No description available.

In the present study, I look at the relationship between power and identity verification and the conditions under which this relationship can be disrupted. Specifically, I look at the role of information in disrupting power differences within identity processes. I examine these processes through an experiment with task-oriented, power-imbalanced, dyads (N=144). Priming participants with a task-leader identity, I test how the introduction of negotiation resources—or information discrepant and external to a high power actor’s self presentation, affect presentation power—or the degree to which an actor can maintain identity meanings in light of partner negotiations. In contrast with existing literature, I did not find a direct relationship between power and identity verification. I did, however, find that those in higher positions of power experience greater identity stability, while those in lower positions of power experience increased identity change. Interestingly, I found that identity change and identity verification varied with identity valence, such that those with dominant task leader identity meanings experienced greater identity stability but less identity verification than their more submissive counterparts. These relationships, however were power dependent, such that differences disappeared among power-high actors, and were magnified for power-low actors. Negotiation Resources did not have a significant main effect, but showed a significant interaction with identity valence when predicting identity verification among power-low actors.

In England and Wales, life imprisonment is the ultimate sanction for the most serious crimes. The introduction of Discretionary Lifer Panels (DLPs) in 1992 was a major development in the way that lifers are managed within the penal system. This thesis explores 'life after life imprisonment' for the first cohort of discretionary lifers who were released into the community through the DLP process. The study is set in the context of a renewed interest in empirical research on the resettlement of ex-prisoners, yet little of this work has focused on life-sentenced offenders. By investigating the resettlement process of 138 discretionary lifers released on life licence between 1992 and 1997, this research contributes to empirical and theoretical understanding of rehabilitation and desistance from crime after long-term imprisonment. Part One considers the various factors that have shaped the discretionary life sentence, and sets out the research methods used. Part Two examines the role of the Probation Service in the process of resettlement. Based on empirical work across probation areas, it sheds light on the claim that contemporary probation practice is indicative of a more general authoritarian and exclusionary approach to resettlement. Part Three explores the 'disistance and persistance' process for lifers. It provides a detailed analysis of the narrative accounts of resettled lifers, and explores the reasons why they had given up crime. It also highlights the growing numbers of recalled lifers, and seeks to identify factors associated with failure on life licence. This thesis concludes by arguing that rehabilitation continues to have a prominent place within the discourse of resettlement. Overall, this thesis lends support to theories of disistance from crime that emphasise the importance of shifts in offenders' narrative identities to explain cessation from criminal behaviour, and highlights the role of a professional relationship as a powerful vehicle for change.

This thesis contributes to the academic knowledge in the field of professional identity and organisational change. This thesis also has a practical implication as the findings helped to shape an organisational change within the co-funders organisation. The research was guided by the wish to explore the extent to which professional identity affects the willingness of those within Primary healthcare Units to accept fundamental changes in their working practices. Specifically, the aim was to establish the relationship of professional identity to processes of change. As the owners of small businesses who contract their services to the Health Board, the opinions of General Practitioners (GPs) were deemed to be of particular interest. The study was undertaken using a mixed method design, based upon a Constructivist grounded theory methodology. This was chosen as the ideal vehicle to examine the complex nature of identity within healthcare professionals and how they viewed organisational changes. Research started with unstructured interviews (n-14) and the analysis of the data obtained was fed into a questionnaire (n-97). The questionnaire offered validation of the initial findings. The findings of the research showed that professional identity has a bearing on the willingness of professionals to accept changes to their working environment. The resistance demonstrated by Healthcare staff, and specifically, GPs, to organisational change could be linked to feeling a perceived threat to their professional identity. Therefore, to undertake a successful organisational change, change managers must recognise that identity is vitally important and can affect the success or failure of an organisational change. Consideration of how any change may be perceived by professionals, within an identity context, must be built into the organisational change programme and revisited regularly during the change programme.

Vad motiverar en kriminellt belastad person att bryta sin brottsliga bana och söka psykoterapi som en del av den processen? Syftet med föreliggande uppsats är att öka förståelsen för psykoterapins plats i en identitetsförändringsprocess. Frågeställningarna som studien vill undersöka är: tidigare kriminellas motiv till att söka psykoterapi, deras förväntningar på vad psykoterapin ska hjälpa dem med, samt skäl för att ta avstånd ifrån eller återgå till ett kriminellt liv. Studien är en kvalitativ, explorativ undersökning som utgår ifrån intervjuer med fyra personer som själva har sökt psykoterapi efter avtjänade fängelsestraff. Resultatet visar att motiven för att lämna kriminaliteten var primärt de anhöriga, en vilja att inte förlora mer relationer, tid, arbete och boende, en rädsla för att dö samt en ökad personlig mognad. De har valt att gå i psykoterapi för att få hjälp att stoppa sitt kriminella beteende genom kontroll och prevention. Vidare att få bearbeta sina tidigare upplevelser och känslor samt få hjälp med återanpassningen till samhället; bli rehabiliterade. Psykoterapin påverkade och stärkte identitetsförändringsprocessen. Motiven för att tidigare välja kriminalitet var ett behov av att slippa ångest, maktlöshet, frustration, utsatthet och stämpling. Ytterligare skäl var få känna kicken, välbehaget och gemenskapen. Slutsatserna är att för att en förändring ska vara möjlig behöver den kriminella identiteten vara uppluckrad varför behandling under anstaltstiden sällan blir verksam. Det kriminella, mot förändringen konkurrerande, normsystemet behöver vara tillräckligt försvagat. Psykoterapin och psykoterapeutens plats i en identitetsförändringsprocess blir att vara ett stöd i den mest sköra fasen, i det vakum som uppstår när sociala band i övrigt är svaga och den nya identiteten ännu inte är tillräckligt stadigt förankrad. Den känslomässiga kopplingen till de behov och känslor som kämpar emot varandra i förändringsprocessen behöver benämnas och bearbetas.

