understanding of the complexities of parent involvement in school and provide a foundation for incorporating families' Funds of Knowledge into the function and organization of schools.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Antioch University, 2006.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Mar. 29, 2007). Advisor: Carolyn B. Kenny. Keywords: performance ethnography, drama, Deaf theater, leadership, cultural identity, ethnographic research. Includes bibliographical references (p. 278-285 ).

Research Summary: This paper argues for, and contributes to, a stronger integration of research on finance and international business/global strategy. We perform bibliometric analysis of journal publications between 2010 and 2016 and show that papers published in the two domains relate to very different underlying literatures which, so far, have had a limited overlap. We further argue based on a qualitative review of the literature that both fields offer substantial novel perspectives, models, and theories to each other that have the potential to enrich our theoretical understanding of relevant research questions in both domains. We map various pathways for further integration of international business/global strategy and finance fields and discuss different ways how to better connect the two fields and their different research perspectives and research methodologies. Managerial Summary: In this paper we, first, find that publications from the field of finance and from the area of international business/global strategy relate to very different literatures. Second, we show that both fields would indeed offer substantial and relevant novel perspectives to each other. Third, we develop various pathways for a more intense integration of both literatures. Given the relevance of both international business/global strategy and finance perspectives for business practice, we strongly believe that a more intense integration also bears substantial implications for managers. This is as much of the knowledge developed in international business/global strategy and finance did not fully transfer into the respective other field.

The community-based restorative justice projects in Republican and Loyalist communities in Northern Ireland which are the focus of this thesis are some of the most high-profile developments of restorative justice in the world. The projects were established with the explicit aim of providing non-violent alternatives to punishment shootings and beatings as practiced by paramilitary groups in both communities at the time, and are led by former combatants of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) and the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF). The projects are unique in that they were established and have operated independently from the state, and they represent a truly grassroots response to local problems 'with crime and antisocial behaviour. This thesis specifically investigates.how such grassroots initiatives can challenge cultures of violence at the individual and community levels within a period of transition from conflict to stable democratic rule. Furthermore, it investigates the potentials of bridge-building, both within communities as a form of community empowerment and capacity building; and between historically estranged communities and the state, both important contributions in the transitional phase. The arguments in this thesis speaks to broader debates within restorative justice by exploring the extent to which the framework may be applied to much more serious incidents of violence and criminality, rather than its traditional focus on juvenile and minor crimes. Moreover, it aims to contribute to the emerging literature on a criminological approach to peace-building, both within post-conflict societies and high-crime communities elsewhere.

Church Women United incorporated in December 1941 as an interdenominational and interracial movement of liberal Protestant women committed to social reform. The one hundred organizers represented ten million Protestant women across the United States. They organized with the express purposes of helping to bring peace on Earth and to develop total equality within all humanity. Church Women United was the bridge between the First and Second Wave of Feminism and the bridge between the Social Gospel and Social Justice Movements. Additionally they connected laterally with numerous social and religious groups across American society. As such, they exemplify the continuity and matrix of reform in American history. Because they worked to promote international peace, develop positive race relations, and advance women’s rights, their campaigns give us a model for how to rectify the social problems of today. These women used communal prayer, politics, education, and hands-on labor to promote their ideas. They originated in collective prayer and continued this tool, but they added letter writing campaigns, public education forums, and lobbying politicians at all levels including the president to advance their goals. They held massive campaigns to collect needed items for war-torn countries and natural disaster areas as well as acting as counselors to the needy. They raised public awareness of issues facing migrant laborers, inner-city residents, Native Americans, Japanese internment detainees, and then worked hard to ameliorate the worst of these problems. They promoted literacy around the world, as well as new agricultural techniques to address human conditions that were known to lead to political and social unrest. This dissertation covers the mid-twentieth century while being predominately focused on the years 1941-1968. This study is built upon multiple archives across the United States and oral histories of movement leaders. It is one of the first interdenominational studies focused on the work of women in social reform work. This dissertation enlarges our knowledge of feminism and social reform work.

