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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Scottish Fold'
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1
Chambers, James Michael. "Towards a Scottish 'folk cinema'." Thesis, University of Exeter, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10871/26075.
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The following study explores the, as-yet largely unexplored question within film studies of a ‘folk cinema’ through research and two practical film projects: the finished dramatic feature Blackbird (2013), and the 4th draft of a script for a dramatic feature in development, False Faces (2016). Drawing from aspects of Scottish folk culture, both films explore different forms of what a rooted, Scotland-based ‘folk cinema’ could be. In addition, the creation of an annual film festival – the Folk Film Gathering – has created a forum in which some of the issues of an emergent folk cinema could be explored with audiences in Scotland. The question of a folk cinema grows increasingly pertinent both globally and locally, particularly within an European cultural landscape where the traditional arts are increasingly resurgent, and upon a global stage where the indigenous peoples movement has led to reevaluations of concepts of tradition, indigeneity and autochthony. My PhD by practice attempts to explore, both theoretically and practically, some of the possible implications of a folk cinema, interlinking local and global contexts. In doing so I have made particular use of aspects of cultural studies and anthropological theory, such as the writing of James Clifford, Faye Ginsburg and Jay Ruby, which I believe to be a relatively untapped critical resource for wider film studies. Whilst opening discussion attempts to consider the question of folk cinema globally, as an issue that may be pertinent for diverse filmmaking traditions in world cinema, my practical filmmaking work is firmly rooted within a contigent and highly-localised attempt to explore such questions within Scotland. In particular, I explore the practical implications of a cinematic pursuit of ‘ethnographic verisimilitude’, and the translation of oral forms into a filmic narrative, whilst questioning the validity of ‘folk cinema’ that arises from ‘etic’ viewpoints, outside a depicted community. Ultimately, consideration of my practical work explores how the theoretical ideals of an emergent folk cinema are negotiated in the more unruly, worldy domain of filmmaking practice and whether, ultimately, an autochthonous Scottish ‘folk cinema’ is possible.
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Ballantyne, Patricia H. "Regulation and reaction : the development of Scottish traditional dance with particular reference to Aberdeenshire, from 1805 to the present day." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2016. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=230127.
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This thesis examines historical developments in Scottish dance over the past two hundred years and considers how they combined to shape the current traditional dance and music culture in Scotland. This work examines the effects of increasing regulation and standardisation during the twentieth century through an assessment of the experiences, viewpoints and opinions of present-day practitioners. The business practice and increasing professionalisation of nineteenth-century dancing masters active in the North-East of Scotland, and that of A. Cosmo Mitchell in particular, is considered in relation to the formation of the regulatory societies. The introduction of standardisation is examined through a comparison of nineteenth- and twentiethcentury published sources for the 'Highland Fling'. Tensions and contrasts in traditional dance and music are assessed by a consideration of the approach taken by influential traditional music education establishments such as Fèisean nan Gàidheal and by examining the relationship between Highland dancing and Highland piping. Reactions to regulation such as the (re)introduction of percussive step dance to Scotland and the growth in popularity of informal, 'called' ceilidh dancing are evaluated. The relationship between traditional dance and music in Scotland today is considered in the light of recurring themes such as professionalisation, regulation, authority, reactions to the status quo and the revival of an approach to or concept of dance rather than the revival of an historically verifiable style.
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McLaughlin, Sean Robert. "Locating authenticities : a study of the ideological construction of professionalised folk music in Scotland." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7947.
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In the last forty years, there has been a steady increase in research on Scottish traditions of music and song. Growing from its roots in ‘collection’, the field (in Scotland) has been dominated by rather limiting methodological approaches. The study of Scottish folk music has seriously neglected post-‐1960s cultural practices and the influences of hybridisation, professionalisation and commercialisation. These and related areas of the field are largely uncharted in departments of Music and Scottish Studies. One result, stemming from this problem, is a continuing confusion in the use of descriptive and ideological terms. ‘Folk music’ is the most widely used concept and its problematic and elusive meaning, its function for and understanding by industry professionals, is the focal point of this thesis. The aims of this thesis are to position current understandings of ‘folk’ as a term and a practice in the wider social and historical contexts of British folk music and to investigate the ways in which the discursive history of folk music informs contemporary cultural practices. My objective was to uncover, in particular, what, according to today’s performers and other industry participants, gives Scottish folk music its contemporary meaning. My thesis is designed to shed new light on the ideological and aesthetic constructions of folk music in Scotland.
