The ageing literature shows robust age-related declines in immediate (e.g. Bopp & Verhaeghen, 2005; Multhaup, Balota & Cowan, 1996; Verhaeghen, 2002; Verhaeghen, Marcoen & Goosens, 1993) and episodic memory (Fleischman, Wilson, Gabrieli, Bienias & Bennett, 2004; Park, 2000; Schaie, 2005; Singer, Lindenberger & Baltes, 2003). However, older adults also consistently show stable or even improving levels of semantic knowledge (Surprenant & Neath, 2007). In younger adults, Hemmer and Steyvers (2009) showed that episodic memory for the properties (i.e. size) of familiar items is influenced by multiple levels of pre-existing knowledge. In this thesis, I developed their paradigm to systematically explore these knowledge effects in healthy ageing for both episodic memory and short-term/ immediate memory. This was done by comparing memory for familiar relative to unfamiliar faces, as well as for the size of familiar everyday objects relative to unfamiliar, random shapes. Across all experiments, both age groups appeared to rely on pre-existing item-based knowledge for the familiar items to the same extent, suggesting no age-related decrement in the use of prior knowledge. Moreover, the result showed that item-specific knowledge for the unfamiliar items develops over the course of the experiment. This became apparent in cases when the distribution of target item sizes was bimodal, as this made session-based learning of the item statistics easier to observe; this experiment-based knowledge/ learning was again equivalent for both age groups. The older adults, however, consistently demonstrated greater reconstruction variability and overall error. I interpreted this as evidence of noisier memory representations of the studied items for the older adults (e.g. Noack, Lovden & Lindenberger, 2014); the findings suggest that this increase in error does not lead to more knowledge-based bias in older adults.

This qualitative research study into professional youth work identities and practices offers an insider perspective on the youth work community of practice. The research inquiry adopts a socially constructivist theoretical framework and was contextualised by the political and socio-economic climate in the north-west of England in 2013. Seventeen professionally-qualified youth workers took part in focus groups and interviews that were audio-recorded and transcribed, producing data for both thematic and discursive analyses. The data seeks to shed light on personal, professional and political dimensions of youth work identities; the professional knowledge used by youth workers, evidence of the value of youth work and the discursive construction of youth work accounts. Noticeably, the youth workers’ descriptions and explanations of their practice portrayed the formative influence of biography and learning in shaping their journey into youth work. They expressed commitment to reflective practice and had passion for youth work, espousing roles as listeners, advocates and informal educators in evolving practice situations. Moreover, some innovative youth work responses to young people’s needs were being recognised in some formal inter-agency contexts. Nevertheless, the data depicted youth workers conjuring up ‘the blitz spirit’ to deal with funding shortfalls that created feelings of being ‘the poor relation’ at times and finding themselves ‘fighting the corner’ against the onset of managerial preoccupations with targeting and outcome measures that side-lined the professional value base. The discursive lens illuminated the dialogical interaction that was positioning speakers in the discourse and constructing social and professional identities. It was evident that these were animated accounts of practice, infused with evocative imagery and capturing vibrant youth work voices that articulated the youth work point of view, an under-represented perspective in wider discourses on work with young people.

This thesis seeks to understand how and why police use 'Offences Taken Into Consideration' (TIC) processes as part of their crime management work. Informed by empirical data collected in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the study utilises a multi-method research design, to understand the organisation of TIC process and the variety of factors influencing the ways they are implemented and the outcomes they deliver in different areas of London. A key feature of the research is its use of focused comparative case studies of TIC work based upon in-depth qualitative fieldwork and interviews. The evidence and insight gleaned from these case studies are augmented and corroborated by the examination of material derived from the examination of official police case files. A key theme explored through exploration of the empirical data concerns the role and meaning of 'performance indicators'. Specifically, the analysis highlights how a range of organisational, subcultural and individual level factors interact to produce very different approaches to the use of TICs across different geographical areas. There are various interpretations applied to the TIC policy and procedures, which highlight the implications of such variant approaches. Theoretically, the evidence helps to shine a light on a neglected aspect of police practice and how crime detections are produced. The findings also have policy and practice implications, as the TIC policy wordings and processes may have been misinterpreted. As discussed in the thesis, potentially this could have led to miscarriages of justice or even breaches of the Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998.

