This research is concerned with understanding a quality management system and its interaction with maintenance management activities within the organisation. The interaction between maintenance and quality, can lead to their integration with production. The second output of production is maintenance, whose output is increased production capacity. Both the production process and the quality of the maintenance work, which, in turn, affects equipment condition, affect the quality of final product. The thesis aims to identify the barriers and difficulties affecting quality in maintenance, within Libyan (public sector) manufacturing organisations. The specific objectives are derived to provide focus for the research activities, in order to fulfil the specific aim of the research in a structured and scientific manner. In order to achieve the thesis objectives, an empirically-based systems analysis of two case study organisations in the Libyan public manufacturing sector was carried out. Substantial field work was carried out using predominantly a qualitative approach. Qualitative data was collected by semi structured interview (from different levels of management and supervisors) to explore the quality management phenomena, and to provide a more holistic understanding through triangulation techniques of required and suitable data. This study has contributed to existing knowledge through getting an in-depth understanding of quality and maintenance issues. A specific definition of "quality in maintenance" was developed, common barriers of quality systems and the key factors of improving maintenance were summarised. Furthermore, by using the framework in figure 2.8 the enablers and inhibitors of quality in maintenance were demonstrated. This study is the first one that identified the unique barriers affecting quality in maintenance within the Libyan manufacturing organisations. These barriers are divided into three main kinds: the technical, economic barriers, managerial, organisational barriers, and cultural environmental barriers. The key findings of the research indicate that the case study organisations do not actively promote quality in the maintenance area that takes into consideration the influence of organisational, social, economic and political factors (change culture) on the quality of operations and performance inside the organisations.

My research bridges the gap between Anglophone postcolonial studies and Francophone literary studies by looking at Francophone literature from West and Equatorial Africa, which remains under-studied in France. This work answers key questions: how can this literature be interpreted beyond its current confines? How does it rethink local and global identities? What theoretical configurations can be applied to these writers to bring them into greater academic and public prominence? I propose a comprehensive analysis of this literature’s significance in the world through a comparative reading of five contemporary regional novels in their political, social and historical context. This multidirectional reading allows me to evoke what Dominic Thomas calls an ‘intercultural dynamics’ in which colonialism ‘finds itself relocated as a mechanism that proceeds from globalization’, and integrates various spatial zones in which thinking is produced. It brings forward key writers situated ‘outside of the parameters of Frenchness’ inscribed in cosmopolitan decolonizing and cultural reconstruction trends, such as Léonora Miano, a young Cameroonian author and winner of six French literary prizes; Fatou Diome, a Senegalese best-selling writer; Sénouvo Agbota Zinsou from Togo, 63 and in political exile; one contemporary writer, Kangni Alem (Togo), and one more established intellectual, Boubacar Boris Diop (Senegal).

This thesis has examined the associational lives of the educated African elite described in the Lagos newspapers between 1880 and 1920, focusing especially on articles about memorial associations, industrial and agricultural associations, and associations relating to the ceremonies ofthe British Empire. There are two purposes underlying this research. The first is to re-examine early colonial Lagos, which has been described as a divided society. The second is to re-evaluate the roles of the early Lagos press. Based on extensive examination of the Lagos newspapers, this thesis argues that the descriptions of associational activities in Lagos newspapers were part of a conscious project of the press tore-construct Lagos society by encouraging "unity" for an "African"/"Nigerian" way of progress. In addition to the Black Atlantic influences on the development of the idea of an African way of progress, it demonstrates the impact of Japan in the intellectual history of Nigeria. This thesis seeks to contribute to an understanding of the social life of the educated African elite and of press activity in early colonial Lagos within historical context that reveals new aspects of Lagos society between 1880 and 1920.

African Caribbean women in the United Kingdom are more likely to be biomedically defined as overweight or obese than the general population and have an increased risk of developing obesity related chronic illnesses. For healthcare professionals to engage in meaningful discussion about weight management and; for the development of targeted intervention, it is important to have an understanding of alternative discourses of health and wellbeing that may be held by women of this ethnic group. This qualitative research explores the discursive construction of health and wellbeing with regard to body shape and size for African Caribbean women. To address issues of under representation in applied health research, a novel research method was developed. Thematic analysis was used to identify the contours of the discourse and themes from the data were explored within the wider social contexts from which they emerge. The importance of post memory; trust of healthcare systems and; meanings of wellness are central concepts for understanding health beliefs and behaviours of African Caribbean women. Findings demonstrate the importance for research design take into account the dynamics of seldom heard communities to encourage participation and elicit rich data that is useful for healthcare practice.

