The aim of this thesis is to examine the approach of the Parti Communiste Franc cais (from 1956 to 1982) to the emergence of new strata of salaried `intellectual workers' (technicians, engineers, low to middle managers in industry and commerce, scientific researchers, teachers etc) parallelled by the gradual diminution of the traditional industrial working class which forms the core of the Party's support base. This examination is carried out in the context of the debate in France (initiated in the 1950s by social theorists of the Left) on the class membership and role of these strata. The reason for the emergence of such a debate is that in a society given to both a rapid evolution of its social structure and an increased polarisation between Left and Right, a precise knowledge of the objective and subjective determinations of new strata would enable parties to the Left to make proper distinctions between potential allies and adversaries. The thesis posits the view that the PCF has failed to make correct distinctions between its potential allies and adversaries and has thus pursued unsuccessful alliance strategies. The thesis contributes towards a scientifically-based understanding of one of the reasons governing the PCF's steady decline since the 1950s.

This thesis develops the requirements of the Cumbria Division of the MAFF to have detailed information on a number of rural topics of particular concern to the area's socia-economic advisory service. Information was generated upon the effects of road developments upon agriculture; the possibility of economic and employment growth through tourism, industry, forestry and agriculture; and upon their relationship with conservation and development control issues generally. A working conference was organised (The Whitbarrow Exercise) to review in specific terms a number of the above problems, in which representatives of the major groups active in rural policy formulation and implementation participated. The study was extended to consider these policy issues on a more prosperous agricultural estate; and in the county of Cumbria as a whole. An examination of the development and likely future impact of agricultural policy upon rural policy generally was also undertaken. All the research was set in the context of an extensive literature review. The results indicate that while state intervention to relieve those problems collectively known as rural deprivation still has an important place in modern rural policy, the scope for such intervention to be successful is limited. Opportunities for employment and wealth creation through tourism, forestry, industry and agriculture are limited for social and economic reasons; developments in these sectors can have adverse effects upon the environment; can compound existing problems; and are often resisted by local people. The lack of success of such ventures indicates continued structural change within rural communities, with some adverse effects for the less privileged members. Recognising this it is argued that fural policy seeks to adapt to, rather than attempt to fundamentally alter inevitable change, recognising that in the long term social and structural problems will resolve themselves. It is further argued that a reduction in state support for agriculture appears inevitable, and this can bring considerable conservation benefits, even in upland areas where positive links between agriculture and conservation have been found by some commentators. It is also argued that for social and economic reasons, and because of the declining importance of agricultural land, a vigorous landscape and ecological conservation policy is pursued by planning authorities and is reasonable. With regard to road developments on agricultural land, the research has shawn that although it is the norm far the agricultural community to experience severe difficulty during developments, these can be overcame by increasing the resources of professional expertise available to affected farmers. This indicates a possible important increased role for the MAFF in the development process.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of changing values and attitudes toward work and the workplace in Britain, West Germany, France and Japan. A cross-national approach was adopted in order to gain a better understanding of differences and similarities in behaviour and to identify aspects specific to each society. Although the relationship between work and leisure has been thoroughly examined and there is a growing body of literature on changes in the values associated with these two phenomena, little research has been carried out into leisure at work. Studies of work time have tended to consider it as a homogeneous block, whereas recent research suggests that more attention should be devoted to unravelling the multiple uses of time at the workplace. The present study sought to review and analyse this new approach to the study of work time, and special attention is devoted to an examination of definitions of leisure, recreation, free time and work within the context of the workplace. The cross-cultural comparative approach gave rise to several problems due to the number of countries involved and the unusual combination of factors being investigated. The main difficulties were differences in the amount and quality of literature available, the non-comparability of existing data, definitions of concepts and socio-linguistic terms, and problems over access to organizations for fieldwork. Much of the literature generalizes about patterns of behaviour and few authors isolate factors specific to particular societies. In this thesis new empirical work is therefore used to ascertain the extent to which generalizations can be made from the literature and characteristics peculiar to each of the four countries identified. White-collar employees in large, broadly comparable companies were studied using identical questionnaires in the appropriate language. Respondents selected were men and women, aged between 20-65 years and either managers or non-managers. Patterns of leisure at work were found to be broadly similar in the national contexts, but with the Japanese and the West Germans experiencing the least leisure at work, and the British and the French perceiving the most. The general trend seems to be toward convergence of attitudes regarding leisure at work in the four countries. Explanations for variations in practice were sought within the wider societal contexts of each country.

