To reduce bias in survey estimates, most longitudinal survey organisations, nowadays, prepare and include sets of weights in public use data files for use by analysts. Aside from correcting for non-coverage, the weights are usually designed to reflect the sample design as well as to correct for non-response error by combining design weights and non-response weight adjustments together. With regard to non-response weights, many longitudinal surveys implement similar strategies (referred to as the standard weighting approach in this thesis) to create them. This approach is based upon a weighting model where: response is defined as responding at all conducted waves; all sample members whose eligibility is unknown are assumed as eligible and the model is estimated by using generic weighting variables and all sample members for which data are available on the weighting variables. However, there are several issues in longitudinal surveys that raise concerns regarding using this approach of weighting. In particular, this thesis is concerned with three challenging issues: non-monotonic response pattern which results in a large number of combinations of waves at which sample members could respond, and hence weights that result from an approach such as the one in question, which defines response as responding at all the conducted waves may not be appropriate for the analysis of data from a wave-combination that does not include all waves; unknown eligibility over time leads to including a proportion of ineligible units in the weights' calculation (if they are assumed to be eligible as in the standard approach) which may result in biased estimates unless the actual ineligible units amongst units of unknown eligibility are excluded; and the choice of the best covariates for the weighting model which may differ considerably across different subgroups of respondents in the same sample. In the standard approach only generic weighting variables are used in the weighting model, as all sample members are used in the estimation. Meanwhile, some variables, which may not be significant in predicting response for the whole sample, could be important in predicting the response in some subgroups. In this thesis, I provide three alternative approaches (each deals with one of the raised issues) for non-response weighting. I investigate each of the proposed approaches by incorporating relevant weight adjustments, as well as weights from the standard weighting approach, in a longitudinal multivariate analysis. I test the impact of weights from each alternative approach on estimates by comparing the resultant estimates with estimates resulting from the standard approach. I use data from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) to carry out the investigation. The findings suggest that the standard and alternative approaches, all help similarly in reducing non-response error. However, the standard approach may fail in tackling the effect of non-response in some estimates, as it does not take into account the three raised issues in the weighting of longitudinal data. In contrast, since they deal with the three issues under investigation (separately), the alternative approaches seem to handle non-response even in estimates that are not affected by the standard weighting approach.

This thesis covers aspects of the history of the theorisation of sexuality and kinship in the period between 1860 and 1930. The history presented here' is selective. It is organised around a problem of contemporary relevance. This problem is why it has become difficult to produce a historically specific account of sexual organisation in society without falling into essentialist notions of sexuality. The thesis argues that there are two dominant explanations for the emergence of this theoretical difficulty. One is that during the period under investigation there was consolidated a division of attention between various theoretical discourses. Aspects traditionally entailed in any consideration of sexuality - kinship, marriage, the family, reproduction, sexual instincts - were raised in different ways by different discourses. The divisions between these discourses was consolidated in part around this division of attention. The other factor influencing our contemporary problem is that in so far as sexuality has been treated within the social sciences, it has come under a theoretical division between the individual and society. Consigned in general to the realm of the individual, sex has fallen prey to a dispute between modes of explanation. The division is between those explanations which insist on the primacy of the individual attributes and those which seek to explain all phenomena by reference to the interaction of elements in a given society. The thesis argues for the need to transcend the limitations imposed by this theoretical division. The thesis is in two parts. The first traces the treatment of sexuality which came to dominate in the second half of the nineteenth century through a particular study of kinship. It reveals both the dominant modes of explanation and the themes and preoccupations for which these debates were vehicles. These preoccupations reveal how discourses were consolidated with different objectives, modes of attention and modes of explanation. The second part traces the division of attention within those discourses which now have the greatest claim as explanations of sexual relations within society, that is between marxism and psychoanalysis. It shows how, and for what purpose, certain concepts were mobilised; it discusses whether the heritage of concepts drawn from earlier debates limits the advances which can be made while remaining within traditional disciplines. The purpose of this study is to reveal primarily the limiting effect of the theoretical division between individual and society on studies of sexual division. It aims to show that while this division is operative, accounts of sexuality will be dominated by essentialist explanations. It argues for breaking down the divisions between existing disciplines, and in particular the division between psychoanalysis and some of the social sciences.

