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This thesis explores gender relations in the island of Rote in Indonesia. It examines Rotenese social organization and the role of women in development. In this case the researcher is of the same culture of the people being studied: the analysis is derived from social science informed by local knowledge. The thesis argues that gender relations among the Rotenese have a complementary nature. Rotenese society and culture have been subjected to many dualistically inclined interpretations. In this analysis of Rotenese social organization dualism is shown to be fundamental to all aspects of Rotenese life. Gender relations, therefore, are discussed in terms of a binary category. It is impossible to study women in isolation from men because in the Rotenese cultural context they function as a pair. This dualism, which at first sight gives a sense of opposition between male and female, and between 'outer house' (male) and 'inner house' (female) domains, is revealed on closer examination as a complementary relationship, in which the two halves, men and women, make a complete whole. The main themes considered in this thesis are as follows: (i) The political system of Rote from the colonial past to the present is discussed by reference to its dualistic orientation. (ii) Kinship is examined in terms of male descent and female affiliation. A closer examination of the Rotenese marriage transactions reveals the high status of women. (iii) The gender division of work in the 'inner house' is described in detail as a female domain. It is then shown that there is a blurring of the boundary between the 'inner house and the 'outer house'. (iv) The gender division of work in the 'outer house' is described as a male domain, but in response to development, there is an increasing participation of women in this male domain. (v) The combination of national development and Indonesian nation-building also influences gender relations in Rote, and this is considered together with the role of Rotenese women in development. Finally, it is stressed that the analyst's evaluation of male and female contributions to the family is not necessarily the way Rotenese perceive or make sense of their gender relations.

This study is an investigation into the British Muslim communities in Bradford, to identify which types of problems might threaten their Islamic identity and suggest possible solutions to assist those people to maintain their identity. The main aim of this study was to identify whether the educational setting in the school, mosque, home and society can challenge the Islamic identity and whether those factors could play a vital role in preserving such identity. To achieve these aims, two phases of research have been conducted. First, documentary evidence has been collected to see the background to the problem. Second, an empirical study has been carried out to ascertain the views of 160 Muslim pupils and 149 Muslim parents in Bradford. The empirical study was in two parts. The main study was in Bradford. This main survey was preceded by two preliminary -field studies, one carried out in Mirpur, which is the place of origin of a large number of Muslim parents in Bradford, and the second in Bradford. Three types of interviews were carried out with different groups of people to obtain information that can help in investigating the factors which underlie the sense of threat to identity. The documentary study, the exploratory interviews and findings from a questionnaire survey led to identification of four lists of requirements covering the four fields: school, mosque, home and society. The main findings reflected that British Muslims face challenges to their Islamic identity in all the fields mentioned above. Problems stem from both groups, Muslim and non Muslim. They also reflect a cultural gap between Muslim youths and their parents and between Muslims and non Muslims. Education could play a very important role to fill this gap.

The research is an analysis of the 'process of development' of a sample of sixteen subjects who attended 'public school' during the term of office of the present government.The specific methodology of the study was that of the 'life-history', in which each subject produced a written account of their life. This was followed by a taped interview which allowed elaboration of issues raised and discussion of aspects of experience not previously covered. Questionnaires were sent to headmasters in order to (a) gauge the specific values of particular schools and (b) to triangulate, where possible, information provided by subjects on the nature of their schooling.The research offers a contribution to sociological discussion at a number of levels:(1) it provides information on the process of elite production and reproduction, and the role in this of 'institutions of influence' and the individual's mediation of the input from these sources;(2) central sociological themes and concepts have been utilized, assessed and developed;(3) aspects of public school life previously accorded limited or inaccurate attention have been subject to empirical and theoretical analysis. The interaction of class and gender, control and hierarchy, the continued relevance of 'fagging' and the 'old boy' network and crucially the nature of sub-cultural affiliations are the principal examples;(4) the nature of the sector's self presentation is outlined;(5) this specific utilization of the life-history technique illuminates its value and potential as a sociological method.

Through a phenomenological approach and the adoption of an ethnographic methodology, this thesis is a study of a poor community in a residential slum quarter of Cairo. Both objective and subjective aspects of the poor’s everyday life were studied with a view to giving a rounded picture of their life-world, life-style, problems, coping responses and the social construction of their reality. In the process, slum daily life, occupation structure, housing, diet, clothing, education, health and recreation were described and the economic problems and budgets related to them were examined and described. Models were drawn wherever Possible. Institutions used by the poor to cope with their economic problems were revealed and distinguished into formal and informal institutions. The former were largely established through government policy, while the latter were either devised by the poor, or devised by others to service them. In the process of this study, non-economic mechanisms were revealed, mainly cultural ones, among which religion was by far the most important. It was supported and reinforced by the Egyptian cultural heritage in the form of various aspects of folklore, and cultural beliefs and typifications. Part of the aims of this study was to obtain a definition by the poor of their own situation. Thus, the study reveals the poor’s own definition of their poverty in their own terms. This allowed typifications of themselves as poor and of their life-style to emerge. These typifications formed the conceptual tools with which their reality was socially constructed. In the process of their definition, important aspects of their world-view were revealed, which acted as psychological coping mechanisms in preserving a dignified self-image, in conditions which contributed to impose on them serious limitations and humiliations. Research in six other areas of Cairo confirmed these findings. Both Moslems and Christians were found to share this view of the poor's life-world, which led to the conclusion that their view was deeply anchored not only in notions embedded in the Heavenly religions, but also in the Ancient Egyptian cultural heritage. Two long accounts of these views by a poor woman and man illustrated the use of these conceptions and typifications through their elaboration of a philosophy of life that was used as a rationale and a coping mechanism to accept their harsh reality. Major factors that affect this social construction of poverty were examined and their relative influence evaluated. The conclusions drawn define a tentative model of the "levels of poverty" and "characteristics of the poor". The findings of this research are related to the body of literature on poverty both in Western countries and in Egypt. They also help show the relationship between policy and economies at the macro level to the micro level of individuals and group. Finally, recommendations for policy and reform are drawn and suggestions for future research on poverty are advanced.