The thesis offers a comparative interdisciplinary approach to the examination of the intellectual debates about the relationship between individual and society in the GDR under Honecker. It shows that there was not only a continuum of debate between the academic disciplines, but also from the radical critics of the GDR leadership such as Robert Havemann, Rudolf Bahro and Stefan Heym through the social scientists, literary critics and legal theorists working in the academic institutions to theorists close to the GDR leadership. It also shows that the official line and policy of the ruling party itself on the question of the individual and society was not static over the period, but changed in response to internal and external pressures. Over the period 1971 - 1989 greater emphasis was placed by many intellectuals on the individual, his needs and interests. It was increasingly recognised that conflicts could exist between the individual and society in GDR socialism. Whereas the radical critics argued that these conflicts were due to features of GDR society, such as the hierarchical system of labour functions and bureaucracy, and extrapolated from this a general conflict between the political leadership and population, orthodox critics argued that conflicts existed between a specific individual and society and were largely due to external and historical factors. The internal critics also pointed to the social phenomena which were detrimental to the individual's development in the GDR, but they put forward less radical solutions. With the exception of a few radical young writers, all theorists studied in this thesis gave precedence to social interests over individual interests and so did not advocate a return to `individualistic' positions. The continuity of sometimes quite controversial discussions in the GDR academic journals and the flexibility of the official line and policy suggests that it is inappropriate to refer to GDR society under Honecker simply as totalitarian, although it did have some totalitarian features. What the thesis demonstrates is the existence of `Teiloffentlichkeiten' in which critical discussion is conducted even as the official, orthodox line is given out for public consumption in the high-circulation media.

In this thesis patterns of working hours in large-scale grocery retailing in Britain and France are compared. The research is carried out using cross-national comparative methodology, and the analysis is based on information derived from secondary sources and empirical research in large-scale grocery retailing involving employers and trade unions at industry level and case studies at outlet level. The thesis begins by comparing national patterns of working hours in Britain and France over the post-war period. Subsequently, a detailed comparison of working hours in large-scale grocery retailing in Britain and France is carried out through the analysis of secondary sources and empirical data. Emphasis is placed on analyzing part-time working hours. They are contrasted and compared at national level and explained in terms of supply and demand factors. The relationships between the structuring of, and satisfaction with, working hours and factors determining women's integration in the workforce in Britain and France are investigated. Part-time hours are then compared and contrasted in large-scale grocery retailing in the context of the analysis of working hours. The relationship between the structuring of working hours and satisfaction with them is examined in both countries through research with women part-timers in case study outlets. The cross-national comparative methodology is used to examine whether dissimilar national contexts in Britain and France have led to different patterns of working hours in large-scale grocery retailing. The principal conclusion is that significant differences are found in the length, organization and flexibility of working hours and that these differences can be attributed to dissimilar socio-economic, political, and cultural contexts in the two countries.