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Hanford, Mark Carlton. "The role of the wizard in Scottish and Icelandic folk legend." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/20551.
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My thesis is a comparison of the wizard figure in Scottish and Icelandic folk legend. It begins with a study of the international wizard tradition. The first chapter concerns two wizards, the Rev. Saemundur Sigfusson of Iceland and the Scottish wizard Master Michael Scot. It includes brief biographies of the historical characters and some comments concerning the manner in which they first gained their reputations as wizards. In the chapter I also consider the migratory legends ML 3000: "Escape from the Black School", ML 3020: "Inexperienced Use of the Black Book", and ML 3025: "Carried by the Devil". I compare the magic practised in these legends with similar historical practices and beliefs. I then consider the respective development of the legends in Scotland and Iceland. Social and historical influences are considered and the legends are compared with similar traditions in other countries. Special attention is paid to the changes which the legends underwent. Finally I consider the witch tradition and the course of the witchcraft trials in either country, and their influence on popular beliefs.
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Brown, Fiona-Jane. "Faith, fear & folk narrative : belief & identity in Scottish fishing communities." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2010. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=128257.
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This is a study of folklore in fishing communities using oral narrative as its major source, and analysing the evidence using the methodologies of both oral history and ethnology to illustrate the identity of the group studied. I am particularly concerned with the type of folklore which historian Leonard Primiano describes as ‘vernacular religion’, i.e. rituals and beliefs which demonstrate the religious, spiritual life ‘as lived’ rather than that which is prescribed by the church. The study encompasses fishing communities in the North-East of Scotland, the Outer Hebrides and Shetland, which represent both the historic and contemporary centres of the Scottish fishing industry. It is my contention that we can learn a great deal about fisher identity — its substance and mechanism — through the study of personal narratives, the stories fishermen tell about themselves, their heritage, their environment and their skills. The major themes of this study are faith and fear, the former encompassing a range of strategies — some supernatural, some rational — which fishermen employ to cope with the latter. In building a picture of fisher identity, I also contextualise fishermen’s supernatural and spiritual beliefs within the larger community of those who operate at sea. In turn, I consider the factors which isolate fishermen from society at large, and those fishers have used to deliberately isolate themselves from the landward community, and even from other fishermen, often their economic rivals at sea. This study demonstrates that belief/faith, as it is lived, is a major facet of fisher identity in Scotland. Those beliefs and the working environment are what create, shape and define the fishers’ identities, both the larger, communal ‘macro’ identity and the smaller, individual ‘micro’ identity, separating them from those who work and live on the land. The expression of the fisher identity extended back into the past and forward into the future by the continual telling and retelling of personal narratives while their context exists: the sea.
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McKinney, Rebecca. "Old tunes for new times : contemporary Scottish nationalism and the folk music revival." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/22476.
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This thesis examines the complex of relationships between the contemporary drive for Scottish self-determination and the performance of Scottish folk and traditional music. The central argument of this work revolves around A.P. Cohen's (1996) notion of personal nationalism, which posits that individuals make the concepts of nation and nationalism relevant to themselves through daily experience and practice. Rather than examining or attempting to define Scottish nationalism as an internally homogeneous movement, this thesis focuses upon the ways in which various types of nationalist sentiment are created, expressed, and shaped through a particular form of cultural performance. Thus it is argued that there are numerous types of nationalism in Scotland, ranging from the Scottish National Party's explicit calls for political independence to artistic and cultural expressions of "Scottishness" which may or may not be directly connected to specific party-political objectives. As an ethnographic study of largely amateur folk music performers in Edinburgh, this work examining the role of music and musical performance in everyday life. It argues that, for these individuals, music and music-making are central in the formation of a sense of both personal and social identity. Through the performance of music which is symbolically linked to aspects of Scottish history, geography, cultural tradition and language, these performers see themselves to be performing aspects of Scottishness: a national identity which cannot be objectively defined but which is continually shaped and re-shaped through cultural practice. The Scottish musical traditions are discussed as ones which the musicians perceive to be still "living" and changing, rather than as historical artefacts to be preserved. This thesis draws upon the interdisciplinary studies of contemporary Scottish politics, society, and culture and, based upon fieldwork conducted from August 1996-October 1997, is historically situated in a time of political change.