The arguments presented in this thesis extend the existing discourse in the field of educational research. With support from empirical evidence and conceptual argument I will contend that the role of the teacher, and teacher beliefs, are central to changing practice and that a fine-grained understanding of teachers’ attitudes is crucial if we are to bridge the disjunction between research, policy and practice. The papers presented in this submission make a significant contribution to our understanding of the complex nature of learning and teaching. Empirical research to date has tended to be carried out in discrete disciplines within education such as psychology, sociology or early years. In contrast the portfolio of work presented here extends this knowledge by innovatively synthesising different fields of research and knowledge and challenges traditional practices where evidence was often restricted within a distinct field of study. There are increasingly nuanced debates in the academic literature about interconnectedness and the research/policy/practice nexus. The work presented here is located within this nexus. This portfolio of publications brings together work I have completed in the field since 2000. The publications are empirical and conceptual and progress knowledge related to teacher beliefs, classroom organisation, curriculum, early years and gifted and talented education. This submission provides a unique contribution to understanding the complex processes of learning and teaching by means of synthesising existing evidence and generating new evidence that not only contributes to the discourse but crucially is disseminated in a way that is accessible and practical in nature. The central claim underlying the work in this research portfolio is that providing for children can best be understood as resulting from three connected perspectives: 1. The complex interactions between teachers’ universal understandings about learning, teaching and ability; 2. The synthesis of previously discrete fields of research; 3. The policy context teachers find themselves working in and practical application in the classroom. This submission includes four jointly authored and four single authored peer-reviewed published papers together with two systematic reviews of literature. A range of work will be presented as evidence of knowledge exchange outputs emanating from the empirical and conceptual work. The submission will be organised under three key themes, each of which contributes to the intellectual development of knowledge and understanding about learning and teaching. Theme 1: Teachers, Learning and Learners The three papers presented in this theme directly address the teachers’ role and interrogate through: a literature review; the development of a model and an empirical study; how teachers might understand their role within the process. The first paper (1) reports the findings of a systematic review of literature about motivation to learn. Paper two (2) reports on a two-dimensional model for motivation. Paper (3) presents findings from a study carried out with teachers undertaking postgraduate qualifications in Special Educational Needs. Synthesising the findings from these papers contributes to discourse in the field by generating overarching patterns that relate to learners and effective learning regardless of their age. Theme 2: Classroom Organisation The four papers in this theme focus on curriculum and the mediation of the curriculum for learners. They demonstrate how the research undertaken reveals similar concerns within the field of gifted education and education generally, thus strengthening the thesis that greater synthesis of discrete fields of research is required. Paper four (4) critiques the current curricular framework being implemented in Scottish schools in relation to pupils who demonstrate high ability. Paper five (5) examines findings from a pilot study in one Education Authority in Scotland. Papers six (6) and seven (7) present findings from a study that examined classroom organisation from the perspectives of both teachers and pupils. Evidence is presented through knowledge exchange outputs in the form of a national staff development pack. Intellectually the papers contribute to the theoretical debates that exist around the organisation of pupils for learning and teaching. The findings corroborate the thesis that no one approach will meet the needs of all pupils. Theme 3: High ability Each of the three papers in this theme provides a unique contribution to the contentious debate around the most appropriate way to educate gifted and talented learners. The field is dominated by arguments for the need for specialised education for this cohort. The papers in this submission challenge this position arguing for the benefits of a more inclusive approach. Paper eight (8) is a literature review of interventions aimed at improving the educational achievement of gifted and talented pupils. Paper nine (9) explores parents’ views about high ability. Paper ten (10) presents initial findings from a study of staff working in one Education Authority in Scotland. Further evidence will be presented indicating how my empirical and conceptual work translates into accessible books and reports for use by teachers, students and Education Authorities, thus demonstrating impact “on the ground” and extending my work to include both an academic and practitioner audience. Conceptually the work submitted in this section evidences the central thesis that it is the implementation of a variety of methodological and pedagogical approaches by a knowledgeable educator that will best support gifted and talented learners. Conclusion It is important that the individuality, personal knowledge, beliefs and understanding teachers bring to the learning and teaching processes are explored, challenged and enhanced from a theoretical and methodological base. The syntheses of findings that are presented in this portfolio provide a critical and fine-grained understanding of teaching and learning across rarely connected disparate and discrete elements within education. It is this critical interrogation of existing practice that offers a unique contribution to the field. Explicitly such insights have yet to pass down into educational practice to produce more critically informed forms of educational praxis. The work presented in this submission offers a distinctive empirical and conceptual base from which to move forward.

