This thesis investigates the lives of seven disabled people who were sexually abused in childhood by utilising narrative methodology and the application of the social model of disability. Flexible methods of participation were offered to participants and continuous ethical evaluation formed the backbone of the research relationship. Thematic analysis generated three interlocking and overarching "grand" themes that constituted the substantive chapters of the thesis (power, identity and narrative) and provided a structure within which the findings were embedded. Narratives of power illustrate how the sexually abused disabled child is potentially located at the collision point of a number of oppressive societal beliefs and practices related to the treatment of both children and disabled individuals. These debilitating attitudes become apparent in the workings of certain organisational structures and the general functioning of some family environments. Narratives of identity deals with the issue of how a, sometimes, fragile identity created by disability oppression becomes fragmented by the sexual abuse experience. It also illustrates that from this compromised starting position, participants have been able to forge a series of self-affirming collective identities. The chapter entitled narratives of the narrative concerns itself, ostensibly, with the reconstruction of the abuse narrative. Within this chapter it can be seen that when the usual defence mechanisms (dissociation) become less necessary for survival, and when the external triggers are prevalent, the sexual abuse narrative emerges creating narrative chaos (Frank, 1995) and emotional destabilisation. The personal healing process has involved the reconstruction of a more reflective, self-absolving and coherent version of events, which contains narrative truth (Spence, 1994). In concluding this thesis, several tasks were undertaken including the weaving together of the complex relationship between disability and child sexual abuse, and a highlighting of the key pressure points where difficulties were exaggerated. It also involved: consideration of whether narrative methodology fulfilled its purpose, a reflection on the work's theoretical positioning and the implications of the thesis for policy and practice.

This thesis interrogates the various constructions of the gendered body within the rebooted Doctor Who (1963- ). To do this, this thesis contends that Doctor Who occupies something of a contradictory position with regard to gender and the body, seemingly acknowledging the need for equality and feminism as ‘common sense’ whilst simultaneously denying true realisation of these aims by retreat to universal (patriarchal) concepts of goodness, humanity, and benevolence. In addition to this, whilst, at present, our definitions of the gendered body appear to be becoming ever more fluid and abstract, something that is aided by the increasing encroachment of technology in our everyday lives, there remains a limit to this bodily fluidity, a limit heavily informed by recourse to the ‘natural’ and, therefore, the ‘acceptable’. Science fiction’s interest in the body is clear and well documented; science fiction landscapes are frequently populated by bodies that have been mutated, enhanced and cloned. Hence, there is scope for a mutually beneficial discourse between theoretical constructions of the body, evolving technology and science fiction narratives, a discourse that this thesis will ground within the narrative of Doctor Who. In doing this, this thesis will intervene within these debates by deconstructing representations of the gendered body within the rebooted Doctor Who, constructing a continuum of ‘acceptable’ bodily expressions that will offer insight into the limits of our apparent gendered bodily fluidity. Using a methodological approach that involves textual analysis informed by social, cultural, and technological theory, this thesis begins by foregrounding the mutual areas of interest between the various theoretical concepts. From this, the thesis contains three broad thematic chapters discussing the topics of reproduction, monstrosity and technology with the selection of these topics being attributable to them representing convergence points of interest for the given theoretical areas. These themes are then grounded and discussed within Doctor Who, with the programme’s popularity, longevity, long form narrative structure, and political reflexivity all making it an appropriate lens for analysis. This thesis argues that these debates are ones Doctor Who both acknowledges and embodies, yet Who appears to remain hamstrung by a resort to tradition that prevents true radicalism and subversion. By using Doctor Who as an accessible point of reference for these potentially abstract and emotive debates, this thesis aims to question the extent to which we are now, or may ever consider ourselves, truly ‘postgender’; whether our ‘choices’ are as freely made as they appear, or whether we remain constricted by residual patriarchal mores.

Postfeminism is not an ideological position or coherent theoretical framework that can be applied externally to the analysis of texts. Indeed popular postfeminism – as distinguished in this thesis from academic postfeminism – is knowable only through its workings in culture, specifically in the representation of gender in “postfeminist” media texts. Therefore, this thesis does not adopt a postfeminist position or approach to analyse the source texts, but rather seeks to identify and deconstruct a postfeminist sensibility within them. This sensibility became apparent in 1990s depictions of characters such as Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) and Ally McBeal (Calista Flockhart); however, it prevails in texts created in the current moment and inflects their representation of women. This thesis seeks to identify the themes and characteristics of this sensibility at the site of their creation – media texts representing women – expose the reasons why they are problematic, and show that the same traits exist in the texts considered here. In so doing it seeks to demonstrate that postfeminist ideals are still informing representations of women in the media. Furthermore, it seeks to demonstrate that this postfeminist sensibility, despite being a product of 1990s postfeminism and the current post/post-post-feminist moment, inflects representations of women from different time-periods, specifically from the Second World War and immediate post-war period. Because of the media’s (and specifically television’s) central role in the formation of cultural memory, this creates a lens through which women’s history and women’s historical identities are viewed in the present day. This postfeminist lens, or sensibility (Gill 2007), is thereby dehistoricised as an aspect of essential femininity. In this way the politics of the present are cast onto the past. Through this process, the events of the past are drained of any independent meaning and repurposed/redeployed to meet the needs of the present. The centrality and ubiquity of such postfeminist visions of the past is such that postfeminist discourse has become a central component of what this thesis terms, the Historical Sensibility which informs and structures historical drama on television.

