In this thesis I contemplate the work that subjects perform when giving accounts of themselves, and the work that researchers might perform when working with those accounts. It is composed of a series of philosophical contemplations emergent from reflections upon my experience of conducting life-history narrative interviews with forty people aged between eighteen and sixty-five. It is motivated by questions about the practices through which subjects, their experiences and their accounts of that experience are constituted and articulated. It is motivated, too, by ethical questions related to the practices through which researchers engage with the accounts that subjects of research give of themselves. It is a reflexive project in which my presence as researcher and author is figured as an intellectual resource. This is accomplished through the inclusion of a self-conscious textual ‘I’ who gives an account of himself. I ask how we might understand biographical accounts of experience to have been constituted and performed as accounts, and their narrators to have been constituted and performed as narrating and narratable subjects. In pursuing these questions I trace and articulate those temporalised and spatialised practices and relations through which subjects are constituted, and constituted as intelligible to themselves and each other. I work to give an account of subjects as the play of possibilities within, and differences among, intersecting repertoires of regulatory and regularising technologies of subjectification. I resist, however, giving accounts of subjects that suggest that they are reducible to these technologies. I am, then, concerned with articulating a subject who is simultaneously, paradoxically, regulated and irreducible, knowable and not. These concerns are articulated and performed through contemplation of philosophical and ethical questions related to working with transcriptions of life-history narrative interviews. Rather than suppose the transcribed interview to be a patient text awaiting interpretation, I perform the act of approaching the text with patience. I work with transcriptions of narrative interviews as resources for the reflexive development of my theorising, and for the articulation and performance of patient theorising through deferral of close attention to one narrative until the final chapter. I work with theory in this way, not as if there is a hypothesis to be tested through research, but with research as a space through which questions of theory might be developed. I open the text to philosophical questions, propositions and concepts motivated more towards further openings rather than closures. It is an assemblage of thoughts, knowledges, relations, memories and forgettings which instantiate multiple trajectories that arc in multiple directions without necessarily meeting or arriving. It is a text of bits and fragments, absences and presences, inclusions and omissions, locutions and lacunae. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The economic, demographic and social changes of the latter half of the C20th have influenced the experience of individuals now at 'midlife'. Arguably the impact of these changes has been more profound for women; specifically in the UK for those educated to be the wives, mothers and carers of industrial Britain (Newsom, 1963). Now around 50 years old this group of women are likely to experience a lengthy period of 'postmaternity' (Sheriff and Weatherall, 2009) extending to over thirty years in many cases. This research considers the experience of this metaphorically entitled 'telescopic' cohort (Goldstein and Schlag, 1999). The major corpus of age related research assumes a linear developmental progression of life stages (Erikson, 1951, 1968; Gould, 1978; Levinson, 1978; Levinson, 1996; Klohnen et al., 1996; Miner-Rubinio, 2004). Drawing on life course theory (Elder, 1995; Runyan, 1982; Super, 1980) enables this research to explore how women may have changed assumptions about themselves and their expectations as the social world has changed around them, moreover offers an alternative to the essentialist, linear, deterministic models of ageing. This feminist poststructuralist examination of the experience of women at 'midlife' is divided into two parts; firstly the 'lived life' which examines demographic changes, and drawing on material from 'Jackie' magazine, considers discourses of femininity and the expectations for, and of, girls. The 'told story' is then explored using narrative interview material. How women 'story' their lives and their understanding of 'self' at midlife is examined within the context of the changing world and their ageing bodies. The research revealed that the experience of 'midlife' for this cohort of women is narrated as a time of change in social circumstances with some 'gains' and some 'losses', however it is not storied as a time of inevitable 'crisis'. Moreover despite the plethora of literature portraying the menopause as problematic, this was not supported by the interview material.

Este trabalho propôs realizar um estudo sobre as representações sociais de sujeitos categorizados pelo governo como extremamente pobres enfatizando o que estes nos apresentaram acerca de suas vivências enquanto empobrecidos. A pesquisa qualitativa caminhou no sentido de investigar o que os interlocutores entendiam por pobreza, ser/estar pobre, bem como compreender quais tipos de dificuldades estes sujeitos enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Também buscamos estabelecer um comparativo entre o que o atual governo brasileiro identifica como uma situação de extrema pobreza e como os sujeitos empobrecidos, público-alvo das políticas públicas sociais de combate à miséria, descrevem a situação na qual vivem. Investigamos o que estas políticas propõem, de que forma são implementadas e quais os critérios utilizados para estabelecer categorizações sobre o universo da extrema pobreza. Através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, capturamos fragmentos de narrativas de vida dos interlocutores e, com aporte teórico-metodológico da Teoria das Representações Sociais, bem como de autores que discutem a problematização do conceito de pobreza, construímos uma análise das falas, elencando oito dimensões de sentido estruturadas a partir do que os entrevistados apontaram em suas falas ao relatarem as durezas de seus cotidianos. / This work proposed to conduct a study of the social representations of subjects who were categorized by the government as extremely poor; emphasizing what the interviewees presented us regarding their life experiences as impoverished people. The qualitative research was developed aiming to investigate what the interlocutors understood by poverty, be/being poor, as well as understanding of what types of difficulties these subjects face in their daily lives. We have also sought to establish a comparative between what the present government identifies as an extreme poverty situation and as the impoverished subjects, target group of the social public policies to fight poverty, describe their current life situation. We have investigated, as well, concerning what such policies propose, how they are implemented, and which criteria are employed to establish categorizations regarding the extreme poverty universe. Through semi structured interviews, we were able to capture interlocutors’ fragments of life narratives, and, with the theoretical-methodological support from the Social Representations Theory, as well as from authors who discuss the conundrum of the poverty concept, we have analyzed the speeches, and listed eight dimensions of meaning that were structured from what the participants showcased in their discourse when reporting their daily hardships.

