This work consists of a collection of poetry, Lessons in Augury, preceded by a thesis, ‘Beating the Bounds: Exploring Borders and Scale in Contemporary British Environmental Poetry’. This thesis examines the significance of borders that are both culturally and ecologically meaningful, asking how these borders function in contemporary environmental poetry. It argues that such borders provide sites in which environmental poets can explore the interconnection of anthropocentric and ecocentric systems of value and work towards an understanding of human concerns at more-than-human, ecological scales. The first chapter examines the significance of the borders of the ‘dwelling space’ in John Burnside’s poetry. The following chapters move on to investigate the significance of more specific borders: coastlines and mountain ranges in Thomas A. Clark’s recent collections, the river in Alice Oswald’s Dart and the border between day and night in Richard Caddel’s posthumously published Writing in the Dark. The main focus of this thesis is creative practice. It investigates how poets writing out of very different traditions use borders that are culturally and ecologically meaningful as sites where they can develop their environmental poetics. The analysis of these poets’ explorations of borders provides the basis for a comparative study of their creative practices and poetic techniques. In particular, this thesis argues that the act of ‘beating the bounds’ – the physical exploration of border spaces – is fundamental to all of the works discussed. The final chapter, ‘Lines of Flight’, offers a point of connection between the critical and creative aspects of this project. It examines the relationship between critical research and creative practice, and charts some of the links between this thesis and the poetry collection Lessons in Augury.

One key to CSR’s success has been its fuzzy definition, whereby its meaning is constantly (re)defined by practice and through the dialectical relationship between companies and their stakeholders. This thesis focuses upon the influence of MNOCs’ socio-political field upon their CSR (rather than upon specific CSR projects), from a critical realist perspective, contributing to existing research in three key ways. Firstly, I present original explanatory models that outline the practice of CSR in Colombia and Venezuela. From these models, I develop further models that categorise the types of CSR practiced in each country. I argue that Colombia follows a conventional model of private-led CSR; by contrast, the Venezuelan model pushes the boundaries of more traditional CSR definitions. Given the government’s dirigiste approach, I categorise the Venezuelan model as an example of a new form of CSR, that I call Regulated CSR (RCSR), noting the inherent contradictions of regulating to increase responsibility. Secondly, I produce original research on MNOCs’ CSR reports, examining how MNOCs’ agency is affected by global socio-political discourses. Paradoxically, whilst CSR is an important element of corporate communication, many MNOCs only disclose limited CSR-related information. Thirdly, this thesis contributes to the growing discussion of CSR’s role within the neoliberal paradigm. I argue that CSR is not and cannot be a panacea for social absences and can have negative social effects. Therefore, appropriate regulation is necessary, starting with greater corporate transparency at an international level to level-up MNOCs’ practices, and national oversight of MNOCs’ CSR budgets and practices.

The economic development challenges facing second-tier city-regions in the United Kingdom reflect a critical dimension of policy debates concerning spatial rebalancing. The integration of multi-location firms at second-tier territorial contexts is an important aspect of rebalancing narratives, and this thesis examines what such integration may entail for the economic development of these places. Given the label of the “firm-territory nexus” by other economic geographers (Dicken and Malmberg, 2001), integration brings into focus a complex set of factors, processes and conditions. In order to grapple with and order such complexity, the conceptual framework of city-region absorptive capacity has been proposed and developed in this research. Four case studies across two second-tier UK cities, Edinburgh and Manchester, comprising interviews with elites and the collection of extensive documentary material, provides the empirical material for framework development. The research hinges on an analytical process that: first, deploys the functional form of “absorptive capacity” to provide language and broad parameters by which to approach the empirical object; and second, generates abstract categories from the empirical data to flesh out a contextually sensitive conceptual framework. Network position relative to London and labour appear as important integrating mechanisms across the case studies, though the conceptual framework demonstrates contingencies in terms of territorial and relational processes, shifting moments of structure and agency, and the overlapping institutional mosaics at play. By providing portraits of city economies in the middle ground of global economic networks, the need to articulate economic geographies of the “outside” and “inside” are also given emphasis.

