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This study uses Transition Analysis on the Mimbres skeletal remains of the NAN Ranch Ruin to provide a more complete picture of its demography. Previous attempts to reconstruct the demographic structure of prehistoric populations have been hindered by aging methods that provide biased age distribution. Early methods had a tendency to produce age distribution similar to that of the reference sample that was used to create them. In addition, they often overlooked sexual dimorphism and left out the senescent portion of the population which in turns produced inaccurate population structures. Transition Analysis is a multifactorial approach to estimate the age-at-death of adult skeletons that focuses on the cranium, the pubic symphysis and the auricular surface of the ilium. The method relies heavily on the Bayesian probability that a given trait or a given combination of traits is displayed at a given age, it recognizes sexual dimorphism, performs well on fragmentary skeletons and allows for the age estimation of older individuals. The NAN Ranch Ruin sample consists of over 240 individuals, including 185 from the Classic Period. A previous study focused on the 81 individuals from the Classic period that were collected during the first five years of excavations. Following age estimation of adult skeleton I constructed composite abridged life tables. For the Classic Period, I found a high infant mortality rate (47%) and low life expectancy at birth (21.14 years) as expected. However, this analysis produced different mortality patterns than older demographic studies, where mid adult mortality increases only slightly, decreases in late adulthood (40-55 years old) and increases again in senescence (55-80 years old), instead of increasing steadily in adulthood to culminate at age 50. This difference is a consequence of the aging methods that have been used to analyze other southwestern prehistoric samples. Finally, while I was not able to confirm different mortality patterns between males and females, I found that people from the east roomblock enjoyed greater longevity than those from the south roomblock, though the difference is not statistically significant.

This Thesis describes some theoretical studies on ligated and bare clusters. Chapter 1 gives a review of the two theoretical models, Tensor Surface Harmonic Theory (TSH) and Jellium Model, accounting for the electronic structures of ligated and bare clusters. The Polyhedral Skeletal Electron Pair Theory (PSEPT), which correlates the structures and electron counts (total number of valence electrons) of main group and transition metal ligated clusters, is briefly described. A structural jellium model is developed in Chapter 2 which accounts for the electronic structures of clusters using a crystal-field perturbation. The zero-order potential we derive is of central-field form, depends on the geometry of the cluster, and has a well-defined relationship to the full nuclear-electron potential. Qualitative arguments suggest that this potential produces different energy level orderings for clusters with a nucleus with large positive charge at the centre of the cluster, enabling the spherical jellium model to be applied to alkali metal clusters seeded with magnesium and zinc. Analysis of the effects of the non-spherical perturbation on the spherical jellium shell structures leads to the conclusion that for a cluster with a closed shell electronic structure a high symmetry arrangement which is approximately or precisely close packed will be preferred. It also provides a basis for rationalising those structures, which have been predicted using ab initio calculations, of clusters with incomplete shell electronic configurations In Chapter 3, the geometric conclusions derived in the structural jellium model are developed in more detail. Alkali metal clusters with closed shell electronic configurations according to the jellium model adopt geometries of high symmetry and based on the T_d , O_h and I_h point groups. For high nuclearity clusters alternative high symmetry structures can occur and those which are either the most close packed or spherical are predicted to be the most stable. When the jellium closed shell "magic numbers" coincides with one of these high symmetry structures then the cluster will be particularly stable. The group theoretical consequences of the Tensor Surface Harmonic Theory are developed in Chapter 4 for[ML₂]_n, [ML₄]_n and [ML₅]_n clusters where either the xz and yz or x²-y² and xy components to L^π_d and L^δ_d do not contribute equally to the bonding. The closed shell requirements for such clusters are defined and the orbital symmetry constraints pertaining to the interconversion of conformers of these clusters are described. In Chapter 5 Stone's Tensor Surface Harmonic methodology is applied to high nuclearity transition metal carbonyl cluster compounds with 13-44 metal atoms. Two limiting bonding situations are identified and represented in terms of general electron counting rules. If the radial bonding effects predominate the clusters are characterised by 12n_s+Δ_i valence electrons, where Δ_i is the characteristic electron count of the interstitial moiety. If radial and tangential bonding effects are important then the total number of valence electrons is 12n_s+2(s_s+s_i-l), where s_s and s_i are the number of skeletal bonding molecular orbitals associated with surface (s_s) and interstitial (s_i) moieties. Chapter 6 develops a new theoretical framework to account for the bonding in the high nuclearity ligated clusters with columnar topologies. The wave functions of columnar metal clusters can be expressed as an expansion based on the particle on the cylinder problem. This bonding analysis is applied to clusters containing columns of triangles and squares. In Chapter 7 the origin of non-bonding orbitals in molecular compounds is reviewed and analysed using general quantum mechanical considerations. A combination of the pairing theorem and a group theoretical analysis leads to a definition of the number of the non-bonding molecular orbitals in co-ordination, polyene and cluster compounds. The non-bonding molecular orbitals have been generated by defining the nodal characteristics of the relevant orbitals and evaluating the solutions under the appropriate boundary conditions. The stereochemical role of nonbonding molecular orbitals in co-ordination compounds is also discussed.

