eTheses

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An investigation of motor control for speech in phonologically delayed children, normally developing children and adults.
(Queen Margaret University, 1992) Waters, D. M.
Difficulty with phonological acquisition in children is currently widely regarded as a linguistic/cognitive disability but, since speech is a motor as well as a linguistic activity, speech motor control abilities must have a bearing on acquisition of the speech sound system. On the basis of previous studies, measures of speech rate and temporal variability are regarded as indices of level of speech motor control ability. Evidence was sought concerning the possibility that slow maturation of speech motor control abilities may underlie phonological delay in children. Speech timing characteristics were compared in 12 adult speakers (Group A), 12 normal preschool children (Group N, aged 3;8 years -4;10 years, mean age 4;3 years) and 12 age-matched phenologically delayed children {Group P). Measurements were made of phrase and segment durations and temporal variability in multiple tokens of an experimental phrase. The phonological structure of the speech data was also analysed and a measure of speech rate {in segments/second) was derived. The N Group were found to exhibit slower speech rates, generally longer mean phrase and segment durations and higher levels of temporal variability than the A Group. The P Group exhibited significantly slower speech rates than the N Group and there was a trend towards longer phrase and segment durations in the P Group data. With one marginal exception, no significant differences were found between the two child groups on measures of temporal variability. The weight of evidence indicated that speech motor control was less mature in the P Group than in the N Group. The findings lend some support to the view that differences in speech motor maturity may be implicated in phonological acquisition differences. Some implications for the design of therapy procedures are explored. The importance of analysing and taking account of the phonological form of speech data in investigations of speech rate is highlighted.
Spiritual aspects of nursing: a descriptive study of nurses' perceptions.
(Queen Margaret University, 1992) Waugh, L. A.
This descriptive, exploratory study examines nurses' perceptions of spiritual care. Having reviewed the literature it became apparent that the spiritual dimension can influence health, well-being and quality of life. Moreover, the nursing literature considers spiritual care part of the nurse's role, however, guidelines for its practice are absent. Research on spiritual care, particularly of British origin, is very much in its infance and nothing is known about how British nurses perceive their role in this. A conceptual framework for giving spiritual care using the Nursing Process is, therefore, offered by the researcher, although this still requires testing. The study, believed to be the first of its kind in Britain, ascertain how nurses, working in care of the elderly hospitals in Scotland, perceived spiritual need and spiritual care and professed to have given this care in practice. This was achieved by distributing a purpose designed postal questionnaire to the population of nurses (n=1170) in 1991. A response rate of 67.8% (n=793) was achieved, 58.5% (n=685) of questionnaires being usable. In addition, factors which appeared to influence the spiritual care nurses were identified. Initially clues to possible factors were obtained by conducting a certain statistical analysis using nurses' responses in the questionnaires. Further exploration of factors influencing spiritual care took place through interviewing a sample (n=12) of nurses. Findings revealed that nurses in the larger sample (n=685) seemed able to identify patients' spiritual needs and evaluate the care given, mainly through using non-verbal / indirect verbal cues displayed by patients. Nurses were, however, less willing / able to personally respond to these needs. Whereas for some nurses their reluctance to respond to patients' spiritual needs may have been due to their disclaim of responsibility for spiritual care, for others it seemed to be due to feelings of inadequacy. Charge nurses claiming religious affiliation and working on varied wards in certain geographical locations were most likely to have claimed to have identified patients' spiritual needs. However, it seemed, from the limited sample interviewed, that personal characteristics of the nurse were perhaps more important than the forementioned factors in determining the spiritual care given. Furthermore, factors relating to other professionals, the ward environment and the patient appeared to influence the way in which spiritual care was given to patients. The limitations of the study are acknowledged and the implications of the findings discussed. Given the descriptive nature of the study its prescriptive function is limited which highlights the need for further research in this important area of patient care.
Single-route and dual-route approaches to reading aloud difficulties associated with dysphasia.
(Queen Margaret University, 1999) Mack, S. K.
