Recovery is a new concept positing that people with schizophrenia can lead fulfilling, satisfying, and productive lives. Family carers often play a helpful but largely unacknowledged role in the support of service users with schizophrenia, and the nature of their contribution to and their role in recovery has hitherto not been investigated. This original PhD explores whether learning about the recovery approach through participation in a training intervention changes the way carers view recovery, whether they find the concept helpful, whether it modifies their behaviour, and their evaluation of the intervention. A participatory action research methodology was applied in this study, actively supported by a steering group consisting of different stakeholders. Training on the recovery approach was delivered to a group of eleven carers to explore their response to the recovery concept. The training programme was delivered by me and a carer, utilising my personal experience as a service user with the diagnosis of schizophrenia. Focus groups and individual, semi-structured follow-up interviews were applied to assess self-reported changes in attitudes and behaviours. Mainly qualitative data were collected with supplementary socio-demographic data. The analysis of the qualitative data suggests that being more ‘recovery-aware’ gives carers increased hope and optimism for their own and the service user’s future. Greater awareness of the impact of caring upon the service user’s life helps them to begin to care in such a way as to promote recovery in the service user, and gain more confidence in their own expertise-by-caring. Professionals have a key role to play in recovery, a three-cornered partnership between the carer, professionals and the service user is desirable. The carers evaluated the training programme as helpful, and particularly valued its authenticity as it was led by a service user and carer trainers. Conclusions suggest that recovery is a helpful concept for carers. It shows that learning about recovery helps them to care more effectively for the service user and for themselves. It suggests the usefulness of developing a recovery concept for carers based on reconciliation of their caring identity, their caring role and their relationships with the service user and professionals. Recovery for the service user and for the carer requires support from professionals, based on a partnership service model, a contribution to the development of recovery practice. The training programme is a useful way of conveying the hope in recovery and is strengthened by the service user perspective of recovery.

The Church of England is living through a time of significant change in attitudes towards local church ministry, congregational participation and pastoral practices. As it seeks to respond with integrity to changes in contemporary society the Church’s dialogue with empirical social research is beginning to develop more fully. This thesis focuses on a pioneer national project to explore the effectiveness of pastoral ministry in contemporary church weddings. The social science research methods used in this project revealed insights into the ministry of contemporary church weddings with the intention of shaping responsive parochial wedding policies. This thesis considers the potential for further local enquiry by individual marrying clergy to understand the ordinary theology (proposed by Astley) of their communities using methods of ordinary research alongside a shared reflective practice. It highlights the socio-theological interface within reflective empirical theology by pastoral practitioners in the Church. A model of participatory action research incorporating online clergy forums and change agent groups is explored to stimulate parochial and institutional change among clergy in partnership with each other. The role of priest researchers is proposed and identified in other pastoral contexts to examine factors that motivate clergy to participate in the development of pastorally responsive national policies. A methodology of personal diaries, focus groups and one to one interviews is used to explore the responses of clergy to participating in reflective praxis. The findings point to key factors in developing pastoral practice and policies involving the place of ministerial development and attitudes towards collaborative working. A typology of pastoral ministry is developed towards identifying priest researchers in the Church. The research affirms the contribution of pastoral practitioners towards the development of pastorally responsive national policies but the nature of parochial deployment and clergy relationships with each other and the Church institutions frequently preclude much of this contribution.