Patterns have been identified in the careers literature that suggest there has been a change from traditional to contemporary careers over time (Sullivan & Baruch, 2009). More recent research has seen definitions of career success being shaped to acknowledge the variety of career paths that now exist. Recent definitions therefore, often refer to the achievement of desirable work-related outcomes at any point in an individual’s work experiences over time (Arthur, Khapova & Wilderom, 2005), as opposed to achievements that are associated with the end of an individual’s career. However, it is argued that occupational context continues to play an important role in defining careers and subsequent career success. Despite this, literature on gender and careers continues to advocate key differences in the success of males and females, regardless of occupational context. Predictors of male career success include objective indicators such as salary, promotions and hierarchical position; whereas subjective criteria, such as helping others and maintaining a work-life balance are thought to be more important to females (McDonald, Brown & Bradley, 2005; Ng et al, 2005). In contrast, many studies have focused on gender-segregated occupations and indicate that women experience discrimination and disadvantage in relation to success in male-dominated environments (Dann, 1995; Demaiter & Adams, 2009). However, despite a small body of research that documents mixed experiences of males in female-dominated occupations, career success of males in this context is yet to be explored. This thesis therefore aimed to address the gap in the current knowledge by conducting an in-depth exploration of male definitions of career success in one professional and one non-professional female-dominated occupation. A qualitative methodology was adopted in response to calls from the career success literature to utilise this approach to uncover personal meanings of success. First, a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of male primary school teachers (n=15) and university administrators (n=19) to explore personal definitions of success, motivations for entry and experience of working in a female- xi dominated environment. Findings suggest that male definitions of success related to complex themes of personal, professional, social and life success, in contrast to objective and subjective categories in the existing literature. It was apparent that success was considered to be a fluid concept that could be achieved on a continuous basis in line with occupational and organisational influence. The second phase of the case study evaluated career interventions available to males in primary schools and universities in relation to personal definitions of success. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with an opportunity sample of representatives from male’s employing organisations, including n=4 members of Senior Leadership Teams from primary schools and n=9 managers and personnel staff from universities. Themes that emerged suggested individual and organisational definitions of career success were conflicting at times. Specifically, career interventions did not always complement the achievement of success. Rather, males referred to the benefits of informal organisational mechanisms to support their achievement of success, such as communication, socialising and information sharing, which organisations did not appear to be aware of. Overall, the case study provides a critique of the literature on generic predictors of male success by reconceptualising definitions to include themes of personal, professional, social and life success. Implications of the key findings are discussed and avenues for future research and applications to practice are considered.

This thesis analyses the ways in which young people conceptualise crime, policing, safety and security in their own localities. It draws upon primary empirical research to elicit the experiences and perceptions of young people in two coastal resorts. The methods employed in this research give voice to young people and aim to provide a greater understanding of their lives. An ethnographic study was conducted in two coastal resorts, one in England and one in Wales, and access to young people was facilitated through centre-based youth organisations and outreach work in the communities over a period of twelve months (six months in each locality). The research participants were aged between 10 and 17 years old. In total, 100 qualitative interviews were conducted: 23 semi-structured interviews with young people in the youth organisations and 77 unstructured qualitative interviews with young people ‘on the street’. Additional qualitative data were also generated with young people in the youth organisations through a range of methods including: participant observation; various group work exercises; photographic methods; group discussions and other visual techniques. Additional data of 12 semi-structured interviews were generated with professionals in the field of crime prevention and youth work. The thesis offers a significant contribution to knowledge about the experiences and perceptions of young people in two coastal resorts. The thesis illustrates how socio-economic characteristics of ‘place’ and ‘social class’ profoundly structure and shape young people’s experiences and perceptions. The impact of social class on access and restrictions in public space, leisure pursuits, the formation of youth identities, attachment to place, fear of crime, and young people’s securities and insecurities are all examined. The context for the research, two very different coastal resorts in socio-economic terms, revealed significant differences in how young people are policed in coastal resorts; how youth policy impacts upon their everyday experiences; and how social class is a determining factor that shapes their lives. It also raised a number of questions regarding young people’s safety in local public space. With respect to this, the research explored the main issues of concern for young people within and outside of crime prevention discourses and, in doing so, compared and contrasted the ways in which questions of youth, crime, youth governance, youth victimisation and related issues are expressed and represented in official policy discourses with that of young people’s experiences and perceptions.

