Focusing on the stories of three women shaped by the expectations and attitudes of the times in which they live, my novel covers the periods 1921-1937, 1937-1972, and 1973 and participates in the discourse on women's changing historical circumstances and new class and gender identities. It therefore can be read in the category of a novel of manners or a middlebrow novel. My purpose has been to explore, through creating my own characters and story, the dramatic social, cultural and economic changes that have taken place in the middle part of the twentieth century for Western women. In tracing the trajectory from one generation to the next, my fiction responds to and is inflected by the style of narration obtaining at the time. It engages, for instance, with the "reality" constructed by writers such as Virginia Woolf, Christa Wolf, and Margaret Drabble within the genre of women's fiction: of women writing for each other, in a small-scale and intimate way, and integrating the story of an individual life with the circumstances of the time. My aim has been, through writing fiction, to re-examine certain concepts of the past for myself and for the contemporary reader in order to reach slightly different conclusions and to begin to understand the past in a new way.

This empirical study attempted to develop an original theoretical framework aiming at understanding the psychosocial changes that occurred in the long - term among families living in a post conflict setting. During the last fifteen years, Kosovo has been transitioning from warfare and organized violence to stabilization and state building under the supervision and with the support of the international community. Drawing on different contributions from analytical psychology, attachment theory and the systemic family theory , the theoretical framework focused primarily on family relationships and observed them through both a psychological and a psychosocial perspective. The empirical study attempted to observe the complex relational matrix interconnecting individuals and families with their broader context encompassing societal, economic, cultural and political facets. A total of thirty-five families belonging to different ethnic and socio-economic groups participated in the study, originating from different areas of the region . They were exposed to war events with different intensity and to gross violations of human rights that occurred between the years 1998-1999. The research explored the process of psychological and psychosocial transformation that occurred in family life by focusing on the quality of family attachment behaviours between children and caregivers and on care - giving/parenting styles. Moreover, the impact of the process of 'internationalization' was taken into account, which has been defined as the whole of the interactions involving the local population and international community, taking place both in Kosovo as well as in third countries. The role of technology and social media in providing opportunities for regular contacts with relatives and friends living abroad and strengthening further family relationships was also considered. The results showed that when families were exposed to harsh daily stressors, marginalization and discrimination even before war-related events they were more likely to display limited family psychosocial functioning, inadequate parenting and caregiving and mothers to report more frequently psychopathological symptoms of depression and anxiety. Secondly, attachment security within family and responsive parenting styles appeared to have a mediational role towards potentially traumatic experiences and adverse environmental conditions by enhancing the capacity of positively coping with adversities at both a personal and family level. Thirdly , the long-term effects of war experiences seemed to be also linked to changes in the society, in particular to the transformations caused by the process of 'internationalization', such as the promotion of a human rights based culture, law enforcement and infrastructural interventions aiming at developing communication systems and information technology. The study discusses the potential factors supporting lasting resilience and the Adversity Activated Development responses in individuals and families.

Recent French feminist thinkers have begun to expand upon a feminist perspective in philosophy which attempts to negotiate on the one hand, the implicit valuing of autonomy, universality and abstraction when these are coded as masculine, and yet on the other hand, can resist the dissemination of meaning into the free play of circuits of desire or signification. In the context of ethics, this perspective constitutes a challenge to more traditional ethical conceptions of the agent, of ethical action, and to the very parameters of the philosophical enterprise itself. It is such a perspective which forms the starting point of this study. This study begins by articulating the paradoxes of a feminist perspective in philosophy, in the context of the work of Simone de Beauvoir, paradoxes which entail a re-examination of the parameters of philosophy as a discipline. The codification of Woman as Other simultaneously positions women as a necessary complement in dualistic divisions but also as a symbolic “otherness”. The ambiguity of such codifications may be taken up strategically for its critical and developmental potentials in relation to philosophy. In the following chapters, the development of sexual identity as it is theorised in psychoanalysis is used to furnish a notion of 'the feminine/matemal' as symbolically negative and critical, but also located in the materiality of the body. Recent radical perspectives in phenomenology are also drawn upon to indicate a re-thinking of the epistemological ordering of subject/object, of sexual identity and of ethics, which still retain the importance of embodiment and sexual difference. The apparent requirement of some ethical 'foundation' for the development of new perspectives in ethics is examined, particularly when this is consciously or unconsciously built upon 'the feminine/matemal', either as nature or as 'divine'. Feminist perspectives in philosophy make deliberate use of such symbolic codifications, 'miming' more traditional theories of ethics, in order to draw attention to the debt owed to the forgotten 'otherness' of philosophy. It is concluded that such strategies, while complex, metaphoric and evasive, present a challenge to the discipline of philosophy and begin the project of developing theories of ethicality for feminist theory.