The Coalition government’s (2010-2015) programme of public sector reform and austerity resulted in fundamental changes to the orientation of community development in England. This thesis investigates what happened to community development in England during this five-year period and its implications for professionals, volunteers and local people involved in community development processes. A post-structuralist discourse analysis methodology was operationalised and the empirical work consisted of 20 interviews with key social actors involved in community development processes in a case study local authority in the north east of England. Using post-structuralist discourse analysis, the transcripts were analysed alongside 54 key texts including: discourse by political and policy leaders, national and local policies, and academic debate. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by demonstrating how the Coalition programme silenced community development as a distinct and legitimate practice, and re-shaped it as social enterprise, volunteering and community organising. The empirical findings establish four available discourses of community development. Yet, the hegemonic Enterprise discourse totalised the policy landscape and ‘othered’ community development as a bureaucratic, top-down, inefficient and ineffective relic of the previous New Labour government. In conjunction with the public sector cuts, this resulted in the decline of the community development worker subject position in England; with community development professionals increasingly nudged to adopt the subject positons of social entrepreneurs, professional volunteers and, to a lesser extent, community organisers. Local people were similarly nudged to volunteer in community development, social enterprise and community organising processes; and more skilled volunteers encouraged to take on professional responsibilities unsalaried. These findings suggest that the silencing and re-shaping of community development as social enterprise, volunteering and community organising is a ‘new’ permutation of neoliberal hegemony to roll-out citizen responsibilisation where local people provide community services rather than ‘relying’ on state intervention and resources. This thesis concludes that the Coalition programme exploited the ambiguity of community development and, in doing so, exposed four historical problems in the community development field. To protect community development from future attacks, this thesis proposes a genealogical post-doctoral study to unearth these problematic roots to then cultivate a community development free of such underpinnings.

The National Chlamydia screening programme in England screens only half the number of men compared with women, and the places men are being screened for chlamydia differ from that of women (NCSP, 2012). There is a wealth of data which shows that men are being screened in non-clinical settings, such as educational establishments, or that they are choosing to self-request screening via the internet as opposed to seeking alternative health service provision. However, we are unsure of the reasons for their choice. Furthermore, it is unclear what the impact of a positive or negative diagnosis for chlamydia has on subsequent sexual behaviour. By adopting a situational, qualitative methodology, this study aimed to understand the complex factors involved in men’s sexual health decision making following a request for a home testing kit for chlamydia. The focus for this study was young men aged 20 to 24 years who have a high rate of chlamydia infection, and who have been screened through the National Chlamydia screening programme in the North East of England. Data was collected through ten in-depth interviews, and seven follow up interviews after 12 months. Follow up interviews were primarily used to gauge any long term behaviour change. Patients’ sexual health records provided additional data which was used for triangulation. Data was analysed with the use of framework analysis. Findings from the research were presented to a focus group of professionals and the outcomes from that discussion have been implemented in sexual health provision locally. This research has also fed into a national working group which reviewed chlamydia testing guidelines for positive patients. Findings show that the decisions the young men made about sexual partners and sexual practice are based on a number of factors: pre-influencing factors, which were based on the men’s perceptions and beliefs about women, categorising them as “risky” with a sexually transmitted infection or “clean” with no infections, alcohol use and contraception vs STI prevention . Situational factors including sexual gratification and sexual arousal and post rationalisation factors such as peer pressure and masculinity. Factors influencing decisions to seek testing were triggered by unprotected sex with casual partners, strengthened by catalytic influences including media campaigns. The findings suggest a negative chlamydia test result gives respondents a clean bill of health allowing them to engage in further unprotected sex. A positive diagnosis resulted in the intention to change behaviour and modify sexual practice. After follow up interviews, intention did not lead to actual behaviour change and many became re-infected within 6 months. A conceptual model based on the study findings has been developed for use in professional practice. This model identifies the variables which influence the men’s decision making at different stages in the decision making process. This study has shown that the factors that influence young men’s sexual decision making and the impact of diagnosis on subsequent sexual behaviour have major implications for public health in terms of reinfection and further transmission.

