This study is based on 17 months' fieldwork in one of the largest and most symbolic towns of ex-Yugoslavia, Kragujevac, among the middle-aged, (un)employed and politically unorganised former employees of the former Zastava Cars auto-industry. Through participant observation in firms and labour activation programmes, with the addition of life stories and limited archival research, I follow my interlocutors' struggles to fashion a deserving position in a context where they cannot make a 'pure' moral stand to criticise their social disaffiliation. This happens in relation to the long-term transformations of employment, which disaffiliated, but also partially incorporated Zastava Cars' employees, resulting in a sense of complicity with the state and ethical compromise. Specifically, I focus on the rising under-productivity that Serbian industry has faced since the Yugoslav wars and Milošević's rule, in firms which continued to be increasingly state-funded under the market reforms of the 2000s, popularly understood as 'buying social peace'. Seen as the biggest 'victims' of privatisations but at the same time the most 'privileged' by the state programmes, Zastava Cars' workers have been gradually involved in ritualised simulations of productivity for the state, which I call 'mock-work'. While establishing partial security for many employees, I argue, the state politics of under-productive employment gradually became divorced from an inherited ethos of productivity, in which work (as both a profitable and life-fulfilling activity) was understood as a basis of fair rewards and a cornerstone of reciprocity. Waiting for the end of the work day with little or no activity to be done, or protesting for equal access to employment whilst knowing that those who do have jobs don't do the 'real' work either, created intensive affective registers between righteousness and complicity, nonchalance and shame. In this context, yearnings for 'proper' labour and 'proper' capitalism emerged as offering a clear arbiter of social worth and legitimacy, and hence, structural conditions for moral absolution. I argue that the market logic is here appropriated as something that absolves 'internal' problems in preserving unproductive employment, akin to the process Sahlins (1990) calls the 'humiliation' stage in cultural change. The study thus seeks to historicise, qualify and contextualize the dominant portrayals of 'precarity' and market hegemony in Serbia. It argues that market reforms, coupled with enduring institutional embeddedness of the labour market and industrial underproductivity in the region, ultimately created not just existential, but moral struggles. These struggles are crucial for rekindling strong calls for work ethics that state neoliberal reforms end up utilising, and new political subjectivities in creation.

This thesis entails an ethnographic exploration of the Greek economic crisis. In particular, I address the signification, materialisation, and contestation of the Greek economic crisis in a soup kitchen, a clothing bank, and a social clinic. Drawing from material gathered in the Northern Greek town of Xanthi between March 2014 and 2015, I treat alternative provisioning as an avenue to mutuality, collectivity, and egalitarianism. Moreover, I posit that the discrepancies between idealised discourses and everyday practices of provisioning offer privileged insights into perceptions and experiences of profound social transformation. Through detailed analysis of local media representations and interview transcriptions, I argue that idealised articulations of collective action and social assistance coalesced in the figure of the 'volunteer'. The subjectivity of the volunteer was defined by free will, autonomy, agentive interiority, and magnanimous intentionality. The efforts of the volunteer were framed in terms of civic consciousness and disinterested altruism. In sharp contrast to the idealised figure of the 'volunteer' however, the volunteering 'selves' that operated the soup kitchen, the clothing bank and the social clinic were enmeshed in conventions, obligations and reciprocities. I address these through thorough ethnographic attention to material gathered from participant observation. In particular, I trace the performative relocation of domesticity in the soup kitchen and argue that its cooks transformed into symbolic mothers. I consider the cooks' quests for symbolic and material remuneration, and posit that the framing devices of employment served to reconcile the domains of waged labour and reproduction. I follow the market conventions that guided the clothing bank, and suggest that its volunteering attendants engaged in performative shopkeeping. Finally, I describe the bureaucratic surveillance that operated against the uninsured patients of the social clinic, and argue that its volunteering authorities practiced 'stateness'. These insights were yielded at a time when the agonistic discourses and practices of horizontality, counter-hegemony and solidarity enjoyed unprecedented national prominence. Yet, rather than striving for an alternative society, my own informants appeared determined to restore and perform the rapidly dismantling provisioning routes of the past. Thus, the soup kitchen, clothing bank and social clinic served to reproduce the ordering and provisioning frames of household, market and state. Courtesy of its extraordinary background, this performative normality was bound to be a precarious and incomplete response to the workings of rupture. Hence, the crisis was revealed as a composite site of extraordinary continuity and ordinary rupture. Departing from the 'methodological exceptionalism' that often guides studies of crisis and social transformation, this thesis hopes to illustrate that performances of order and continuity serve as important loci of both resilience and convention, as well as change and invention.

