The Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action (UNESCO 1994) embedded the idea of inclusive education and its guiding principles were the motivational forces behind the UK policy document Excellence for All Children (DfES 1997). Yet since that time, there has been a range of outcomes for schools and Local Authorities, pupils and parent/carers. To help explain these outcomes, the thesis has sought to draw parallels between inclusion and myth. The research question asks, to what extent can inclusion be considered to be a myth? A discourse analysis was carried out on eight selections from key documents used to implement and perpetuate an inclusion agenda. Four questions were used to 'search for patterns', consider differences or similarities and to consider the 'participants orientation'. This was in terms of the effects and outcomes inclusion has had for the 'participants' within it, namely, schools and Local Authorities, pupils and parents/carers. An extensive literature analysis was also used to consider six dimensions of myth across four themes of inclusion. These six dimensions were myth as the popularised notion of a widely held but mistaken notion, the narrative qualities of myth, myth's complex nature, its relevance to some and not other, the quality myth has of perpetuating over time, and myth's ability to move people and have an inspirational quality. The four themes of inclusion were defining inclusion, implementing inclusion in consideration of schools and Local Authorities, pupils and parent/carers. To draw a conclusion to the research question a criterion was used to view the extent each dimension matched with myth. The thesis considered that although there was mixed evidence, inclusion appears to have many of the characteristics of myth, with myth is a widely held but false notion and its narrative qualities matching most substantially.

This thesis aims to demonstrate that economic security is also a significant pillar of safeguarding national security. Aside from military security measures, adopting peaceful economic engagement and economic measures can be an alternative security policy choice through which a state may achieve its national security agenda. To facilitate an understanding of economic security, this thesis submits a working definition of economic security, which has been delineated as 'the protection of a core value from all forms of potential or actualised threat by using economic measures and policies'. The core value refers to national interests and security Objectives. With this framework, the current thesis takes Taiwan as a case study to assess Taiwan's effort of implementing economic security strategy to accomplish its national security agenda within the context of the complex and hostile cross-Strait relations yet growing economic integration. This research intends to answer three categories of questions. Firstly, how large is the cost to Taiwan of pursuing economic security vis-a-vis China, and what is Taiwan's capability to afford such cost? Secondly, what factors would contribute to or undermine Taiwan's efforts in practising economic security, and to what extent? Thirdly, do cross-Strait economic ties strengthen or weaken Taiwan's economic security with respect to its economic performance, and to what extent? From three perspectives, this study analyses the above questions. Firstly, it analyses how Taiwan has employed economic power to construct its national security within the international system. Secondly, it examines how Taiwan has utilised economic measures to resist China's political and economic influence. Thirdly, from an economic perspective, it examines whether Taiwan's economic security objectives, in the context of its capability of sustaining economic prosperity, have been enhanced when it has engaged in economic exchange with China.