In my thesis, I explore German-Turks’ social identity and research its impact on their financial investment decisions. A systematic literature review reveals a research gap on financial investment decision making, as well as on qualitative research on social identity. I collected primary data by means of semi-structured, in-depth, multiple interviews with German-Turkish participants, who are interested in and/or hold financial investments. I analyze the data using a phenomenological approach. Social identity is found to have many different bi-cultural shades, but financial investments are clearly viewed through the lens of professional German social identity. Notwithstanding, financial investments are found to be a family affair. This includes involving experienced family members in the decision-making process, as well as providing financial support to the extended family in order to maintain a web of loyalty. My study extends social identity theory to financial investment decision making of the ethnic Turkish population in Germany, identifies a new mechanism of social creativity and explains the mechanism of bi-cultural social identity. Practical implications of my study draw on the identification of decision making processes, which involve not only the customer herself/himself but also financially literate family members. Financial services institutions can gain better understanding and access to this target group. Appropriate communication with customers and those who significantly influence buying decisions can increase customer satisfaction. Social identity theory is usually associated with quantitative research, using questionnaires and experiments for generating data; therefore my qualitative approach is methodologically relevant. Thus, I demonstrate that a qualitative approach can be applied successfully and meaningful results are obtained.

The transformation of urban waterfronts is one of the key urban design and planning stories of the late twentieth century. The decline of the waterfront in post-industrial cities meant the deterioration of both a physical and social nature of significant portions of urban fabric. Cities have reacted to this state of affairs with substantial regeneration programs, approaching the decline of waterfront as an opportunity rather than a problem. However, since the success of early regeneration programs in North America, changing urban waterfronts on a global scale has led to a manifestation of globalisation, becoming a synonym of uniformity and monotony of cities. The urban waterfront also has become a battleground for a number of intersecting forces and different interests and desires. This research aims to study the phenomenon of urban waterfront regeneration, specifically analysing how it has operated within the UK context since the late 20th century until the present. It focuses on investigating the process of transformation of the urban waterfront in the city of Liverpool. Liverpool has suffered from a serious urban decline following the degeneration of its seven miles of docks due to a number of internal and external factors. However, since the 1980s, the image of an abandoned waterfront has started to change with massive waterfront regeneration schemes that aim to improve the physical, environmental, social and economic conditions of the area. This research argues that by understanding the process and the context of this regeneration, several lessons can be learned and models of good practice can be identified. The research is based on a series of lengthy interviews with key stakeholders closely linked with the development in the city, a review of documents related to the regeneration of Liverpool waterfront, including urban design policies and guidance, a substantial review of relevant news articles that were written throughout the periods of the recent transformation of the city, and numerous site visits to reflect upon the development carried out recently. The research also identifies and discusses a number of key urban issues such as image and identity, cultural built heritage, place marketing and branding, urban governance. The research identifies three distinctive eras of waterfront regeneration and several key regeneration schemes. Each of these eras reflects the many factors that shaped the urban landscape. The research argues that there are no specific models that can create successful waterfront regeneration, yet, what is important is ensuring the complexity and the inclusiveness of the process of the regeneration. An inclusive and a complex process will result in attaining urban competitiveness besides securing distinctive, genuine and imaginative urban identity. The research also highlighted the central role of urban design as a mediator between the numerous processes and different forces that shape the urban landscape.

This research project aims to explore trans people’s experience of healthcare and psychological services in the UK, with a view to helping further inform counselling psychologists and other healthcare providers of the specific needs of this client group, with implications for improving future treatment and support in this area. In the past, trans people have frequently reported experiencing difficulties when accessing healthcare and psychological support. Much of the research carried out in the UK has involved large-scale studies conducted online. Consequently, there is a need for a project using a qualitative design to explore in depth the lived experiences of this population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 participants, and the data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). The sample comprised 4 trans men and 5 trans women between the ages of 18 and 62 years old. Three master themes emerged from the data: “Challenges of Living”, “Negotiating Care”, and “Survival”. A further 10 sub-themes were also identified. These results represent my personal interpretation of the participants’ subjective experiences. The findings were explored in relation to existing theory and literature. Implications for clinical practice and considerations for working therapeutically with trans people were considered. Specifically, recommendations aimed at helping trans people feel more visible and empowered were presented. The importance of helping trans clients build resilience and develop coping strategies was also discussed.