This research contributes to existing knowledge of intimate partner violence (IPV) by highlighting the lived experiences of female adolescent survivors through the examination of the lived experiences of seventeen participants. Framed within an intersectional feminist epistemology and informed by psychoanalytical theories, a hybrid of the Free Association Narrative Interview method (Hollway and Jefferson, 2001) and the Biographical Interview Method (Wengraf, 2002) was applied, allowing an in-depth analysis of the young women's adolescent experiences of IPV. The female participants' narratives highlighted significant levels of psychological, sexual and physical violence by various male partners, suggesting that gender is indeed a mediating factor. These experiences reflect Johnson's Typologies of Domestic Violence (2008). In addition, consideration of other intersecting factors, such as age, socioeconomic demographic information, familial exposure to IPV and previous IPV victimisation, highlighted the necessity to consider all factors when determining risk and experience (Potter, 2015). This research adds to the debate regarding gender symmetry of IPV perpetration and victimisation, with analysis of participants' experiences suggesting gender symmetry is not experienced by all adolescents, thus further exploration of this phenomenon is required. Similarly, participants experienced severe forms of physical, sexual and psychological violence at each stage of adolescence (early 10 to 13 years; middle 14 to 16 years; late adolescence and young adulthood 17 to 25 years) contradicting the oft held assumption that more severe violence occurs solely in adulthood. Analysis of participants' experiences of informal and formal support, and an exploration of participants' ideal prevention intervention model argues for a public health approach to preventing AIPV, with resources focused on primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Ultimately the young women felt that with appropriate education, support and intervention they could have avoided, or at least reduced, their exposure to abuse. Hence in order to reduce and/or prevent adolescents from experiencing IPV resources should be aimed at giving young people the information, skills and abilities to resist gendered inequalities and unhealthy relationship behaviours, and promote healthy and happy romantic and sexual relationships.

Die Arbeit untersucht die langfristigen Auswirkungen von Auslandsaufenthalten im Kindesalter. Das Interesse richtet sich auf die Frage, welche Rolle der Auslandsaufenthalt für die Identität im Erwachsenenalter spielt. Zu diesem Zweck wurden qualitative Interviews mit Erwachsenen geführt, die in ihren Entwicklungsjahren durch den Umzug von ihrem Ursprungsland in ein fremdes Land – und wieder zurück – Transitionserfahrungen gemacht haben.

Este trabalho propôs realizar um estudo sobre as representações sociais de sujeitos categorizados pelo governo como extremamente pobres enfatizando o que estes nos apresentaram acerca de suas vivências enquanto empobrecidos. A pesquisa qualitativa caminhou no sentido de investigar o que os interlocutores entendiam por pobreza, ser/estar pobre, bem como compreender quais tipos de dificuldades estes sujeitos enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Também buscamos estabelecer um comparativo entre o que o atual governo brasileiro identifica como uma situação de extrema pobreza e como os sujeitos empobrecidos, público-alvo das políticas públicas sociais de combate à miséria, descrevem a situação na qual vivem. Investigamos o que estas políticas propõem, de que forma são implementadas e quais os critérios utilizados para estabelecer categorizações sobre o universo da extrema pobreza. Através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, capturamos fragmentos de narrativas de vida dos interlocutores e, com aporte teórico-metodológico da Teoria das Representações Sociais, bem como de autores que discutem a problematização do conceito de pobreza, construímos uma análise das falas, elencando oito dimensões de sentido estruturadas a partir do que os entrevistados apontaram em suas falas ao relatarem as durezas de seus cotidianos. / This work proposed to conduct a study of the social representations of subjects who were categorized by the government as extremely poor; emphasizing what the interviewees presented us regarding their life experiences as impoverished people. The qualitative research was developed aiming to investigate what the interlocutors understood by poverty, be/being poor, as well as understanding of what types of difficulties these subjects face in their daily lives. We have also sought to establish a comparative between what the present government identifies as an extreme poverty situation and as the impoverished subjects, target group of the social public policies to fight poverty, describe their current life situation. We have investigated, as well, concerning what such policies propose, how they are implemented, and which criteria are employed to establish categorizations regarding the extreme poverty universe. Through semi structured interviews, we were able to capture interlocutors’ fragments of life narratives, and, with the theoretical-methodological support from the Social Representations Theory, as well as from authors who discuss the conundrum of the poverty concept, we have analyzed the speeches, and listed eight dimensions of meaning that were structured from what the participants showcased in their discourse when reporting their daily hardships.

