Desistance from crime can generally be considered to constitute a transition from a state of offending to one of non-offending, along with the underlying processes that support this transition. While the available literature has examined the impact of social structures such as employment, relationships and family formation on desistance transitions, the impact of involvement in perhaps less influential social structures has been largely overlooked. Not only this but, with a few notable exceptions (for instance Barry, 2010a), there is a shortage of literature surrounding the impact of this transitional phase itself, and the limiting factors associated with it, on to the ability for ex-offenders to maintain desistance. If, as is often the case for young adults, desistance transitions are undertaken alongside numerous other transitions (such as the transition into adulthood and between youth and adult criminal justice provisions), how do ex-offenders negotiate all of these transitions in their early stages and how do wider structural changes impact upon behaviours being attempted within this multiple liminality? Through the use of 18 double narrative interviews with probationers on an Intensive Community Order, 10 semi structured interviews with probation staff, 6 months of observations and the collection of probationer “End Data”, the current research was able to understand the ways in which initial desistance transitions are maintained by probationers within the context of a probation service which was transitioning around them. It was found that the disruption to probation supervision (which was deemed to be a structural source of support outside the “big structures” evidenced in the literature), impacted upon the rhythms and routines of probationers in the sample, challenging their ontological security and fledgling pro-social identities developed in this transitional state.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-12T18:06:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 arquivo945_1.pdf: 1972275 bytes, checksum: faf69ec63b01c315fa88949dbaf22651 (MD5) license.txt: 1748 bytes, checksum: 8a4605be74aa9ea9d79846c1fba20a33 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Sandoildo Freitas Tenório, Antônio; Domingues Coutinho Filho, Maurício. Phase transitions and thermodynamics of quasione- dimensional quantum rotor and spin systems. 2009. Tese (Doutorado). Programa de Pós-Graduação em Física, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, 2009.

Recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of ventilator-dependent children being discharged from the hospital. There is a wealth of literature describing the issues surrounding the complex discharge process required for these children however there has been limited exploration of the experiences of parents during their child’s admission to hospital. Interpretive phenomenology based on Heideggerian research philosophy was used to explore the lived experiences of hospital for parents of children commenced on invasive long-term ventilation (I-LTV). Purposive sampling was utilised to select parents of children who had been cared for at one NHS hospital trust. Eight in-depth, unstructured qualitative interviews involving sixteen parents (eight couples) were conducted over a six month period during 2014 to gather data about the parent’s recollections of the time spent with their child in hospital. Most children were cared for on both the paediatric intensive care (PIC) and high dependency units (HDU) with the majority having been discharged from hospital at the time of the interviews. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and analysed using a modified van Manen (1990) approach. Thematic analysis provided an insight in to the lived world of the parents caring for their technology-dependent child, with two over-arching concepts of uncertainty and transitions characterising the parents’ journeys. The findings revealed multiple transitions in a world of complexity and uncertainty with four main themes emerging from the data; 1) Going in to the Unknown, 2) This wasn’t what we wanted, 3) Safer at Home, and 4) Clawing every little bit back. Parents were required to develop coping strategies to deal with the transitions and uncertainties experienced and establish new roles and identities as they became experts in caring for their technology-dependent child. As a result of the findings a new framework combining the concepts of uncertainty and transitions was derived identifying areas for consideration including: health-illness, psycho-social, situational and developmental transitions together with existential, biographical, environmental, relational and temporal uncertainties. Strategies for facilitating coping and adaptation towards healthier outcomes were identified and a strong argument emerged for the development of more effective management of transitions and uncertainty delivered within an environment more conducive to family-centred care.