In Volume I two papers are presented which focus on the practice of Assertive Outreach Teams (AOT) in the United Kingdom. In chapter 1 of this volume a review of the literature on Assertive Outreach Teams in the UK is presented. This review focuses on studies from the UK as it is argued that generalizations cannot be made from USA based studies. This is followed in Chapter 2 by an empirical study on the relationship between the factors of shame, stigma, engagement and ethnicity in AOTs in Birmingham. This study investigated whether black clients and white clients differed with respect to how engaged they were with services, and what role the factors of shame and stigma play in his. In Volume II five clinical practice reports (CPR) are presented. In CPR 1 the case of a client from secondary care is formulated from two theoretical perspectives. The perspectives are compared and contrasted and references are made to clinical implications. CPR 2 outlines a qualitative service evaluation into the use of interpreting services by those carrying out psychological therapies. The outcomes of this evaluation are linked to policy and legislation and the report makes recommendations with regard to future practice. In CPR 3 a single case experimental study is presented. The case presented is that of a 7 year old with Aspergers syndrome. A Cogntive Behavioral Intervention was utilised and its effectiveness is examined. CPR 4 outlines a case study of a man with learning disabilities who engages in cigarette pica. The behavioral intervention used in this case is outlined and assessed. Finally in CPR 5 a précis of a Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) intervention is presented. A case study approach is taken and reflections are made on all aspects of the work carried out (assessment, formulation, intervention and outcome).

This thesis is concerned with understanding and describing the nature of 'community' within digital domains. A literature review indicates multiple media use within communities. The increasing range of personal and organisational technologies available suggests digital communities are more than just online communities. As such they require a new method of assessment. The design of digital communities should be based on an understanding of 'community' in digital domains. Previous assessments, often focusing exclusively on the Internet, failed to recognise the ways in which technologies are integrated within communities. A new assessment method should allow the examination of integrated technology effects on communities through an analysis of important community features. To assess digital communities a framework consisting of five headings was developed. The framework allows the effects of technologies to be examined across a range of communities. Taking a convergent methodologies approach five studies were undertaken covering a range of technologies and media integration issues. The results suggest that digital communities are groups of people using technology to support their social interaction needs. Media use within digital communities is heavily integrated and the social needs of community members drive technology use. Designers should provide communities with flexible technology that permits integration and member adaptation.

The increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) amongst South Asians (SAs) is unclear. This thesis examined potential biomarkers to address this. Cross-sectional data on SAs from community (n=1304) and hospital (n=148) populations was collected. Biomarkers were analysed by genotyping, mass spectrometry, automated-immuno-colourimetric-assays, ELISAs, and a new in-house assay for a novel marker, ferritin bound to apolipoprotein B. Diagnostic performance was assessed using receiver operating curves, logistic and linear regression models. C-reactive protein (CRP) was a comprehensive marker of CVD risk, where a range of 1.43-2.30 mg/L maximised sensitivity and specificity. CRP SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) -390C>T/A contributed minimally to variation in CRP levels. Non-fasting triglycerides discriminated SAs at increased CVD risk, where APOA5 SNP -1131T>C was an independent predictor of triglycerides but APOC3 SNP -455T>C and -482C>T were not associated with triglycerides. The performance of IL-6, vWF, D-dimer and P-selectin were poor in comparison to CRP and triglycerides. BNP discriminated SAs with systolic heart failure with a cut off value of 36.4 pmol/l. Of the newly investigated biomarkers, a link between haemoglobin abnormalities and CVD was observed potentially through a mechanism involving iron transportation on lipoproteins. CRP and triglycerides should be considered in the routine CVD risk assessment of SAs.