Teachers working in international schools can be understood as gearing a student’s disposition towards the ability and preparedness to handle and value differences and diversity. The process of internationalisation of education implies a process of change pertaining to the mission, vision and delivery of education. In an effort to cope with a number of challenges from within and outside of the Netherlands, a Dutch School Group in Amsterdam embarked on a process of change by adopting an international dimension to the students’ experience. Instead of these schools becoming more similar to each other, i.e. converging towards an internationalising ‘master-viewpoint’, the schools’ alignment under pressure showed a process of ‘anisomorphism’: their education’s primary function, approach, tasks, role and objectives for society were changing into different internationalising directions. However, the pragmatic expectations and actions, particularly of the parents and the students, were creating new boundaries and rationales for the schools as bargaining zones. The ‘shifting borders’ between the schools were becoming more connected with a growing international focus, yet had different pragmatic and ideological implications for each of them. The result was that these borders became permeable, a nominal erosion of differences between the ‘international’ school selectively catering for children of internationally mobile families and the other schools catering for all children in the Netherlands. ‘International schools’ became places where students were trained to engage with difference and diversity and where the students had not necessarily been crossing geographical borders. This raises the issue of the role of education in a multicultural and globalising society, as –in this case- an increase in institutional diversity within the specific Dutch national context, and an increased uncertainty about the multiple aims of education, stretched the educational as well as social boundaries which constrain the futures for which students are being prepared.

This research addresses the question ‘How does transformative change occur in rehabilitation programmes, and how is it facilitated or constrained by contextual factors?’ The study, carried out in three community-based intensive rehabilitation projects for alcohol and drug dependent people, is designed to specify and explain change mechanisms, understood as the processes through which programme resources influence the intentional actions of participants. A critical realist theoretical frame is used, drawing on the work of Margaret Archer and John Greenwood. The study consisted of two phases: in Phase 1, fourteen client interviews and eight counsellor interviews were carried out in two treatment programmes, and these were analysed abductively to produce a set of tentative contexts, mechanisms and outcomes. Phase 2 consisted of ten theory-driven interviews (Pawson 1996) with clients in a third programme, designed to elaborate the emerging theory. An explanatory model was produced, in contexts-mechanisms-outcomes form. This showed that the institutional context of active warmth and acceptance, combined with a clear, predictable and transparent structure, allowed participants to build trust, bond with the peer group and become ready to accept and process respectful challenges to their perspective or their interpersonal behaviour. This facilitated a change in the clients’ internal conversation (Archer 2000), permitting new emotional responses and the formation of new attachments, values and commitments. The programme was seen as a place which facilitated the development of a revised personal and social identity. The study contributes to the understanding of these programmes by clarifying how participants change or fail to change. It responds to recent calls for more useful forms of evidence, to complement the sparse and equivocal experimental evidence base. The study findings have the potential to improve counsellor training and programme development.

The aim of this study is to explore disability issues in the Kuwaiti context through a participatory research project with disabled people. Six disabled people participated in this project as co-researchers, and a further eight informants (disabled and non-disabled) contributed to this research as research participants. The thesis initially provides a critical exploration of the dominant conceptualisations of disability, such as the individual and social models and also includes cultural perspectives. The individual model provides an exploration of disability at the biological level, while the social model analyses disability at the socio-economic level (Bhaskar and Danermark, 2006). Cultural perspectives of disability provide an exploration of disability at the socio-cultural level (Danermark and Gellerstedt, 2004).After this exploration, and in relation to the experiences of the co-researchers, the thesis proposes that each of these singular perspectives can only provide limited conceptual effectiveness. The study then goes on to suggest that, rather than reducing the 'problem' of disability to one limited explanation, it is more productive to take an overarching, and more complex and interactional approach to disability that combines the best aspects of individual and social models as well as cultural and societal perspectives. The findings explore a number of disability issues at different levels. The analysis of the discussions with the co-researchers and interviews with the participants of this study emphasise a number of disability issues related to both the body and society. In relation to the body, both the co-researchers and the participants highlight issues and experiences related to the role of impairment in restricting activity, while at the same time acknowledging the roles of society and culture that play a part in disablement. The findings show the complexity of the understandings of disability and challenge the individual model, the social model and cultural perspectives of disability, and show how 'impairment' and 'disability' interact in the lives of disabled people in Kuwait. The thesis argues that an appropriate model for understanding disability in Kuwait is rooted in a critical realist paradigm that views disability from multiple levels, including biological, medical, psychological, socio-cultural and socio-economic levels. The findings also explore the process of participatory research with the co- researchers. In relation to this, the findings highlight the issues of power relations, skills development and reciprocity, decision making processes, sharing the experiences, and the possibility of this research opening the door for further research and changing people's attitudes on disability.