Aim: In recent years, research has concluded that social anxiety plays a key role in quality of life. The overall aim of this research was to evaluate social anxiety in adolescents with respect to determining how social anxiety affects quality of life. Method: This study was a cross-sectional study. A pilot study was conducted to cross-culturally adapt all scales by the recommended translated and back-translated method. The correlations of socio-demographic parameters with the SAS-A scores were examined. Data from a sample of 564 students (273 boys 48.4%, 291 girls 51.6%) were analysed. Adolescents from Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom were screened and compared. Confirmatory factor analysis was utilised to build the proposed model based on prior research and theoretical findings. Finding: No significant sex difference in the SAS-A total score, fear of negative evaluation and social avoidance were found. Comparing the boys and girls on SPIN scores, Fear, Avoidance and Authority Problems, the results showed that boys reported higher in SPIN total, fear and avoidance (except authority problem subscale score) than did girls. SAS-A scores were higher in those with a low socio-economic level. Moreover, social anxiety symptoms among Saudi adolescents were more severe in boys. Results showed that adolescents without social anxiety scored higher on quality of life and its subscales than adolescents with social anxiety as measured by ASA-A. No significant difference was found in psychical health. Adolescents without social anxiety scored higher on quality of life and its subscales than adolescents with social anxiety as measured by SIAS. Adolescents without social anxiety scored on Positive Individualism more than adolescents with social anxiety. No significant difference was found in Positive Relatedness. In the cross-cultural study, the results showed no significant difference on SIAS scores for Saudi adolescents and British adolescents. However, a marginally significant differences was found on BAI scores, where Saudi adolescents reported higher level of anxiety than British adolescents. The British sample reported higher on the fear of negative evaluation than the Saudi sample. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilised to test hypotheses on the links between scores on the study scales. The findings indicate that the overall fit of the SAS-A model was acceptable. Direct effects between the study variables and significant positive correlation between cognitive factors and social anxiety were found. Mediation effects of SAS-A and SPIN were investigated by reporting direct effects, indirect effects and total effects. Results indicte that social anxiety significantly mediated the relationships between subjective anxiety, positive individualism, and cognitive and environmental health. Conclusion: It is therefore imperative that socially anxious students be provided with appropriate consultations and treatment so that they can improve their quality of life through integrating better with social institutions. If untreated, the impairment caused by social phobia could lead to poor academic and professional outcomes, as well as poor psychosocial outcomes.

This thesis is the study of the relationship between individuals and communities in the context of racialised minorities in the United Kingdom. The research examines the ways in which individuals belonging to the Kashmiri community articulate and manifest 'Kashmyriat' in conditions of diaspora. Specifically, the research is an investigation of the core features of Kashmiri identity. These were selected as being identifications based on culture, religion and the territorial identification with the land of Kashmir, the nature of culture conflict between individuals and community and differences between generations of Kashmiris and the role of gender identity in 'Kashmyriat'. The central premise is that identity is constantly updated, multiple and redefined in relation to contextual changes through a process of enculturation. Results of the research suggest that culture, religion and territorial identification with the land of Kashmir are central core features of Kashmiri identity in Luton. The younger generation appear to be maintaining a distinct and separate identity based partly on shared culture, religion and terrirotial identification with the land of Kashmir with the older generation whilst they are redefining their identity in response to the contexts in which they have been born and brought up. Gender identities appear to be less significant as part of overall identity development. Theoretically the thesis is an exploration of identity and its relationship to cultural identity among migrants. In this thesis I rely on qualitative ethnographic work as well as the quantitative research methodology of Identity Structure Analysis (ISA) to try and draw a textured analysis of Kashmiri identity transformation in the wake of immigration to Luton. Using the notion of enculturation the thesis sets out to deepen and make this concept more academically rigorous. Enculturation is deployed as a means to understanding the process of identity transformation. Results of the research suggest that culture, religion and affiliation with the land of Kashmir. Whilst they share the first two with other South Asian ethnicised communities in the United Kingdom it appears that the territorial affiliation with the land of Kashmir which can be translated as political identity is currently their self-defined identity. This is marking the Kashmiris as a national community whose individuals and collectivities centre their identity on 'Kashmyriat'.