This study is an ethnographic account of the experiences of a group of women workers at the GEC in Coventry during the post-war decades from 1945-1965. The company since its establishment grew from a single plant to a large multi-national company emerging as the major employer of female labour in the Coventry labour market. In outlining the emergence of the company as a major employer of women this thesis takes account of the character and development of the local labour market - thus providing a framework in which to contextualise the growth and character of the GEC as a 'woman's factory’. A major theme of the thesis concerns the ways women experienced the sexual division of labour, and the way this impinged upon their job choice and preference for the GEC. This question is organized around their experiences of recruitment, selection of working patterns and patterns of wages within the company. A second important theme concerns workplace culture -when the character of management's and women's role will be considered as a feature in the construction of female stereotypes in terms of jobs and skills. Another key theme in the thesis considers women's experiences of skill, training, job experience, promotion and the changing character of job and gender boundaries - whilst exploring such experience within the context of gendered skill and job hierarchies. The question of management control and its implications for women’s experiences constitutes a further important theme. Within this context women's experiences and ways of coping with a variety of management strategies are considered - whilst highlighting the character of change, the fragmentation of work and the importance of gender in shifting labour market conditions. The final theme considers women's perceptions and experiences of resistance and trade union organization.

Since the emergence of the global child rights movement in the late 1990s, there has been a notable increase in research and policy focusing on child sexual abuse (CSA) in African settings (Mildred & Plummer, 2009). My thesis contributes to this field by using a case study approach to examine how residents of an informal settlement define and respond to CSA. Studies in Tanzanian settings have started to explore communities’ perceptions of CSA (Abeid, Muganyizi, Olsson, Darj, & Axemo, 2014; Kisanga, Nystrom, Hogan, & Emmelin, 2011). However, the thesis moves beyond questioning what types of sexual acts are understood to constitute CSA, instead asking why some acts are considered abusive and others not. Recognizing the culturally constructed nature of abuse, it examines how living within the informal settlement context affects residents’ understandings of two prominent themes: consent and harm. The thesis also examines local protective mechanisms for preventing and responding to acts of CSA. When considering CSA prevention, it notes that local prevention strategies typically utilize a risk avoidance approach; there is consequently inadequate emphasis on addressing social, economic and infrastructural factors perpetuating the risk of CSA within informal settlements. Moreover, in a research setting where statutory and community-based normative frameworks co-exist, the thesis analyses the impact of legal pluralism on decision-making relating to access to justice. Drawing on Moore’s (1973) concept of semi-autonomous social fields, it argues that the co-existence of multiple systems allows for a high level of choice over which interventions to pursue. However, adults typically make decisions on victims’ behalf, potentially choosing interventions that meet their own interests, rather than prioritizing the child’s. The choice offered by co-existing normative systems can therefore disadvantage victims of CSA in their pursuit of justice.

No description available.

In spite of the growing awareness of the importance and health enhancing benefits of physical activity (Anderson et al., 2000; Barengo et at., 2004; Kaleta et al., 2006) the population still remain predominantly inactive (Haskell et at., 2007). Limited UK published data (to date) has simultaneously examined children and families health and physical activity patterns (Wing, 2000). The research aimed to explore and better understand the determinants associated with children and families health related behaviour and physical activity patterns and investigate the underlining factors which direct current and guide future health related behaviour choices. Prior to Study 1 an extensive needs assessment of the area (gathering data on the children and families literacy levels and understanding of research) was undertaken to assist in the development of Study 1's measures. Study 1 then utilised a parental (Goding, 1985; Baker et al., 1994) and children's (Baldings, 1997) health related behaviour questionnaire to explore the habitual physical and nutritional behaviours of children and their families in Knowsley (UK) thus creating a baseline of data to investigate further. One hundred and fifteen children (n=115; M=55, F=60) mean age of 8.6 years completed the self-report questionnaire from five Knowsley MBC (UK) primary schools. Fifty-seven parents (n=57; F=54, M =3) completed and returned the postal self-report questionnaire. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS for windows Version 7 and descriptive statistics (cross tabulation with two dimensional tables), frequency distributions and Chi Square used to assess the children and parents' nominal health related behaviour results.