Using multivariate statistical models in small area estimation (SAE) may improve the efficiency of the small area estimates over the univariate SAE. In this thesis, we study the multivariate SAE problem of multidimensional well-being indicators. We first investigate the univariate EBLUP for a single latent variable estimated through confirmatory factor analysis. We use factor scores as composite estimates and calculate the EBLUP of factor score means and compare the use of these with the traditional approach of weighted and simple averages of standardized univariate EBLUPs of a dashboard of single observed indicators. Our simulation studies show that the use of factor scores provides more accurate and efficient estimates than weighted and simple averages in SAE. We also propose a bootstrap algorithm that accounts for the factor analysis model variability in the mean squared error (MSE) estimation of an EBLUP of factor score means. Next, we examine the use of multivariate EBLUP to estimate factor score means (for two latent factors) and compare to the use of weighted and simple averages of standardized EBLUPs of a dashboard of single observed indicators that are estimated in a univariate approach and in a multivariate SAE. We show that in general the multivariate EBLUP is more efficient than the univariate EBLUP, however, when the data correlation is taken into account before SAE estimates are computed (the case of factor scores) multivariate EBLUP does not provide large improvements in efficiency over the univariate case. Finally, we propose an MSE bootstrap estimator of a multivariate EBLUP. The results are in line with the SAE literature in terms of MSE comparisons of the multivariate EBLUP over the univariate EBLUP.

At the northern edge of Greece's second-largest island Evia, a fluctuating group of people under the name Free&Real aim to build up a school for self-sufficiency and sustainability. In response to late capitalist relations, which they perceive to be exploitative, depleting, and alienating, they pose their project as a learning ground in which to recreate human-environment relations towards regenerative ends. Their environmental, political-economic, and social critique resonates with contemporary civil society initiatives in Europe and North America, where a growing number of eco-projects propose alternatives to the dominant paradigm of profit through exploitation via holistic and non-harmful socio-environmental relations. My thesis depicts, analyses, and contextualises these endeavours of social change, paying attention to the ways in which Free&Real creatively critique contemporary society from within and against late capitalism. They do so through reconfiguring their ethics and practices that aim to re-establish relations with self and other - both human and non-human. Through this, they aim to create alternative futures within the present through practice, and through this prefiguration to transform the present towards more ecologically ethical practices. Through six chapters, I follow the group's aspirations to situate human existence firmly within the natural environment, to transform their selves towards ethical ideals, and to recreate economic relations outside the formal economy. I further trace their grappling with contemporary expressions of modernity, the limits of altruism, and the complexities of authority. As the group occupy themselves with transformative, educational, and outreach goals, they reproduce some of the very epistemologies and relations they attempt to overcome, while at the same time proposing novel readings of and engagements with others. Through this creative remix, Free&Real generate innovative local responses to some of the pressing issues of contemporary times. Examining these, my thesis contributes to discussions of social change, environmentalism, the anthropology of Greece and Europe, and critique of capitalist relations.

The genomics revolution promises to bring advances in every area of our lives and is generating huge quantities of data for analysis. However, these data are sensitive and their potential cannot be realised without addressing complex questions of privacy. Genomics is not the first field to face these questions; for many decades, balancing confidentiality and data utility has been a concern for data stewardship organisations such as national statistical institutes. This led to the emergence of the field of Statistical Disclosure Control (SDC) to formulate this problem statistically. In this thesis, I explore some of the privacy issues of genomics data by drawing on key concepts from SDC. In the first paper, six possible scenarios where disclosure may occur are defined and analysed. The analysis shows that although assessing the disclosure risk of genomic data is not a straightforward task; the risk is potentially being overestimated in many cases. There are several factors that affect the overall risk of disclosure which have been neglected in most previous work. In particular, having a detailed knowledge of the data and a significant expertise in genetics and genomics is crucial. The risk also depends on the data environment and this research suggests that the disclosure risk of each genomic dataset must be assessed individually and systematically, with a focus on the actual attack procedure. In paper two, one high profile attack scenario, a patrilineal linkage attack, is considered in detail and a model of the risk of re-identifying genomic data (in the population of Wales and England) via this route is developed. The work demonstrates that re-identification is possible; however, the risk is low in the studied population. This work re-emphasises the importance of the data environment and external resources used in an attack and shows that they significantly affect overall risk which also depends on the characteristics of an individual genomic dataset. The paper also demonstrates how attaching geo-demographic metadata to genomic data can facilitate re-identification and hence advises caution with such attachments. Paper three considers the issue of linkage disequilibrium - the non-random correlation of allelic forms of different genes - and its impact on the intruder's power to carry out inference attacks on regions of the genome which are suppressed for privacy reasons. By generating a variety of genomic data models, the work demonstrates that intruders can design more powerful attacks using higher-order correlations. The evaluation shows that this correlation cannot be captured properly using the lower-order models found in the existing literature, and therefore they cannot be relied upon when designing privacy-preserving techniques. The overarching conclusion is that SDC and genomic privacy can both learn from each other. Genomic privacy can benefit from the systematic approach that SDC provides. SDC can benefit from considering the new and more complex genomic data forms and therefore enhance its relevance as we move from the world of singular rectangular databases to one of an interconnected web of variegated data.

