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The research aimed to explore the regulatory and socio-cultural responses to retail foreign direct investment (FDI) in a third-wave, transition country- Vietnam. A combined qualitative and quantitative methodology together with documentary research was utilised to collect a wide range of secondary data from governmental and industry sources, much of which has not been utilised in western academic research in the field given the challenges of access to such information and of translating source material into English. This was supplemented by primary survey data from consumers and key stakeholders in the supply chain of two products, namely morning glory and fish sauce in three supermarket chains: Metro, Big C and lntimex, and used to analyse the transformation of the retail structure in Vietnam. Research findings suggest that the process of change in the Vietnamese food retail sector has been affected by the slow but progressive penetration of market liberalisation in which, as late as 2008, a foreign partner could hold no more than 49% of capital in a joint venture. While the Vietnamese retail market has transformed radically since the 1990s, with this shift has emerged a consumer society that is usually more discerning and demanding than before. Changing societal composition plays a crucial role in consumers becoming more conscious and conspicuous. The findings also reveal a complex layering of regulations, some of which are a hangover from the pre-2007 period and some of which have occurred since the accession of the World Trade Organization, in the form of the controversial economic needs test (ENT).

London remains the most thoroughly excavated city in Britain, with a significant corpus of data recovered from many hundreds of excavations. The vast majority of this work has been carried out under the auspices of development control and planning guidance, although the situation has developed from one of rescue excavations carried out by volunteers to the position we see today of large professional teams working on multi-disciplinary projects. It is entirely within this milieu that my own career has progressed. The portfolio presented within this thesis presents the stages of analysis and publication in use at MOLA, my employer. I have published the results of many excavations, a selection of which I have chosen to illustrate the issues which I consider to be pertinent within the development-led commercial sector. Chapter 1 provides a background to the legislative and professional situation within which I operate, as well as relevant discussion of the current research agendas and frameworks which should be considered by archaeologists working in the City. Chapter 2 contains the portfolio material. The concluding Chapter 3 provides a detailed introduction to the portfolio sites and the contribution to knowledge provided by the archaeology excavated. This chapter also presents the critique of the portfolio sites and all aspects of the projects, from fieldwork to publication. I observe difficulties with the current structure of the commercial sector and in the following recommendations and conclusion suggest ways in which these can be alleviated.