One problem with the traditional marketing segmentation view of consumer markets is that it treats social categories as an ontology, which somehow becomes independent of its own members. It assumes that the self is required to adjust to its segment. In my research, I follow writers such as Hall (1996) who claim that consumer identity is not a reflection of a fixed, natural, state of being but a process of becoming. The meaning of social economic class, Britishness, religion, masculinity and so forth, are subject to continual change. Identity then becomes a ‘cut’ or a snapshot of unfolding meanings; it is a strategic positioning of the individual, which makes meaning possible. My primary research focuses on one cultural category - second generation British South Asian. This is a group of consumers who are required to negotiate with multiple discourses – local, global, past, present, future, western, eastern, religious, national, popular culture and more - and with many social and cultural categories - British society, South Asian community, county of origin, religion, professional identity and others. The mainstream literature takes an essentialist view when analysing this group treating ethnic minority consumers as acculturating individuals who hold a hyphenated identity and who have to balance pressures from two sides of the hyphen- South Asian and BritishIn my research I take inspiration from Hall (1996) and treat ethnicity in its de-totalised, or deconstructed forms, recognising ethnicity as a concept that cannot be thought of in the ‘old way’ as representing essential, discrete differences between groups. Ethnicity and race are conceptualised here as socially constructed, relationally and culturally locatedMy data collection strategy is designed to help participants (Sample size of 13) to explore the landscape of their self by eliciting life narratives and their constituent attachments. The data were collected in two stages. The initial phase is based on the collection of 2 collages one of self-identity and one of shopping experience. The objective of this phase was to give the participants an opportunity to explore and map the different discursive influences in their lives. The second stage uses a narrative interview where the collages were used as a guide for the structure of the conversation. The findings of this research confirm a picture of self-identity as a ‘Field of Discursivity’ (Laclau and Mouffe, 1985) where self-identity can be viewed as a field in which no one discourse can fully master the others. Consequently, ‘who one is’ becomes an open question, with a shifting answer depending upon the positions available between one's own and others' discursive practices and within those practices. This understanding is the foundation of my claim that traditional marketing discussion rests on a flawed assumption which renders segmentation strategy incompatible with current market reality.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-12T19:18:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SaintCLS_TESE.pdf: 4694097 bytes, checksum: 80ab61feec693a67ab89d69cc107d325 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-06 / The banana (Musa spp) is one of the most consumed fruits in the world. It constitutes an important food, because of their chemical composition and content in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. It is notable for being versatile, by their taste, low price and their easily of being consumed in natura, favoring the poor population. There are several challenges to banana production in the world, including the aspect of food security, as regards not only the quantity produced, but also the quality of fruits, mainly under the aspect of demand for products free of pesticides. Focused in the perspective of agroecology theme, this study considered the involvement of local farmers, like experimenter farmers offering in their own work, not just a research environment, but also a demonstration unit for students and banana producers of these region. This research had as main objective of studying the population dynamic of C. sordidus traps and evaluate their control in terms of the Vale do Açu-RN. We will also collaborate with the technical support to local producers, since research has allowed him to these, during and after the experiments, as a way to achieve a participatory ownership of the results. It was observed population dynamic of adult C. sordidus, so that the population peak was in June 2010. As the larvae, it was found that two population peaks occurred in the month of December 2009 and in July 2010. The climatic variables did not influence the population dynamics of adults and produced negative effects in the young population of these insects, especially rainfall and relative humidity. There were differences between the traps studied on the capture efficiency of C. sordidus. Considering the four collections, economically, the best treatment was the "T4" Bait type "tile" (80 baits / ha), which had the lowest ratio of total cost and average of trapped insects. Considering eight samples, economically the best treatment was the "T1", Cosmolure ® Drum, which had the lowest ratio of Total Cost and Average of trapped insects. Treatment with bait type "roof" (T4) is greater sustainability for family farmers, not