This research explored Chinese students‟ experiences of acquiring and practising academic literacies as required in their Master‟s programmes. To date, academic literacy studies in common with wider research on higher education students‟ learning have tended to focus on the experiences of undergraduate students, particularly in western universities. The current study addresses this gap in the literature by investigating the learning journeys of students who had gained a first degree in China and were undertaking postgraduate study in the UK. Data were collected from three-phases of semi-structured interview: at the beginning, at the halfway and the end of the teaching component prior to the Master‟s dissertation phrase. Each of the participants was drawn from one of three contrasting Master‟s programmes at the University of Edinburgh (Education, Finance and Investment, and Signal Processing and Communications) and participated in all three phases of interview. All eighteen participants‟ experiences are presented as case studies to bring their voices to the fore and acknowledge the complexity and individuality of their learning journeys. The research shows that five dimensions of transitions are significant and relevant to all the participants – transitions in language, pedagogical culture, subject, level of study, and living and learning abroad. The language barrier is particularly important both in itself as well as through its influence on other transitions, although all five transitions are in various respects interwoven. The extent to which the transitions are challenging differs across participants and programmes. The perspective of transitions does not therefore suffice to capture the richness of the Masters‟ students‟ journeys. Accordingly, the perspective of Masters‟ literacies is introduced as a powerful lens through which to explore the Chinese participants‟ learning experiences and challenges and how these are linked to their confidence in themselves as Master‟s students. Four academic literacy practices are viewed in this study as key components of Masters‟ literacies: autonomy in learning, subject discourses, critical and analytical thinking, and interaction with teachers and students. Finally, the conceptual, methodological and practical implications of these findings are explored.

Young children’s experiences, which include their transition to school, can influence not only their academic outcomes but also their life chances. This understanding has led to governments in England investing in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector over the past 20 years. Over time a “discourse of readiness” has become increasingly apparent in ECEC policies. The revised Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) (DfE, 2012a) framework states that the purpose of the framework is to ensure children are ready for school. Increased political involvement in the sector has led to parents/families, ECEC practitioners and teachers sharing the task of preparing children for school. The aim of this research is to explore parents’, ECEC practitioners’ and teachers’ beliefs about the nature of children’s school readiness and the relationships between them as they prepare and support children during their transition to school. A case study approach was adopted. There are two cases, each comprising a school and an ECEC setting (sharing the same site) and their respective groups of parents. Interviews and focus groups were used to gain insights into parents’, ECEC practitioners’ and teachers’ beliefs and relationships. In this thesis the conceptual framework ‘The Relational Transition to School’ has been developed. The framework identifies both readiness and adjustment as two aspects of a transition. Also represented are the relationships between those who prepare and support children. Four types of relationships were identified: a distant relationship, a dominant relationship, a familiar relationship and a utopian relationship, with each relationship having different qualities. Certain relationships and the associated interactions were prone to change during the transition. Findings highlight practices that foster the qualities of relationships which are more likely to support children’s adjustment to school. Using these findings ECEC practitioners, teachers and local and national political administrators of education can aim to create transition policies and practices that foster these relationships between the adults. Through maintaining the focus on these relationships, children are likely to have a successful transition and positive attitude to school.