Walking in the countryside is an increasingly popular pursuit in Britain. Much previous research within the social sciences has tended to concentrate on the physiological benefits, barriers or facilitators to walking. This thesis explores particular walkers’ complex motivations for and modes of walking, their individual engagements with certain types of (northern) landscapes and the significance of specific kinds of visual images, traditions and wider practices of looking. Constructions and discourses of landscape are considered in relation to the persistence of certain ideas and aesthetic traditions as well as and in relation to current concerns about individual health and social well-being. The research is multi-disciplinary and engages with studies of art history and visual culture, cultural geography, anthropology and sociology. Visual studies research methods are used to explore individual interpretations and experiences of landscapes, and how the circulation and consumption of particular kinds of images might inform attitudes to walks and walking. Walkers’ views and attitudes have been investigated using an ethnographic approach. In-depth qualitative interviews (including photo elicitation) have been undertaken with walkers who regularly walked five or more miles in the countryside either in organised groups, on their own or with friends and family, in order to capture how walking is perceived, felt, and made sense of. A grounded theory approach has been used for the interviews, building on theories that emerged from systematic comparative analysis, and were grounded in the fieldwork. Overall the thesis observes a marked persistence of and some striking similarities between particular ideas, cultural traditions and interpretations of walking in and ways of looking at types of countryside from the Romantic period to the present day.

Among educationalists there is some uncertainty about how best to teach children drawing skills and among psychologists there is uncertainty about how different approaches might influence children's drawing development. In the National Curriculum children are taught both expressive and representational drawing ability, but there is concern that the arts are being 'squeezed out' in favour of more 'academic' subjects. In contrast, children in Steiner schools experience less directive instruction in drawing, but experience an education where the arts and creativity are highly valued. However, little is known about the home drawing experiences of these pupils and the views of their teachers. This thesis aimed to identify similarities and differences in the drawing abilities and styles of pupils and the drawing attitudes and practices of the pupils, their parents and teachers. In study one expressive, representational and free drawings of 180 pupils (age 6 to 16 years old) were assessed for ability, style and creative intention. In study two 180 pupils, their teachers and parents were surveyed about attitudes and practices relevant to children's drawing experiences. Steiner pupils were found to have superior representational drawing ability but no consistent between-school differences were found in expressive drawing ability. Stylistic difference were evident in the free drawing. Drawing attitudes and practices of children were generally positive and few between-school differences identified. Parents and teachers associated with the Steiner schools tended to value drawing more highly, were more aware of the wider benefits of children engaging in art. However, National Curriculum teachers and parents tended to be more involved with children's drawing experiences. The studies presented in this thesis represent ground breaking research comparing drawing ability, and the art attitudes and practices that shape children's artistic experience in their respective Steiner and National Curriculum schools as well as their homes. More similarities were identified than anticipated. This suggests that school and home drawing environments may be less influential than previously thought. Alternatively, there might be fewer differences between the school types than the curricula suggest. Consequently, future research should consider the artistry of teachers and parents and observational data of classroom art lessons and home drawing experiences.

Background: In the UK, South Asian and Black Caribbean communities are more at risk of developing vascular dementia and experience a higher rate of young onset dementia (under age 65 years), compared with the majority ethnic population (Seabrooke & Milne, 2004). Despite this, Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) persons with dementia are underrepresented in health services, receive diagnoses later in disease progression and are less likely to access anti-dementia medication or partake in research trials (Cooper, Tandy, Balamurali et al., 2009). An emerging theme in culture and dementia research is the impact of religion on dementia in terms of perceiving the illness, accepting the illness, coping with the illness and accessing services (Milne & Chryssanthopoulou, 2005). Religious beliefs and practices offer one explanation for BME underrepresentation in mainstream health and social care services (MHSCS). MHSCS appear ill-equipped to respond to the religious needs of ethnic minority individuals (Bowes & Wilkinson, 2003). Aim: To conduct an investigation of the influence of religion on access to - and experiences of - dementia care services, for South Asians from the Sikh, Hindu and Muslim communities in the West Midlands. Method: An exploratory, qualitative study employing Critical Realist Grounded Theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1990) utilising a multimethods approach of semi-structured interviews and observations informing a three-phase data collection and data analysis model with five service user and service provider cohorts. Results: A two-stage model: “Existing Service Provision” and “Service Improvements” demonstrates religious beliefs influence low knowledge of dementia, stigma of mental illness, isolation and family duty of care. This led to ill-informed care choices and carer burden. Persons with dementia were also under-identified within their religious communities. Regular outreach in to South Asian religious communities is vital to educate and identify underrepresented persons, allow informed dementia care choices and relieve carer burden. Scripture-influenced dementia training is required to dispel stigma and improve care options. Investment in face to- face communication with translators and a shift away from paper resources is required. Conclusion: The full potential of religious communities in dementia care provision is yet to be realised. Utilising this resource as a symbiotic channel – firstly, to identify persons with dementia and educate the congregation about dementia - and secondly, to utilise the existing congregation to meet the psycho-social needs of the person with dementia, offers a holistic care package, leading to informed care choices.