This thesis seeks to show through both historical and contemporary examples what makes Russia an ‘outlier’ among key sports mega-events hosts. More specifically, this thesis sets out to establish how external and internal objectives Russia pursued in the context of the 1980 Olympics and the 2014 Sochi Olympics differed from those of other sports mega-event hosts, including non-liberal states. The originality of this thesis lies not only in the fact that it sheds light on Russia’s strategy of sports mega-event hosting, but that it does so from the vantage point of the combination of the three most popular approaches in the extant sports mega-event research: public diplomacy, place branding and soft power. Moreover, this study places Russia’s hosting of sports mega-events within constructivist international relations theory, which prioritises identity and interests. In this respect, this research, by uncovering Russia’s motives behind sports mega-events hosting, seeks to add predictability to Russia’s behaviour in the international arena. Further, this thesis shows that the pursuit of domestic soft power goals appear to be much more important to Russia than the attainment of external reputational benefits. In this respect, this thesis explores at length what role elite sport and sports mega-events play in a nation-building project in Russia and how they are used to legitimise the incumbent elites. Finally, this thesis is an attempt to overcome a Western-centric paradigmatic hegemony in sports mega-event research.

This thesis explores the experiences and perceptions of people living with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) and the healthcare professionals charged with diagnosing and treating the condition. LHON is the first disease linked to a mitochondrial mutation, characteristically resulting in bilateral sight loss over a period of 6‒12 weeks from the initial onset and predominantly (but not exclusively) affecting young men in their teens and early twenties. As with other mitochondrial conditions, there is currently no cure for LHON, and treatment options to slow the progress of the condition are limited. Qualitative research exploring the effect of LHON following a sudden and dramatic loss of sight has been absent from the literature. Addressing this gap, my study involves: (1) semi-structured interviews (N=41) with affected men and women, mothers who carry the condition, and genetic ophthalmologists; (2) participant observation over a period of nine months in two genetic ophthalmology clinics located in UK hospitals. Drawing upon key theoretical and empirical contributions from medical sociology and beyond, such as the work of Bury (1982) and Charmaz (1983), I explore the past, present and future lives of people with LHON by describing their chronic illness trajectory. Drawing predominantly on the interview data, I document their experience of the initial symptoms of sight loss, the challenges of receiving a formal diagnosis (as an uncertain, contested and often misdiagnosed condition), the aftermath of receiving a genetic diagnosis for participants and their wider family, and the disruption to everyday, mundane moments in people's daily lives. Moreover, I unpack how people restore their former self-images (Charmaz 1987, 1991), gain control over their lives, and regain some sense of 'normality' (Davis 1995), whilst also reflecting on future aspirations with respect to treatment options and reproductive imaginaries. To conclude, I acknowledge how my thesis contributes to knowledge by uncovering the multi-faceted experience of people living with sudden bilateral sight loss-a group who have, thus far, been invisible in the sociological literature.

British sociology has been characterised as suffering from a 'quantitative deficit' originating from a shift towards qualitative methods in the discipline in the 1960s. Over the years, this has inspired a number of initiatives aimed at improving number work within the discipline, of which the Q-step programme is the most recent. These initiatives, and the work that supports them, primarily concern themselves with the curricula, attitudes, and output of students and academics within Higher Education. As such, the role that the substantive A level plays in post-16 quantitative education has been largely ignored. This thesis addresses this apparent gap in the literature, providing a study of the curriculum, with a particular focus on the quantitative method element therein. The thesis takes a mixed-method approach to curriculum research, encompassing the historical as well as the current, and the written as well as the practiced. The analysis is presented in a synoptic manner, interweaving data from across the methods used, in an attempt to provide an integrated and holistic account of A level Sociology. An overarching theme of marginalisation becomes apparent; not least with the subject itself, but also with quantitative methods positioned as problematic within the research methods element of the curriculum, which is itself bound and limited. The high-stakes exam culture is shown to dominate the behaviour of both teachers and students, regardless of their attitudes and understanding of the relevancy and/or importance of quantitative methods in the subject. Taken together, these findings imply a potential problem for recruitment into quantitative sociology, whilst offering an avenue by which this might be addressed. Linked to the high-stakes performativity culture, a novel conceptualisation of teachers' understandings of the relationship between their role, the curriculum, the discipline, and notions of powerful knowledge is offered.

In the current academic climate, the concept of dyslexia is being increasingly questioned. This thesis aims to contribute to this debate by focusing on the dyslexia label, how it is acquired and the real impact it can have on both the individual and those around them. It examines the various factors that may be involved in influencing a dyslexic individual by looking, not only at the individual, but also at the environment in which they are situated. Thus, the term 'dyslexic system' is defined to describe how the individual and their environment interact. The research involved the use of two datasets. Firstly, the Millennium Cohort Study was used to examine what socio-demographic and individual level factors influenced whether the cohort member had a diagnosis of dyslexia at ages 7, 11 and 14 in England and in Wales. Using this information, the impact of the dyslexia label on academic self-concept was then investigated. Secondly, primary survey data from teachers in England and Wales was used to investigate how teachers understood dyslexia. Logistic regression analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study showed that both individual and social demographic factors impacted whether a cohort member had been labelled with dyslexia. Sex, social class, parents' education, income, having an older sibling and age in year group were all significant predictors of dyslexia at varying ages. Furthermore, when dyslexic and non-dyslexic cohort members were matched on these characteristics using propensity score matching, those labelled with dyslexia had a lower academic self-concept than those without this label. Teachers and parents also held lower aspirations for children labelled with dyslexia, despite the groups being matched on ability. Results from the teacher survey showed that the majority of teachers surveyed did not show an understanding of the biological and cognitive aspects of dyslexia which have been found to be important for effective intervention. Furthermore, teachers reported poor teacher training on dyslexia. Factors seemingly unrelated to dyslexia influence whether a child is labelled as dyslexic in England and Wales. This suggests that that the label is not evenly distributed across the population and indicates that resources for support may not be being fairly allocated. Furthermore, the dyslexia label also negatively impacts the child's academic outlook and evokes a stereotypical understanding in teachers. These findings highlight the importance of looking at dyslexia as a system. The results foreground the need for change in the current system.

