The purpose of this study is to contribute to thedevelopment of the Logistics Management discipline. A motivefor the study is that I have found actors being very anonymousin the Logistics Management literature. I have found this to bein contrast to my practical experiences where actors are highlyessential. On the basis of an interview study and a literaturestudy I want to give some thoughts and ideas for thedevelopment of the discipline. The interview study wasconducted with 48 actors operating across a supply chain withindifferent business areas of a multinational Swedish company.The actors views of the organisation, problems associated withit and logistical variables were focused. In the literary studyI focused on fundamental ideas and characteristics. I alsofocused on scientific foundations and points of departure inLogistics Management research. In the text I strive to view the world as sociallyconstructed and in my writing I have the effort to beinterpretative and reflective. With these points of departure Itry to use approaches seldom used in research within thelogistics management discipline. In my work I present thoughts and ideas which are importantto notice with regard to the aim of the discipline to benormative and contribute to the development of one or manyorganisations. The first issue that I highlight is that in theinterview study it was apparent that there existed clusterswith different perspectives across the supply chain. Theseperspectives provided different sorts of understanding for theorganisation and problems associated with it. I found this tobe a reason for problems within the organisation. In theliterature, however, I found the insight about this is low ornot outspoken, which motivates further studies. As aconsequence of the different views and understanding, I noticedthat the interviewees put different meaning into concepts likecustomer focus and holistic vision. The different meaningseemed to be a reason for problems within the organisation.Since I regard the concepts as central and obvious within thediscipline, more attention could be given to the concepts andhow they are used. The interviewees also emphasised awell-functioning organisation and the importance ofimplementing solutions. Implementation issues could thereforebe highlighted to a larger extent, to elucidate obstacles andpossibilities for successful change management and to highlightproblems that need to be treated. In the interviews people andtheir behaviours were seen as central. Therefore human andtheir behaviours could be given more attention. Understandingfor people’s behaviour as a foundation for changemanagement processes could be emphasised even more. As aconsequence, I consider reference to other disciplinesnecessary to reach a higher understanding of these behaviours.Since the studied company was far from the best practicestudies that now dominate the area and the study has proven tobe fruitful, the discipline could strive to be more balancedand use other cases to elucidate problems and highlight theseproblems. Some authors’opinions that other paradigms and viewsthan the ones dominating the discipline should be used todevelop it, has been strengthened by the study, especially withregard to paradigms and views with a focus on actors. / NR 20140805

This thesis explores how notions of ability are socially constructed, defined and experienced within physical education (PE). Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts are used to examine the processes through an acknowledgement and consideration of the culture where pupils’ and teachers’ notions of ability are configured, reconfigured, and experienced. The study covered one academic school year in a North London mixed comprehensive school. Fifteen pupils participated in focus groups and individual interviews. The pupils were a mixture of boys (11) and girls (4), a range of abilities and ages (11 – 16 years old), and experienced PE predominantly in ability groups. In addition, six PE teachers were interviewed and PE lesson observations were conducted throughout the study. The findings identify various processes and interactions between individuals and also between individuals and the field that contribute towards the social construction of ability in PE. The findings highlight the complex and dynamic nature of the PE experience where notions of ability and the related practices have a bearing. Hierarchical ability-based practices were apparent that served to reinforce dominant notions of ability but there were other practices that could potentially challenge ‘legitimate’ notions of ability. The study highlights some of the constraints that teachers face in their attempts to integrate broader notions of ability, especially within a performative culture. Variations across the individual experience highlight considerations for pupils in terms of becoming physically literate and reaching their potential. The study aims to raise key questions for stakeholders in considering how ability-based practices work in facilitating a learning environment that supports all levels of ability and preparing all young people for lifelong activity. In addition it stresses the need for greater agreement amongst stakeholders on the purpose of PE in the current climate and suggests that a review of the aims of PE is warranted.

This thesis is a retheorization of Omi's and Winant's (1986) racial formation theory,which addresses the implications, inconsistencies and limitations of the initial theory. It is argued that Omi's and Winant's theory is problematic insofar as it supports the notion of ‘race’ permanency despite being a social constructionist theory. Omi and Winant also largely ignore the naturalization of ‘race’ and ignore the role of ‘nature’ and science in knowledge production and the reproduction of ‘race’. This thesis proposes a radical extension of the theory that addresses these problems, calling itself a radical racial formation theory. In this extension, the debate over the ‘race’ concept and the conundrum that the ‘race’ theorist finds him/herself in is discussed. The role of sociologists in maintaining ‘race’ is considered. ‘Race’ is argued to be an emergent and formative feature of modernity supported by liberalism. It is argued that ‘race’ is often tied to ‘nature’ and made to seem as though both precede history. It is argued that both ‘nature’ and science need to be contested. The notion that all scientific aims are altruistic is challenged given the embeddedness of science in the social. The doctrine of essentialism is confronted along with the belief that essences present themselves as secure ‘knowledge’. The production of racial knowledge is central to this thesis as it is seen as one of the least critiqued arenas in which ‘race’ is reproduced. A radical racial formation theory is situated theoretically in the camps of the Frankfurt school's critical theory and Foucault's poststructuralism and a rapprochement between the two is called for. There is a discussion of the ‘present’ in Foucault's genealogical use, where it is argued that the present exists as a powerful moment where there can be a discontinuity with the present social formation and a break with the racial past. Finally, the Gramscian use of ‘hegemony’ is used to understand racial dominance. It is argued that whiteness presents itself as hegemonic in racial formation and counter-hegemonic possibilities are entertained. / Thesis (Master, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2007-09-14 09:51:37.71