This thesis focusses on the interaction between rural-to-urban migration on the one hand, and 'modernisation' on the other, in the fields of economic, political and social relations in Lao society. The introduction presents the concepts and research methods used and the design of the thesis. It emphasises the aim of the work, to describe, through history, aspects of the development of various economic political and social relations in rural and urban Laos. In this context particular emphasis is given to the relationship between ideologies, expectations and practice. Myth and ritual are seen as areas of communication which legitimise an institutionalised order of inequality. Following a general historical and geographical background (Chapte 2), a critical review of the existing literature on Lao society (Chapter 3) and an introduction to the two research villages, one rural and one urban (Chapter 4), the next three chapters form the core of the thesis, offering a detailed analysis of, successively, economic, political and social relations within the rural and urban villages under the influence of modernisation. The section on the rural economy describes its historical development and analyses the influence of traditional ideologies on modern economic practice. The section on the urban economy shows how the economies of modern Lao towns developed as a result of factors external to Laos itself, while individual participants still maintain contact with the rural economic sector. In the study of political relations (Chapter 6) the importance of competing ideologies and the complexity of the relationship between ideals and practice become most clearly evident. The close link between town, state and monarchy on the one hand, is contrasted with the political ideology of the village which grows out of the villagers' primary concern to define and control their relationships with natural forces. The study of rural and urban social relations (Chapter 7) shows, through examples of a few key social activities, how the influence of modem practice has affected the development of social ideals, as well as behaviour. The concluding chapter brings together the analysis regarding the interrelationship between migration and modernisation, and shows how the traditional economic and social constraints governing 'appropriate' and prestige-giving redistribution of 'wealth', which had emphasised the principle of cooperation, have given way under the influence of 'modernisation , to economic motivations which emphasise competition. In modern Laos the ways in which people talk or think about their society derive to an important degree from a corpus of traditional ideology based on ritual communications. The ways in which they act within their society however, change in response to imported influences.

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The focus of this study is the impact of fertility problems on couples as a unit. The meaning of fertility problems and how couples reported they communicated were the main areas of interest. A cross-sectional semi-structured interview study was employed. Ten couples were recruited via the Hull FVF unit and interviewed by the primary researcher. The interview transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Two super-ordinate themes emerged: Expectations of life -"What's it all about? " highlighted the lifecycle expectations people have; how when our expectations are not met one considers one's commitments and goals in life; and the impact of fertility treatment on all of these factors. Dealing with ongoing fertility problems - 'When it doesn't happen how we expect" presented the differing responses to ongoing infertility with feelings of resentment and acceptance emerging. Communication was revealed to play an important, yet complex, role in the experience of continued fertility problems. Women seemed to have a greater need for communicating, both with their partner and with others. The couples that reported effective communication were also more likely to report successfully managing any differences as well as satisfaction with their relationship. The themes were discussed in relation to previous theory and research; the stress and coping model was found to be helpful for guiding the research process, but did not seem sufficient to fully explain the depth of meaning the fertility problems had for the couples. Further research on couple communication is recommended. The main clinical implications of the study pointed to couples needing time out from treatment to process their experiences and for counselling to be offered more regularly at different points in time.

In this thesis I examine the influence of economic, political and socio-cultural factors on the development of health services in Saudi Arabia. There are four main parts and a conclusion. In Part One I review the situation in developing countries. Many commentators have argued that economic factors, and to some extent political factors, are the main determinant of health services development in developing countries. Socio-cultural factors are generally neglected in these analysis. In this thesis I redress the balance by examining the relationship between economic, political and socio-cultural factors in the development of the Saudi health care system.In Part Two I analyse the Saudi resource situation. Although the health service is not considered a priority in the overall Saudi development strategy, the government provides generous financial resources for its development. However, non-financial resources remain a problem. Relatively abundant financial resources can provide a short-term solution to some of the resource shortages, such as the lack of skilled manpower, but the use of expatriate health personnel may have unanticipated negative consequences.In Part Three I examine the resource allocation process. The Saudi political system contains a mixture of modern and traditional elements, and the decision making process is affected by traditional social relationships. The King and public bureaucrats play a key role in the allocation process, but local leaders and Governors have wide scope to influence their decisions. While health provision is not a political issue in the country, it contributes to the social cohesion between the government and the general public.In Part Four I examine the influence of socio-cultural factors on the development of the Saudi health service. In the Saudi society socio-cultural factors affect the behaviour of individuals in their interaction with the health system. For example, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca by millions of moslems from all over the world presents a formidable challenge to health authorities. Health authorities accept the importance of socio-cultural factors, and respond by compromising policies. In the conclusion I consider the policy and theoretical implications of the study. In particular I examine the need for the formal recongnition and incorporation of socio-cultural factors into health policy decision making. This would lead to the generation of alternative policy options which complement other options based on economic and political considerations. The socio-cultural oriented approach can contribute significantly to the improvement of the long term prospect for health services in Saudi Arabia, and developing countries generally.

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