BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7264
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Item The Sibling Experience: An in depth analysis of adults who have siblings with disability(2020)This dissertation aims to investigate the experiences of adult siblings of individuals who have a disability or impairment. It shall investigate previous literature and expand on the complexity of the sibling experience of disability, as well as furthering notions of concepts such as definitions of disability, sibling adjustment, sibling outcomes and Goffman’s theory of courtesy stigma (Goffman, 1963; Broomhead, 2019; Millau, et al., 2019; Veisson, 2000; Lardieri et al. 2000). Furthermore, it shall expand upon the sibling experience as well as the views of disability which is highlighted through key themes that were found during semi structured interviews. There were three main key themes with the third having four subthemes, these included: Courtesy stigma, Caregiving and Complex emotions. The theme complex emotions highlighted four sub themes these included: Empathy and its advantages, Pride, Feelings of regret and worries about the future. The findings demonstrate that the sibling experience is one that is not one size fits all it is one that is unique to each sibling. However, some factors can come into play such as whether the impairment or disability is accepted and acknowledged by the sibling’s community, the support and resources available to the siblings. Finally, the unanticipated and informal caregiving role the sibling adopts as well as the complex emotions that accommodate these and their effects. These themes were formed from through excerpts of four participants who reflect on their experiences. Through this, the research is able to grasp the emotions around having a sibling with an impairment or disability as well the experiences and the impacts of these.Item A Critical Discourse Analysis of British Newspaper Representation of Greta Thunberg from September to October 2019(2020)The purpose and aim of this study were to understand the way in which British tabloid newspapers represented Greta Thunberg during a specific time in 2019 using critical discourse analysis. The study aims to analyse how do British newspapers present Greta Thunberg? Do the discursive positions of the articles change from September to November?, Which authors use discursive strategies in news articles about Greta Thunberg? And are the British news framing Greta Thunberg as credible? This study uses qualitative research methodology by adopting critical discourse analysis as the primary research method. Fairclough’s three-dimensional framework of critical discourse analysis to understand and study the aims of the research. A sample of eight newspaper articles were selected through randomised sampling from the famous British tabloids the Sun, The Guardian, The Independent and the Daily Mail. This analysis method generated useful results and findings which showed the discursive strategies, as well as the social context behind the article sample chosen which allowed for the research aims to be understood and a relevant conclusion to be drawn.Item REPRESENTATIONS OF SCOTTISH IDENTITY AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP 2019(2020)This project looks at representations of Scottish national identity expressed through the medium of sport, focusing on the Rugby World Cup of 2019. Through the use of newspaper articles from certain Scottish newspapers, this project was able to analyse and draw conclusions based on the representations of Scottish identity displayed during this tournament. Through utilising Goffman’s (1974) work on framing, this project was able to identify the ways in which this tournament allowed the media to construct a different kind of reality to the one that actually exists. Using an interpretative approach guided by Grounded Theory (Strauss, 1967), several key themes began to emerge, representation of national honour, a sense of unity from all backgrounds, social or political, identity capital and framing. Probably the most important finding is that a sport like rugby union, despite playing second fiddle to football in terms of Scotland’s sporting priorities and often associated with a certain group within of society, is just as capable of uniting the Scottish public behind a national cause when pride on the world stage is at stakeItem An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis of the Lived Experiences of Transition-Based Care(2020)The aim of the research is to explore transgender persons’ lived experiences of transitionbased care, paying particular attention to the impact of age, location and social background. Existing literature investigating the experiences of transgender persons has found that in comparison to cisgender persons, transgender persons receive a poorer quality of healthcare in many respects and have been found to experience discrimination (Lerner and Robles 2017). The research is underpinned by interpretivist ontology and social constructivist epistemology, which allows the research to focus on how participants construct their own realities (Crotty 1998). The research is approached from a phenomenological theoretical perspective and the methodological strategy used is interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). A phenomenological perspective is important when investigating something as unique, sensitive and personal as transgender persons’ subjective experiences of transition-based care (Smith et al. 2009). Data were collected using the semi-structured interview method and the findings are discussed. The researcher utilised IPA which allowed for the emergence of six master themes in participants’ transcripts. The themes which will be discussed in turn are Responsibility for/ Engagement with Care, Transgender Specific Education, Being Accepted as a Transgender Man, Faith in the Healthcare System, Structural Barriers to Care and Lack of Communication.Item Western mainstream media’s portrayal of Islam and its effect on Scottish Muslim women.(2020)This research study engaged in an in-depth analysis of Scottish Muslim women’s lived experiences in order to explore how Scottish Muslim women are affected by Western mainstream media’s portrayal of Islam. Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging themes within the data sets; there were four main themes identified. This research revealed that Scottish Muslim women predominantly perceived traditional western media’s representation of Islam as negative. Although, social media’s depiction was a combination of both positive and negative views and attitudes towards Islam. Moreover, it was found that Scottish Muslim women were generally mistreated in society which subsequently lead to a change in their behaviour. Thus, the effects of the media’s portrayal on Muslim women living in Scotland proved to be substantial.Item The Two-Way Street of Refugee Immigration to the Isle of Bute(2020)In 2017 A group of Syrian Refugees were rehoused on the isle of Bute, and from this The new Syrian members of the Bute community have brought a new demographic and vibrant culture to the island. The migrant families have provided business and social input to the community and became a key part of the island. The social, economic and cultural contribution of Syrian Refugees living on the isle of Bute has been under-researched and so this qualitative study sought to provide an in-depth sociological insight into the new community that had grown on the island both from long standing members of the community and migrants themselves. The original data taken clearly showed that the rural communities’ unique attitudes and Bute’s situation was a great start for what may become a new framework for integration in the area with such positive results shown. The lack of data from the migrant side of the story within the study