This study explores how fathers exist within socially constructed micro and macro systems and are positioned within a discourse on gendered masculinity. Seven fathers from the Nanaimo, B.C. region volunteered to participate in two focus groups, to discuss “what makes a father”. An exploration of the men’s lived experiences reflected on memories from childhood that influenced choices they make in fatherhood. Through generative exchanges and personal narratives subjective and evolved perspectives on gender binaries, masculine stereotypes and traditional belief systems were articulated. The compilation and analysis of data attempts to disrupt preconceived notions of masculinity in the 21st century. Based on the focus group data the study reveals roles that challenge traditional paternal archetypes relevant to parental relationships and demonstrates that contemporary fathers continue to evolve and navigate what is being referred to as “new” fatherhood. The study contributes to the research on fathers as an exclusive research subject and their understanding of fatherhood in their own terms. The fathers in this study are challenging antiquated belief systems of how men are supposed to be within the structures of gendered masculinity. The study indicates there is no one-way or right way to be a dad and the curiosity and a conscious effort to trouble heteronormative archetypes by the participants indicates that men create space to chose to father according to their subjective experiences. / Graduate

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The rationale for this study was the need to bring a social science perspective to developing approaches for person-centred outcome measures in rehabilitation settings for older people. To date this field has largely been dominated by clinicians and the biomedical model of impairment, disability and handicap. Qualitative methods (findings from focus group discussions informed later focus interviews with individuals) were used to establish and explore the views of older people about a range of issues linked to conceptualising outcome, including participating in decisions regarding their health, to examine how older people made judgements, what they valued and prioritised, what their expectations were, how care was experienced and how changes are sustained over time. Symbolic interactionism and grounded theory provided the overall theoretical approach to the methods used. A distinction is made between older people's 'public' and 'private views'. This analytical distindon provides the framework within which the accounts are explored and presented in the thesis. The public accounts focus on the social and moral obligations associated with the experience of being an older citizen. The thesis explores the role of reciprocity, justice and conscience in these accounts. The private accounts reveal the wide range and diversity of opinion and experiences that exist. Three groups of people were identified: empowered, reluctant collaborators; and dominated. It is argued that future best practice for outcome evaluation in health and social care professionals will need to explore the private views of older people in greater depth. Institutionalised ageism and structured dependency are major barriers to empowering older people to participate in identifying outcomes. Until these issues are recognised and resolved, more meaningful participation in the identification and method of assessment of outcomes is unlikely. The findings should be of relevance to researchers, to users of health services and to clinicians working in rehabilitation settings for older people.

This multi-layered and multi-perspective inquiry focuses on adult adoptees’ sense-making of, and presentation of, their sexuality and self/identity. It is situated firmly within postmodern and social constructionist traditions, whereby both the personal/particular and social/shared dimensions of experiences are negotiated, disenfranchised/marginalised voices are privileged, and the distinctions between, research, art and therapy are disrupted. Due to the adoptees being placed in, and conceived as, marginalised group members, their local and marginalised voices are privileged within this thesis. The aims of this research were:  To gain access to, and gather, adult adoptee’s personal narratives/stories around the subject of their sexuality, their sexual identity and their adoption;  To give ‘voice’ to adult adoptees around the subject of sexuality and adoption;  To represent, and then present, these narratives/stories, honouring both the individual particulars of ‘lived experience’ and also to highlight any shared thematic qualities of the participants. A bricolage approach was used, using Kinchloe and Berry’s (2004) formalised theoretical concept of the ‘POET’ (the point of entry text). To capture the multiplicity of the research, and the POETs, a three-phase approach was applied. Phase one incorporated my auto-ethnographic account, of my lived experience of sexuality as an adoptee, through an analysis of my narratives and poems. Phase two explored the participants’ understanding, and presentation of, their sexuality from the analysis of their interview data. These data were analysed through a heuristic approach, developing individual depictions, a group depiction and then a final creative synthesis. In phase three, an interpretative phenomenological analysis, was applied to highlight thematic individual and shared themes of the participants’ data, to present a more structured and thematic representation. The data from phase one, two and three, highlighted the vulnerability, and cultural socio-political constructs, that can affect the self-formation and sexuality of an adoptee. The data from phase three established four superordinate themes: 1. Sexual attitudes, 2. Vulnerability, 3. The ‘Other’, and 4. The Feminine. The research demonstrates that adult adoptees, as vulnerable, are more open and susceptible to external influence regarding their sexuality and self-formation, and proposes an ‘inherent potential toward vulnerability’ within the adoptee. Therefore, there is a relationship between the adoptee, as inherently vulnerable, and how they constitute their sexuality and self-formation. Implications for practice require careful ethical consideration of the adoptees’ inherent vulnerability and how this impacts their sexuality and self-formation. These considerations for good practice/therapeutic intervention are underpinned by an awareness of potential ethical, political and social issues regarding the adoptee’s susceptible influence by the ‘other’. Therefore, an awareness of how ‘non-directive practice’ can be integrated ethically by the practitioner is emphasised. These implications are not always evident in counselling/psychotherapy training and supervision, and therefore need careful consideration by the practitioner at a personal level, and in relation to social policy, when working with adoptees.

Scholars recognize television's ability to influence culture. According to Gerbner, television creates socially constructed realities through the cultivation of its viewers. Television is designed to satisfy the diverse needs of large audiences. The mainstream messages conveyed via television have power to alter perceptions and change culture. Gerbner's theory was constructed from the analysis of crime dramas with single plot lines. Using the ABC television program Brothers & Sisters, this thesis explores the theoretical implications dramas with multiple plot lines have on traditional notions of cultivation theory. Through a content analysis and focus groups, evidence was acquired to suggest that cultivation theory, with the added consideration of involvement, is still able to explain television's influence on the social creation of reality.

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