This study explores the experiences of retirement village residents as they move from an independent to a supported living environment within a retirement village. It focuses on residents’ perceptions of their transitions and adopts a qualitative approach to understand the nature of their transitions and the way in which they are experienced. A grounded theory framework is used in order to capture the meanings that participants apply to concepts such as home, and to the physical, social, personal and veiled spaces in which they live. The findings from the study reveal that as residents’ health fails, the impact of increasing dependence is such that their sense of social and personal autonomy is gradually eroded. The research also provides insights into residents’ expectations and fears surrounding end of life. In many ways the experiences of the residents in supported living environments do not differ greatly from those of residents in any aged care facility. One major finding of this research, however, is the debilitating impact on well-being that occurs as a consequence of these transitions from independent to supported living, taking place within one physical location – the retirement village – a physical space which promises prospective residents the opportunity for active and positive ageing.

The findings in this thesis represent research that was undertaken at the University of Canterbury on the topic of participation in tertiary education by students from low decile backgrounds. This work focuses on students from low decile backgrounds participating in university education. In addition to a review of the relevant literature and policies, interviews were conducted with 13 students who were enrolled at the University at the time of the interview, one University staff member employed in a position responsible for fostering greater participation by students at four low decile schools in Christchurch, and interviews with three career staff at the low decile schools in Christchurch. The focus was placed on low decile students due to the use of school decile as a proxy for social class due to the difficulty of sorting participants by social class. The interviews were conducted during 2005 and 2006, while enrolment statistics were gathered from the University of Canterbury and the Ministry of Education for the period of 1999 to 2004. This information is represented in the study to help highlight the inequalities in participation rates based on students attending different decile schools. The interviews in particular identified themes in the experiences of the students when they were talking about their decision to attend university and their school life. The literature review as well as the use of Bourdieu's theory regarding the influence of social, cultural and economic capital was important in the development of this work. The thesis uses the theory and literature as a starting point, and a reference point that locates it within the field of sociology and education. In particular Nash's work in the New Zealand context offers useful connections between his findings and this current work while also providing at times mediation between the theory of Bourdieu and the findings in the research. This research has found a number of areas where students had very similar experiences and these are reflected in the four findings chapters of policy, schools and career teachers, family and peer groups. There is a clear understanding by students and staff alike about educational outcomes, and the commonly accepted outcome of class based inequalities in education. The implications of the findings in this study broadly include concerns over the way participation is counted, access to financial assistance while studying, and the quality of advice being given by career teachers. There remain also ongoing concerns about the impact that culture and class have on the decisions made by individuals. Out of the findings of the research a number of recommendations for future study were generated. It is hoped these will encourage further work in the area of participation in education, particularly in regard to the policy areas of the way student enrolments are counted, the government financial assistance that is offered, and the approach of schools towards careers education. The final aim of any further work however should be to move the field of education research closer towards finding a way to equalise the participation rates between the different social classes.

In most New Zealand schools, transition to school programmes are introduced based on adult perceptions aimed at avoiding negative experiences and assisting children in a successful transition to school, yet they run the risk of ‘over managing’ a child’s experience. This research considers how young children perceive the up and coming ‘rite of passage’ of ‘starting school’. Through placing an emphasis on ‘children’s voice’, it explores their expectations, feelings and understandings of school before and after starting. The study follows six children (two boys and four girls, aged from 4 years eight months to 4 years ten months at the start of the study) for approximately two school terms on their journey from an Early Childhood Centre to a primary school. A range of ‘child friendly’ methods were used to gather their understandings. Children’s ‘school comments’ were recorded by their mothers during their transition. Interviews were conducted with three teachers regarding their philosophies and practices of starting school. The findings identified three main themes in children’s initial knowledge about school. The children sourced further knowledge by asking their parents about any concerns or queries as they arose. They also expressed a need to prepare themselves for school. The children gained further understanding of school throughout their transition but did not truly grasp the concept of what school was about until they became ‘school kids’ themselves. The implications of these findings are discussed for transition to school practices.