This research examines the drivers, barriers, enablers and benefits related to implementing Community Benefits (CBs) through public sector contracts. Typically, CBs include workforce and supply chain measures, community initiatives such as philanthropy or contributions to education and measures to reduce environmental impact. To date there have been few academic studies into CBs implementation. Through an in-depth cross-sectoral dyadic study of the issues faced by 29 organisations when implementing CBs, this research expands knowledge of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and socially responsible public procurement (SRPP). A multi-level conceptual model explores the relationship between external, organisational and individual level factors that influence the success of CBs implementation. The research makes a theoretical contribution by combining stakeholder theory, resource-dependence theory and the resource-based view to explain key findings. This research confirms many previous findings concerned with the drivers, barriers and enablers related to other forms of SSCM or SRPP in the literature. It extends academic knowledge by highlighting a number of novel findings, which may be specific to implementing CBs measures. Workforce measures and supply chain measures directed at including SMEs in the supply chain are most commonly employed but there is no "one size fits all" model for implementing CBs. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face more barriers than larger suppliers when providing socio-economic benefits to meet public sector requirements, particularly relating to workforce measures. Whilst many enablers have been suggested they are not always employed. By examining Community Benefits implementation through a dyadic study, this research enhances the understanding of academics and practitioners on how CBs may be maximised as a form of SRPP. Finally, this research has the capacity to positively influence future CBs implementation by providing key recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners and reporting results to participating organisations.

This conceptual and empirical exploration provides an in depth understanding of the impact of traumatic sexual violation and the impact on memory. This is with particular focus on how this might affect engagement with the giving of evidence and the response of the Criminal Justice System (CJS). The role of dissociation at the time of the trauma and the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are pivotal to this study. The conceptualisation developed from the literature provides an informative tool to increase understanding of the different ways a victim may present when in the acute stages of traumatisation and how police and other professionals within the CJS can best support them. A number of strategies are suggested that can facilitate the victim in recalling their traumatic event in a coherent way that is sufficient to be used as evidence. The second part of the study provides findings from a number of interviews with police participants linked to the Cardiff and Vale Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) that looks at how police understand the impact on memory and how this is dealt with in practice within the CJS. Although police show a good understanding of some of the problems victims face when engaging with the criminal justice process, they suggested that there are still limitations with the current adversarial system that need addressing. This was a qualitative study utilising a cross-sectional research design by focusing on data collected at one point in time providing a focused lens on the current practice within the system and examined whether it was fit for purpose for traumatised individuals who have experienced a dissociative response and are at risk of developing PTSD or trauma related disorders.

There is an ongoing moral panic about 'the' juvenile delinquent in Trinidad and Tobago. The media present, with increasing regularity, stories about problematic youth-particularly young men-giving the impression that youth crime is spiralling out of control, when official statistical evidence suggests otherwise. Research into youth offending in Trinidad and Tobago has been mainly quantitative, considering the risks and protective factors associated with delinquency and desistance. The extant research also analyses and discusses the data uncovered within the framework of Western criminological theories. Little attempt is made to use, adapt, or develop theory in the Caribbean or Trinbagonian context in which the data was produced. The present study addresses the dearth of qualitative data on young offenders in Trinidad and Tobago by presenting the narratives of a census population of convicted juvenile offenders housed at the Youth Training Centre in Trinidad. These narratives are analysed and interpreted within the socio-economic, cultural and historical context in which these accounts were produced, taking up a 40-year-old call for the development of a 'Caribbean Criminology'. The main purpose of this project was to gain an understanding of the subjective lived experiences of incarcerated young men in Trinidad and Tobago; how they feel, think, act and make sense of the world. I discuss the implications of the narratives presented with regard to broader sociological-criminological questions about state legitimacy and procedural justice and within the context of the families and communities from which my participants come. My findings offer insight into stigmatised communities and suggest the need for a reconceptualisation of poverty as a structural deficit rather than an individual failing, and a need for state officials to recognise the social and cultural injustice that have blocked opportunities for a number of citizens.