The study focuses on foreign women who have been living in Liverpool from the year 2001. The investigation mainly analyzes the subjective perception of integration and the objective outcome. Literature has neglected, in general, the role of women in migration and in particular the importance of the integration of women, in the host society, for the well being of the whole family. It is often assumed that if the local Authorities adopt policies that respect diversity the immigrants will automatically feel integrated and become a vital part of the wider society. The responses obtained from 100 English women were compared to the ones received from 100 foreigners and 23 respondents who were born in the United Kingdom. The women from the UK: Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, were considered as foreigners because people who are born in any of the countries that form part of a Nation State feel strongly about their ethnicity. This research tries to discover whether the perception of the women contacted reflects the objective outcome of the survey that has been conducted with the help of a questionnaire and evaluated by using a purposely created tool. The tool enabled the construction of a table to show the discovered differences. They show that there is a marked difference between the subjective perception and the objective outcome of integration. It is therefore acceptable to speculate that foreign women in Liverpool are integrated in their "diaspora space" but not within the wider society of the city. If the mothers are not integrated is unlikely that their children will be. This condition can, as a first consequence, cause confusion in the children and perhaps lead to their rejection of the local culture and, secondly, prevent any sort of integration that in turn should avert the formation of a cohesive society. Integration in the wider society can only be achieved if the subjects speak the local language. However the learning of English in the country of origin will not encourage the absorption of the culture of the country where the language has originated. Therefore fluency in the host language could be another aspect encouraging the creation of self-segregated communities.

This piece of research explored young children’s (3-8 years) interpretation and understanding of well-being. The majority of research on well-being has been with adults and older children, with a distinct gap in younger children’s perspective being included. Where subjective well-being has been part of research, it has tended to be an add-on to the more weighty and identifiable data from government statistics and pre-determined objective measures. Subjective well-being is prominent in this piece of research, thus securing young children’s perspectives. The research was undertaken with forty children across four year-groups in one large urban community Infant school in the East of England. Drawings, paintings or photographs together with their narrative explanations, were collected from the children. Eight children then categorised the data, ordering it by frequency and importance. The final categorisation resulted in six key themes from the children: 1.Family, 2.Doing things with Family, 3.Being outside, 4.Pets and animals, 5, Activities, games and toys, 6. Friends. The researcher analysed the data using Barthes (1973, 1977) visual semiotic approach alongside a developmental perspective (Einarsdottir et al 2009), then thematic analysis. The researcher’s key themes were 1.Key relationships, 2.Sense of self, and 3.Outdoor world, which encapsulated the children’s themes and ideas. The importance of key relationships to young children has implications for time spent with family having greater status. It was also evident that young children are developing a sense of self, and need support, validation, and time from key people for this to be successful. The outdoor world was also significant, which needs recognition, provision and value attributed to it. The elements that make young children feel well and happy, need recognition and promotion by adults and professionals. Children’s perspectives need greater prominence in the policy domain. This piece of research demonstrated that young children are able to interpret and understand well-being, with the findings showing differences, or differences in degree of emphasis, to those put forward by older children and adults.

This study explores the influence that a mother has upon her daughter’s educational decision-making processes that occur between the age of 14 and the age upon leaving education and, also, her educational and career aspirations. It focuses on subject choice at GCSE, decisions to progress to further/higher education, when to leave education, choice of future career and the mother-daughter relationship. The research findings were based on qualitative research carried out in the form of semistructured, tape-recorded, interviews with 60 mother-daughter pairings (daughters being aged 14-23). The findings show that mothers have contributed to a change in the educational aspirations and achievements of their daughters. Mothers emphasise the acquisition of skills, academic qualifications and they believe in the value of education. Their aspirations for their daughters are passed on via the mother-daughter relationship and resulting messages have a very strong influence upon the daughters with regard to education and, also, help to shape the daughters’ educational experiences and career aspirations. Daughters acknowledge the importance of education and qualifications and know that they are essential for success in the labour market. They desire careers and are happy to embark upon several years of study to acquire relevant qualifications to be able to enter their desired occupation. However, although daughters desire rewarding and well-paid careers they are prepared to shelve these careers, for at least a minimum of five years, in order to perform childcare duties and responsibilities at home. Although they hear their mothers’ messages about the value of education and the benefits it entails and thus make declarations about careers, daughters’ long-term intentions are to revert to the same lifestyle that their mothers had in order to remain at home with young children. Gender continues to influence girls’ behaviour and it is this that appears to have the greatest impact on a daughter’s long-term career aspirations