Within educational research, postsecondary vocational education receives relatively little attention; within this sector, trades education is studied even less frequently. This research sought to address this gap through exploring the transition of master tradespeople who have completed a first apprenticeship in their trade and who then undertake a second apprenticeship as trades teachers. The research question explored: the motivation for career change; pre-existing competencies brought to the role of teaching; the methods used to learn to teach; negotiation of a new vocational identity; and sources of satisfaction in the teaching role. Using a constructivist paradigm, this qualitative-dominant crossover sequential mixed methods study surveyed trades teachers via a newly created instrument, distributed electronically to three Western Canadian polytechnic institutions. In addition to analysis of the full data set, the survey data were divided by respondents’ years of teaching to look for possible changes with experience. A summary was shared with survey participants who were willing to participate in follow-up discussions. Interpretation panel meetings were held with these volunteers; discussions were transcribed and analyzed for themes, comparing the results of this qualitative data set to that of the quantitative survey results. As the qualitative and quantitative data were combined, the following key insights about this group emerged. Tradespeople moving to trades teaching are motivated primarily by two factors. They take pride in their trade and want to see the craft continue through teaching and mentoring apprentices on a full-time basis. Secondly, they seek an improved work-life balance through teaching and will accept lower remuneration as a teacher in order to have more time for family and life outside of work. Tradespeople bring a strong sense of having been a teacher, as an aspect of being a journeyperson, to the role of trades teacher. They are self-reflective and wish to improve as teachers. They rate themselves as stronger in the general abilities, attitudes and traits associated with teaching than in pedagogical knowledge and skills competencies, but learn in these areas to gain confidence in their overall teaching competency over time. In learning to be a teacher, trades teachers prefer to replicate the informal learning methods of the apprenticeship model: mentorship, discussions, self-study, and trial and error. They reject overly-formal or academic training as impractical, not helpful toward improving teaching, and an expression of the lower status accorded to trades teaching within higher education. The transition from tradesperson to trades teacher is not a distinct change or linear process. It is an evolution, growing from the role of teacher imbedded within journeyperson, and subsuming the trades knowledge gained through apprenticeship and practice, to become a new identity that makes one more than a teacher, more than a tradesperson, but rather a teacher of the trade. Trades teachers are satisfied with their work. They find satisfaction primarily through interactions with students and through relationships with colleagues. Dissatisfaction comes from time constraints and from a sense of not being valued within the institution.

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Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore nursing specific processes associated with communities of practice (CoPs) in specialized acute care settings with a focus on their potential role in Registered Nurse (RN) integration and professional development. The following research questions were formulated to support the achievement of this purpose: (a) What are the key features, roles, and processes of a community of practice (CoP) in specialized acute care nursing practice settings?; (b) What are the social processes that are integral to the integration of RNs into their chosen specialized acute care nursing practice settings; (c) What role, if any, do CoPs serve in the integration process of RNs into their chosen specialized acute care nursing practice settings? Research Design: This research was conducted using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Sample/Setting: The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has designated 20 areas as specialties, examples of which include Cardiovascular Nursing, Emergency Nursing, Neuroscience Nursing, Perinatal Nursing, Perioperative Nursing, and Oncology Nursing. From these 20 CNA designations, three specialized areas were chosen for this study. To safeguard the confidentiality of study participants, the units are identified only as A, B, and C. These nursing units were situated within the same urban tertiary institution in a mid-sized Western Canadian city. In total, 19 RNs employed in specialized care units participated in this research. Methods/Procedure: The study was conducted from March 2012 through September 2013 following ethical and operational approval from all required institutions. During this 18-month period, 19 RN participants were engaged in a total of 25 interviews and several participants were invited to submit personal reflective journals, with 8 sets of journals submitted and included as part of the study data. Following transcription, the interviews as well as the journal entries were entered into the ATLAS.ti software program to aid with organization of study coding. Data analysis was completed following the constructivist grounded theory approach of Charmaz (2006). Findings: Key findings from this research included the identification of competence in the specialized RN role as a main concern for participants. The achievement of competence was influenced by two Basic Social Processes (BSPs) relating to the transition and integration of new RNs into their specialized environments. For each of these BSPs, there are additional phases that further define the experience. Developing a Sense of Specialized RN Self (transition) included the phases Finding RN Fit, Sharing Passion and Community Values, and Embracing Life-Long Learning. Integrating into Specialized RN Practice (integration) included the phases Learning the Ropes and Settling In. The social context for this development was a CoP in each specialized unit and the particular aspects of these nursing community groups were also uncovered during the course of this research and are detailed in the study findings. Conclusions: These research results have highlighted the importance of delineating the fundamental differences in the processes of RN transition and integration. The findings have also provided a foundation for a newly emerging consideration of CoPs in nursing and their potential role in supporting the transition and integration of RNs. Knowing more about how CoPs function in their workplaces may allow RNs, either newly graduated or new to their specialty areas, to be more successful in their own transition and integration experiences.

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