Investing in cluster formation or encouraging companies to network in regional strategic networks is a common strategy used by municipalities to promote regional growth in peripheral regions. Previous research has investigated the significance of creating regional advantages by building clusters and regional networks, but researchers have not provided much insight into the problems facing the project management trying to implement such collaboration. In my thesis I describe and analyze a network project in order to shed light upon some of the complications that such a collaboration project might entail. My theoretical framework of analysis rests upon the concept of social capital, a concept that investigates the value that social contacts might incur. I have studied a designed network situated in the Swedish municipality of Söderhamn called Firsam. After the closure of the telecommunications factory of Ericsson/Emerson and the military airbase F15 Söderhamn lost 10 % of its local employment in 2004.The need for regional growth programmes therefore became dire. The companies that prior to the closure worked in close collaboration with the Ericsson/Emerson factory were also looking for new revenue streams to compensate for their loss of business. Collaboration with the local manufacturing companies to create innovative projects and to take on joint tenders seemed to be a perfect solution to the problems facing them and the municipality. In this spirit a regional strategic network called Firsam (Företag i regional samverkan) was initiated. I analyze the Firsam project using two different aspects of the concept social capital:”bonding” and”bridging”. The bonding form of social capital is associated with small and homogeneous groups that build prerequisites for long-term collaboration by forming close contacts and building trust. The bridging form of social capital creates an open stance towards social relations that enables new contacts to be formed outside one’s own socially established context. The bonding form of social capital provides prerequisites for close collaboration but can also result in close-mindedness and over-embeddedness in one’s own social context. Building bridging connections outside one’s own social context might encourage innovative thinking and spur entrepreneurship. The somewhat fleeting connections that are associated with the bridging form of social capital might on the other hand make it difficult to cultivate a common sense of trust within an existing group. These different manifestations of social capital create a paradox that might be hard to handle in the design of a regional strategic network. Is it best to support already existing network structures and impose the risk of creating a less innovative environment, or should members from outside the established social context be included in the network design to encourage innovative thinking? There are both positive and negative effects associated with either strategy. I shed light upon this paradox by analyzing the regional strategic network of Firsam.

Literary translation has become a part of our culture that we often do not recognize and rather take for granted. In fact, most readers of translated novels do not see or understand the complicated process that lies behind transferring someone else's work from its source language into the target language and culture. During this process, the translator faces linguistic and cultural obstacles that need to be overcome, and often require the translator to do extensive research on the novel's culture, time period, and the author's particular style. Interpersonal relationships between literary characters are arguably one of the most difficult aspects to translate, as they often contain a lot of nuance and expressions of strong emotions. With regards to the translators' problem-recognition abilities and problem-solving techniques, this thesis examines the emotional conflict between literary characters in three novels by the Brontë sisters--Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall--with the attempt to identify the difficulties of the translation process and highlight particularly adept solutions.

The focus of articles published in Business Horizons should be an “emphasis on identifying important business issues, problems, or opportunities and recommending means to address these.” (Fisher, 2020, p. 01) My research is focused on an explicit business phenomenon and through interpretation of the findings, I have been able to offer a framework with practical solutions for improvement in practice. Both these attributes are important according to the editor-in-chief for Business Horizons (Fisher, 2020).
Mini Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
pt2021
Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)
MBA
Unrestricted

Donald Trump’s candidacy for president has led to a substantial debate not only in the Republican party but also in the media. Using a two-dimensional theoretical model consisting of the left-right scale and the GAL-TAN scale, this study aims to review the conflict that Donald Trump’s campaign has led to in the Republican party. Using content analysis, a range of statements from Republicans have been analyzed, aiming to answer the following questions; How do the republican political actors contend for or against Donald Trump’s candidacy? and: what material or post-material values are linked to these arguments and statements? This study shows that the conflict following Donald Trump’s candidacy can mainly be placed in the post-material conflict dimension, even though some left-right arguments can also be found in the studied material. The political actors supporting Trump’s candidacy are mainly using arguments possible to place in the TAN-part of the post-material conflict dimension, whereas the actors criticizing Trump are mainly using arguments possible to place in the GAL-part.