Drawing on eight months of in-depth qualitative research, this thesis examines the geographical trajectories of Evangelical missionaries as they migrate to, and embed themselves in, Albania. Identifying how movement is inherent to what it means to be a missionary, I draw together and extend literature from social and cultural geography, migration studies, sociology, geopolitics and missiology to forge new insights into ‘migration with a mission’. Moving beyond largely historical accounts of missionary lives, this thesis provides a contemporary and intimate portrait of what actually goes in to being a missionary, within the context of migration. It contends that a tendency to allow class, work and economic wealth to organise research has meant that the full implications of participants’ religious identities have at times been underdeveloped within migration scholarship. The thesis argues for the importance of addressing this issue, and traces the migration trajectory, from the pre-departure decision to migrate, and the choice of mission destination, to the challenges of missionary life once in Albania. In doing so it examines how missionaries’ world-views, beliefs and imaginaries extend, as well as complicate, commonplace ideas found in literature around religion and migration, geopolitics, transnationalism and home. In addition to revealing the multiple spaces and scales of missionary life unaccounted for within current research, the thesis demonstrates that while missionaries could be considered exceptional, these deeply geographical actors should not be made exempt from greater empirical and theoretical exploration.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 1998. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this thesis an inquiry is made into the contributions that cultural ecofeminism, critical-transformative ecofeminism and cyber-(eco)feminism make towards the articulation of an ecological feminist notion of the self that can generate or promote an ethical relation with nature from a position beyond dualism and essentialism. In the first chapter, titled Cultural ecofeminism, different aspects of patriarchal Western culture are identified that are responsible for the twin dominations of women and nature. In the light of their critique of patriarchal culture and the alienated masculinist self that lies central to it, cultural ecofeminists endorse two alternative notions of the self, namely a female self and a feminine self. In both cases the notion of relationality between self and nature is stressed, and alternative "feminine" values such as care and nurturing are put forward as providing us with alternative ecological values. The contribution that this position makes towards the articulation of an ecological feminist self lies in its emphasis on a notion of relationality between self and nature, so as to establish an ethical relation between self and nature. From both a feminist and an ecological perspective however, this position is flawed given its inability to (adequately) overcome the problems of dualism and essentialism. In the second chapter, titled Critical-transformative ecofeminism, the dualist conceptual framework of the rationalist philosophical tradition is identified as grounding the domination of women, nature and others. By employing the notions of continuity and difference, a strategy is proposed to move beyond dualism and by implication, essentialism. In this chapter, the notion of a pluralist feminine self is proposed and in the context of a critical-transformative ethics, the notion of the mutual self is endorsed that allows for continuity and difference between different selves and self and nature. The ecological values that are endorsed by this position include respect, care, and trust, therefore coinciding, but also diverging from cultural ecofeminism. Critical-transformative ecofeminism's contribution towards the articulation of an ecofeminist self beyond dualism and essentialism, lies in its successful movement beyond dualism, especially with regard to the notion of the mutual self as a feminist notion of an ecological self. The shortcoming of this position is however that the pluralist feminine self which is proposed as an ecological notion of a feminist self, is unsuccessful in its attempt to address the problem of universalising female gender identity. In the third chapter, titled Cyber-(eco)feminism, the notions of the cyborg, the situated self and the lnappropriate/d Other are discussed as alternative feminist subjectivities. In the discussion of a politics of articulation, an environmental politics that emphasises the social and artifactual dimensions of nature, is articulated. Through the figuration of nature as Coyote Trickster, an ecological dimension to these selves comes to the fore and together these notions are positively received from an ecological and feminist perspective as adequately overcoming the problems of dualism and essentialism. From an ecological perspective, it is however argued that the technophilic character of the cyborg is problematic and doubt is cast on its ability to forge significant ethical relations. The politics of articulation proposed by cyber-(eco)feminism is commended for its inclusivity, but in the final analysis, it is argued that to establish an ethical relation with nature, care must be taken not to overlook nature's difference, that is, that nature is an independent entity with needs and ends of its own. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis behels 'n ondersoek na die bydraes van kulturele ekofeminisme, kritiestransformatiewe ekofeminisme en cyber-(eko)feminisme tot die artikulering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self wat 'n etiese verhouding met die natuur kan voortbring vanuit 'n posisie wat die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme oorskry. In die eerste hoofstuk getiteld Cultural ecofeminism, word verskillende aspekte van patriargale Westerse kultuur ge"identifiseer as onderliggend aan die dominasie van be ide vroue en die natuur. In die lig van hul kritiek op patriargale kultuur en die vervreemding van die "masculinist self" wat sentraal staan daarin, onderskryf kulturele feministe twee alternatiewe konsepsies van die self, naamlik 'n "female self' en 'n "feminine self'. In beide gevalle word die konsep van relasionaliteit tussen self an natuur beklemtoon, en alternatiewe "vroulike" waardes soos sorg en koestering word voorgestel as ekologiese waardes. Die bydrae wat hierdie posisie lewer tot die konsepsualisering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self, le in die beklemtoning van 'n konsep van relasionaliteit ten einde 'n etiese verhouding tussen self en natuur tot stand te bring. Hierdie posisie skiet egter te kort vanuit beide 'n ekologiese en feministiese perspektief aangesien dit nie in staat is om die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme (toereikend) te oorkom nie. In die tweede hoofstuk getiteld Critical-transformative ecofeminism, word die dualistiese konseptuele raamwerk van die rasionalistiese filosofiese tradisie ge"identifiseer as onderliggend aan die dominasie van vroue, die natuur en andere. Met behulp van die konsepte "continuity" en "difference" word 'n strategie voorgestel waarvolgens dualisme, en by implikasie essensialisme, oorskry kan word. In hierdie hoofstuk word 'n konsep van 'n "pluralist feminine self' voorgestel en 'n konsep van die "mutual self' word in die konteks van krities-transformatiewe ekofeministiese etiek voorgestel, wat ruimte laat vir beide kontunu"iteit en verskille tussen selwe en tussen self en natuur. Die ekologiese waardes wat deur hierdie posisie onderskryf word, sluit respek, sorg en vertroue in. Dit sluit dus aan, maar verskil ook van kulturele ekofeminisme. Die bydrae van krities-transformatiewe ekofeminisme tot die artikulering van 'n ekologies-feministiese self wat dualisme en essensialisme oorskry, le in die suksesvolle oorskryding van dualisme. Dit is spesifiek die geval met die konsep van die "mutual self' as feministiese konsep van 'n ekologiese self. Die tekortkoming van hierdie posisie is egter dat die "pluralist feminine self' wat as 'n ekologiese konsep van 'n feministiese self voorgestel word, onsuksesvol is as 'n paging om die probleem van universalisme ten opsigte van vroulike identiteit aan te spreek. In die derde hoofstuk getiteld Cyber-(eco)feminism, word die konsepte van die cyborg, die "situated self', en die "lnappropriate/d Other" bespreek as alternatiewe feministiese subjektiwiteite. In die bespreking van 'n "politics of articulation", word 'n omgewingspolitiek geartikuleer wat die sosiale en artefaktiese dimensies van die natuur beklemtoon. Deur middel van die figurering van die natuur as "Coyote Trickster", kom 'n ekologiese dimensie tot die verskillende konsepte van die self na vore. Gepaardgaande met die konsep van die natuur as "Coyote Trickster", word hierdie konsepte positief evalueer weens hul oorskryding van die probleme van dualisme en essensialisme. Vanuit 'n ekologiese perspektief word daar egter geargumenteer dat die tegnofiliese karakter van die cyborg problematies is, en dit word betwyfel of die cyborg in staat is om betekenisvolle etiese verhoudings aan te gaan. Die "politics of articulation" wat voorgestel word deur cyber-(eko)feminisme, word as prysenswaardig geag weens die inklusiewe karakter daarvan. In die finale analise word daar egter geargumenteer dat ten einde 'n etiese verhouding met die natuur tot stand te bring spesiale voorsorg getref moet word om die anders-heid van die natuur in ag te neem. Dit is dat die natuur 'n onafhanklike entiteit is met doelwitte en behoeftes van haar eie. / Center for Science Development