Alternative beliefs about HIV – such as the man‐made origins of the virus or the secret existence of a cure ‐ can undermine trust in, and engagement with HIV prevention and treatment initiatives. These effects make understanding such beliefs an important component of responding to HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Echoing Robins’ observation that the current era allows for “the possibility of critical reflection on the ways in which contestations over scientific truth unfold under particular historical conditions” (2009a), this thesis seeks to reconsider dominant explanations for alternative beliefs about HIV/AIDS in South Africa. Previous studies maintain that the experiences of apartheid, the transition to democracy, and the early years of the new government have had permanent implications for the public’s trust in biomedical claims. In this thesis I argue that in addition to these explanations, individuals express distrust about HIV science because certain aspects of these scientific explanations do not ‘add‐up’, particularly when considered in light of their everyday observations and experiences. These disjunctures in information do not simply reflect a lack of HIV knowledge or rejection of scientific principles. Rather, in drawing on past and present experiences, individuals demonstrate their commitment to “street‐level epistemologies of trust” (Hardin 1992), an informal manner of empirically engaging with science’s rationale. Employing the Public Understandings of Science (PUS) framework to analyze these beliefs, this study conceptualizes trust and mistrust of scientific and official claims about HIV along a spectrum. Study participants endorse a range of alternative beliefs and knowledge about HIV/AIDS. They cite experiential and observational reasons to justify why they trust some authority figures and not others. In their role as trusted sources of information about HIV, peer educators with the Treatment Action Campaign draw on various “rhetorics of persuasion” (Robins 2009b) in order to lend practical plausibility to their claims. Ultimately, this study argues that respondents’ distrust of HIV science should be seen less as a rejection of scientific principles and more as a form of skeptical engagement with certain aspects of these scientific claims.

Political communication literature has documented various forms of framing election campaigns although that on Ghana are few. These included issues, horse race, coverage tone and presidential candidates’ media visibility leading to an incumbency advantage. These are normally attributed to news values that reflect political power such as relevance and politicians’ elite status. Hence, this study is intended to explore explanation for the trend of campaign coverage in Ghana, a developing democracy, using four Ghanaian newspapers in 2008 and 2012. Through content analysis and in-depth interviews, the thesis grounded in gatekeeping and framing theories, has demonstrated that: (1) the state-owned newspapers did not give an incumbency advantage (2), the coverage was issues-based (3), election stories were more positive in tone (4), there was media bias and (5) politicians paid money (‘soli’) to journalists for coverage. These empirical findings show that during the campaigns, gatekeeping and framing practices were driven more likely by the ‘soli’ norm rather than the norm of objective and impartial journalism. Thus the study offers a new explanation why there was no incumbency advantage, why the press bias, why coverage was largely positive in tone and why issues-based framing. However, horse race appears to have the potential to dominate Ghana’s elections coverage. The conclusions of this study, one argues, were as a result of interplay between candidates’ desire not only to dominate the newspapers but also to be projected positively and journalists’ desire to make money from politicians. Simply put: stories of elections published by the newspapers were defined by ‘soli’ journalism which promoted ‘protocol’ journalism. This means most election stories that reached electorates were from speeches of candidates. Therefore, the stories lacked critical interpretation of campaign events raising issues of capacity of the press in Ghana to function effectively as public sphere contributing to participatory democracy.