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Nisbet, Laura. "An exploratory study of the factors affecting food access and food choice of consumers in remote Scottish communities." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/25028.
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This thesis aims to explore how food access impacts on consumer perceptions in relation to food choices and enhance our current understanding of how consumers use their food retail environment (Broadbridge and Calderwood, 2003; Ruston, 2002). It aims to understand what contribution food access makes to consumer food choices and their perceived access to healthy foods. Previous research has suggested consumers utilise coping mechanisms in order to manage food access issues (Furey et al, 2001; McKie, 1998; Whelan et al, 2002; Wrigley, 2004) and this thesis will describe the mechanisms used within this area and identify other factors which are relevant to consumer food choice. Fifty six semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather in depth information of the consumers' experience of food shopping in this area. Qualitative interviewing was used to explore individuals' perceptions of and the meanings they attribute to their shopping experiences and of local retail provision, as they are said to be a way of exploring relationships and is a way of uncovering and exploring the meanings that underpin people's lives, routines, behaviours, feelings etc (Rubin and Rubin, 1995). Participants were also asked to complete a 7-day shopping diary (n=40), a cupboard survey (n=56) and Food Frequency Questionnaires (n=45). They provided a behavioural context within which to explore the experiences and motivations for shopping. Remote consumers appear to have lower expectations of retail choices due to the geographical areas in which they live and the difficulties retailers face with a limited customer base. Differences in perceptions of retail food provision reflect the nature of the retail structure of an area with the presence of a large store resulting in a more favourable perception of provision. Local shops and producers play a crucial role in the community providing flexibility in ordering, delivery and supply of produce to islanders increasing options in terms of variety, quality and convenience. Consumers' perceptions of food retail provision in this research support previous suggestions of disparities in provision within rural communities (McKie et al, 1996; Furey et al, 2001). Flowever, a number of islanders have devised ways to overcome these disparities that utilise alternative food networks and draw on household and community networks to increase their choice. Alternative food networks such as local produce sales, farmers markets and home produced food were used in conjunction with the conventional food retail supply chain in order to meet the needs of participants. Many consumers use a variety of mechanisms and strategies to adapt to the unreliable food supply that they associate with the retail food system, for example growing their own vegetables and using food for barter. In this way food becomes embedded in household and community life. There is as yet no agreed definition of what constitutes adequate access. For participants in these remote communities adequate access means being able travel to a store, even if this means travelling a relatively long distance, which has a consistent range of produce providing choice, variety and quality at all times.
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Douglas, Tony. "An investigation into the sales process practiced by Scottish-based food and drink SMEs." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2013. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/6038.