Care farms seek to support and empower people who are in some way vulnerable by enabling them to engage with agricultural places and farming activities. Their numbers have increased substantially in the UK and elsewhere over the past decade, but there is a paucity of evidence concerning that which takes place, associated outcomes and consequential change. This mixed methods study investigated care farming from multiple perspectives in order to provide an enhanced understanding of overall impact. It was informed primarily by qualitative and quantitative data provided by service users and providers but also incorporates input from representatives of other significant stakeholder groups. The evidence of sixty seven care farmers highlighted the challenges associated with the initiation and development of sustainable enterprises, but simultaneously demonstrated this to be an activity that can benefit farming people and places. Altruistic intent was identified as a common denominator and care farming was found to have enabled both new and established farmers to engage with activities that support the land and develop community. Productive and consumptive elements interlink to provide multifaceted value. Agricultural and familial connections were presented as having been enabled, on-farm employment as having increased and farms as having regained their position as a social hub. Multivariate statistical analysis of health and well-being measure scores provided by two hundred and sixteen care farm participants identified statistically significant positive relationships (p<.001) between the amount of time that people had been attending care farms and subjective happiness, satisfaction with life and more generic mental well-being. Analysis of qualitative data suggested that service users often received support initially from the animals, plants and wider natural environment, but that people and associated social interactions were increasingly enjoyed and influential as time progressed. An assessment of the overall impact associated with an individual care farm was provided through the application of Social Return on Investment. This took account of all elements of associated change and assigned justified financial proxies so that overall value could be conceptualised. The analysis suggested that, for every £1 that was invested, there was a return that exceeded £3.50. Value was presented as having emanated from the natural, social, learning and physical elements of the care farm space, but consequential positive outcomes were also demonstrated to impact outside this space. This study found care farming to be a cost effective vehicle for enabling the improved health and well-being of both individuals and wider society. Associated dividends are apparent and it is hoped that this will help policy makers and service commissioners to recognise and understand the value that care farms provide.

The aim of the thesis is to investigate whether the corporate governance of professional pension fund managers supports outsourced funds management for the UK pensions industry; significant as the largest client of the UK financial services industry with over £2 trillion in assets under management (Godfrey, 2014). The study examines fund manager corporate governance from the perspective of agency theory. The thesis proposes that pension fund managers, some of the largest corporate entities globally, exhibit the same corporate governance induced behaviour as corporate entities in the real economy. Where governed in fiduciary for shareholder wealth maximisation, this may conflict with the agency duty of best interests to a pension client. The post-positivist methodology examined two aspects of pension asset management: 1) relationships between the size of pension assets per member and the corporate governance characteristics of the fund manager appointed; and 2) the perceptions of whether this governance concerns pension trustees, including the perception of whether a fiduciary duty was owed to the client, under the trajectory of regulatory and case law reviewing pension trusts' fiduciary relationship with fund managers. These analyses found a statistically significant relationship between the corporate entity of the fund manager and the size of the assets of the pension scheme assets they manage. It also revealed a convoluted and contradictory expression of the fiduciary duties owed to pension clients by pension trustees, law courts, and regulators. With the Financial Conduct Authority's imminent review of the asset management industry, the study contributes a comprehensive assessment of this potentially fiduciary agency relationship, being both timely and relevant to the financial industry reform agenda in academia, policy and regulation.