This thesis explores and analyses the impact of ethno-religious conflicts in the city of Jos and other parts of the Middle Belt and Nigeria on gender relations and the lives of women. The thesis addresses the question of the impact of conflict on women beyond loss of life and property as seen in other literature. It shows how ongoing conflictual relations that are not always violent, but include aspects of political competition disadvantage women. The research locations covered by this research are urban areas. Data for this research was gathered through interviews and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with 102 respondents, recruited through purposive sampling and willingness to participate in the interview. This thesis argues that the conflict dynamics affect the life chances of women on different levels because women are associated with the transcendence or transgression of group boundaries in their private life. The growing importance of group boundaries means that women’s life choices, such as marriage, are increasingly subject to public comment and criticism. Beyond the private, the growing importance of group boundaries makes it increasingly difficult for women to participate in typically female activities such as trading and selling in local markets. At the political level, the desire for ever smaller groups to be recognised works against the representation of women, who are seen as being much less capable than men of representing group interests. And within the public sector, too, the fallout from the crisis means that women here are also subject to increasing control and scrutiny.

This thesis considers ways in which African women writers are exploring the subject of violence against women. Any attempt to apply feminist criticism to novels by African women must be rooted in a satisfactorily African feminism. Therefore, the history of black feminist thought is outlined showing how African feminisms have been articulated in dialogue with western feminists, black feminisms (developed by women in the African-American diaspora), and through recognition of indigenous ideologies which allowed African women to protest against oppression. Links will be established between the texts, despite their differences, which suggest that, collectively, these novels support the notion that gender violence affects the lives of a majority of African women (from all backgrounds) to a greater or lesser extent. This is because it is supported by the social structures developed and sustained in cultures underpinned by patriarchal ideologies. A range of strategies for managing violence arise from a cross-textual reading of the novels. These will be analysed in terms of their efficacy and rootedness in African feminisms’ principles. The more effective strategies being adopted are found in works by Ama Ata Aidoo and Lindsey Collen and these focus particularly on changing the meanings of motherhood and marriage.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of a theory-based and culturally adapted community level behaviour change intervention to improve weaning-food preparation and handling in rural Gambia. Methods: (1) A systematic review of the literature on weaning-food hygiene interventions. (2) Mixed method formative research to identify critical control points (CCP) and motivational factors for mothers‟ behaviour on weaning-food, (3) Formulation of the weaning-food hygiene intervention including performing arts. (4) Implementation and evaluation of the intervention with a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT). Results: The systematic review found 4 RCTs on weaning-food hygiene interventions. Formative research prioritized 5 CCPs with 6 corrective messages and 5 motivational factors. For the intervention compared to the control arm the composite behaviour score primary outcome was 72% in the intervention versus 19% respectively (p < 0.001). Each individual behaviour was significantly improved except washing of pots dried on clean surface. There was a significant reduction of contamination of weaning-food immediately after cooking and before second feeding, of children's drinking water, of diarrhoea and respiratory symptoms reported for the past 7 days, and hospital admission for diarrhoea. Conclusion: Our public health, community level intervention for mother's hygienic preparation and handling of weaning-food was effective in rural Gambia.

In this thesis four topics are studied empirically. These are the level and pattern of consumption, production efficiency, tenancy and rural-urban migration. The analysis is based on data collected from some villages in rural Sudan and other published data. In the study of consumption, the demand for goods and services as related to the income level of households is analysed. The analysis reveals how consumers allocate marginal increases in their income among the various goods. Income elasticities were also estimated and the price elasticities are derived for a number of commodity groups using an extended version of the linear expenditure system. The perceived minimum subsistence expenditures on some commodities were estimated. The implication of the magnitude of the estimated subsistence level on food for poverty and policy of economic development were then discussed. In this part of the study we also deal with the income distribution which is an important determining factor of the structure of demand. The relationship between size of farm and output per acre is an important issue in production efficiency. We investigate this relationship and draw the implications for land distribution and land reform. One conclusion which emerges from the analysis is that efficiency and equity can be reconciled by the creation of a cooperative movement that could make available the agricultural inputs that farmers are lacking now and which enables risks in production to be undertaken jointly by those who participate in it. In tenancy it is argued that its incidence can be explained largely by imperfections in the market for some factors. One such factor which is found to be positively correlated with land lease is the labour power which is available in the family. The availability of tractor service, hired largely by well-off households, is also found to be positively related to land hire. Rural-urban migration is discussed within the broad framework of the socio-economic factors prevailing in the rural community at large and by focusing attention on some specific factors that are reflected at the household unit. Among the latter we examine the relationship of migration to the output and land holding per capita. The influence of other factors such as income earned outside the family farm, largely through the process of rural-rural migration, education and mechanization is also tested.