The study of reading aloud is currently informed by two main types of theory: modular dual-route and connectionist single-route. One difference between then theories is the type of word classification system which they favour. Dual-route theory employs the regular-irregular dichotomy of classification, whereas single-route considers body neighbourhoods to be a more informative approach. This thesis explores the reading aloud performance of a group of people with dysphasia from the two theoretical standpoints by employing a specifically prepared set of real and pseudoword stimuli. As well as being classified according to regularity and body neighbourhood, all the real word stimuli were controlled for frequency. The pseudowords were divided into two groups, common pseudowords and pseudohomophones, and classified according to body neighbourhood. There were two main phases to the study. In the first phase, the stimuli were piloted and the response time performances of a group of people with dysphasia and a group of matcehd control people were compared. In the second phase, a series of tasks was developed to investigate which means of word classification best explained the visual lexical decision and reading aloud performance of people with dysphasia. The influence of word knowledge was also considered. The data was analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative analysis of the number of errors made indicated that classification of items by body neighbourhood and frequency provided the more comprehensive explanation of the data. Investigation of the types of errors that were made did not find a significant relationship between word type and error type, but again the results indicated that the influence of frequency and body neighbourhood was stronger than that of regularity. The findings are discussed both in terms of their implications for the two theories of reading aloud and their relevance to clinical practice.
Cats on a Cold Tin Roof: Female Identity and Language in Plays by Five Contemporary Scottish Women Playwrights
(Queen Margaret University, 1999) Horvat, Ksenija
Cats on a Cold Tin Roof: Female Identity and Language in Plays by Five Contemporary Scottish Women Playwrights concentrates on investigation into the main preoccupations of five Scottish women playwrights in the last twenty years, with an emphasis on the ways in which they deal with the issues of gender identity. The study examines fifteen plays by five very different women authors in the context of modern feminist literary analysis. The main objective of the study is to show how Sue Glover, Liz Lochhead, Marcella Evaristi, Sharman Macdonald and Rona Munro – having come from different experiential perspectives – used recurring themes, imagery and discursive modes in exploring female identity. A further objective of the study is to open up and encourage new avenues for exploring female identity in the work of Scottish women playwrights. It also sets out to identify the common themes and imagery shared by these authors, and the ways in which they are expressed in language.
An instrumental study of alveolar to velar assimilation in slow and fast speech using EPG and EMA techniques.
(Queen Margaret University, 2000) Ellis, Lucy A.
This thesis evaluates the widely-held notion that place assimilation is (i) more frequent at faster rates of speech and (ii) a gradual phonetic process. The latter view is based on previous small-scale EPG studies which showed evidence of partial alveolar assimilations lacking complete stop closure on the alveolar ridge but with a residual tongue body gesture. For the present study, EPG data from 10 speakers were collected. Two experimental sequences, /n#k/ and /ŋ#k/, embedded in meaningful sentences, were produced by subjects 10 times each in a slow/careful style and 10 times each in a fast/casual style. The first sequence captures the potential site of assimilation and the second is a lexical velar-velar sequence with which cases of complete assimilation can be compared. The results showed that, overall, assimilation was more frequent in fast speech than in careful speech, although timing analysis revealed that assimilation is not the automatic consequence of rate-induced changes in intergestural timing of /n#k/. In fast speech, six of the ten speakers showed relatively consistent assimilatory preferences: they either produced only complete assimilations or they never assimilated. However, four speakers showed considerable intra-speaker variability. Two of the four produced either full alveolars or complete assimilations in the manner of a categorical opposition (complete assimilations were indistinguishable from control /ŋ#k/ sequences). The other two speakers produced a continuum of forms that could be ranked from full alveolars to complete assimilations via partial assimilations. Using the same stimuli, a follow-up combined EPG/EMA study was carried out, the purpose of which was to look for reduced coronal gestures undetectable in tongue-palate contact-only data. Two 'categorical' assimilators were re-recorded and these gestures were not found. This supports the interpretation that for some speakers assimilation is determined at a higher level through the application of a cognitive rule, while for others variation is 'computed on-line' during speech production itself. Current phonological models of assimilation are found to be unable to capture both gradient effects and more radical feature-sized substitutions under a single framework.
Consumer use of the nutritional label on food packages: a cognitive task analysis
(Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, 2000) Higginson, Catherine Susan
The nature and use of knowledge by district nurses in decision making relating to first assessment visits.
(Queen Margaret University, 2000) Kennedy, C M.