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This thesis aims to explore selling and the sales process in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from the selling organisation's perspective. It investigates the sales process between SME manufacturers/distributors and Food retail and Foodservices customers/buyers in a new and a modified selling task situation in Scottish-based Food and Drinks businesses. The research examines the sales process practiced by SMEs and barriers and enablers that hinder and support effective selling practices. According to the Scottish Government, the role played by SMEs in the Food and Drinks industry is vitally important to the Scottish economy. However, given the paucity of literature in the field, knowledge concerning the role and importance of selling in SMEs, particularly in the Food and Drinks industry, is underdeveloped and lacks empirical research. To investigate the thesis research question, the author adopts an interpretivist perspective. Qualitative data was gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. In all, 20 people involved in selling activities and the sales process were interviewed from 15 SMEs across Scotland. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis to establish key findings regarding the sales process The research's findings suggest that the sales process practiced by Scottish-based SMEs in the Food and Drinks industry is complex. Each selling interaction in a new and a modified selling task situation is unique. A number of dimensions impact the sales process. The type of sale varies, from being relatively simplistic with standard product, to being more complicated with customised or seasonal products. It varies from being a straight forward short-term transaction that either achieves a sale or not (usually with a smaller customer), to being a longer-term event (usually with a larger customer). What is evident is that SMEs do not rely entirely on existing customers. Prospecting is required to start the process and a follow up of some kind occurs at the end of the process; whether a sale is concluded or not. The research establishes that the steps in the process are neither wholly sequential nor simultaneous. This study identifies that there are 5 steps in the SME sales process in new and modified selling task situations: prospecting and/ or revisit customer, prepare for the sales meeting, the sales meeting itself, action points arising from the meeting and maintaining contact. In addition to the key findings, five important themes emerged from the data in the form of barriers and enablers that either directly or indirectly affect the operationalisation of the selling process. In theme one, the owner manager of the SME is usually inextricably linked to, and has considerable involvement in, and see themselves as important to the sales process. Theme two identifies that those SMEs with some degree of sales knowledge and/or expertise take a more consistent and systematic approach to their sales process. Theme three highlights that many SMEs utilise technology such as SMART phones but lack awareness of how CRM software technology can assist in the delivery of a coherent sales process. Theme four identifies that power in the seller-buyer dyad is tipped in favour of the buyer but appears to be tolerated or accepted as the norm by the SME. A fifth theme deals with the location of the SME and suggests that interacting face-to-face with customers from their Scottish geographic base, places constraints on how SMEs conduct business. A conceptual framework of the sales process practiced by Scottish-based Food and Drinks SMEs has been constructed to depict the 5 step sales process as identified in the research. This conceptual framework also incorporates 5 important dimensions (type of customer, time perspective, type of problem, type of relationship and sequence of stages) and 5 enablers and barriers that impact the operationalisation of this sales process. Since this research is exploratory in nature, the thesis identifies areas where future research is required in the field alongside suggestions where policy makers and government business development agencies might focus intervention to assist SMEs improve delivery of the sales process.
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Ash, Roisin L. "Perception of structure in auditory patterns." Thesis, University of Stirling, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/26669.
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The present research utilised five tasks to investigate non-musicians' perception of phrase, rhythm, pitch and beat structure in unaccompanied Gaelic melodies and musical sequences. Perception of phrase structure was examined using: i) a segmentation task in which listeners segmented Gaelic melodies into a series of meaningful units and ii) a novel click localisation task whereby listeners indicated where they perceived a superimposed click in the melody had occurred. Listeners consistently segmented the melodies into units of 2.4 - 5.4 seconds. Clicks which were positioned before and after perceived boundaries (identified by segmentation) were perceptually migrated towards the boundary. These results suggest that listeners perceptually differentiate between phrasal groups in melodies (See Sloboda & Gregory, 1980; Stoffer, 1985, for similar results with musicians). Short term memory for rhythmic structure was examined using rhythm recall of computer generated sequences and Gaelic melodies. Computer generated rhythms with small tonal pitch intervals (1 - 4 semitones) were easier to recall than large atonal intervals (predominantly greater than 4 semitones). Recall of Gaelic melodies, containing repetitive rhythmic units, was better than recall of computer sequences. Pitch reversal of Gaelic melodies did not effect recall. Beat-tapping with three Gaelic melodies revealed that the majority of listeners established the underlying beat 1.5 - 3 seconds (5 - 6 notes) after the start of the melodies. Perception of meaning and content in two note melodic intervals and three Gaelic melodies was examined using an adjective pair two-alternative forced choice task. Responses to musical intervals showed evidence of perceptual similarity based mainly on interval size. Perceived information content in the melodies increased significantly by the fourth note. The results suggest that the amounts of Gaelic melody which are: i) required to establish an underlying beat, ii) remembered after one hearing, and iii) perceptually grouped into a meaningful unit, include the unit of melody which is necessary to establish a basic meaning.
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Pomeroy, Patrick P. "The food and feeding of powan Coregonus lavaretus (L.) (Salmonidae: Coregoninae) in two Scottish lochs." Thesis, University of St Andrews, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10023/2777.
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The present study is mainly a descriptive account of the food and feeding of the two Scottish powan populations from Loch Lomond and Loch Eck. Quantitative and qualitative comparisons of powan diet are made. Seasonal variations of diet are determined for the two populations and some aspects of the planktivorous feeding of adult pawan in Loch Lomond are examined. The partitioning of the ingested energy into somatic and non-somatic growth is considered. Factors affecting the feeding of the two populations are discussed.