Concernant la recherche sur les semiconducteurs, la substitution isovalente sur un sous-réseau, qu’il soit cationique ou anionique, permet d’ajuster les paramètres de structure de maille et les propriétés électroniques ou élastiques. La pression hydrostatique externe peut augmenter ou inhiber les effets produits par cette substitution, et, en tout cas, offre un degré de liberté supplémentaire pour varier, ou sonder, les propriétés des semiconducteurs. Par ailleurs, la pression extérieure peut induire une s´séquence de transitions structurales de phase, qui à leur tour peuvent induire une modification de la structure de bande et des propriétés de dynamique du réseau inhabituelles. Puisque les énergies des phases en présence ainsi que les constantes de force sont des propriétés que relèvent de l’état fondamental, elles peuvent être obtenues de manière fiable à partir de calculs “premiers principes” effectués au sein de la théorie de la fonctionnelle de la densité (DFT). Le présent travail concerne de telles études d’ordre théorique, réalisées avec diverses méthodes de calcul, qui sont, en partie, complémentaires. L’analyse comparative des phases en compétition dans les composés purs ZnS et ZnSe sous pression hydrostatique, réalisée en utilisant la méthode de calcul de haute précision APW+lo (mise en oeuvre dans le logiciel WIEN2k), a permis de préciser la s´séquence des transitions de phase induites sous pression extérieure et de résoudre certaines controverses théoriques, liées à l’utilisation de schémas différents d’échange-corrélation. Le calcul des dispersions des phonons dans l’un des dits composés (ZnSe) sous pression, effectué dans le cadre du formalisme de la réponse linéaire via le code abinit, a permis d’identifier les instabilités dynamiques associées au “ramollissement” des modes acoustiques dans certaines parties de la zone de Brillouin, correspondant au pressentiment d’une transition de phase. Les spectres de vibration sous pression ont ensuite été simulés dans un système mixte, en l’occurrence (Zn,Be)Se, en utilisant la méthode des "phonons gelés" et le code Siesta. Enfin, la stabilité thermodynamique des phases en compétition, zincblende et wurtzite, du semiconducteur mixte Cd(S,Se) a été étudiée en utilisant le logiciel VASP selon la méthode du pseudopotentiel, en combinaison avec le formalisme des structures quasi aléatoires spéciales (SQS) permettant de représenter efficacement le caractère désordonné des phases considérées. Il a été possible, sur cette base, de réaliser la caractérisation structurale complète, et de discuter le diagramme de phase température–concentration / In semiconductor research, an isovalent substitution on a sublattice, either cationic or anionic one, is a convenient tool to tune lattice parameters, electronic or elastic properties. External hydrostatic pressure is another such tool, which may either enhance or inhibit the effects of alloying, and in any case offers an additional “coordinate” for scanning and probing the properties of semiconductors. Moreover, external pressure may induce a sequence of structural phase transitions, which in their turn may result in unusual band structures and lattice-dynamical properties. As energies of different phases (needed to construct phase diagrams) and force constants (responsible for vibrational spectra in crystals) are groundstate properties, they can be reliably obtained from first-principles calculations done within the density functional theory (DFT). The present work outlines such studies realized with different and, in part, complementary calculation methods. Comparative analysis of possible phases of pure ZnS and ZnSe compounds under hydrostatic pressure, done using a highly precision APW+lo method (realized in the WIEN2k code), helped to refine the sequence of pressure-induced phase transitions and to resolve some earlier controversies in theory works, related to the use of different exchange-correlation schemes. The calculation of phonon dispersions in the same compounds under pressure, done in linear-response formalism (abinit code), helped to identify dynamical instabilities associated with softening of acoustic modes in some parts of the Brillouin zone, indicating precursors of phase transition. The vibrational spectra under pressure were then subject to study under alloying, in the (Zn,Be)Se system; calculations done using the frozenphonon method as employed in Siesta code. The thermodynamic stability of the known competing phases (zincblende and wurtzite), in the alloy Cd(S,Se), is investigated using pseudopotential method (VASP), where the special quasirandom structures (SQS) formalism is employed to efficiently represent the disorder of the considered phases. On this basis, it became possible to give full structural characterization, and to discuss the temperature-concentration phase diagram

The past decade has seen the emergence of the Transitions Management theory rise to fame as the leading approach for dealing with the complex problem of sustainability. Its underlining principle considers sustainability as inherently difficult and requiring radical system changes to the wider society. Defined as a deliberative and prescriptive framework, it sets to influence governance activities through a gradual structured process. However, concerns have been raised which question the scope and practice of Transitions Management, including the criticism of its simplistic and narrow view, focussing primarily on technological innovations and policy influence while having little reflection on the dynamics and social relations involved in transitions. This research thesis aims to develop further insights to understand better the dynamics within the transitional process towards sustainability. By looking at the case of an international airport’s ongoing efforts to become more sustainable, this thesis argues that the social dynamics offer a significant contribution to the shaping of a sustainability agenda, by enabling practices that also seem vital in the framework of Transitions Management. This thesis applied ethnography as the primary approach to this research inquiry. The data collection involved qualitative interviews, documentary analysis, and participant observations spanning over 18 months between the periods of 2010-2012. Drawing on the critical studies of management and organisational theories, the research focus was on addressing the three key questions of what is the sustainability agenda, who decided on the agenda and how has the agenda been decided, within the context of airport operations. While other key issues have emerged from this research study, those aspects have underlined the tensions constituted in the everyday practices of an airports operations, how the conditions of tensions have enabled a positive influence, and how this is seen as significant to contribute to the theoretical understanding for dealing with the sustainability transitions process. Building on this perspective, this thesis further explored the dynamics of the individuals’ struggle, and suggests that it is part of a sense making process that also helps to construct the meaning of sustainability. In addition, it has identified how this experience of struggle has facilitated resistance “for changes” among individuals, and how this permits positive outcomes which are continuously shaping the agenda of sustainability and practices at the Airport.

