The aftermath of the September 11th 2001 attacks has seen increased interest in US cultural diplomacy; however, IR analyses thus far have largely come from the mainstream, with the discourse of soft power particularly dominating the discipline. This thesis provides a much-needed critical purchase through a poststructuralist IR approach, notably a framework of performativity and governmentality. In particular, by using a global governmentality approach, this thesis orients global politics in two under-analysed areas of enquiry in IR - the cultural and the everyday. By exploring the everyday social relations, mundane practices and human (inter)actions of three cultural exchange programmes launched after 9/11 - YES, SportsUnited, and Film Forward - this thesis interrogates how exchange participants are produced as political subjects and how their performances of particular identities partake in a global geopolitical enactment that is manifested in US cultural diplomacy programmes. This research contends that post-9/11 American cultural diplomacy is constructed within a primarily cosmopolitan vision and that the cosmopolitanism embedded in these cultural exchange programmes is far from benign. It sells itself as universal when in fact it is saturated with particularities, hierarchical power relations and Othering practices. More specifically, this thesis explores how this cosmopolitanism urges exchange participants to perform particular national and global identities in different ways and at different times and to vacillate effortlessly between the two via certain skills manifested in the production of a particular neoliberal subjectivity. Each programme therefore mobilises different cosmopolitan logics - tolerance, equality, common humanity - through which certain governmental techniques, sh'ategies and tactics seek to produce a particular model subject. This thesis therefore examines how exchange participants are impelled and incentivised or resist and counter these ideal subjectivities. By analysing how the everyday lives of exchange participants are sutured into wider US foreign policy goals, it seeks to add an invigorating contribution to cultural diplomacy and IR scholarship.

The visibility of translators in translated texts has been increasingly recognised, yet research on the translator’s voice and the methodological issues concerned has remained sparse. Corpus-based methods allow only limited access to the motivation of the translator’s choices, and need to be complemented by other research tools to form a coherent methodology for investigating a translator’s style. The thesis adopts an interdisciplinary approach, combining systemic linguistics and corpus studies with sociohistorical research within a descriptive framework to study the translator’s discursive presence in the text. This approach is as yet underexplored in translation studies. My work examines four Chinese translations of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea (1952), by Hai Guan (1956), Wu Lao (1987), Li Xiyin (1987) and Zhao Shaowei (1987). The investigation concerns the rendering of transitivity, modality, direct speech and free direct thought presentation as well as the transitions of modes of point of view. It also inquires into the causes of the variation in style between the four translators. I map textual features onto specific sociocultural and ideological contexts of production in an attempt to identify correlations between them. Another objective is to test the applicability of Halliday’s transitivity model (1994) and Simpson’s model of point of view (1993) to the analysis of Chinese translated texts, and to explore possible adjustments to these models to make them serviceable for translation comparison between English and Chinese. The thesis has six chapters: (1) Theoretical approaches, methodological tools and framework, (2) Location of the texts within the sociocultural contexts, (3) Translation of the transitivity system, (4) Translation of point of view, (5) Critical analysis of individual examples and (6) Motivations for translation shifts.

Certain developments and applications of science and technology are often seen as a problem for society. The first chapter of this work concentrate on what technology actually is, its relation with science and the problems it creates for society. Two questions are asked: 1. Is democratic control of technological research and development necessary and possible. 2. Is democratic control of the applications of this research and development necessary and possible. A broad definition of technology brings out the relation of science and technology. The key concept is: control over nature, non-human as well as human. The theories of Marx and Engels show that technology and science are an integral part of society and cannot be seen as separated from it. This obvious point is taken by the Frankfurt school which discusses the ideological aspects of technology and science. This culminates in the notion of technology as ideology itself (Habermas). These ideas can be used in relation to information technology and its dangers and uses for the protection of privacy. The issue of information technology in relation to privacy and personal freedom is used (i) to demonstrate the possibilities of democratic control and (ii) because the problem of privacy and data protection is generally recognised in many countries. Because of the defects found in a number of legislative implementations of data protection a proposal is made for a more complete and effective control of information technology in relation to data protection. This proposal rests on two related concepts: 1. Democratic control through citizens committees (as a kind of jury duty), 2. The extension of the division of power to a fourth data controlling power, controlled not only by a legislative power but a separate citizen's committee.