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Vyas, Vijay. "Innovation and new product development by SMEs : an investigation of Scottish food and drinks industry." Thesis, Edinburgh Napier University, 2009. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2960.
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This dissertation reports the results of case studies on innovation and new product development in eight Scottish food companies and a subsequent triangulation survey of 85 innovative Scottish companies. The case studies are carried out using qualitative research methods and a realistic inductive research strategy. It is found that the case study companies use an informal and cross-functional innovation process, which is independent of the age of enterprise. It is also discovered that these companies develop new products, often luxuriant variants of their existing products, which are mainly indulgences rather than healthy foods and are sold mostly to large retailers. Use of production methods that are amenable to quick changes in final products and networking with customers, suppliers, other food companies and Scottish Enterprise is also observed. Creative people with high innovative proclivity, who often travel to new locations in search of product ideas, drive the process. The case study companies are high-variety-low-volume businesses, possess good understanding of customer needs and circumstances and are able to achieve a good fit between needs of the market and their own resources. Not facing financial constraints, these companies are able to attract and retain talent, needed to develop new products. Continuously learning from their NPD endeavours, they sell their products without any major advertising or marketing effort. The subsequent triangulation survey of 85 innovative Scottish companies, from food as well as non-food sectors, confirms most of the above-mentioned findings. Contrary to the case study results however, the survey discovers that innovative Scottish companies face financial constraints while developing new products, do not sell most of their new products to large retailers or undertake travel to new locations in search of product ideas. The main contributions to knowledge by this research include crystallisation of the new product development practices in Scotland, highlighting difference in product innovation between various sub-groups of enterprises, a new conceptual construct within which all notions and definitions of innovation can be accommodated and identification of a basic flaw in the present innovation policy in Scotland.
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Maye, Damian. "Making connections in the local food economy : a survey of specialist food and drinks supply chains in the Scottish-English borders." Thesis, Coventry University, 2005. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.422404.
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Dakup, Karan. "The adoption of eco-innovations : a study of SMEs in the Scottish food and drink sector." Thesis, Robert Gordon University, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/10059/3112.
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The increasing government and consumer interest in, and growing concerns about environmental issues have pressured businesses to adopt eco-innovative measures and activities. These pressures have been felt particularly by the food and drink sector in Scotland, a sector that is of considerable importance to the Scottish economy. To date, few studies have considered the challenges businesses in this sector face with regard to the adoption of eco-innovations. In particular, there has been little research on the challenges faced by the SMEs in the sector and how they are adopting eco-innovations. This study seeks to address this research gap through utilization of the diffusion of innovation theory to explore the adoption of eco-innovations by the Scottish food and drink SMEs. A qualitative survey of the website of 52 businesses was used to collect data and analysed using content analysis to generate five categories of eco-innovations namely; Waste, Energy, GSCM, Carbon and Embedding. This data collected informed the next phase of the research where in-depth interviews was conducted with 18 businesses to understand their eco-innovation adoption processes. The findings revealed two groups of attitudes among the participants namely; the positive and the sceptics. The main motivators to adoption were found to be; moral principles and beliefs, eco-consumer drive, cost saving, legislation and the creation of jobs and new opportunities. The major barriers to eco-innovation were more profound and found to include; non-recyclable waste, non-compliance by suppliers, cost of adoption, lack of interest, the challenge of finding credible and reliable sources, attitudes and behaviours, and a general lack of education and awareness. Using the categorisation of eco-innovations that emerged from the website data analysis, the research developed a scale of greenness reflecting the adoption of eco-innovation along with a classification of adopter types namely; advanced, intermediate and basic adopters. The thesis contributes to the theory of diffusion by illustrating ways to capture and evidence innovation adoption without dependency on the time element and enabled a classification of eco- innovation adopters. The contribution to methodology is viewed from the application of a qualitative approach that enabled the categorisation of the forms of eco-innovation which resulted in the model depicting eco-innovation adoption and the profiling tool for innovation diffusion. Practical contributions are offered to enable businesses to understand their adoption of eco-innovation through the use of the model, adopter type classification and the application of a best practice guide to facilitate adoption. Recommendations for policy, practice and further areas for research are also proposed within the thesis.