District nurses are the largest group of community nurses in the United Kingdom and an important aspect of their role is the responsibility to assess the health needs of patients at home. To date there has been limited exploration of the knowledge or decision-making underpinning needs assessment in district nursing practice. The aim of this study was to explore knowledge in use by district nurses at the first assessment visit and the relationship of this knowledge to the decisions they make. The inherent difficulties in exploring the knowledge and decision making of experienced district nurses demanded a systematic and interpretative research approach where the impact of the context could be examined. An ethnographic approach was adopted for the study as the focus on perspectives and activities in the natural setting and the substantial reliance on observation of real examples provided a starting point for this study. Eleven district nurses were accompanied on a first assessment visit. Each district nurse was interviewed twice, immediately following the observed visit and then approximately one year later when preliminary data analysis had been undertaken. This approach to the study revealed a breadth and depth of community nursing knowledge that seemed to incorporate an amalgam of theoretical (knowing that) knowledge with practice based (knowing how) knowledge. The study findings depict the range and scope of the knowledge in use by district nurses and challenge the utility of theoretical models which remove knowledge from the context in which it is used and applied. The most striking findings relate to the influence of the context in which the DN/patient interaction takes place and the reflexive character of the assessment process. In particular, the study illuminates the ways in which DNs utilise a range of cues throughout the assessment process. The information search in assessment is often 'paced' to cope with the uncertainty that exists in many of the complex, multifaceted situations encountered by the DN. Understanding assessment as a paced process was linked to making the best judgement at the time of the first visit. A model of district nurse assessment, which seeks to illuminate the process of assessment, is presented. In particular, this model seeks to highlight the reflexive nature of the assessment process. A typology of district nursing knowledge, which conceptualises six dimensions of practice based knowing in district nursing practice, is also presented. Strategies for decision making are revealed through the application of Carroll and Johnson's (1990) theoretical framework. Recommendations are given for future research and the educational and professional context in which DN practice exists. It is suggested that further research should take cognisance of the ongoing nature of assessment in the community setting. A study conducted over a longer period of time, exploring further the impact of the context on the assessment process, seems particularly important. Given the paced approach to needs assessment and the ongoing nature of assessment identified by the study participants, it is suggested that the qualified DN should be contributing to needs assessment on a continuing basis. This recommendation is counter to recent trends in the skill/grade mix in the DN team which emphasise the need to reduce rather than increase the numbers of qualified DNs. Additionally, given the emphasis on family care by the DNs in this study, it is recommended that DNs should record and examine this important area of their work, so that this aspect of the DN role is identified and acknowledged. Finally, the importance of experiential learning depicted by the participants in this study suggests that work-based and problem-based learning approaches may be the most appropriate way in which to teach DN students about assessment. The findings are therefore important for the education of current and future DNs. This study contributes to the knowledge of assessment practice by increasing understanding of the ways DNs work in relation to the first assessment visit. The model of assessment illuminates the process of assessment and the typology aims to provide a conceptualisation of knowledge in use. Furthermore, the ways in which DNs make decisions is revealed. Therefore, the study findings can inform the education of present and future DNs to the potential benefit of patients and their carers.
Media Personality and Fan Community: A Study in Modern Communication and Culture
(Queen Margaret University, 2000) Roberts, Catherine
This study examines the relations between the media personalities and their audiences. Its broad interest is with the implications for contemporary social experience of the fact that modern communication and culture involve mediated interaction. Its focus is on broadcasting's use of personality presenters to interact with viewers and listeners and on audiences' experiences of this. This thesis explains that broadcasting has developed a personality system to relate to audiences and discusses the characteristics of this system. It considers the importance of genre in determining the type of presenter used and the significance of their personality. It is argued that an awareness of the construction of personae has undermined broadcasting's traditional personality system where sincerity is crucial. The fact that nowadays professional personalities operate as commodities in a competitive marketplace is highlighted and the role played by management companies in their careers is explored. This research project provides a case study of the media personality Phillip Schofield. His role as a presenter and his place within popular culture are elaborated. His persona is examined in detail and shown to be consistent with the discourses of broadcasting's personality system. This study proceeds to investigate the consumption of the personality system. It reviews the existing literature on para-social interaction and the mediated relationships of intimacy at a distance that develop between persenters and their audiences. It contributes to this knowledge by presenting the findings from qualitative research into viewers' relationships with a media personality. This empirical study involved conducting in-depth interviews with four of Phillip Schofield's fans and spending time with the fan community these interviewees belong to. The formation of this group is outlined and the fact that sociability is an important aspect of fandom is stressed. Concentrating on the subjects' responses to Schofield, this research demonstrates that one form of fandom is rooted in the intensive cultivation of a para-social relationship.