Black radical politics are comprehensively defined and the aim is to understand how such a political ideology can be used to overcome racial inequalities in contemporary Britain. A Black radical challenge to mainstream racial theory within the academy is outlined, along with an interrogation of the principle limitation of Black radical thought, that of essentialism and cultural authenticity. To illustrate how a Black radical approach can be understood, the position was applied to inequalities in schooling. Black radicalism argues for a Black independent education. Black supplementary schools are spaces organised by concerned members of the Black community and offer extra teaching of mainstream curricula and also Black studies. These are presented as potential spaces for Black radical independent education. A Black supplementary school was selected as a case study, where a critical participatory ethnography was undertaken. The researcher spent 7 months working as a teacher in the supplementary school, collecting extensive fieldnotes. Experiences in the programme revealed strengths in the relationships, diverse curriculum and empowering nature of the environment for students. A number of challenges also arose including structure, coordination and decline in attendance. Overall, the potential for a Black radical independent education exists within Black supplementary school movement.

The mechanism through which goals influence stereotype activation/control is unclear. This thesis aimed to shed some light on the mechanism through which internally-generated and externally-imposed goals influence stereotype activation by applying Fishbach and colleagues’ model of goal progress. Across six experiments, I demonstrated that (1) internal, but not external, egalitarian goals result in less stereotype accessibility (consistent with egalitarian goal pursuit) following a potentially large goal–behaviour discrepancy (Experiment 2), (2) external, but not internal, egalitarian goals result in less stereotype accessibility (consistent with egalitarian goal pursuit) when contemplating past success (Experiment 1), but not following a potentially small goal–behaviour discrepancy or a potential goal–behaviour match (Experiments 3 & 4), and (3) internal egalitarian goals result in concern over including ambiguous faces in the ingroup, but only following a potential goal–behaviour discrepancy. External egalitarian goals irrespective of goal–behaviour discrepancy size, and internal egalitarian goals following a potential goal–behaviour match, both result in concern over accurate categorisation (Experiment 6). These findings suggest that the source of a goal (i.e., internal vs. external), and discrepancy size for internal, but not external, goals, are important parts of the mechanism through which goals influence social categorisation and stereotype activation.

Volume I is comprised of two papers; the literature review and a research paper. The literature review presents a narrative account, exploring the literature related to understanding the experience of ethnic minority therapists. The research paper follows on from this review and is therefore a qualitative exploration of the experience of identity in Black British psychologists. Volume II contains five Clinical Practice Reports (CPR‘s) that were completed during the course of training.

The portrayal of migrants in Spanish and British media and political discourse has been the focus of much recent academic study and is largely concerned with negative images. Where positive or sympathetic portrayals have been examined, they alert us to pitfalls: compassion aroused by the portrayal of migrants as victims is a double-edged sword because victims need an external agent to empower them and, therefore, are deprived of their own agency. The image of the 'passive' and 'rightless' migrant has been counteracted by literature that portrays migrants as 'political activists' mobilising to demand legalisation of their immigration status. This portrayal of the 'activist migrant' can be viewed as 'utopian' whereby migrants are transformed into a new historical subject for social change and, as such, become the site for the projection of political hopes and desires. This study focuses on an area of research that has received little attention - how migrants' rights organisations portray migrants. Two organisations provided the research sites for the case studies: Sevilla Acoge, based in Seville, Spain, and Praxis, based in London, Britain. As demonstrated in this thesis, both of them were strongly influenced by the radical leftist ideas of liberation theology. The thesis argues that over a period of approximately thirty years (from the 1980s to the early 2010s) the portrayal of migrants shifted from a political to a humanitarian framing. More specifically, it shows that these changing portrayals reflected shifts in the organisations' values and expressed a sense of disappointment in the politics of the past that had aimed to change society through collective political action. This cross-country, comparative and longitudinal study uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate the changing portrayals of migrants. The case studies illustrate the consequences of the humanitarian trumping the political approach to migrants' rights and the implications of this for the possibilities of political action and empowerment.