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Hamid, Nazimah Sheikh Abdul. "Relationships between aroma quality in juices from two frozen Scottish raspberries and thermal and enzymatic treatment in processing." Thesis, University of Strathclyde, 1996. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.287515.
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Paterson, Ruth Flora. "Investigating the distribution, seasonal dynamics and toxicity of Azadinium spinosum in Scottish waters using qPCR." Thesis, University of Aberdeen, 2018. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?pid=237753.
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The small dinoflagellate Azadinium spinosum produces azaspiracid (AZA) toxins which can contaminate filter feeding shellfish to dangerous levels. Toxin-contaminated shellfish flesh, when consumed by humans, can cause acute intense illness and chronic health issues. Shellfish biotoxins are monitored in Scottish shellfish by Food Standards Scotland (FSS), and the concurrent monitoring of harmful phytoplankton in the water column acts as an important early warning system of future shellfish toxin contaminations. Since A. spinosum is very small (12-16 μm long) it is difficult to identify using a light microscope, therefore molecular techniques have been developed to detect species-specific environmental DNA from phytoplankton samples. In this thesis the application and verification of quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is discussed in detail and documents its first use in Scottish waters to survey A. spinosum abundance and seasonality. The limit of detection of the method was found to be 2000 ±5600 cells L-1, however it is unclear whether this is adequate for regulatory monitoring because it is not yet understood how cell density in the water column relates to AZA shellfish toxicity. The qPCR probe and primer sequences were also found to be too specific to detect all strains of the A. spinosum species, as new strains have been isolated since their development. This is a significant hindrance to the application of the tool for monitoring which will need to be addressed in the future through the isolation of local A. spinosum strains. Over a year long sampling period, A. spinosum was detected only twice (maximum cell density of 2545 ±5600 cells L-1, August 2014) off the Shetland Islands. The seasonality of the species in Scottish waters could not be assessed with so little data, however other observed harmful species of importance to shellfish regulatory monitoring are discussed; of particular note an unusual bloom of Dinophysis acuta as its association with a temperature front at the mouth of Loch Fyne. This thesis critiques the use of this qPCR technique for A. spinosum detection at high-throughput. The issues which have been highlighted do not prevent its future use by FSS, but highlight specific areas of development which need addressed before national monitoring can occur.
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Ersoy, Ersev. "Social reality and mythic worlds : reflections on folk belief and the supernatural in James Macpherson's Ossian and Elias Lönnrot's Kalevala." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/7842.
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This thesis investigates the representation of social reality that can be reflected by folk belief and the supernatural within mythic worlds created in epic poetry. Although the society, itself, can be regarded as the creator of its own myth, it may still be subjected to the impact of the synthesized mythic world, and this study seeks to address the roles of the society in the shaping of such mythic worlds. The research is inspired by an innovative approach, using James Macpherson’s Ossian (1760-63) and Elias Lönnrot’s Kalevala (1835-49) as epic models that benefit from mythical traditions. Through the examination and the comparison of these two epic collections, both of which seem to have a close association with social reformation and restructuring, the study explores the universality of human nature. It also reveals the extent mythic worlds may exhibit the ‘realities’ of their source-societies and how mythical tradition may become a reflection of a society’s transforming past modes of thinking. Moreover, the study devotes special attention to the influence of mythic heritage on national awakening and the construction of national identities. The research treats Macpherson as the re-inventor of Gaelic oral tradition with his Ossian, where he portrays a Romanticized image of a gallant past according to the norms of the eighteenth century. Therefore, the mythic world of the epic can be seen as a combination of an ancient heroic past and the aesthetic refinement of a polished age. In this framework, as the product of a society going through a transition period from traditional to modern, Ossian seems to reflect the society’s changing world-view, both celebrating, and mourning for a culture on the verge of extinction. Focusing on the Kalevala, the study analyzes its portrayal of Finnish folk belief. The Kalevala, like Ossian, is an attempt to recover ancient tradition, which seems to revolve around supernatural and divine elements, with hopes to establish a common social reality. It is an expression of Finnish language, belief and culture, whose production was prompted by the looming Finnish nationalism. Therefore, the evolving mode of thought represented in the mythic world of Kalevalaic poems, is expected and favoured by the society, enabling the epic to encourage a social reformation.