Motivation and method in Scots translations, versions and adaptations of plays from the historic repertoire of continental European drama.
(Queen Margaret University, 2000) Findlay, William
This study adopts a twin approach to investigation of writers' motivation and method in translating, versionizing, and/or adapting into Scots plays from the historic repertoire of Continental European drama. First, it considers, through historical/critical research, the work ok, and statements by or about, selected writers representative by period of the development of a modern tradition in translating such plays for the Scottish stage from the 1940s through the 1990s. Second, it presents, through practice-as-research, self-reflective commentaries on two playscripts prepared as part of this study in order to allow self-recording and self-analysis of the process from the perspective of motivation and method. The playscripts are a version of Gerhart Hauptmann's Die Weber (The Weavers), and a co-translation of Carlo Goldoni's Le Baruffe Chiozzote (The Chioggian Squabbles; or, in this translation, The Chioggian Rammies).
Alleviating psychosocial suffering: an analysis of approaches to coping with war-related distress in Angola.
(Queen Margaret University, 2001) Eyber, Carola
This study investigates the role that the notions of trauma and culture play in relation to the alleviation of distress within an war-affected population. It analyses how local, cultural conceptions of distress and those held by psychological service providers relate to one another, and how they contribute to improving the well-being of the displaced. Fieldwork was conducted with urban and rural displaced populations in the south-eastern province of Huila in Angola. Ethnographic, psychometric and participatory methods were used to examine issues of health, illness and distress amongst the displaced. Local idioms of distress in the form of pensamentos, mutima, madness and high and low blood pressure are common ways of expressing suffering related to war. The different explanatory models held about these illnesses and the various resources available in the popular, folk and professionals sectors of the health care system were explored. The religious and spiritual domains were found to be influential in the treatment of distress-related illnesses. The psychological services available in the war-displaced communities were examined in terms of their common theoretical and practical elements. These were then analysed in relation to the conceptualisations held by local populations, and points of similarity and difference were noted. Specifically, the conceptualisation of suffering as trauma and the cultural misunderstandings that arise as a result of this, and the representation of the displaced as traumatised and therefore dependent and passive people, are discussed. A particular subgroup in the community, the adolescents, was identified and participatory methods were employed to investigate the strategies and resources this group uses for coping with war-related distress. The youths predominantly make use of distraction, conselho, religious and cultural resources. The application of a PTSD scale, the EARAT, suggests that 71% of the adolescents had symptoms of trauma consistent with a diagnosis of PTSD. It is argued that for the vast majority such a conceptualisation does not reflect the adolescents' abilities to function on social, vocational, educational and physical levels. The implications of these findings for research and practice in the field of psychosocial work are discussed.
Food Choice: the Shopping Experience of Older Consumers in Scotland
(Queen Margaret University, 2001) Hare, Caroline Anne
This thesis investigates the food shopping experience of older consumers (aged 65+) in Scotland. The aim was to develop the shopping dimension of food choice research and broaden the understanding of older consumers within this context. The need for such a study is borne out of the political impetus on food choice research, with the older age segment being particularly important due to: increasing numbers of older people; their vulnerability in terms of nutrition; the changes in food shopping that they have experienced in their lifetime; and their potential for being disadvantaged consumers. The growing numbers of older people present a number of challenges within the food choice discipline. The food retail sector, which is highly competitive, is faced with meeting the needs of a growing market segment which it has previously neglected. There have been efforts by governments to integrate the food retailing sector into the policy for improving the dietary health of the nation. However, these recommendations have been limited and the specific issues for older people in terms of food shopping not fully described. This thesis provides four major findings which provide an original contribution to knowledge. The first is that the characteristics of the older consumer result in a diverse shopping activity. This is reflected in the diversity of their personal circumstances, their preferences and their shopping activity. Secondly, the disadvantage experienced by older consumers is more complex than previously recognised. Thirdly, a comprehensive framework for investigating the shopping dimension of food choice research has been developed, and specifically applied to older consumers. Finally, there is a lack of inter-dependence and integration both between sectors influencing food choice and across the disciplines investigating it, and this must be addressed. There are several implications of these findings. First, academic research in the field of food choice should seek to undertake more multidisciplinary research and the conceptual model provides a framework from which to develop future studies. Secondly, specific recommendations can be made for retailers, both at a store level and concerning their contribution to the wider shopping environment. Thirdly, the findings are a catalyst for debate on the extent to which policy-makers should seek to integrate members of a multidisciplinary team in more detailed planning of recommendations.