This study investigates the impact of organisational and technological factors within pre-adoption, implementation, and post-implementation phases of RFID system deployment. In the pre-adoption phase, the study examines factors that drive and hinder organisations’ decision to adopt RFID. In the implementation phase, the study investigates the impact of organisational factors (business size, strength of culture, and business process re-engineering) on influencing the implementation processes of RFID. In the post-implementation phase, the study investigates how the benefits derived from RFID implementation interact with organisational factors (business size, strength of culture, and business process re-engineering) and RFID-related factors (product unit level of tagging, RFID implementation stage, and organisational pedigree in RFID). This study was motivated by the lack of (i) an advisory framework which considers quantifiable firm characteristics and the costs and benefits of implementing RFID, in yielding advice to guide decisions on RFID adoption, and (ii) a framework that covers the complete processes of RFID project deployment (from adoption decision to benefits derived) in yielding advice to guide decisions on RFID adoption. This study is achieved using a two-phase research approach: questionnaire survey of organisations that have adopted or plan to adopt RFID and case studies of organisations that have integrated RFID into their business processes. In addition, a thorough review of existing literature on RFID in different industrial settings was conducted. The key findings from the study indicate that RFID adoption is driven by factors from technological, organisational and environmental contexts and that the adoption, implementation and benefits of RFID are influenced by organisational culture strength, business size, and BPR. It was found that strong cultures, organisational size and BPR are all positively correlated with RFID adoption decisions, implementation and benefits. Potential contribution towards the existing body of knowledge is through highlighting the significance of organisational culture strength, business size, and BPR in providing a platform in which RFID will be accepted and implemented successfully to achieve maximum derivable benefits.

This thesis explores the health and social welfare 'needs' of the transsexual/transgender community and how they have come to be recognised, understood and managed within interventions. It focuses on the way the 'needs' of 'trans' people have commonly come to be understood as grounded within a sexual and erotic framework and how different levels of 'emotional needs' have come to be socially erased, regulated and controlled. A constructionist approach to social enquiry is used, data being generated through focus groups and personal interviews. By taking a particular approach that focuses on the 'trans' experience of 'ambiguity' and 'difference', it considers narrative forms in language and how discourses have served to modulate, regulate and maintain 'needs' within this sexual and erotic context. By focusing on the dominant narrative forms 'trans' people use in language and the 'ambiguities' and 'contradictions' they produce I look at the strategic practices that come into play in language that attempt to transcend and overcome the difficulties they present for 'trans' people. Through a reworking of the 'modes of transgendering stories' developed by Ekins and King (1999; 2001 a; 2001 b) I focus on notions of 'erasing' and 'negating' not as particular modes or processes, but as dialogically opposed communicative actions that actually constitute migrating, oscillating and transcending stories. It is argued that a closer examination of the strategic practices of 'erasing' and 'negating' notions of 'ambiguity' and 'difference' and 'trans' visibility in stories is useful in unearthing a range of 'needs' associated with 'emotional fit', which have yet to be discovered. Using discursive techniques I consider how particular levels of 'needs' that have come to be discursively mediated and recognised by health and social welfare professionals often fall short in supporting some individuals. It therefore argues for the integration of a more gender performative approach to practice and policy development in relation to the provision of health and welfare services for 'trans' people, an approach that recognises and acknowledges the ambiguities, contradictions and differences that exist within the everyday life of trans people.

The concept of citizenship has been much debated in the scholarly literature, but little has been undertaken to apply the notion to the problems faced by Deaf communities. The intention of this study is to consider whether such a concept might be a useful framework for addressing such problems and issues. The research literature on citizenship tends to be theoretical and philosophical, with little attempt to engage directly with citizens to ascertain their views and beliefs. In addition, Deaf citizens' views are rarely sought on a politically-related topic, with the tendency for involvement in small-scale research but little interaction on research findings. This thesis aims to break that mould in a unique way. Using a qualitative research approach, it combines empowering research methods along with a critical discourse analysis of the data findings. Six focus groups of Deaf citizens were set up across the UK, and a series of research consultation group meetings involving Deaf citizens was also arranged, to explore the researcher's findings from the focus groups. Ten external stakeholders were interviewed to provide a view from a policyinaker's angle. An interpretation of the data was undertaken based on the Viennese approach to critical discourse analysis - this approach begins by valuing the historical and social circumstances of a minority group, alongside the carrying out of a discourse analysis of the data. The findings indicate that normative definitions of citizenship are inadequate to effectively encapsulate Deaf citizens' experience. The concept of citizenship was discovered to have a 'hidden dimension' that is revealed by understanding the ways in which Deaf citizens interact in society. In particular, the phonocentric character of citizenship is designed to leave Deaf citizens in perpetual disadvantage. A process of renegotiation is necessary in the policy arena to begin to adequately reflect Deaf peoples' experiences as citizens of humanity.