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Cacciolatti, Luca Angelo. "The use of formalised marketing information on the growth of small and medium sized enterprises in the Scottish food and drink industry." Thesis, University of Kent, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.590018.
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This research investigates the impact of formalised marketing information on SME growth. It is recognised that SM Es present peculiar characteristics that make their marketing distinctive from larger companies. The lack of resources in SMEs is a barrier to effective marketing. Furthermore, marketing plays an important role in fostering a sustainable relationship with consumers, enabling SME growth. However, SMEs marketing decision-making is affected by whether the SME manages to acquire, analyse and utilise formalised marketing information. For the purpose of this research, marketing information is defined as it follows: 'structured data usable within a marketing context'. In this research it is also hypothesised that the type and source of information acquired, as well as the frequency of use, present a positive relationship with growth. It is also hypothesised that in order to have a significant effect of the use of information on growth, the main explanatory variables have to interact with some moderating variables. The methodology is hypothetico-deductive; using a mix of qualitative and quantitative techniques, the main analysis has been conducted using multivariate data analysis (more specifically peA and binary logistic regression) on a sample of approximately 300 food and drink SMEs. The results showed the use of formalised marketing information is critical to business growth. However this is true under specific conditions and when the use of formalised marketing information does interact with specific moderators. The implications of this research contribute academically to providing better understanding of the relationship between the use of formalised marketing information and business growth. This research contributes to practitioners by pointing out the importance of training in brder to develop their marketing skills. It also contributes to policy makers by addressing the issues of sustainability related to the subsidised access to formalised marketing information through tax payers' money.
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Gibson, Corey. "Endless flyting : the formulation of Hamish Henderson's cultural politics." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/8025.
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This is a critical study of Hamish Henderson (1919-2002). It examines his work as a poet, translator, folklorist, and cultural and political commentator. Through close textual analysis, this project shows how Henderson’s various writings can be considered part of a life-long engagement with the complex relationship between politics and aesthetics. This includes the purpose of poetry and its relation to ‘the people’; the defining qualities of folk culture and its political potential; conceptions of nationalism and internationalism; and notions of Scottish history and ‘tradition’. Bemoaning a modern disconnect between the artist and society, Henderson explored the possible causes of this disjuncture and proposed various solutions. His views on these issues were tested in a series of public ‘flytings’, or opinion column debates, with the poet Hugh MacDiarmid between 1959 and 1968. Chapter One is an analysis of the form and content of these exchanges. In Chapter Two, Henderson’s poetic responses to the War, his collected Ballads of World War II (1947) and Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica (1948), are considered in light of his professed aim to create a poetry that ‘becomes people’. Chapter Three examines Henderson’s relationship with the life and works of the Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937). Drawing from Henderson’s translation of Gramsci’s prison letters, this chapter examines how the Italian thinker both validated and undermined his approach to folk culture. Chapter Four considers Henderson’s perceived ‘turn’ away from art-poetry towards folk-song. With reference to his writings on various poets, his own poetry and song, and that of others that he admired, this chapter reflects on Henderson’s ideas about the distinctiveness of the Scottish literary tradition, and about the politics of authorship. Chapter Five interrogates Henderson’s various writings on folk culture according to his role as a ‘folk revivalist’ who seeks to reinstate folk-song as a popular mode of collective selfexpression, and as a ‘folklorist’ who documents the folk tradition. This project argues for a holistic examination of Henderson’s cultural politics, restoring his writings to their original contexts and providing an account of the constantly renegotiated relationship between art and society present throughout his work.
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Wilkins, Frances. "The old ship of Zion singing in Evangelicalism in North-East and Northern Isles Scottish coastal communities, 1859-2009 /." Thesis, Available from the University of Aberdeen Library and Historic Collections Digital Resources, 2009. http://digitool.abdn.ac.uk:80/webclient/DeliveryManager?application=DIGITOOL-3&owner=resourcediscovery&custom_att_2=simple_viewer&pid=25878.