While technology has widely been formulated as antithetical to nature, there has been an increased adoption of digital set-ups to promote and enact environmental conservation. This thesis thus examined a range of digital technologies more commonly used for nature-related activities (for example, mobile applications for crowdsourcing data, satellite tracking and mapping facilities, and visual imaging equipment such as cameras and sonar devices) with two objectives. First, at an applied level, the research sought to locate the new set-ups being used, and to unfold the technical, practical and relational issues emerging from this use. Second, at a more abstract level, the research aimed to better understand the sociological implications of deploying these technologies, in terms of the definitions of 'nature' being 'produced' and how the devices might be (re)shaping human-nature relationships. Four areas were studied: wildlife monitoring and recording, public engagement efforts by conservation organisations, conflict management, and digital art production. These contexts form the data chapters of this thesis, and the findings result from an inter-disciplinary qualitative social scientific research enquiry, framed by a constructionist perspective. With regard to the first aim, this research found that the technologies used by organisations and practitioners had the capacity to increase public participation as well as the quantity and quality of nature-related data and information, and could contribute to the formulation of environmental conservation strategies. However, these capacities did not come without issues such as the relegation of public participants to passive roles and struggles over legitimacy in terms of production and interpretation of data wrought from new devices. In relation to the second aim, this research found that digital technological set-ups (re)configured the ways in which wildlife in particular was seen and understood, and revealed both enmeshment and persistent binaries along the emotion/cognition and nature/culture axes. These findings highlight the role of emotions in conservation, and point to increasing complexities in how humans define and relate to nature.