creating dependency on external inputs and on the other hand, provide occupation of manpower, thus contributing to income generation and environmental preservation . / A banana (Musa spp) é uma das frutas mais consumidas no mundo. Constituise num importante alimento, em razão de sua composição química e conteúdo em vitaminas e minerais, principalmente potássio. Destaca-se por ser versátil, pelo seu sabor, baixo preço e facilidade de consumo in natura, favorecendo a população de menor poder aquisitivo economicamente. São vários os desafios que se colocam à produção de banana no mundo, dentre eles o aspecto da segurança alimentar, no que concerne não só à quantidade produzida, mas também à qualidade dos frutos, principalmente sob o aspecto da exigência de produtos livres de agrotóxicos. Focado sob a ótica da temática agroecológica, este estudo considerou a participação dos agricultores locais, como agricultores experimentadores oportunizando em sua área de trabalho, não só um ambiente de pesquisa, mas também uma unidade de demonstração para estudantes e produtores(as) de banana da região. Esta pesquisa teve como principal objetivo, estudar a dinâmica populacional de C. sordidus e avaliar armadilhas ao seu controle nas condições do Vale do Açu-RN. Objetivou-se também, colaborar com o suporte técnico aos produtores locais, já que a pesquisa proporcionou o envolvimento desses, durante e pós os experimentos, como forma de se lograr uma apropriação participativa dos resultados. Verificou-se dinâmica populacional dos adultos de C. sordidus, de modo que o pico populacional foi no mês de junho de 2010. Quanto às larvas, verificou-se que ocorreram dois picos populacionais, no mês de dezembro de 2009 e no mês de julho de 2010. As variáveis climáticas não influenciaram na dinâmica populacional de adultos e produziram efeitos negativos na população jovem desses insetos, sobretudo a precipitação pluvial e umidade relativa do ar. Houve diferença entre as armadilhas estudadas quanto à eficiência de captura do C. sordidus. Considerando-se 4 coletas, economicamente, o melhor tratamento foi o T4 , Isca tipo telha (80 iscas/ha), que apresentou a menor relação entre custo total e média de insetos capturados. Considerando-se 8 coletas, economicamente o melhor tratamento foi o T1 , Cosmolure® Tambor, que apresentou a menor relação entre Custo Total e Média de insetos capturados. O tratamento com isca tipo telha (T4) representa maior sustentabilidade para a agricultura familiar, por não criar a dependência externa de insumos e por outro lado, propiciar ocupação da mão-de-obra, contribuindo para a geração de renda e preservação ambiental.

Il presente lavoro di tesi, realizzato su mandato della cooperativa C.T.A. di Milano, discute i risultati di una ricerca partecipativa realizzata per approfondire il percorso di ricerca delle origini da parte di persone adottate con adozione nazionale. Per la realizzazione della ricerca, in accordo con i principi dell’approccio partecipativo, sono stati coinvolti quattro esperti per esperienza -adulti adottati che hanno fatto esperienza di ricerca delle proprie origini- i quali, lavorando in gruppo insieme al ricercatore, hanno definito le domande di ricerca, valutato la scelta dello strumento per la raccolta dei dati, costruito la traccia dell’intervista e infine analizzato i dati raccolti. Dalle 16 interviste realizzate sono emersi risultati che evidenziano la complessità del percorso di ricerca delle origini: quali significati assume per le persone adottate, le modalità con cui avviene, da parte di chi le persone adottate si sentono supportate nel corso delle ricerche, il rapporto con la famiglia adottiva, con altre persone adottate, con i Tribunali per i Minorenni e con gli operatori sociali. Questi risultati forniscono numerosi elementi utili non solo per approfondire la conoscenza del fenomeno, ma anche per immaginare l’attivazione di forme di sostegno specifiche per coloro che necessitano di ricostruire il puzzle della propria storia. / This thesis, carried out under the mandate of CTA Milan, shows the results of a participatory research on the process of reconstruction of pre-adoptive history by Italian adult adoptees. According to the participatory model, four experts by experience were involved in a research group (steering group), and work in tandem with the researcher on all the research project. Integrating researcher’ s technical skills with experiential skills of co-researchers, we defined the research question and decided to use semi-structured interviews to collect data. Text analysis of the transcripts of the 16 interviews carried out, was also made in the steering group, according to the literature review and to the personal experience of co-researchers. The interviews analysis shows the whole complexity of the origins’ research process: what is the meaning of origins’ research in the view of adoptees; how Italian adoptees try to find the identity of their birth family; by whom they have been supported during this research process; the relationships with adoptive family, with other people who live adoptive experiences, with the Juvenile Court and social workers. With these results we could learn more about origins’ research and provide significant suggestions on how adopted people could be supported in their experience of research.