This thesis analyses the counter-hegemonic potential of socioeconomic rights discourse for contesting neo-liberal globalisation at the level of ‘global civil society’. In particular, it explores the ways in which specific socioeconomic rights have been deployed in the context of three different global justice campaigns aimed at challenging various political-institutional regimes of neo-liberal global governance. This exploration has at its centre three case study chapters which in turn examine: (1) the role of the ‘right to food’ in the global campaign for food sovereignty; (2) the role of the ‘right to health’ in the global campaign for access to affordable medicines; and (3) the role of the ‘right to water’ in the global campaign for the protection of public water services. This thesis is informed by a neo-Gramscian analytic framework that views ‘global civil society’ as a sphere where the hegemony of neo-liberal globalisation is not only constructed and reproduced, but also potentially contested by marginalised and excluded (‘subaltern’) social forces. Through analysis of the role performed by socioeconomic rights in these three case studies, it is argued that socioeconomic rights can potentially serve counter-hegemonic movements, but there are also dangers, due to the configuration of power within the domain of global civil society, that socioeconomic rights discourses are co-opted, marginalised or watered down in ways that suppress their counter-hegemonic potential. Drawing upon the praxis of the global justice movements discussed in the case studies, this thesis argues that these dangers can be minimised, or at any rate mitigated, through what will be termed a ‘tripartite model of counter-hegemonic rights praxis’. This entails counter-hegemonic movements tactically participating in inter-governmental settings; invoking the jurisprudence of international human rights bodies and; connecting socioeconomic rights standards to counter-hegemonic models of governance within ‘subaltern counter-publics’.

This research presents an empirical investigation of the relationship between urban form and travel behaviour in order to understand the relative influence of factors influencing travel patterns in Northern Ireland. Two specific issues integral to our daily lives are of concern when determining the inter-relationship patterns between urban form and travel behaviour, firstly 'where we live' and secondly its impact on 'how we travel' or vice versa. For this, the study used an innovative mixed-model design comprising of an inductive qualitative approach using a grounded theory method (GTM) to identify context specific relevant factors influencing travel decisions. This is followed by a quantitative investigation using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the strength, significance and mechanism of the factors influencing this relationship. The data was collected from three case study areas based on varying macro-scale urban form characteristics with each area representing an urban classification relevant to the policy context. The multi-level design examined the influence on both traditional and spatial indicators of travel behaviour using a combination of PLS-SEM techniques and GIS analysis. Methodologically this research has a pedagogical focus by demonstrating the usefulness of adopting techniques from other behavioural research fields for implementation in travel behaviour research. The GTM analysis identified the role of land -use planning in shaping travel patterns which has resulted in high car dependency and residential immobility in Northern Ireland. The quantitative analysis further reported that the strongest influence was exerted by residential preferences followed by neighbourhood characteristics on the structural urban form indicator in terms of 'where we live' which in turn influences 'how we travel'. Equally, strong car-oriented preferences influenced travel behaviour which further emphasized the significance of the role of attitude and preferences towards residential location and mode choice. To summarise, strong anti-urban sentiments determining 'where we live' mediate the relationship between urban form and travel behaviour. Thus integrated land-use transport measures need to be strongly complemented with soft policy measures to effectively target sustainable transport initiatives in Northern Ireland.

The research presented in this thesis describes a body of work dedicated to the examination and investigation of the cultural adaptation and well-being of sojourners. Situated within the field of acculturation, the current research addresses pertinent methodological and theoretical questions using longitudinal methods and multinational samples. In terms of methodological contributions, four new brief scales are presented that assess the principal concepts of sociocultural adaptation, psychological adaptation, perceived cultural distance and acculturation orientation. Retrospective measures of expectations are put to the test in a direct assessment of their equivalence to prospective measures. The method of the 'Impact of Living Abroad' project, a global, longitudinal survey of 2480 intercultural exchange students is described, demonstrating the feasibility of such a design.

This thesis focuses upon song cultures to provide a fresh perspective on English and Scottish national identities in the eighteenth century. Across five chapters it tracks and describes the reproduction and reinterpretation of various forms of ‘Englishness’ and ‘Scottishness’ through songs and through writings about songs. It is argued that the complexities of English and Scottish identities and the extent of cultural interaction between the two kingdoms are currently obscured by the concept of ‘internal colonialism’. Seen from the ‘colonial’ perspective, the eighteenth century is marked by on-going and conscious English efforts to disparage and displace Scottish culture in order to establish a culturally homogenous Britain. However, this thesis argues that ‘colonialism’ has a tendency to simplify English and Scottish actions by collapsing them into the roles of ‘coloniser’ and ‘colonist’. Through an analysis of song cultures this thesis reveals the extent of cultural exchange that took place between the two kingdoms and argues for a more nuanced reading of English attitudes towards the Scottish people and Scottish culture. The ‘colonial’ perspective is further problematised by the dominant status that Scottish song culture attained during the eighteenth century. This dominance was achieved not just through popularity, but also through reflections upon the meaning of nationhood that took place in enlightenment discourse. During the second half of the eighteenth century, the ‘ancient’, pastoral heritage of Europe was given fresh significance, and Scottish songs, with their simple, yet powerfully ‘expressive’ sounds, were accordingly raised in status. Emphasis upon the power of primitive cultures, coupled with a shift in thinking about music as an expressive rather than an ‘imitative’ ‘art’, led to Scottish songs being judged more ‘ancient’ and more ‘national’ than English song, not just by Scots but by many Englishmen too.