Drawing on qualitative research conducted in Birmingham (2009-2014), this thesis explores the role music plays in shaping and producing the urban environment via a focus on three specific processes; normalisation, marginalisation, and resistance. The contemporary city’s relationship with music has undergone substantial change in recent years within the UK, including significant growth in the live music industry and the increased targeting of musical activities within urban policy. The thesis examines the implications of these changes in the context of Birmingham. Chapter One introduces the research aims and objectives. Chapter Two positions the thesis within the current geographies of music field and grounds the thesis in an anti-essentialist approach to geography and cultural politics. Chapter Three provides an overview of the research location and methodology. Chapter Four explores ‘normalisation’ by examining the role of public bodies in shaping local musical activities. Chapter Five explores ‘marginalisation’ by examining the exclusion of local rap music from the mainstream live musicscape, and rap music’s place in shaping marginal geographies. Chapter Six explores ‘resistance’ through three in-depth examples of how different individuals use music as a tool of resistance against dominant power relations and the production of uneven urban geographies.

Urban green spaces are integral components of urban landscapes and the cultural ecosystem services afforded to human populations by these green spaces are of particular relevance to human and societal well-being. Urban green spaces provide opportunities for human interaction, physical activity and recreation, stress alleviation and mental restoration, economic opportunity, cultural activities and interactions with nature. To understand how these benefits are received by human populations it is vital to understand when and how individuals interact with urban green spaces. The rapid development and uptake of technologies such as smart phones, social networks and apps provides new opportunity to investigate the human interactions occurring in urban green spaces. Using the city of Birmingham as a case study, this thesis aims (i) to \(demonstrate\) the utility of data obtained from smart device enabled platforms (social networks and apps) in understanding socio-ecological interactions in urban areas and (ii) to \(evaluate\) the utility of these data sources for researchers and policy makers. The successful identification of a range of socio-ecological interaction suggest these data sources provide a viable method if investigating such interactions; however, there remain a number of limitations to consider to ensure they are employed appropriately in research contexts.

This thesis is part of ongoing research examining the interconnections between human geography and urban planning; simultaneously, it is part of a wider research agenda aiming to address gaps between Western and Non-Western literatures. Under the broader theme of spatial justice, understood as the manifestation of social justice in space, this thesis looks at two urban phenomena in the Middle Eastern context of Amman, Jordan: derelict and underutilised spaces known as brownfields, and; the practice aiming to revitalise vacant spaces in urban areas known as temporary urbanism. Over the past few decades, these two urban phenomena have been extensively investigated in Western contexts using methods and tools designed in and for those contexts and using Western-centric theoretical frames. As highlighted by this study, in the Middle Eastern context, there is little or no work investigating brownfields, temporary urbanism or spatial justice; as a result planning practices and frameworks fail to address them. Accordingly, this thesis seeks to establish the debate on these three central themes and the links between them in Arabic literature and Middle Eastern planning frameworks. By examining both the brownfield sites and temporary uses that perforate Amman’s urban fabric, a Lefebvrian and Lefebvrian-influenced critical spatial perspective is adopted that emphasises the social production of space and the right to the city. This thesis thereby argues that the reclamation of brownfield sites through temporary urbanism may enhance spatial justice within a wider global quest for just cities and just communities.

This thesis explores the area of urban planning practices examining the rapid urban growth in Riyadh. The research was motivated by the fact that Riyadh continues to suffer from rapid uncontrolled urban growth, with resultant problems in its infrastructure. These problems are associated with the urban planning path failures, both in terms of the discourses and the practices. As result, the urban plan did not help to control the city growth. The research firstly analyses the driving forces that influence urban planning, focusing on three issues as the main reasons for ongoing expansion: planning law, planning structure, and how planning relates to energy discourses in Saudi Arabia. Secondly, it evaluates spatial planning practices revealing four themes for developers and planners to consider: settlement patterns, urban design, land use patterns and transport. Thirdly, by revealing the mechanisms underlying the planning environment it demonstrates how the structures in place affect urban planning practices. Finally, based on the literature review and the findings of the empirical chapters and interviews with those who work in urban planning the thesis offers an understanding of planners’ practices, how they contribute to continued unsustainable growth and, offers policy recommendations for a more sustainable planned future for Riyadh and other cities in Saudi Arabia.