The process of transition to school for children with special needs is a complex one. There is a range of stakeholders involved in the process - the child, their family and a range of professionals. The process involves a change from one set of service providers to another, and may include shifts in philosophies, models of service delivery and qualifications and practices of staff. If the process is to be effective and efficient continuity is essential, including continuity between services the child is leaving and the school; of teaching and learning; of relationships with families; and of planning and management of the transition process. During the transition process the attitudes and views of families and professionals are enmeshed within a framework of policies, management procedures and the decision making required within each. This thesis includes an outline of best practice and investigates the issue of continuity during the transition from early intervention services to school. Research was carried out in Western Sydney with a group of early childhood teachers who described their current beliefs and practices related to transition. The results are outlined and discussed and recommendations made for the delivery of more effective transitions to school for children with special needs and their families
Master of Education (Hons)
YES/NO

How does the SME internationalisation network develop across institutional distance and why? In order to understand and explain the process of SME internationalisation network development between a developed economy (the UK) and an emerging one (China), a conceptual research framework was first developed from the integration of theories of small firm internationalisation (Child and Hsieh 2014; Coviello 2006; Jones and Coviello 2005), social networks (Burt 1995; 2011; Jack 2010; Slotte-Kock and Coviello 2010) and institutions (North 2009; Peng 2003; Scott 2008). Welch et al.'s (2011) 'contextualised causal explanation perspective’ was then applied in an empirical context, through the in-depth study of three cases of SME network development between Scotland and China, which resulted in findings that underline the interconnectedness between formal and informal institutions and their effects on the phenomenon. The thesis ultimately offers a causal explanation process model of SME internationalisation network development across institutional distance, answering calls from the internationalisation literature (Jones et al 2011) for a greater understanding of how and why institutions (Eden 2010) - and informal institutions (Sartor and Beamish 2014) in particular – matter.

Background: Autism Spectrum Conditions are associated with difficulties in core social communication and social interaction (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and comorbid psychopathology (Simonoff, Pickles, Charman, Chandler, Loucas & Baird, 2008). These problems are often exacerbated in middle childhood and adolescence owing to the increased complex social milieu for children on the spectrum. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a short-term LEGO®-based therapy for children and adolescents with high functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions. Another interesting and novel aspect of this study is the application of repertory grid technique (Kelly, 1955) to explore psychological changes in construing over the course of the LEGO®-based therapy. Methods: Twenty-five high functioning children and adolescents with Autism Spectrum Conditions (M =12.40, SD = 2.02) took part in an eight-week, clinic based LEGO®-based therapy sessions within an outpatient, mental health setting. Baseline, pre- and post-intervention outcome measures, including parent- and self-reports and repertory grid technique, were administered to assess changes during the eight-week baseline period with that during the eight-week intervention period in the area of autism specific social behaviours, adaptive functioning, psychopathology, and construing. Results: On average, participants made significant gains across autism specific social behaviours, adaptive social and maladaptive behaviour, psychopathology, and coping following LEGO®-based therapy but not during the baseline period. In addition, participants also showed some changes in construing, including the way they viewed themselves and person with ASC, a loosening of construing and an overall change in construing from pre- to post- intervention. Effect sizes (Pearson's r) for these statistical significant results ranged from medium to large. Correlations between construing and psychopathology were also noted but not for autism-specific social behaviours or adaptive functioning. Conclusions: Overall, LEGO®-based therapy was a highly attended group (M = 89.5%) and well received by participants and their parents. These findings suggest that LEGO®-based therapy is feasible, cost-effective and can be set up in mental health services as part of the treatment plan for children and adolescents with high functioning Autism Spectrum Conditions. Future studies should focus on the effectiveness of LEGO®-based therapy with girls on the spectrum or children with social related conditions and conduct large scale randomised controlled trials.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to extend the knowledge on how Swedish companies canbecome more embedded in the Chinese market by building relationships with political actors. Research question: How do Swedish managers develop and maintain relations with politicalactors in China, and how do they perceive the outcomes from such relations? Method: Qualitative approach with semi-structured interviews. Results: The results of the study shows that managers initially use local middlemen orconsultancies to get in contact with political actions. Further, they participate in variousactivities to build upon and develop that relationship, something that is argued by therespondents to be more time-consuming and extensive than in western countries. The outcomeof having these relationships is that firm could gain a competitive edge and the managers tobecome more efficient in their role. Contribution: This study contributes with additional research to the Extended BusinessNetwork and relationship building with non-business actors in China from a Swedishmanagerial perspective.