Este trabalho propôs realizar um estudo sobre as representações sociais de sujeitos categorizados pelo governo como extremamente pobres enfatizando o que estes nos apresentaram acerca de suas vivências enquanto empobrecidos. A pesquisa qualitativa caminhou no sentido de investigar o que os interlocutores entendiam por pobreza, ser/estar pobre, bem como compreender quais tipos de dificuldades estes sujeitos enfrentam em seu cotidiano. Também buscamos estabelecer um comparativo entre o que o atual governo brasileiro identifica como uma situação de extrema pobreza e como os sujeitos empobrecidos, público-alvo das políticas públicas sociais de combate à miséria, descrevem a situação na qual vivem. Investigamos o que estas políticas propõem, de que forma são implementadas e quais os critérios utilizados para estabelecer categorizações sobre o universo da extrema pobreza. Através de entrevistas semiestruturadas, capturamos fragmentos de narrativas de vida dos interlocutores e, com aporte teórico-metodológico da Teoria das Representações Sociais, bem como de autores que discutem a problematização do conceito de pobreza, construímos uma análise das falas, elencando oito dimensões de sentido estruturadas a partir do que os entrevistados apontaram em suas falas ao relatarem as durezas de seus cotidianos. / This work proposed to conduct a study of the social representations of subjects who were categorized by the government as extremely poor; emphasizing what the interviewees presented us regarding their life experiences as impoverished people. The qualitative research was developed aiming to investigate what the interlocutors understood by poverty, be/being poor, as well as understanding of what types of difficulties these subjects face in their daily lives. We have also sought to establish a comparative between what the present government identifies as an extreme poverty situation and as the impoverished subjects, target group of the social public policies to fight poverty, describe their current life situation. We have investigated, as well, concerning what such policies propose, how they are implemented, and which criteria are employed to establish categorizations regarding the extreme poverty universe. Through semi structured interviews, we were able to capture interlocutors’ fragments of life narratives, and, with the theoretical-methodological support from the Social Representations Theory, as well as from authors who discuss the conundrum of the poverty concept, we have analyzed the speeches, and listed eight dimensions of meaning that were structured from what the participants showcased in their discourse when reporting their daily hardships.

Die Arbeit untersucht die langfristigen Auswirkungen von Auslandsaufenthalten im Kindesalter. Das Interesse richtet sich auf die Frage, welche Rolle der Auslandsaufenthalt für die Identität im Erwachsenenalter spielt. Zu diesem Zweck wurden qualitative Interviews mit Erwachsenen geführt, die in ihren Entwicklungsjahren durch den Umzug von ihrem Ursprungsland in ein fremdes Land – und wieder zurück – Transitionserfahrungen gemacht haben.

The topic of this diploma thesis is stepmotherhood, specifically its implementation within relationships between women and men who already have a child or children. The basic motive of my work is to identify the construction of several conceptions that are considered natural, given or unchangeable, and which often represent very specific norms, especially dependent on gender. I define stepmotherhood here as a concept that in practice violates many cultural norms and which has the potential to enrich critical discussions about the family, reproduction and motherhood, and parenthood in general. My search is based on information gained through narrative interviews, which complement theoretical discussions representing the constructivist paradigm.

The economic, demographic and social changes of the latter half of the C20th have influenced the experience of individuals now at 'midlife'. Arguably the impact of these changes has been more profound for women; specifically in the UK for those educated to be the wives, mothers and carers of industrial Britain (Newsom, 1963). Now around 50 years old this group of women are likely to experience a lengthy period of 'postmaternity' (Sheriff and Weatherall, 2009) extending to over thirty years in many cases. This research considers the experience of this metaphorically entitled 'telescopic' cohort (Goldstein and Schlag, 1999). The major corpus of age related research assumes a linear developmental progression of life stages (Erikson, 1951, 1968; Gould, 1978; Levinson, 1978; Levinson, 1996; Klohnen et al., 1996; Miner-Rubinio, 2004). Drawing on life course theory (Elder, 1995; Runyan, 1982; Super, 1980) enables this research to explore how women may have changed assumptions about themselves and their expectations as the social world has changed around them, moreover offers an alternative to the essentialist, linear, deterministic models of ageing. This feminist poststructuralist examination of the experience of women at 'midlife' is divided into two parts; firstly the 'lived life' which examines demographic changes, and drawing on material from 'Jackie' magazine, considers discourses of femininity and the expectations for, and of, girls. The 'told story' is then explored using narrative interview material. How women 'story' their lives and their understanding of 'self' at midlife is examined within the context of the changing world and their ageing bodies. The research revealed that the experience of 'midlife' for this cohort of women is narrated as a time of change in social circumstances with some 'gains' and some 'losses', however it is not storied as a time of inevitable 'crisis'. Moreover despite the plethora of literature portraying the menopause as problematic, this was not supported by the interview material.