In the UK relationships between the sciences and society are increasingly managed via attempts to encourage ’public’ engagement with science (PES). Opportunities to engage with science are however, not accessible to everyone. This qualitative study explored the experiences of people from socio-economically disadvantaged, minority ethnic groups, who are underrepresented in PES audiences. The original contribution to knowledge of this thesis is an empirically based analysis of why participants from such backgrounds do not participate in PES, an understanding of which was previously missing from the field. -- Adults from the London borough of Southwark were recruited for this exploratory study from four minority ethnic community groups; a Sierra Leonean group (n=21), an Asian group (n=13), a Somali group (n=6) and a Latin American group (n=18). Over a one-year period participants took part in focus groups, interviews, accompanied visits to PES activities and participant observation, following an ethnographic approach. Theoretical tools from the work of Bourdieu formed the overarching framework for the analysis, augmented by perspectives from intersectional research on social disadvantages, migration studies, identity theories and theories of learning. Three lenses were used to examine non-participation in PES; (1) social context and social positions; (2) personal views and experiences, and; (3) PES in practice. -- The findings of this study suggest that non-participation in PES is complex. Participation in PES was limited by the daily struggles of participants’ lives as migrants in London, by their attitudes towards science, politics, science education and PES institutions, by identifiable PES practices and by the relationships between participants’ social positions and the structure of PES as a field.

Acculturation explores the consideration an individual places on a new cultural identity and the amount of involvement they wish to have within their new society (Berry, 1980; Padilla & Perez, 2003). Since the introduction of free movement of workers within the European Union, numbers of Eastern European migrant families moving to the United Kingdom has risen (Equality & Human Rights Commission, 2009). This research examines the experience of Tia whose family voluntarily migrated from Eastern Europe to the United Kingdom in 2008. The literature search revealed examples of studies exploring how experiencing migration may affect children of forced migrants i.e. asylum seekers or refugees. Very little research was evident on the experience of migration and acculturation on children from voluntary migrant families. The purpose of this research is to explore the features that contribute to the development of Tia’s acculturation. The research is based upon a constructivist paradigm and as such acknowledges that reality is socially constructed by those individuals who are involved in the research (Schwandt, 2000). Data collected from semi-structured interviews with Tia, her parents and head teacher considered their perceptions, points of view and experiences in relation to Tia’s acculturation through the application of constructivist grounded theory. The findings of this study illustrated how interconnecting factors (hope, belonging, respect, values) and key influences (education, identity, family relationships, peer relationships, friendships) collectively shaped Tia’s acculturation. iv Based upon these findings the study concludes that further research is needed to look at how we can best support the development of a migrant child’s acculturation into a new society. One aspect of this may be to further consider the psychological impact that acculturation may have on a child’s social and emotional well being, developing identity and academic achievement. It is suggested that the Educational Psychologist may be well placed to develop this research and to offer support to schools and families.

When he died in 1924, Joseph Conrad, who was named a ‘racist’ by Chinua Achebe (1977) and defended by others as taking an anti-imperialist stance (Brantlinger 1996), was a total stranger to the Chinese readers, whose country was made a semi-colony in the late nineteenth century. In the 1930s, however, four of his works were translated and published within four years, all commissioned by the Committee on Editing and Translation funded by the China Foundation for the Promotion of Education and Culture. The thesis investigates the Chinese translations of Conrad’s works published during the Republican Era in 1912-1937, exploring the power relations between the translators as agents and the social structure in which they operated. The thesis is divided into six chapters. After the introduction, I describe, in Chapter 2, the translators’ practice in terms of their narrating positions on the textual and paratextual levels as reflected in the translations of the sea stories borrowing analytical models on narrative discourse devised by Gérard Genette and Roger Fowler. I proceed in Chapter 3 with an account of the commissioner, tracking down the organization of the China Foundation and the Committee on Editing and Translation which initiated the project of translating World Classics (including Conrad’s works) in the 1930s. In Chapter 4, I reassess the notion of ‘faithfulness’, a key concept in the discourse of translation in theory and criticism at the time. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of practice as the theoretical framework, I argue that the practice of the translators, who created the image of Conrad through their translations, can be explained with reference to their relations with other agents (commissioners, theorists, critics, etc.) occupying different positions within the intellectual field, and the habitus which mediated their position and the social structure they were engaged in Chapter 5, followed by the conclusion.