There are a great number of old structures around the world, some of which were designed for completely different purposes than in their current application. Swedish railway bridges were for example only designed for maximum axle loads of 200 kN in the beginning of the 20th century, while the highest axle loads of today are twice as high. The traffic intensities have also increased dramatically and the velocities are now higher than ever before. Reinforced concrete trough bridges were typically designed and built in the mid-20th century and it is still one of the most frequent railway bridge types in Sweden. The trough bridges were normally designed for traffic loads which were smaller than the loads today and in order to maintain an old structure as the loads increases, structural upgrading of the load bearing capacity might be necessary. Upgrading the load carrying capacity can be performed in two ways, namely administrative upgrading or strengthening. Administrative upgrading refers to refined design calculations, using real material data, geometry and loads, which provides a higher capacity than the original design and the bridge can thereby be upgrading with minor physical impact. Upgrading by strengthening on the other hand, refers to, often, larger physical alteration of the structure in order to enhance the original load carrying capacity.Upgrading methods for increased flexural resistance of concrete trough bridges has been developed and tested previously, but strengthening methods for increased shear resistance in the bridge deck are still absent. The objective of this thesis is therefore to find an existing- or develop a new strengthening method which can be applied in order to enhance the shear resistance of concrete trough bridge decks. The difficulties associated to strengthening of existing railway bridges include traffic during the strengthening work and concrete surfaces concealed by the ballast.The State-of-the-Art indicated that none of the existing strengthening techniques were sufficient for this application and internal unbonded post-tensioning in the transverse direction was nominated as the most promising method. The research was thereafter focused on testing the possibilities and strengthening effects of post-tensioning. Two laboratory investigations were performed during the research project and the method was finally tested in a field test on a 50 years old trough bridge in Haparanda, Sweden. The strengthening procedure of internal unbonded post-tensioning consists of four consecutive steps:1.Transverse drilling of the horizontal holes through the bottom slab.2.Installation of the prestressing system.3.Post-tensioning of the system.4.Sealing of the prestressing system.The laboratory and field tests were successful and the results proved that the internal steel reinforcement within the concrete was compressed when the trough bridge was post-tensioned. Due to the compression, a higher load could be carried by the bridge deck before the tensile reinforcement yields and the bridge fails. In other words, the flexural capacity of the bridge deck was increased. The field test actually showed that eight steel bars, post-tensioned with 430 kN per bar on the Haparanda Bridge, completely counteracted the tensile stresses caused by a train with 215 kN axle loads. The effect on the shear resistance was however not as easy to measure, but the laboratory test recorded a significant strain reduction in the tensile reinforcement which was bent up at the transition zone between the bridge deck and the main girders. The reduced strain might be interpreted as lower shear stresses and post-tensioning can thereby be considered to have a positive effect on the shear resistance of the bridge deck. Shear design according to the protocol of Eurocode 2 or BBK was however found to be restrictive in predicting the post-tensionings effect on the shear capacity and further research is proposed in chapter 8.
Det finns ett stort antal gamla konstruktioner runtom i världen och många byggdes för helt andra användningsområden än vad de numera används till. Som ett exempel kan nämnas att svenska järnvägsbroar i början av 1900-talet byggdes för att klara av att bära axellaster på maximalt 200 kN, medan några av våra nybyggda broar är konstruerade för dubbelt så stora axellaster. Även traffikmängden har mångdubblats och tåghastigheterna är nu högre än någonsin. Trågbroar i armerad betong är en typisk bro som byggdes i Sverige framförallt på 50-talet och den är fortfarande en av de vanligaste brotyperna i Sverige. Trågbroarna konstruerades normalt för att bära lägre laster än vad vi har idag och för att kunna ha kvar dessa broar när lasterna ökar kan det krävas någon form av uppgradering av bärförmågan. Det finns två sätt att förbättra bärförmågan på en gammal bro, nämligen administrativ uppgradering eller förstärkning. Administrativ uppgradering innebär att nya förbättrade beräkningsmetoder används tillsammans med verkliga materialhållfastheter, geometrier och laster för att mer noggrant räkna ut brons bärförmåga. Normalt visar det sig att bärförmågan är högre än vad de ursprungliga beräkningarna antydde. På så vis höjs kapaciteten med minimal fysisk åverkan på bron. Uppgradering genom förstärkning innebär däremot att konstruktionens bärförmåga höjs genom att förändra bron ur ett rent fysiskt perspektiv. Metoder för att öka böjkapaciteten på trågbroar i betong har utvecklats och testats tidigare, men förstärkningsmetoder för att höja tvärkraftskapaciteten saknas däremot fortfarande. Målet för denna avhandling ligger därför i att utveckla en förstärkningsmetod som kan användas för att förbättra tvärkraftskapaciteten för bottenplattan på trågbroar i betong. Det finns dock några svårigheter sammankopplade med förstärkning av befintliga järnvägsbroar, t.ex. tågtraffik under förstärkningsförfarandet och att viktiga betongytor är skyddade av ballast.Inga befintliga förstärkningsmetoder bedömdes däremot som lämpliga för det avsedda användningsområdet vid ”State-of-the-Art’’ studien. Invändig efterspänning av broplattan i tvärledd bedömdes som den bäst lämpade förstärkningsmetoden och efterföljande forskning fokuserades på att reda ut möjligheter för och förstärkningseffekter av efterspänning. Två olika laboratorieförsök genomfördes under forskningsprojektet och förstärkningsmetoden testades slutligen vid ett fältförsök på en 50 år gammal järnvägsbro i Haparanda.Själva tillvägagångssättet för förstärkningsmetoden består av fyra viktigaoch sammanhängande arbetssteg:1. Borrning av horisontella hål tvärs igenom trågbrons bottenplatta.2. Installation av själva försstärkningssystemet.3. Efterspänning av förstärkningssystemet.4. Förslutning av förstärkningssystemet.Både laboratorie och fältförsöken blev lyckade och resultaten visade att stålarmeringen inuti betongen trycktes ihop när trågbron efterspänndes. Tack vare denna kompression så kan broplattan bära högre laster innan dragarmeringen börjar flyta och bron slutligen går sönder. Med andra ord så höjdes brons böjkapacitet. Fältförsöket visade att de åtta spännstagen, efterspännda med 430 kN per stag, helt och hållet motverkade dragarmeringens påkänningar av ett tåg med axellasten 215 kN. Förstärkningsmetodens effekt på tvärkraftskapaciteten är däremot inte lika lätt att påvisa men laboratorieförsöken visade att töjningen reducerades betydligt i den uppbockade dragarmeringen, i zonen där plattan fäster i huvudbalkarna. De lägre töjningsnivåerna kan tolkas som lägre skjuvpåkänningar och efterspänningen kan därmed ha en positiv effekt på broplattans tvärkraftskapacitet. Laboratorieförsöken visade däremot att både Eurokod 2 och BBK är restriktiva när det gäller att uppskatta efterspänningens effekt på tvärkraftskapaciteten. En ny förstärkningsmetod för trågbroar i betong har därmed föreslagits i och med denna avhandling, men en del frågetecken kvarstår och i kapitel 8 ges därför förslag på fortsatta forskningsområden.
Godkänd; 2013; 20130107 (jonnil); LICENTIATSEMINARIUM Ämne: Konstruktionsteknik/Structural Enginering Examinator: Professor Björn Täljsten, Institutionen för samhällsbyggnad och naturresurser, Luleå tekniska universitet Diskutant: Professor Mohammad Al-Emrani, Chalmers tekniska högskola, Göteborg Tid: Tisdag den 5 februari 2013 kl 13.00 Plats: F1031, Luleå tekniska universitet