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Webb, Aleksandra. ""We need arts as much as we need food. Our responsibility is for that to be possible" : insights from Scottish cultural leaders on the changing landscape of their work." Thesis, University of Stirling, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/1893/21478.
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The analysis of cultural policy in the last decade suggests that creativity and the arts in general are extensively used in political agendas as means of capitalizing on the forecasted socio-economic potential of creative/artistic activities (e.g. Flew, 2005; Garnham, 2005; Hartley, 2005; Hesmondhalgh, 2007). Although some critical studies have highlighted instrumentalism, short-sidedness and practice/practitioners’ averse policy-making and intervention planning (Belfiore, 2004, 2009; Caust, 2003; Oakley, 2009; Newman, 2013), so far only very few studies have exposed the experiences and voices of particular groups of creative workers in the different national (country-specific) contexts to support this criticism. There has been a significant lack of studies that aim to understand how creative workers experience and cope with the changing policy context in their work. In particular, the voice of non-artists has rarely been considered when seeking a better understanding of the sector’s dynamics. This thesis explored the Scottish cultural sector through the eyes of cultural leaders. The study was carried out during a time of significant transformation to the funding structure, processes and relationships in the sector, catalysed by the establishment of a new funding agency (the funder). It focuses on cultural leaders’ understandings of an increasingly politicised cultural landscape that constitutes the context of their work. The thesis also looks at the influence of these understandings on the leaders’ role responsibilities, as well as the essence and the sustainability of the cultural sector. The empirical work for the thesis followed a qualitative research approach and focused on 21 semi-structured interviews with cultural leaders and industry experts based in Scotland. These individuals were purposefully chosen as a group of stakeholders who are able to engage in discussions about the cultural sector in the context of recent changes in the governance and financial subsidy of Scottish (publically funded) arts. The research findings illustrated the importance of leaders’ values and beliefs, which reflect the purpose of their work and shape their enactments in the sector. In particular, the intrinsic motivation, artistic ambitions, social and civic responsibilities of leaders emerged as crucial qualities of their work roles. The findings revealed a discrepancy between these artistic and civic concerns of cultural leaders and the socio-economic expectations of the funder, which contributed to a great deal of unproductive ('inorganic') tensions for which leaders had to find coping mechanisms. Bourdieu’s (1977, 1992) theoretical concepts were used as a starting point in understanding the cultural sector as a cultural field, and cultural leaders as actors enacting their work-related practices in the evolving socio-political and economic system of cultural production. However, upon further analysis of the data, the notions of a ‘worldview’ and ‘stewardship’ emerged and were used to better explain the greater complexity of work in today’s cultural sector. This thesis thus builds upon Bourdieu’s concept of ‘field’ and ‘artistic logic’ and explains the changing cultural sector as a holistic cultural field where cultural leaders enact their stewardship-like work responsibilities from within a strong and dynamic artistic worldview.
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Kennedy, Sandra Lynn. "Energy expenditure in Scottish Highland dance." 2005. http://www.oregonpdf.org.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2005.<br>Includes bibliographical references (leaves 37-38). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.
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Chassé, Patrick. "“Hereticks for believing the Antipodes”: Scottish colonial identities in the Darien, 1698-1700." Thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1828/228.
Full textAbstract:
New Caledonia (1698-1700) was Scotland’s largest independent colonial venture. The scheme’s collapse crippled the country financially and was an important factor in the Anglo-Scottish Union of 1707. This project explores the identity of Scottish settlers who attempted to colonize the Darien region of modern Panama. Colonial identity is assessed by reconstructing the Scottish dialogue about the natural world, the aboriginal population, and the commonwealth. I contend that the ideology of improvement that shaped Scottish perceptions of utility and fertility in the Darien became a powerful moral discourse used to critique the colonists. This paper also chronicles Scottish aspirations to found an empire of trade and civility, uncovering the fundamental problems created by the idealization of the Tule as eager subjects of this new empire. Finally, I argue that Caledonia’s food shortages not only threatened the colonial government’s legitimacy, they also exposed divergent ideals of the commonwealth among the settlers.