This thesis is an investigation into support for terrorism and political violence in the UK. It has two principal aims: to advance a new application of rational choice theory capable of providing an explanation of support for violence that accommodates the impact of religion, and to test it using quantitative data. Drawing on existing work from criminology and political science, it hypothesizes that amongst those with a political grievance violence will be supported most often where the benefits of democratic political engagement are viewed unfavourably. More than this, it argues that regular exposure to those holding extreme religious views may deplete political trust, and thus lower the favourability of these perceptions, thereby increasing the likelihood of an individual supporting violence. Two distinct approaches were adopted to test this theory. The first employed multivariate analysis of secondary data, drawing on the European Values Study (EVS) and the Ethnic Minority British Election Study (EMBES) to test for a relationship between attitudes to democratic political engagement and support for violence in the British population at large, and to explore the impact of religion on these attitudes amongst a sample of British Muslims. The second approach sought to build on these findings, using data from an experiment conducted over the social networking site Facebook to explore whether attitudes towards democratic political engagement could be manipulated to trigger a shift in support for violence. The results of these analyses offered limited support for my theory, with outputs from both the EVS and EMBES data showing a significant relationship between attitudes to democratic political engagement and support for violence, despite the failure of the experiment to find evidence supportive of a causal relationship. Analysis of the EMBES data similarly affirmed a role for regular exposure to those holding extreme religious reviews in predicting both attitudes to democratic politics and support for violence, though this was shown to be non-linear. The implications of these findings for existing scholarship on - and policy responses to - extremism and support for violence were considered, alongside the limitations of my approach. The opportunities for future research were then presented alongside a summation of my key findings.

As pressures mount in the world, they take a toll upon our mental and physical capacities. A foundational principle of ecopsychology is that connection with nature positively impacts our mental and psychological health and well-being. While much research has focused on children and adults, no research into the influence of nature specifically targeting 16-18 year olds has been conducted. Additionally, this doctoral dissertation addressed the calls from literature and the gaps in the knowledge base regarding employing just one independent variable and one dependent variable in ecopsychology nature walk research. Existing commentaries are critical of many extant research projects which have sought to measure too many outcomes (in their opinion) in one study. Mixed methods research was justified and employed based upon the researcher’s philosophy and the goals of the research project. This investigation examined the effect of nature walks on a population of 16-18 year olds - - students at an international school, or Third Culture Kids (TCKs), defined as a child living outside of their parents’ native culture, a further novel innovation in this area of research. This study measured one aspect of mental vitality, that of mental acuity. Using the d2 Test of Attention as a quantitative measure to evaluate the impact of regular nature walks and personal reflection journals as a qualitative measure, this study found a significant improvement in participants’ mental acuity in both the quantitative and qualitative results after a regular, twice weekly, 40 to 60 minute duration nature walk intervention. Implementation of nature walks into schools is highly recommended to benefit students’ psychological health and well-being. Recommendations for additional research are also suggested.

This study focuses on the impact of microfinance on the income and vulnerability of poor rural households. In order to clarify this question, the study examines household participation and access to credit through Joint Liability Lending (JLL) programmes, the allocation of household credit, and subsequent loan repayment. The study, the first of its kind conducted through extensive fieldwork in Uganda, concentrates on Joint Liability Lending programmes, instead of looking at other models of microfinance, because the Joint Liability Lending model targets the poorest segments of the population. Although the objective of poverty reduction is clearly included in most microfinance models, not all microfinance institutions have poverty reduction as a primary mission. Today’s microfinance industry consists of a wide range of institutions serving different market niches with the aim of providing small-scale financial services to businesses and households that have been traditionally kept outside the formal financial system. But these institutions do not necessarily have as their mission reducing poverty. The models described in this thesis provide clear evidence that Shariah-compliant financial principles can be compatible with microfinance and technical standards can be put in place, for example, through standard Shariah-compliant microfinance arrangements such as a murabaha agreement, or possibly even a mudaraba agreement. As shown too, the leasing or purchase of property or other goods can be accomplished via an ijara agreement. Elsewhere in microfinance, we have seen that bank accounts can be offered by banks under an amanah or wadia contract, while the community-based solution found in a takaful contract is ideal for providing microinsurance.