This study proposes the use of philosophical hermeneutics as a theoretical basis to develop interpretive strategies for people who have little or no knowledge about art. The study inquired into the interpretive processes of a group of children and parents who attended a Museum Education program based on Gadamer’s hermeneutic circle and on his conception of art, which was carried out at the Museum of Modern Art in Mexico City. The study found that the use of Gadamer’s hermeneutics helped participants develop a careful and reflective observation of artwork; participants were able to retain in their memories the general composition and details of paintings for prolonged periods of time. Some participants developed an understanding of artwork based on their own horizons of understanding, which led them to reflect on certain issues such as ethical behaviour, social justice, social equality, coexistence, tradition and modernity, among others; participants’ interpretive processes also led to self-understanding. Through the application of Gadamer’s hermeneutics, participants developed notions of art as something that has a message that needs to be understood, and as something related to everyday life. It also led some participants to change their perceptions of art and museum visits, making them less unusual and more meaningful for them. The inclusion of parents in the interpretive process allowed for interpretation to be enriched through the multiplicity of horizons of understanding that came into play during group conversations, and allowed for the development of a small community of interpreters. Including parents in the process also proved to develop in some of them an interest to foster their own and their children’s interest in art. The study also found that these outcomes of the use of Gadamer’s hermeneutics in the program are limited by a participant’s verbal, writing and manual abilities: participants with less developed abilities achieved a careful and reflective observation of artwork, but were unable to develop an interpretive project.