This thesis examines the concept of Agencification against the backdrop of Public Sector Reforms in Nigeria in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. These reforms had components and elements of New Public Management (NPM). New Public Management ideas of public sector management and governance have been influential in reform strategies across the world since the 1980s. Notwithstanding its popularity, New Public management approaches and methods have attracted controversies in areas of practical applications and ‘context’ domain. Evaluation of New Public Management reforms in Developing and Developed Countries have produced mixed results, somewhat a hazy picture which cannot be categorised as either a success or failure (Overman et al. 2015). NPM, as a policy development tool and management initiative, raises more questions than answers. An assessment of NPM and public governance models by academics and public policy analysts have generated phrases expressions such as ‘implementation habitats’, ‘cultural homogeneity’, ‘unstructured complexity’, ‘matrix of governance’, choreographies of governance ‘appropriateness milieu’ etc. (Lieberthal, 1995; Swyngedouw, 2001; Jessop, 2004), to describe the rather complex nature of public sector reforms. The main aim of this thesis is to understand the behaviour of an agency whose original design is inspired by the New Public Management (NPM) doctrines. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) Nigeria is the selected case study in this research. The objectives of the research are tied to the various narratives on NPM reforms and Agencification deliberations like the drivers, accountability, transparency, doctrines of autonomy, structural disaggregation, contractualisation, ministerial relationship, cross functionality, independence and governance (e.g. state- society relationship). In the context of Nigeria, the implementation of NPM inspired reforms elicits several distinct analyses given the volatile politico-administrative structures and the oscillation between political regimes and systems, e.g. parliamentary (1963-1966) to Military (First Junta,1966-1979, Second Junta 1983-1999) and to Presidential (1979-1983, Interim Presidential administration 23rd June1993-17th Nov. 1993, 1999-Present). This research adopts a single case study research design and qualitative data collection methods. The research findings offer a unique insight into New Public Management Reforms in Nigeria and this enables us to draw some tentative generalisations about the organisational behaviour of public agencies in the context of a developing country such as Nigeria. The research unveils an interesting finding that the TETFund does, to a large extent, display some form of autonomy. In contrast to what existing literature emphasis on problems and obstacles to NPM implementation in developing countries, e.g. corruption and political decay; the TETFund operates as a semi-autonomous organisation- in a political context which provides formidable challenges to an NPM agency.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate some of the factors that influence and direct the development of science. It takes the case of toxicology and focuses specifically on the social and political factors that have shaped ots development to the present day. This is examined within a framework derived from some of the current issues pertinent to the sociology of science and science policy, which are particularly concerned with the role of external goals in the creation of scientific knowledge. The emergence of toxicology is explored from its origins as the study of gross poisoning. The popularity of using poisons as tools for murder and assassination is seen as presenting toxicology with its first social goal. Developments in experimental toxicology during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are investigated, as is its relationship to other emerging sciences at this time. Finally the emergence of the science in Britain since 1945 is explored, its institutionalisation and social and cognitive organisation are examined with particular emphasis on the commercial aspects of the science. The external goals for toxicology are defined in social and political terms, as the need to control human exposure to poisons, and the particular regulations that exist to control the availablility of toxic substances has moved from being backward looking, controlling known gross poisons, to incorporating a requirement for a predictive evaluation of new chemicals before marketing. In this context the interaction of science and policy is investigated, focusing on two aspects in particular. These are the scientific committees which have been established to advise government departments on questions relating to toxicology, and the different guidelines that have been produced to aid the safety evaluation of new chemicals. It is concluded from the research findings that social and political factors have had an important influence on the direction and development of toxicology as it is found in Britain today. They have directed both the social structure of the science, and the type of knowledge that it generates.