Supply chain literature has increasingly argued that supply chains are being used by a wide range of industries to generate innovations which deliver competitive advantage, and that social factors such as trust and collaboration play a key role in making effective supply chain management (SCM). Closer examination of the research suggests that much of this literature is based on studies of industries which deliver consumer products and these studies are predominantly conducted within a positivist research framework. This research bias has resulted in far less attention being paid to studies of mature industrial markets. This case study seeks to redress such bias by posing an overall question regarding the role of social factors in innovation within a well established supply chain which existed across three mature, capital intensive industries � steel manufacturing, transport and railroad track construction and working outside the positivist paradigm by using a m ultidisciplinary research approach within a �critical realist framework�. In responding to the overall research question, three subordinate questions were explored. Firstly, how well suited are present corporate governance structures of individual organisations to deal with the newly emerging interconnected organisational structures in order to support the generation of innovations within supply chains? Secondly, what has been the impact of the widespread adoption of information technology in generating innovation in supply chains? And thirdly, what is the role played by interorganisational social networks in generating innovations within supply chains? The overall findings were that the social factors played a far more important role than had hitherto been acknowledged in either supporting or inhibiting innovation within supply chains. Corporate governance was seen to generally inhibit innovation between organisations. The claims of much of the SCM literature which asserts a strong link between IT and innovation in supply chains was not supported. In fact, it was found that the majority of subjects preferred to get information through social systems. The role of interorganisational networks (IONs) was found to be most effective at generating incremental innovations aimed at maintaining operational efficiency. A critical realist research approach was able to uncover some difficulties associated with a purely positivist research paradigm which restricts investigation to the empirical level of ontology. The critical realist approach was able to explore social causal mechanisms and structures which were not as readily accessible at the empirical level of inves tigation. It was found that multiple realities existed across the supply chain, and that the positivist assumption of a mono reality which underpins much of the enterprise resource planning (ERP), process management and governance approaches was in fact inhibiting the ability of the social system to be innovative and ultimately driving up costs. In fact a process management approach supported by information technology and operating within present corporate governance structures created conflicting goals which increased complexity. A key finding of this study was how the open social system of the supply chain used dynamic relationships to overcome the rigidities and complexity of a closed systems logic embedded in the formal governance and information systems.

This thesis examines the role of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) task analysis within the context of Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) system design. It recognises and critically examines several carrefours that differentiate cognitive from sociocultural task analysis theories in Second Language Acquisition and Human-Computer Interaction. A study into the role of multimodal interaction and second language (L2) vocabulary acquisition revealed the need for an integrative approach to examining learner-computer interaction. In response, a conceptual, situated task analysis framework was developed that promotes (1) a common unit of analysis for principled theoretical investigation and methodological selection; and (2) a formative task analysis framework which considers both software engineering and human-computer interaction practices within CALL system design. / Understanding the extant relationships between learner, theory and practice has become increasingly important in light of recent criticisms of CALL software quality, and its influence on learning outcomes. To further develop our understanding of the role of HCI and Software Engineering in CALL, an empirical exploratory study was undertaken. The design of the study was influenced by research concerning (1) cognitive complexity and language learning; (2) social perspectives on learner-computer interaction; and (3) the intersection between system design, quality, and learner-computer interaction. / Computer-mediated activity in language learning environments can be categorised as a highly social process through its dependency upon a number of sociocultural and environmental contraints. As such, learner-computer interaction is likely to be highly fluid and dynamic. The distinction between static and dynamic environments is a critical determinant when selecting a particular HCI task analysis strategy. To evaluate competing task analysis approaches, a small qualitative study was established that considered the role of multimodal interaction in L2 vocabulary acquisition. Emerging trends from this study served to elucidate the appropriateness of existing HCI theories and their units of analysis within the context of CALL system design. / Participants for this study were selected from an undergraduate Computer Science degree at a major Australian university. Participants had little to no prior knowledge of the L2 used in the study. Participants conducted three sessions with a multimodal speech-enabled language learning tool. After each session, participants completed an immediate recall test and responded to a series of semi-structured interview questions. After an eight week period, participants were asked to take part in a delayed recall and recognition test. Findings from this study showed two distinct trends: (1) a relationship between the degree of multimodal interaction strategy and delayed L2 vocabulary recall and recognition; and (2) the limitations of existing HCI task analysis approaches with respect to analysing learner-computer interaction within the context of CALL system design. As such, this study provided key insights into the role of HCI in CALL, proposing several implications for further research. / Instructed by these findings, research was undertaken to develop an holistic, situated task analysis framework: C.A.S.E (Cognition, Activity, Social Organisation, Environment). Ontological, epistemological and methodological components of the framework are discussed in detail. C.A.S.E provides a conceptual framework for integrating cognitive and social theories on learning, interaction and system design. Consequently, C.A.S.E provides both theoretical and methodological support for bridging the divide between CALL, HCI and Software Engineering. Several applications of the framework relevant to CALL practitioners are described in this thesis. / The outcomes of this investigation establish an agenda for further research. The thesis concludes with a discussion related to CALL system design, specifically the role of Software Engineering in end-user developer CALL activities. To assist readers, additional discussions on Philosophy of Science and Software Engineering have been provided as appendix chapters.