is an issue. However, future research will seek to gain an in-depth insight into the lived experiences of both migrants and indigenous communities. Given the current social, political and economic context within which migration takes place this will contribute to the promotion and expansion of a truly viable refugee integration process benefiting both parties, (Faist, 2019; Roberts, 2019; Kamel, Talani, Rosina, (2019).Item An Exploration of Former LEAPS Students and Their Experiences of Imposter Syndrome Within Higher Education(2020)This research explores the experiences of former LEAPS (Lothian Equal Access Program for Schools) students and their constructions of imposter syndrome within university. It should be noted that the mean age of the participants was 21.43, with only one participant being older than 21 (participant A: 27 years old). This meant that some of the existing literature surrounding mature students and imposter syndrome was considered when analysing participant A’s interview transcript. There was a gender imbalance (F = 5, M = 2) however this could not be avoided as purposive sampling was utilised. The research explored high school LEAPS involvement and imposter syndrome and aimed to investigate any correlation between the two. Using semi-structured interviews and constructivist grounded theory, four themes emerged from the data. These themes consisted of: Influences for Higher Education, Class Consciousness and Social Differentiation, Feelings of Imposter Syndrome within an Educational Setting and Coping with Imposter Syndrome Within University. The narratives provided by the participants were compared with existing literature and it was found that imposter syndrome was recognised by these students. The participants had varying levels of imposter syndrome and constructed this in different areas therefore their experiences were subjective, however there was clear overlaps between everyone. Further research is needed into this topic to further understand the intersection between widening participation students and imposter syndrome.Item A sociological study of emotional labour amongst lecturers in further and higher education in Scotland.(2020)This research aims to explore emotional labour amongst lecturers in Higher and Further education in Scotland, with a particular focus on issues of structural support to enable FE and HE practitioners to fulfil their duties in facilitating learning, teaching and research. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that writing and publishing are a priority when it comes to a successful academic career; lecturers do not only teach students, but are also required to find the time to write, create and mark assessments, support an ever-growing number of students, as well as manage their own personal lives (Antoniou & Moriarty, 2008). There are many facilities available for providing academic and pastoral support for students within higher education, including counsellors at the place of study or support groups. Many students also go to their lecturers with their personal trouble, although there are students who wish to keep their issues private, for fear of stigmatisation (Quinn, Wilson, Macintyre & Tinklin, 2009). So, in the context of evidence which suggests a degree of emotional management for lecturers in FE and HR, what support do lecturers receive and what strategies to they employ in the management of their emotions? This research is underpinned by relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology which further informed the theoretical perspective chosen for this research, which is phenomenology. All these components together helped to determine the methodology and phenomenological enquiry was chosen. Convenience sampling was used to gather participants and semi-structured interviews were carried out to gather data. Once complete, thematic analysis was used to interpret the narratives provided by the participants in order to complete this research process. The main themes expected to emerge from this data are; A Culture of Overwork, Organisational and Colleague Support for Staff and Students, and Well-being and Relationships. These themes will provide valuable data on the emotional labour used and experienced by lecturers of Higher and Further education in Scotland.Item A Sociological Analysis of the Narratives of Scottish LGBTQ Parents: Inclusivity and the Parental Community at their Child’s School.(2020)This thesis captures the lived experiences of Scottish LGBTQ parents, with a specific focus on their perception and experiences of inclusivity in the context of their children’s schooling. In this study, there is a particular focus on the reflections of participants’ experiences of interacting with other parents and school staff. Emanating from a phenomenological theoretical and methodological framework, data generated from Semi-structured interviews were subjected to a rigorous process of thematic analysis, which ultimately revealed that LGBTQ parents reported an overall positive experience with schooling. However, the overall positive experience was not free from negative interactions with other parents and some teachers, with some participants having experienced negative attitudes towards their family arrangements and practices. The LGBTQ parents blamed these interactions on the individuals having been deprived of LGBTQ inclusive education, aiming to normalise LGBTQ families. Negative attitudes were also blamed on the lasting effects of previous legislation, such as Section 28, that prevented the discussion of LGBTQ families within Scottish schools. Unlike previous research stating that children had an understanding of negativity towards LGBTQ families, in this study, the children of LGBTQ parents struggle to comprehend similar experiences. This is a result of not having been exposed to any other family arrangements, until reaching school age. Despite not being representative of the whole schooling experience, the negative experiences of LGBTQ parents and their children highlight a need for change within the Scottish education system. As suggested by the LGBTQ parents involved within this research, this change should arrive in the form of LGBTQ inclusive curriculum material, such as children’s literature. This will help to not only educate children on the variety of family arrangements, different to their own, but will also allow parents to re-evaluate their negative opinions.Item The Lived Experiences of Young People, between the ages of 18 and 30, currently Queen Margaret University (QMU) Students and Employed in Low-Paid Employment in Scotland(2020)The main focus of this research was to look at how working in a low paid occupation on a part-time basis affected the lived experiences of students at Queen Margaret University. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from four participants using a phenomenological approach as the basis of the research. The participants were collected through personal connections and their identities were kept private. The findings from this research have shown that the participants face stigmatisation both inside and outside of the organisation they work due to people judging their choice of occupation and full-time staff judging them for being part-time. It was also found that many participants face poor working conditions based around how they are treated by the places they work and how management treat them, specifically when it comes to taking time off and how this affects them financially. Finally, the one positive finding has shown that within these roles’ colleagues lean on each other and gain the most support from each other and this is the main reason people stay in these roles. These results are important as they help inform our understanding of the lived experiences of young people as they undertake their journey through university and the world of work at the same time.