Community development in cyberspace: a case study of a community network
(Queen Margaret University, 2001) Malina, Anna
This thesis investigates the background, emergence, use and significance of a community based information network, the Craigmillar Community Information Service (CCIS), in Edinburgh, Scotland, to assess its relationship with community development and note also the local network's relationship over time with the community, the city and society. Desk research, i.e. reviews of literature and examination of various documents combined with information gained in the field helped to weave contextual, conceptual and theoretical frameworks to assist in analysis. Data was gathered in the field by means of qualitative interviews with City of Edinburgh (CEC) officials, system developers and CCIS users. Additional data was collected and checks were subsequently made as a result of routine observations of CCIS operating within their base in Craigmillar; and also via virtual observations of on-line structure and content over time. Local media reports and an assessment of regeneration delivery services in Craigmillar, commissioned by CEC also provided insights in the analysis. The main objective was to collect data that would accurately reflect the true nature and significance of the CCIS system. A qualitative methodology was employed in this study. Desk research began in mid 1995, and on-line and real-time observations in 1996. Interviews were carried out in the field during 1997 and early 1998. In the final chapter of this thesis, conclusions emerging from analysis of the data are offered as a means of developing deeper understanding of CCIS and community development in cyberspace. Overall, it is hoped to extend general knowledge of community networks, and broaden understanding of the developing field of social informatics. In light of conclusions drawn, theoretical frameworks are reviewed in the final chapter and potential is outlined for further research into the evolving roles of community-based initiatives situated elsewhere, their socio-technical relations and their significance in different societal settings.
Communication in young people with intellectual impairments: the influence of partnership.
(Queen Margaret University, 2002) Walton, A. P.
Adults with intellectual impairments experience frequent communication breakdown in their everyday interactions. This can result from impairment of the linguistic skills required for effective communication and/or difficulties dealing with non-verbal information. Problems also exist, however, in the way that some non-impaired speakers, such as care providers, approach these communicative episodes. This thesis investigates communication in young adults with intellectual impairments with three different communication partners. These were a care provider, a student and a peer with intellectual impairments. Student partners were previously unknown to the main participants and not experienced in communicating with people with intellectual impairments. Communication structure and process are investigated according to the number of words and turns used to complete a co-operative problem-solving task and the types of conversational acts used by speakers and listeners. Non-verbal communication is investigated through the use of one non-verbal signal, gaze, during the task dialogues. An interactionist approach is taken to communication, where outcome or success is viewed as a product of the collaborative efforts of speakers and listeners. Communication is seen as multi-modal and involving the exchange of information via the verbal and non-verbal channels. The results show that when both parties were intellectually impaired performance was poorest. More surprisingly, dyads including a student partner communicated more effectively and efficiently than where the partner was a carer. One reason for this may be that carers used more complex, open questions to introduce new information into the task, and these were distracting rather than useful. Overusing open questions may be problematic for this population and less effective at establishing shared understanding than where listeners check their own interpretation of previous messages, a strategy preferred by student partners. Non-verbal signals can help to ease constraints on communication by providing interlocutors with feedback information on the levels of mutual understanding.
Female 'Self Culture' in Edinburgh: The Ladies' Edinburgh Debating Society.
(Queen Margaret University, 2002) Kelman, K A.