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 – 2014) has undoubtedly raised the discourse on the principles of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and provided a platform for healthy debates on infusing ESD in curricula and ways to overcome the barriers that exist to implementation programmes. Furthermore, the decade has also strengthened community based ESD activities and initiatives. This research study addresses a gap in research within the field of ESD by exploring the routes to the design process of ESD programmes for employees at their workplace. The research also attempts to investigate the potential of infusing thinking skills in ESD training programmes for employees. Primary data was collected from a higher education institution in the UK through in-depth interviews and casual conversations with a set of employees. The findings suggest that a design process for employee programmes on ESD should be needs based and context specific. Whilst it is acknowledged that employees have an important role to play in driving the organisation’s sustainability strategy forward, the study has found that not only are ESD training programmes for employees non-existent, but neither are employees effectively invited to participate and engage in shaping the sustainability strategy of the organisation. The inclusion of thinking skills in ESD training programmes may assist employees feel adequately empowered to engage in needs based ESD training programmes relevant to their role at work and to their life beyond the workplace. The study highlights the role thinking skills have in cultivating a thinking culture within an organisation as part of its response to the challenges of sustainable development today. Yet the research findings suggest employees’ awareness on the benefits of thinking skills training is low. The research has found that employees lack the confidence, competency, motivation and time to engage in an exercise whereby they are able to identify their own training needs for ESD programmes. On the other hand, however, there is clear evidence that employees feel consistent and genuine senior management commitment would be a key requirement if ESD training is adopted as a route for the organisation to attain its sustainability targets. Finally, results from the study indicate that employees are of the opinion that bespoke ESD training for employees would most likely lead to behavioural change.

To understand the Kurdish diaspora in London requires answering two interrelated questions of Kurdish forced migration history and Kurdish cultural identity. Thus, this study firstly examines the history of Kurdish forced migration and displacement, exploring a common historical argument which positions the Kurds as powerless victims of the First World War (WW1). To this end it looks critically at the post-WW1 era and the development of the modern nation state in the Middle East, namely Turkey, Iraq and Syria. This first part sets out the context for explaining and gaining a better understanding of the systematic sociopolitical marginalisation which led to the forced migration of the Kurds from the 1920s onwards. Secondly, this study evaluates the integration experiences of some members of the Kurdish diaspora in London, who have settled in this city since the1990s.1Furthermore, this part attempts to describe the shifting position of the Kurds from victims in the Middle East, with trends in ethnic integration, and their negotiations of multiculturalism in London. This capital city has historically held a promise and attraction for many migrants of becoming Londoners, and this now includes Kurdish-Londoners. Moreover, the comparison is made between the positions and perspectives of the first generation that came to Britain in the 1990s and the second generation Kurds born in Britain in this period. This allows an exploration of the notion of identity and ideas of home and belonging in light of contemporary changes and concomitant theories of diaspora and refugee studies, and, where necessary, challenges those ideas. Therefore, with the dual questions of history and identity in mind, this study attempts to innovate in terms of its methodology. The methodological chapter discusses the need for a particular epistemology; that is a more explicit method of combining diaspora history and diaspora identity. Evidence from previous academic work suggests that questions of Kurdish history and Kurdish cultural identity are inextricably linked. This study’s research method is based on ethnographic fieldwork and the collection of qualitative data through 25 one-to-one semi-structured interviews, with participants selected from across different sections of the Kurdish diaspora community(ies) in London. In order to test and clarify complex conceptual issues three focus group meetings were also organised which were held within community settings (one in North London, one in South London, and one in Central London at Birkbeck College, University of London). An important complementary factor in my systematic access to relevant and reliable data about refugee integration in London was my active advocacy and case work, from 2004 to 2014, at an NGO in South East London supporting refugee integration. This work involved 20 Kurdish refugee families and individuals.2 Finally, this study attempts to uncover the gaps in existing literature and to critically highlight the dominance of policy and politics driven research in this field, thereby justifying the need for a new approach. This approach recognises flexible, multiple and complex human cultural behaviors in different situations through consideration of the lived experiences of members of the Kurdish diaspora in London. This lived experience approach is useful in gaining an understanding of the complex processes and stages undertaken in becoming part of the diaspora and also part of London. The stages as reflected in the personal narratives include initial arrival in London and encounters with the British state’s immigration and integration policies, the actual process of rebuilding individual or family life, and new home making through the on-going challenges, shifts and negotiations of identities. That is, the slow process of becoming a Kurdish-Londoner.