<p>The overall aim of the study is to describe and explain the formation and organisation of interactive media production in Sweden from the 1990s to the end of 2003, the period of the so-called IT boom and crash, through the development of a theoretical model and gathering of empirical material.</p><p>In the theory, interactive media production is conceptualised as a practice in part taking place on a social field structured according to the division and integration of labour within and between firms, and logics and status. It is argued that social fields are formed through the entrepreneurial realisation of opportunity structures resting in pre-existing structural configurations, and through the allocation of resources. The organisational outcome is explained by the structural preconditions, aspects of formation (what, who, how) and firms’ demands for stability and flexibility, creating a set of interrelated positions that firms might occupy.</p><p>Empirical data has been collected from four firm and one individual level survey aimed at interactive media producers in Sweden, conducted between 1997 and 2003. A second data source consists of 8,000 news articles and items focussed on IT and interactive media in Sweden. Third, visual analyses of web sites of firms producing interactive media solutions have been conducted. Finally, interviews with people active within the field have been made.</p><p>The results show that the formation of interactive media production in Sweden should be understood in relation to the Swedish economic crisis of the early 1990s, visions of IT, and beliefs in a societal transition to a new economy and knowledge society. These ideas contributed to allocating massive resources, e.g. state initiatives, increased demands and investment capital, to those producers of interactive media solutions that came to be symbols of the new economy. The abundance of resources caused a rapid growth of firms engaged in interactive media production and a financialisation that led to a speculative bubble and a stock market crash, eventually making the social field dissolve.</p><p>The majority of firms that produce interactive media solutions are small and reach flexibility and stability by having a large proportion of permanently employed skilled workers and extensively participating in collaborations with other firms, including customers. The division and integration of labour follows the logics and clusters of activities that structure the social field: techno¬logy, aesthetics and economy. A large proportion of Swedish organisations have further developed inhouse interactive media operations that taken together are larger than the more visible so-called Internet consultants.</p> / Avhandlingen är också publicerad på Arbetslivsinstitutets webbsida: http://ebib.arbetslivsinstitutet.se/aio/2005/aio2005_16.pdf

The overall aim of the study is to describe and explain the formation and organisation of interactive media production in Sweden from the 1990s to the end of 2003, the period of the so-called IT boom and crash, through the development of a theoretical model and gathering of empirical material. In the theory, interactive media production is conceptualised as a practice in part taking place on a social field structured according to the division and integration of labour within and between firms, and logics and status. It is argued that social fields are formed through the entrepreneurial realisation of opportunity structures resting in pre-existing structural configurations, and through the allocation of resources. The organisational outcome is explained by the structural preconditions, aspects of formation (what, who, how) and firms’ demands for stability and flexibility, creating a set of interrelated positions that firms might occupy. Empirical data has been collected from four firm and one individual level survey aimed at interactive media producers in Sweden, conducted between 1997 and 2003. A second data source consists of 8,000 news articles and items focussed on IT and interactive media in Sweden. Third, visual analyses of web sites of firms producing interactive media solutions have been conducted. Finally, interviews with people active within the field have been made. The results show that the formation of interactive media production in Sweden should be understood in relation to the Swedish economic crisis of the early 1990s, visions of IT, and beliefs in a societal transition to a new economy and knowledge society. These ideas contributed to allocating massive resources, e.g. state initiatives, increased demands and investment capital, to those producers of interactive media solutions that came to be symbols of the new economy. The abundance of resources caused a rapid growth of firms engaged in interactive media production and a financialisation that led to a speculative bubble and a stock market crash, eventually making the social field dissolve. The majority of firms that produce interactive media solutions are small and reach flexibility and stability by having a large proportion of permanently employed skilled workers and extensively participating in collaborations with other firms, including customers. The division and integration of labour follows the logics and clusters of activities that structure the social field: techno¬logy, aesthetics and economy. A large proportion of Swedish organisations have further developed inhouse interactive media operations that taken together are larger than the more visible so-called Internet consultants. / Avhandlingen är också publicerad på Arbetslivsinstitutets webbsida: http://ebib.arbetslivsinstitutet.se/aio/2005/aio2005_16.pdf