The Ladies's Edinburgh Debating Society met on the first Saturday of each month between 1865-1936 to discuss the books they were reading and to debate prearranged issues. For the first fifteen years its members produced a magazine which carried fictive and general interest articles. This thesis will study the archive of the Society and the magazine that it produced to arrive at an understanding of the women's reading practices, their intellectual lives and their attitudes to the society in which they lived and how these experiences impacted upon them. At a time when women's societal role was limited and access to education was based on wealth or the philanthropy of others, these women were able (through their privileged place in the middle and upper classes) to construct their own canon of improving reading and to set guidelines for the education of others. Working against the hegemonic discourse of the time, yet seeking to exert some controlling influence over others, the women's attempts at self culture throw into rellief the context of their cultural experiences and the correlation between self improvement and women's emancipation. This thesis argues that prevailing ideas about Victorian women's existence in 'separate spheres' needs to be revised. It argues that the members of The Ladies' Edinburgh Debating Society make a move from the private to the public sphere through their utilisation of culture. Moreover, they are able to blend this notion of spheres to make society their concern through collective and individual action; improving themselves and the community in which they lived.
An investigation of physical activity, influences on participation and psychological well-being in female undergraduates.
(Queen Margaret University, 2002) Bulley, C. J.
Recent health surveys have found that many young women do not participate in sufficient physical activity to produce health benefits. Consequently, they are at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis in later life. The transition between secondary and higher education is associated with particular risks in relation to declining activity participation. There is clearly a need to explore the aetiology and impact of activity behaviour change in this context. A literature review identified several gaps relating to the validity of physical activity measurement, mental health benefits associated with participation and factors influencing changes in activity choices over time. Three studies were designed to address these issues in a female undergraduate population at Queen Margaret University College in Edinburgh. A theory is proposed to explain relationships between many of the variables explored. Study One aimed to validate the Scottish Physical Activity Questionnaire (SPAQ) against an estimate of time in moderate and vigorous activity derived from heart rate monitoring data. Women were monitored for three days of the seven-day recall period (N=23). Self-report and heart rate estimates of time in activity differed significantly (t test: p=0.008) and correlated poorly (r=0.03). The questionnaire was modified as a result of analysis and testing was repeated in a sample of 21 women. Modified SPAQ for students and heart rate estimates of time in activity did not differ significantly (p=0.119) and demonstrated improved correlations (r=0.59). Stage of Behaviour Change classifications also demonstrated hierarchical agreement with subjective and heart rate estimates of time in activity. Study Two aimed to establish baseline levels of exercise and moderate lifestyle physical activity in female undergraduates and to explore associations with psychological well-being over time. A large longitudinal survey was carried out using the modified SPAQ for students and psychometric measurement tools. The first survey time-point occurred at the start of the academic year and according to Stage of Behaviour Change classification 51% of participants were not active enough to achieve health benefits (n=425). The second survey was carried out two months later. Significant correlations were found between self-esteem scores and Stage of Behaviour Change classification in relation to moderate lifestyle PA (r=0.29), but not vigorous exercise. The low response to survey two (n=89) necessitated a change in methodology, implemented in the final study. Study Three aimed to explore changes in activity over the first academic year, influences on activity-related decisions and the effects of these choices on psychological well-being. Sixteen participants from the previous study sample were interviewed in a qualitative study design. Content analysis indicated that individuals frequently decreased their activity participation on entry to higher education, but some re-incorporated activity into their lifestyles over subsequent months. Many influences on activity patterns were discussed, including the negative impact of transition periods such as the summer vacation. Data analysis led to the development of the Narrative Integration Theory, which describes motivation to participate in physical activity as being influenced by the immediate affective reaction to the experience. This is reciprocally related to interacting personal, cultural, environmental and social influences and their integration into a sense of identity. Positive experiences are required to alter negative perceptions and to build feelings of competence in relation to activity participation. This thesis provides further understanding of the challenges to activity behaviour experienced by female students. Decisions relating to uptake of activity and continued participation are frequently made with conscious processing and reflect complex issues relating to personal identity and self-evaluations.
Unfolding tragedies: the impact of a mother's death on her kin and community. An ethnography from Southern Malawi.
(Queen Margaret University, 2003) Putter, C.