Partner abuse is now recognised as a problem that affects people within same-sex relationships as well as those in heterosexual relationships, and literature in this area is on the increase. However, there is still a scarcity of research exploring how the police respond to people who report same-sex partner abuse. Using a mixed-method feminist approach, the aim of this thesis was therefore to explore the police responses to same-sex partner abuse in England and Wales. The nature and extent of reported same-sex partner abuse crimes in England and Wales was explored via data gathered from Freedom of Information requests sent to police forces. Alongside these, one-to-one interviews were carried out with victims who had experienced police response (n=4), police officers and staff (n=19), and professionals from statutory and voluntary organisations who support victims (n=12). Findings suggested that a ‘process-driven’ approach was adopted by police; police generally stated that they respond in the same way to all partner abuse incidents. However, this meant that dynamics specific to same-sex relationships were sometimes overlooked. Perpetrators were also found to enact ‘pre-emptive coercive tactics’ to discourage victim help seeking, and cause them to fear a ‘coerced response’ from help-providers. Additionally, gender stereotypes were found to influence police decision making around attribution of blame and risk, with physical injury being the key indicator used to determine risk. Freedom of Information requests also indicated that roughly half of police forces in England and Wales provide little or no specialist support for same-sex partner abuse victims. Implications for policy and practice include a rethink of the process-driven way of working, and ensuring police possess a thorough understanding of coercive control (including risks unique to same-sex relationships). Combining innovative methodology and a variety of participant voices to examine an under-explored area, this thesis offers a unique contribution to a small body of research within the UK exploring police responses to same-sex partner abuse.

In this research the mission of the Lutheran primary school, and the contributions of principals and pastors to that mission, was explored. The concern of the Lutheran Church of Australia about how best to respond to the mission opportunities that are present in schools was addressed. Principal and pastor perceptions of the mission of the Lutheran primary school and their contributions to the mission were investigated. Spiritual leadership of the principal and the pastor was explored. Recommendations are made to assist school leadership and system authorities in advancing professional development programmes and initiatives for school leadership. A social constructionist epistemology was adopted with an interpretivist research paradigm to explore the contributions of principals and pastors to the mission of the Lutheran school. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was used to generate themes and develop a theoretical framework. Exploration of the contributions of principals and pastors to the mission of the Lutheran primary school was limited to six school sites across Australia. Unstructured interviews were conducted with purposely sampled leaders who were located across the three Lutheran Education regions. The emerging themes were presented to all Lutheran primary principals and their local congregational pastor for further clarification and validation through an electronic survey. The research revealed that the principals and pastors conceptualised the mission of the school in terms of witness and the purpose of the school in terms of vocation, and viewed their role in the mission as a calling. They perceived each other’s contribution as uniting the community. They promoted the mission by valuing relationships, and the caring culture, and they contributed to the mission by leading with an attitude of service and prioritising the spiritual dimension. The principals and pastors shared their missional leadership and strived to build bridges between the school and the local faith community. The investigation of contributions to mission provided insights into positive and exemplary school and church partnerships and suggested a framework for missional leadership highlighting the importance of the spiritual leadership of the principal and the pastor for the benefit of the school and church community.

