In my thesis I investigate the impact the conceptual domestication and material technical transformation of space and movement has had on the behaviour of the human organism and the way it relates to its environment. In doing so l will examine the formation and structure of three non-identical yet interrelated forms of human space; rational-geometrical space, lived space, and technologically mediated space, I combine a phenomenological approach, which allows for an analysis of the horizontal relation between embodied organism and environment, with an archaeological perspective that traces the genealogy of specific symbolic and technological formations viewed in their nexus with lived, embodied behaviour. I argue that both the process of the conceptual domestication of space, particulady in the form of what Husserl refers to as the tendency of rationalisation and technisation, as well as the concrete technological transformation of the spatial environment, come into being and develop in a comparable way, While both initially directly or indirectly presuppose the perceptual' and motor activity of the embodied human organism, their subsequent development is tendentiously characterised by a relative departure from the human body in lieu of an extra-somatic organisation and materialisation of sense and behaviour. The implications for the behaviour of the individual human organism are ambivalent. On the one hand, the increasing uncoupling of technology and conceptual systems from human embodiment, has allowed for a rapid development of the human's overall technical and symbolic capacities, The result is an expansive material and symbolic 'humanisation' (Leroi-Gourhan) of the organism's behavioural and geographical environment. On the other hand, the very same process entails a behavioural regression with regard to the human organism's sensorimotor activity. I argue, by way of the former, that this may entail a constriction of the human organism's cognitive and imaginative capacities, potentially threatening its individuality.

Creativity is a nebulous concept, lacking both clear articulations and common understandings of meaning. Due to a lack of clear alternatives the concept of creativity is increasingly becoming infused with economically driven vocabulary, associations, interests and ideologies. There is an immediate need to provide alternatives to the „creative economy‟ view of creativity, because of its insidious effect on educational institutions and practices and because it promotes a generally impoverished view of the meaning of creativity and of human potential. Reductionist thought; the tendency to understand concepts as separate and distinct from one another prevents us from easily conceptualising an experience such as creativity which involves the simultaneous experience of seemingly paradoxical elements such as individuality and unity, intellect and intuition and freedom and discipline. Democracy is a metaphor which can help to articulate and understand the paradoxical experience of creativity. Democracy stands for the potential to make meaning from the integrated exploration of individuality and of unity, which I argue is a fundamental dynamic of the creative experience. I further suggest that the essence of the creative experience is a democratic attunement to existence, in which subject and object, self and environment, intellect and intuition and freedom and discipline are experienced as in a democratic relationship with one another. This way of understanding creativity provides an alternative to the creative economy view. It implies some significant changes to traditional educational emphases, including a movement away from primarily individualistically oriented curricula and toward curricula and educational values which situate the individual within an integrated eco-system.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Psychology, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 304-349).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 98-111).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 269-282).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Mar. 30, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-146). Also issued in print.

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 28, 2009). Advisor: Deborah Taub; submitted to the School of Education. Includes bibliographical references (p. 143-164).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2010. / Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-189).

Due to the improved availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) life expectancy amongst people living with HIV has drastically increased. Older people, aged 50 and over now make up the fastest growing group of individuals living with HIV in the UK. Despite this little is known about their experiences of ageing with HIV. In addition, further still is known about older Black African women living with HIV in the UK, despite the complexity of their social and political context. This was, therefore, the first study to explore the lived experiences of this underrepresented group of women. The thesis adopted a phenomenological approach to examining how the intersections of older black African women's identities shaped their experiences of living with HIV in the UK. In addition, it explored the ways in which they coped with the devastating impact HIV appeared to have on their lives. Using interviews with seven women and interpretative phenomenological analysis, the results revealed three master themes. These were 'Spoilt Identities', 'A present without light and a future without hope' and 'Escaping the labyrinth of distress and uncertainty'. A detailed account of these master themes is provided. The findings are discussed in relation to existing literature, implications for clinical practice, methodological limitations and suggestions for future research.

The self of the therapist is widely recognised as being a crucial component in the therapeutic relationship. However, comparatively little is known about the therapist as a person, or of how life-changing events in therapists’ personal lives may impact on their professional identity and practice. The aim of this phenomenological study was to explore the impact of traumatic bereavement on the personal and professional lives of qualified humanistic therapists in order to shed further light on this under-researched area. Underpinned by a phenomenological-hermeneutic philosophy, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was selected as the methodology most appropriate to reveal participants’ lived experience. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a homogenous sample of eight humanistic therapists who had experienced traumatic bereavement while practising. Data comprised interview transcripts, participants’ reflective writing and researcher field notes. IPA’s idiographic approach facilitated the creation of a detailed and nuanced thematic analysis of the phenomenon, grounded in participants’ voices. Five super-ordinate themes were created from the interpretative phenomenological analysis, each of which provides a complementary ‘lens’ through which to view participants’ holistic experience: ‘Significance of context’, ‘Confronting a changed reality’, ‘Re-learning the world’, ‘Facing professional challenges’ and ‘Personal and professional reciprocity’. Findings reveal the unique contextual and multi-faceted nature of traumatic bereavement, and suggest that this experience can profoundly impact on therapists’ personal and social identities and beliefs. The professional challenges faced by grieving therapists are also highlighted. Findings illustrate that through a reciprocal process of personal and professional integration, the experience of facing, and living through grief, can lead to therapists’ increased self-knowledge, understanding, empathy and authenticity that informs and enhances their therapeutic practice. Supportive supervision and continued self-reflection are evidenced as significant mediating factors. The research demonstrates that the process of integrating the experience of traumatic bereavement into the therapist’s personal and professional life is a continuing and oscillating process. It is crucial that therapists carrying this burden have opportunities to reflect on this process in supportive supervisory relationships in order to pre-empt and ameliorate difficulties they may face in client work. A greater understanding of therapist bereavement is needed across the profession.