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This doctoral thesis is a practice-led and corporate-grounded enquiry into the role of design research methods in a global technology company. The work aims to understand and communicate through a series of case studies how locally conducted participatory action research can be integrated into the processes of an in-house design team at the global NCR Corporation. It questions the current approaches taken in the design and development of consumer transaction technologies in the context of a global organisation and new markets. The thesis starts by introducing the reader to the global corporation in which the study is focused and author employed, the NCR Corporation. The contextual grounding of the corporate environment, its heritage, history and continued evolution will illustrate the dynamic yet traditional role design has played within the corporation. As a senior member of the Consumer Experience Design (Cx Design) team in the corporation the author is well placed to evaluate the role of design and how it can evolve. The immediate contextualisation is then followed by a broad examination of the literature in the field of design in a corporate culture, research methods and socially-led innovation. This will define the boundaries of interest and influence in the thesis. A participatory action research approach was taken to address the research questions. Informed by a series of hyperlocal and global community engagements framed and directed from within the corporate culture, the author defines an understanding of the levels of community engagement through design research. The resulting outputs are then applied within the context of the NCR Corporation where the impact and influence on such engagements can be understood. The author concludes that his contribution to new knowledge, the development of a Participatory Action Based Strategic Design Process, can be applied within a global technology company. The process adapts McNiff’s and Whitehead’s (2011) seven phases of action research reporting and Ravi Chhatpar’s strategic decision-making process. The thesis demonstrates the value and influence of design research methods in the design of consumer transaction technologies. The thesis provides an understanding of how design research methods have been applied in a corporate environment, how the insights are applied, and demonstrates how the research has influenced the author’s practice and therefore the wider Cx Design group.

Native potatoes are an important element of food security both as a direct food source and as a cash crop for peasant producers in the Andes of Peru. Production is basically for self-consumption and the shift to commercialization is a challenge. As a response, the Papa Andina Initiative (COGEPAN) was initiated to promote market innovation and pro-vide relative advantage to producers to respond to emerging markets. Research is limited on the integration, information and communication in relation to social relations. Old and new nonreciprocal relations and roles among stakeholders, consequences of customary practices, undermine the ability of female peasant producers. Any process requires an un-derstanding of culture, traditions and the gendered practices of agricultural production. As the research was premised on a feminist perspective, a sequential explanatory and mixed design was utilized for obtaining background and contextual data in a way that coupled collecting sex-disaggregated data with iterative planning activities readjusting the research to sharpen its focus on women. The situation of Andean peasant women within modern-day agricultural innovation systems is influenced by traditions and cus-tomary laws embedded in the specific lifeworlds of peasant communities. In COGEPAN, gender relations and roles are changing from the macro to the individual levels. Each change opens up new opportunities to shape innovation and benefit women. The partici-patory nature of market chains unfolds spaces for women to reveal leadership abilities. Gender relations and innovation have shifted in their own areas of interest or spheres. However, other gender issues are still embedded in peasant farming systems and the na-tive market chain. Results allow the researcher to recommend further policy analysis. The full range of women’s and men’s activities, resources, and benefits has to be reflected in the assessment of the innovation system and continuing activities. Gendered socio-economic factors affecting the adoption of proposed technological or institutional innova-tions need to be considered. Structural obstacles have to be addressed by implementing policies that facilitate peasant women’s advancement. The design and implementation of policy and legislation have to acknowledge that communities are not homogeneous and mechanisms have to be context-specific to achieve equitable representation of women and men. / Government of Ontario, IDRC/AUCC - LACREG, University of Guelph

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