Killmiddag är ett initiativ som startades av jämlikhetsstiftelsen Make Equal i syfte att engagera män i debatten om ett jämställt samhälle. Med utgångspunkt i detta var syftet med denna uppsats att öka förståelsen för hur maskulinitet skapas inom sammanhanget Killmiddag. Avsikten var även att undersöka varför män väljer att delta och hur de hanterar eventuella splittringar mellan normerna inom och utanför Killmiddag. Det empiriska materialet samlades in genom nio semistrukturerade intervjuer och analyserades med hjälp av följande teorier; R.W Connells teori om maskuliniteter, Richard Jenkins teori om social identitet, Erving Goffmans teori om intrycksstyrningoch Anthony Giddens teori om reflexivitet. Resultatet visar att drivkraften till att delta i Killmiddag bygger på att det hos deltagarna finns en förändringsvilja som delvis är sprungen ur metoo-rörelsen och ett missnöje mot rådande maskulinitetsnormer. Det framkommer också att Killmiddag fyller en viktig funktion i deras maskulinitetskonstruktion. I sammanhanget ges utrymme att uttrycka delar av sin identitet och visa känslor som annars inte tillåts i andra manliga gemenskaper. Resultatet visar också att det finns en splittring mellan olika situationsbundna maskulinitetsnormer, vilket föranleder en konflikt mellan individens självuppfattning, maskulinitetsnormer och behovet av andras bekräftelse. Utifrån detta framkommer tre strategier för hantering av dessa splittringar; utmana och förändra normerna, anpassa sig till situationen eller aktivt omge sig med likasinnade. / “Killmiddag” is an initiative launched by the equality foundation Make Equal, with the purpose of engaging men in gender equality issues. Based on this, the intention of this study was to increase knowledge and understanding of how masculinity is created within the context of Killmiddag. Our aim was also to find the reasons why men choose to participate, as well as how they deal with possible conflict between the norms within, and outside of, the Killmiddag forum. The empirical material was collected through nine semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using the following theories; R.W Connell's theory of masculinities, Richard Jenkin's theory of social identity, Erving Goffman's theory of impression management and Anthony Giddens’s theory of reflexivity. The result shows that men’s motivation to participate in Killmiddag is sparked by a desire to change current masculinity norms, and that this is partly due to the MeToo movement. It also shows that Killmiddag plays an important part when it comes to the participants’ personal constructions of masculinity, this mainly as it is a context that allows them to express parts of their identity and show emotions that normally are not accepted within male forums. In addition, the result brings light to a split between different situational masculinity norms, which can cause conflict between an individual’s self-perception, masculinity standards and the need for others’ approval. In regards to this, three different strategies for managing these problems were found: to challenge and change the norms, adapt to the given situation or purposefully surround oneself with like-minded people.

No description available.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal.

Growing federal attention to addressing collateral damages of the era of mass conviction and mass incarceration has led to millions in funding allocated to support successful reentry for offenders in contact with the justice system. In line with this initiative, federal agencies have recently turned to criminal desistance research to build on earlier recidivism studies and to inform successful reentry programs. In an effort to contribute to opportunities for future research within the desistance paradigm, this study was designed to explore the identity change process of the offender from deviant to prosocial, a continuously emerging concept within the desistance literature that has received little specific attention to date. The identity theory of desistance was used as the theoretical framework for this study in an effort to advance existing theory while exploring the phenomena of interest. The key research questions guiding inquiry related to understanding the lived experience of identity change as a component of the criminal desistance process, identifying determinants that influence this identity change, and identifying behaviors that support the changing identity. Data were secured using a combination of semi-structured interviews with 6 ex-offenders reportedly 10 or more years beyond desistance, observation around interviewing, and document reviews. Data were analyzed using a qualitative descriptive phenomenology approach. Results showed the essence of the experience of identity change through the criminal desistance process involves refining the internal and external world to fit the non-offending working identity. Results of this study advance existing knowledge and theory toward practical, transformative support for offenders on the road to positive reform.

Mémoire numérisé par la Division de la gestion de documents et des archives de l'Université de Montréal