The continued growth of aviation poses a major challenge to climate change mitigation. Many argue that absolute reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will not be possible without restricting demand and call for fundamental changes in travel patterns, particularly flying shorter distances. However, research shows that voluntary behaviour change in this area is unlikely: even those who express concern over aviation emissions are unwilling to sacrifice their travel plans for the sake of the environment. It has been argued, therefore, that researchers and policy makers should direct their attention to the collective nature of unsustainable air travel, rather than blaming individual passengers for their “choices”. This thesis provides an in-depth and socially situated understanding of long-haul flying within the gap year context, which is an increasingly popular activity for the British youth. Drawing on Giddens’s structuration theory and using data from a study, which employed a variety of qualitative research methods, this thesis first positions the gap year as a social practice, characterized by shared social meanings, norms and resources; second, it explores factors influencing its current long-haul character; and third, examines the role of agency in gap year participation and mobility decisions. The findings suggest that travel to (often several) long-haul destinations is a particularly desirable, appropriate and convenient way of “doing a gap year” and that opportunities for making more sustainable choices, whilst not completely absent, are constrained. Moreover, the rules and resources that form the terrain for action for prospective gap year takers are shaped by numerous networked agents. As such, this thesis joins the calls for redefining the problem of unsustainable mobility from that of individual “choice” to collective travel practices. Strong structuration is suggested as a particularly useful conceptual framework to study non-routine forms of travel, such as gap years. Policy implications are discussed, specifically potential interventions that could shift the gap year practice into a more sustainable trajectory, or substitute it for a less carbon-intensive equivalent.

abstract: Youth who turn 18 in the foster care system often face the difficulty of transitioning to adulthood without traditional emotional and financial supports. Early experiences of trauma impact their mental health and receipt of services both while in care as well as decisions whether to continue services after leaving care. Using the behavior analytic model, this dissertation explores the challenging and supportive situations former foster youth experience with mental health services while transitioning to adulthood. Qualitative interviews and focus groups inform the development of a quantitative instrument in a mixed methods, sequential exploratory research design. The resulting instrument identifies the most intense and frequently encountered situations former foster youth experience, related to their mental health and transitions to adulthood. Results indicate the most challenging situations foster youth experience during the transition are related to overwhelming expectations, receiving mixed messages from professionals, feelings of isolation, and a lack of voice and choice with regard to mental health services. Young adults in this study also emphasized the importance of responsive engagement, self-efficacy, and consistency in relationships both formally and informally. This research provides important implications for social work practice, policy, and education. Acknowledging the voice of foster youth gives them a choice in services and allows for realistic transition planning. Developing problem-solving skills and a support network beyond foster care are necessary strategies of preparation to age out. Finally, practitioners should recognize the impact of trauma and other contextual factors when conducting assessment and treatment, to promote positive outcomes. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Social Work 2015

Background: Every year in the United States approximately half a million youth with special health care needs (SHCN) turn 18. Little is known about how this population fares during the transition to adulthood. Purpose: To examine transitions to adulthood for young adults with SHCN. Methods: Using data from two national longitudinal surveys: the Panel Study of Income Dynamics and the Survey of Adult Transitions and Health, I built linear and logistic regression models to evaluate the relationship between having a history of SHCN during childhood and key transitional outcomes during young adulthood (e.g., mental health status, educational attainment, employment, financial independence and subjective indicators of adulthood). A second set of logistic models examined associations between hypothesized risk and protective factors during childhood (e.g. family financial burden, care in a medical home and access to adequate insurance) and physical health outcomes during young adulthood for youth with SHCN. Multivariate models were adjusted for key confounders. Results: The majority of youth with a history of SHCN were doing well during the transition to adulthood. That said, compared to young adults without a history of SHCN, young adults with a history of SHCN were in significantly worse mental health (adjusted OR of experiencing a non-specific psychological disorder 3.90, 95% CI 1.78-8.53) and had significantly lower odds of graduating from high school (adjusted OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.32-0.96), attending college (adjusted OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.38-0.96), and receiving financial assistance from their families (adjusted OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38-0.83). Amongst young adults with a history of SHCN, family financial burden during childhood significantly decreased the odds of being in good physical health during the transition to adulthood. There was limited evidence that receipt of care in a medical home or access to adequate insurance during childhood increased the odds of being in good physical health for young adults with a history of SHCN. Conclusions: These findings have important policy implications for programs serving youth with SHCN. Specifically, mental health and educational services may need to be expanded and more emphasis placed on addressing the non-medical determinants of health, like family financial burden.