This study explores contemporary skilled migration and the brain drain from a bottom-up approach, based on a case study of Mexican scientists and engineers working in the UK. The main interest is to provide a better understanding on how the phenomenon is shaped by the migrant’s personal and professional experience, from Mexico to the UK (‘opening pathways’), and from then on, to explore the extent of collaboration at a distance (from the UK back to Mexico) as a policy alternative to mitigate the negative effects of their departure (‘building bridges’). It is argued that these elements (personal and professional) of the migration experience are crucial for identifying key trends, characteristics, and effects of skilled migration, as well as to consolidate a more robust policy approach to long-distance collaboration. The research is based on an analysis of 36 semi-structured, qualitative interviews with Mexicans graduated in STEM fields, who currently work in academia or the private sector in the UK. A complementary set of four interviews was conducted with Mexican government officials, chosen because of their close relationship to Mexican policies on skilled migration and the brain drain. The empirical findings are organised into three topics: transnationalism, professional experience, and collaboration at a distance. On the one hand, the evidence shows that the migratory experience fosters new subjectivities, where a transnational identity is developed progressively, involving reflexive processes between past and actual life, personal and professional experiences, different rationalities and emotions. On the other hand, under the theme of professional experience, career-related motivations emerge as the main “pull” factor of skilled Mexicans to the UK, triggered in most cases by enrolling in post-graduate programmes at British universities, and followed thereafter by the pursuit of work opportunities. In this process, the interviewees identified important imbalances (or asymmetries) between the development of scientific/professional fields in Mexico and the UK, mainly regarding budgets, infrastructure, networks, R&D activities, triple-helix collaborative schemes, and working conditions. However, despite these complex imbalances, more than half of the émigrés were also immersed in relevant collaborative initiatives with Mexico from the UK, which contests, to an extent, the notions of loss within the brain drain debate. It is also notable that such collaborations have taken place because of the personal initiative of the émigrés, with no involvement of the Mexican Talent Network (MTN), the main diaspora-engagement initiative of the government to contact its skilled émigrés around the world. The thesis also investigates the relevance of these research findings for science policy. Without overlooking the negative implications of skilled migration at a massive scale, it argues that a more balanced exchange between Mexico and the UK can be achieved by building more bridges with the diaspora, through long-distance collaborative initiatives. For this to happen, it is important for policy-makers to understand the relevance of skilled individuals’ choices and preferences, the value of communities of interest, the existing imbalances between central and peripheral countries, the role of legitimacy and politicisation in state-led transnational policies, and the challenges posed by long-distance collaborative initiatives. Finally, some ideas and policy recommendations arising from the research are outlined, in order to better understand –and face— the challenges of skilled migration in future years.

This thesis explores the structures of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy as embodied in US systems of oppression and violence both within the United States and in El Salvador. As the United States illegally funded and trained the Salvadoran military during its 1978-1992 civil war, it simultaneously transformed the domestic prison system into one of mass incarceration, torture, and social death. In examining both policies, their roots in violence, racial capitalism, and gendered oppression emerge. Furthermore, by focusing the examination within a gendered lens, the potential of such methods of resistance such as radical transnational feminist praxis come to the forefront as today’s most integrated method of tearing down such pernicious systems of violence. As this thesis connects the dots between seemingly disparate structures of exclusion and incapacitation, the global levels of both infrastructural violence and feminist resistance surface.