No description available.

Embodied in my art practice is the exploration of the relationship between my subjective self as consumer and the material culture of home. As an artist this praxis suggests alternative ways of reconstructing domestic subjectivity (self-portrait) through the formal processes of drawing and cataloguing insignificant collections acquired through 'lived experience'. This analysis utilises Michel de Certeau's concept of bricolage, a 'tactic' of fragmentation that 'makes do with what is at hand' to corrupt the 'proper' space and time of a contemporary productionist society. In the course of developing an art practice, I seek to re-value marginal space and reappropriate time from a modern culture designed for efficiency.Through the introduction of key elements in process drawing, I have adopted a method to subvert modernist representations of the domestic. As Certeau writes 'mak[ing] use of techniques of re-employment in which we can recognise the procedures of everyday practice' is a political deployment, an individual 'tactic' orchestrated against social 'strategy'. A fragmentary tactical operation allows me fleeting moments of visibility to record 'lived experience' through an installation based art practice.

Thesis (M.Arch.) - Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 90-91). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (PhD)-Open University. BLDSC no.DX180440.

Thesis--Indiana University. / Vita. Vol. 2, includes floorplans of the buildings studied from this region. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 252-287, v. 1).

Typescript, etc. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

Typescript etc. / Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

The use of domestic appliances and lighting accounts for approximately three-quarters of all electricity used in the home, making this an important area for energy efficiency. This research investigates factors contributing to domestic energy-use behaviour by examining environmental concerns and actions, energy related knowledge, ownership levels and the use of wet and cold domestic appliances. The technical and social influences in the UK are reviewed and issues affecting usage and energy consumption are considered. A comprehensive questionnaire was used to gain background information on the underlying attitudes and beliefs that underpin energy usage in the home. This was followed by a detailed field study of 40 households, which focussed on the use of wet and cold appliances. Monitoring techniques included energy diaries, data logging and energy metering. Short interviews were conducted with respondents in order to clarify practices, whilst laboratory work was undertaken to help quantify the energy use of selected appliances in relation to specific variables. The research shows there is considerable scope for improved energy efficiency by more discerning usage. Whilst a high level of low temperature washing is already being used, the number of cycles in washing machines could be reduced considerably by increasing load sizes. In contrast, the potential to increase the load size in dishwashers is marginal, but a further switch to low temperature wash programmes would result in some savings. The majority of cold appliances surveyed were operating outside the recommended temperature range for much of the monitoring period. In general, households were unaware of this, lacking both the necessary understanding of recommended temperatures and any means of accurately assessing operating temperature. In addition to issues of food safety, the resultant energy demand is lower than might be expected were these appliances giving better temperature performance. Although limited, the adoption of certain practices can marginally improve the performance and energy efficiency. Whilst financial incentive is a highly motivating factor in the desire to save energy, the low level of understanding of energy issues in general is likely to act as a barrier to behavioural change. Although technological improvements can remove some of the potential inefficiencies from the user decision-making, more optimal energy use cannot be fully realised until the legacy of stock appliances has been replaced. It remains, therefore, essential that the many agencies associated with the supply and utilization of domestic appliances should exploit all opportunities to promote greater awareness of energy demand.

No description available.

This thesis explores women’s disclosure of domestic violence, and is based on the findings of two research studies. The first study explored prevalence rates of domestic violence reported by women following childbirth. The subsequent narrative study explored women’s experiences of disclosure and their interactions with statutory agencies. The research was influenced by a feminist epistemology, recognizing the marginalisation of the women’s experiences from a subjugated relationship, addressing the power relationship between the researcher and participants and because of the significant disparity between gendered lives. The study was conducted in two parts. A survey of five hundred women in the immediate postnatal period within a large NHS Hospital participated in the first part of the study. The second study involved narrative interviews with fifteen women living within their own community who talked about their experiences of domestic violence and issues surrounding disclosure. Women’s stories about disclosure including the responses they received were influenced by cultural narratives. The theories of social power have been utilized as an explanatory framework and provide the theoretical basis of the analysis. The study found low levels of disclosure at two specific points along the pregnancy/childbirth continuum; during booking in clinic and in the immediate postnatal period. Furthermore, the findings revealed three specific tactics used by perpetrators to engage women in the early relational stage with the intentionality of exerting control and subjugation. These have been termed feeling special, feeling vulnerable and commitment. Whilst women talked of coercion and subjugation by their partners, they also talked of how their interactions with statutory agencies limited their agency. The significance of this study is that the thesis was able to challenge contemporary policies developed by statutory agencies in the provision of support to women who experience domestic violence. The thesis develops some understanding of the nature and role of cultural narratives and patterns of disclosure before suggesting new directions to further advance the findings presented. Finally, the thesis proposes recommendations to improve training for statutory agencies in providing a response to women disclosing domestic violence, suggesting a new direction in thinking about the facilitation of this training.