The evolutionarily persistent and widespread use of carotenoid pigments in animal coloration contrasts with their biochemical instability. Consequently, evolution of carotenoid-based displays should include mechanisms to accommodate or limit pigment degradation. In birds, this could involve two strategies: (i) evolution of a moult immediately prior to the mating season, enabling the use of particularly fast-degrading carotenoids and (ii) evolution of the ability to stabilize dietary carotenoids through metabolic modification or association with feather keratins. Here, we examine evolutionary lability and transitions between the two strategies across 126 species of birds. We report that species that express mostly unmodified, fast-degrading, carotenoids have pre-breeding moults, and a particularly short time between carotenoid deposition and the subsequent breeding season. Species that expressed mostly slow-degrading carotenoids in their plumage accomplished this through increased metabolic modification of dietary carotenoids, and the selective expression of these slow-degrading compounds. In these species, the timing of moult was not associated with carotenoid composition of plumage displays. Using repeated samples from individuals of one species, we found that metabolic modification of dietary carotenoids significantly slowed their degradation between moult and breeding season. Thus, the most complex and colourful ornamentation is likely the most biochemically stable in birds, and depends less on ecological factors, such as moult timing and migration tendency. We suggest that coevolution of metabolic modification, selective expression and biochemical stability of plumage carotenoids enables the use of unstable pigments in long-term evolutionary trends in plumage coloration.

Independent financial advisers have to address different problems as they pro¬gress through the life cycle stages of their businesses. A number of researchers, however, are of the opinion that small business owners do not have the ability to manage the growth-related transitions effectively. It appears that additional guidance is needed to assist independent financial advisers with the survival and growth of their small businesses. Until now, only a small amount of research has been conducted in this area and no formal research study has proposed a marketing mix framework for these advisers, portraying the various factors threatening their survival and growth in their organisational life cycle, as well as the various marketing mix strategies that can be implemented to proactively manage the problems and help generate sales growth. The objective of this study was to propose such a framework to offer additional assistance for business survival and sales growth. This study was exploratory in nature and commenced with a comprehensive lit¬erature investigation to gain the necessary background to support the empirical part of the study. Different opinions and studies were presented and evaluated, which led to the identification of a general business life cycle model as well as a number of problems and marketing mix solutions that could potentially occur in each life cycle stage. These literature findings were then further investigated among independent financial advisers by means of telephone and personal interviews. Following the empirical findings, the recommended framework suggests that independent financial advisers may experience three types of problems in their businesses: critical problems, important problems and problems that only need consideration. Independent financial advisers can use four groups of recom¬mended marketing mix strategies to address these problems. There are also four groups of recommended marketing mix strategies that can assist these advisers to grow their sales (commission). These advisers would, however, need to ensure that they are aware of and understand the various environmental factors that can hinder the successful implementation of the marketing mix strategies. They also need to be able to use the recommended counterstrategies to address the environmental factors. Ultimately, the successful implementation of the recommended marketing mix strategies could then help independent financial advisers to grow their businesses and progress to a more advanced life cycle stage. / Thesis (DCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Marketing Management / DCom / Unrestricted

Modern civilizations have evolved to be highly dependent on electrical energy. The exponentially growing renewables market has signaled transitions in electricity sectors that have traditionally been dominated by fossil fuel electricity. Various theoretical debates have recently emerged surrounding the processes of socio-technical transition, focusing on the pathways of transition, the levers for radical change and path-dependencies within these systems. The Multi-Level Perspective on Socio-technical Transitions is one such theory. This perspective views socio-technical change as a factor of interdependent shifts between three analytical levels observed within the system: the socio-technical regime, the socio-technical niche and the landscape. In accordance with this theory, radical change is generally observed as originating at niche level. Irregularities within the dominant regime and landscape pressures allow for niche innovations to break through into the dominant regime in processes of socio-technical transition. Toward understanding actor influences on energy transitions, considerable attention has been paid to actor's impact on governance processes through: patterns of consumption, the shaping of legislation and technical innovations, by socio-technical transitions theories. However less attention has been paid to the ways in which actors in renewable electricity markets are: forming networks toward the establishment of new regimes and governing processes at niche level, and consequently how actor governance has impacted the established perceptions and available pathways for realizing electric security. This thesis, builds on the Multi-Level Perspective, through an exploration of how actors govern socio-technical systems at niche level, paying careful attention to the modalities of power giving and power taking that allow for the development of networks of people and things toward the stabilization of novel socio-technical practices, innovations and developmental trajectories. It does this through a networked analysis of how different actors with different interests cooperate to open up innovative social and technological pathways.