There is increased recognition that an economy based on a ‘shareholder paradigm’ has led to detrimental outcomes for society and the environment based on the assumption that profit maximisation should occur even at the expense of silent or weak stakeholders. Theories such as corporate social responsibility (CSR), shared value and stakeholder theory have added an element of purpose to the role of business next to a profit motive. However, they focus on ‘low hanging fruits’, and fail to clarify how value creation for society is effectively integrated into strategic decisions such as “how to justify fair prices to producers in developing countries instead of minimising costs to maximise profits and shareholder return?” This study explores how to combine the best of both social and commercial logics to effectively achieve ‘profits and purpose’. In total 93 interviews were conducted across ten case studies and sector expert interviews. First, key concepts were derived from a cross-case comparison and data analysis in the context of training and employment social enterprises in the UK. To increase robustness the proposed concepts were studied in a wider context developed from: The Netherlands, India, Ecuador, US, Bangladesh, Ivory Coast, and Ghana. Contrary to the predominant focus in the literature warning of ‘mission drift’ suggesting to prioritise ‘purpose’, this study shows that ‘leading with the business’ leads to better outcomes. By developing a business model around market demand instead of social need a stronger financial platform is created to pursue social aims, and clients can develop their potential more in line with market demand. Key factors are proposed that contribute to better outcomes including: ‘avoiding the pity purchase’ by positioning the enterprise around the value proposition; selecting markets based on commercial potential; managing a ‘blended income stream’; and providing a ‘balanced work environment’. The findings highlight that both commercial and social logics have a role to play, contrary to studies suggesting that one logic should supersede the other, but require different emphasis in each business model area. By adopting a macro-perspective the study gained further insights into incorporating ‘purpose’ as part of mainstream business. A ‘profits for purpose theory’ is proposed as alternative to CSR, shared value and stakeholder theory to legitimately allocate resources to create value for society beyond the limited scope of ‘low hanging fruits’. By integrating principles of justice at the core of the business model, businesses can empower individuals and communities to contribute their potential in return for fair rewards. As Adam Smith proposed by using the profit motive with strong principles of justice major issues in society can be prevented and addressed to create a better world for current and future generations.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore factors that may influence the experience of engaging with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) for adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA), from the perspective of key informants. These informants offered expert perspectives on an under-researched topic, based on their in-depth experience of supporting a wide range of survivors of CSA through the legal process. Background: Although a more common experience than one might think, child sexual abuse (CSA) is an offence that is not often prosecuted. This is due to a range of reasons, including its significant impact on those abused, delayed disclosure, and a reluctance to engage in a legal process that has been described as “re-traumatising” for victims of sexual assault (Clark, 2010). In Scotland, this has led to significant comment about and concerted motivation to adapt the prosecution process to more effectively meet the needs of victims and improve their experience of engaging with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) (Scottish Courts & Tribunals Service, 2015). The purpose of this study is to examine in more detail the current CJS from the standpoint of those supporting survivors of CSA through it, to better understand its impact and how it might be better adapted to their needs. Method: Support professionals from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and Rape Crisis Scotland were recruited. Eight ‘key informants’ with extensive experience in supporting survivors of CSA were interviewed regarding their perceptions of what factors influence survivor’s experiences of engaging with CJS. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the interview data. Conclusions: Two key themes were identified: ‘Justice: Not just what happens, but how’ and ‘Danger of getting it wrong: More harmful than helpful’. Themes emphasised the range of experiential factors which were perceived to affect survivors’ experience of the CJS beyond the legal verdict alone and the detrimental psychological impact associated with negative experiences of engaging with the legal process. Recommendations for practice and reform are outlined.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate efforts to transform global environmental change research through co-design and co-production (involving non-academic actors in research governance and conduct). Social scientific work to date on this topic has largely taken an evaluative perspective, outlining challenges of and guidelines for co-production on the ground. By contrast, there is little work on how co-production is conceptualised and put into practice through (international) research governance. Yet institutions aiming to govern research are significant arbiters of meaning and power; their efforts to change research are worthy of investigation. The thesis is based on a qualitative case study of Future Earth, a major international research initiative on global environmental change (GEC) and sustainability. Future Earth is unique in its ambition to internationally coordinate and co-design/co-produce new GEC/sustainability research at a global scale. The study is grounded in co-productionist, interpretive science and technology studies, drawing on ideas about political imaginaries of science and experimental approaches to engagement. It is based on thematic analysis of data from documents, interviews, focus groups and observation of Future Earth’s emergence and development between 2010 and 2015. The analysis suggests that visions of Future Earth were ambitious, diverse and sometimes ambiguous, evoking two potential institutional forms: a unified, cohesive ‘flagship’, or a ‘rich tapestry’ of varied initiatives. Ambiguity persisted in how co-production and related concepts were understood, with varying definitions motivated by different rationales for increased (or limited) involvement of non-academic stakeholders, from ensuring relevance to democratising expertise to preserving the objectivity or independence of science. These notions of appropriate engagement were underpinned by disparate conceptions of the value of research (as a service to society, site of democratic deliberation, or public good), reproducing (and challenging) established models of science and democracy. The thesis argues that, from an experimental perspective, this ambiguity in visions of (co-production in) Future Earth can be seen to enable flexibility and allow differences to co-exist. This might require new, perhaps radical, thinking about how to organise, conduct and value research and its outcomes, with an increased emphasis on fostering, appreciating and productively working with diversity and institutional indeterminacy.

The relationship between religion and development is a relatively new research area, complicated by the arguably "secular reductionism" and "materialistic determinism" of mainstream development theory and practice. Against this backdrop, this doctoral study examines the relationship between Islamic and mainstream development discourses, analysing the complex power relations at work within the discursive practices of the development field through a conceptual apparatus comprised of a Foucauldian notion of power and discourse and a Laclauan view of hegemony. The objective of this study is to develop a better understanding of how Islamic development policy making and makers have made meaning of the central issues of development and progress as expressed in the body of theory and practice that makes up the development field. Interestingly, Islamic thinkers were already criticising the Euro-centric nature of the development discourse in the 1950s and 60s. They proposed an Islamisation of knowledge, particularly in the field of economics, as a way of overcoming a perceived Western‘ domination. In pursuit of the question as to how "Islam" relates to the issue of development and progress, this thesis explores the genealogy of the mainstream and the Islamic development discourses, illustrated by a selected case study within the development field in Bangladesh.