In examining the specific impact of a mother's death on her surviving family and community, the thesis highlights the social devastation resulting from such an event. Crucially, it argues that the increased frequency of maternal death associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and the associated increase in numbers of orphaned children, have the potential to provoke full-scale destruction of traditional kinship structures and coping mechanisms. The study contributes to a gendered study of death and the resultant coping mechanisms as well as emphasizing the importance of sibling bonds in Malawian kinship. Furthermore, it provides an analysis of the current trends relating to orphan care, and suggests how these goals could be improved within the specific cultural context. The findings are based on 14 months of in situ fieldwork, during which time a totla of 78 interviews were conducted with 66 individuals, 46 of whom are case studies. Further interviews were conducted with hospital personnel, workers with orphans, and teachers, i.e. those in positions to provide social commentary. Nudist N4 software was used for data management of the interview transcripts and fieldnotes, and facilitated access to the coded data as analysis proceeded. An historical understanding of Malawi's cultural context is outlined in the introductory chapter and the entire discussion is grounded within this context. More detailed anthropological data is provided in the chapter on kinship, which emphasizes the importance of maternal kin in looking after orphans subsequent to a mother's death. Chapters on HIV and death outline how communities are besieged by illnesses surrounding HIV-infection, and how the increased death rates associated with HIV have undermined the traditional bereavement processes, and, hence, the associated coping mechanisms. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the kinds of orphan care currently available in Malawi, followed by recommendations on how the needs of orphans could better be met by development initiatives that are more suited to working with community-based organizations.
The Connecting School: A Qualitative Evaluation of Intranet Development and the Role of the School Librarian in Scottish Secondary Schools.
(Queen Margaret University, 2004) Cater, M.
This study investigates the development of intranets in Scottish secondary schools and within that development the role of the school librarian. There is little written on the development of intranets in schools. There has been a lack of recent research on the role of the school librarian in the UK, and in particular there have been no studies investigating their involvement in ICT. This research adopted an interactionist approach which has been used in studying the social impact of computing (see Hiltz 1992). A grounded methodology has produced original substantive theory. Methods include a questionnaire to Scottish education authorities and semi-structured interviews with key individuals at authority level and in fifteen Scottish secondary schools. Schools which have successfully developed their own intranets were found to have a supportive culture which enabled key individuals to work on the intranet and develop content relevant to the internal curricular needs and ethos of the school. Examples of materials on the intranet was important in encouraging further content through a snowball effect. The key individuals were defined as activators (people with the technical skills to create content), mediators (people willing to encourage, provide ideas and examples) and to a lesser extent gatherers (who collected content from school staff). A predictive model for intranet development has been produced based on these findings. There appears to be flexibility within the role of the school librarian for individuals to take on a variety of roles. This research on intranet development found that the librarians who qualified within the last five years focussed on the intranet as a way of developing and promoting their role. Their involvement with the intranet has put school librarians in the role of intranet builder, intranet manager and content creators. Most significantly they have operated as activators and mediators in intranet development. Some librarians have broadened into network administration roles. This is increasing the difference between recently qualified librarians and longer serving school librarians. However it was found that the more recent graduates involvement with these more technical roles is not distancing them from their traditional areas of work. There is evidence that through these new roles, close curriculum cooperation has been achieved.
The Fall and Rise of the Anicom: the Sitcom Genre in U.S. TV Animation (1960–2003)
(Queen Margaret University, 2004) Dobson, Nichola M.
The thesis examines the animated sitcom, from 1960 until present, and attempts to locate its development within the genre of situation comedy. Television animation has long been regarded among film, television and animation theorists as a 'lower cultural form' than its theatrical, or 'live action' counterparts. This thesis seeks to establish a pattern of generic development, in a form which has been critically and theoretically neglected over that time. A lack of a consistent definition within critics and theorists has subsequently led to a lack of a coherent canon of theory. It is for this reason that animation is approached from several areas including film theory and cultural studies. Through original empirical research, the thesis examines the animated series in terms of its generic status, and contributes to the debates surrounding definitions of animation and the question of genre in animation. The thesis charts the development of the series, and presents the term 'anicom' to convey the unique nature of the form, its contribution to the sitcom genre and the larger form of animation as a whole.
Networking between small tourism businesses and its contribution to destination development.
(Queen Margaret University, 2004) Tinsley, Ross
This thesis aims to further understanding of networks in tourism. Specifically, it focuses on networking between small tourism businesses and its contributions to destination development. These networks are understood in terms of social, communication and exchange relations. The research is located within the context of contemporary debates regarding small businesses and networking. Within tourism, it can be located in wider research regarding destination development and community tourism. The literature review examines early sociological studies on networks, providing a background to small business literature on networks. Early research tends to be quantitative-driven whilst later research stresses the need for a greater cultural understanding of network phenomena. Within tourism development, there is a move away from rigid models based on physical expansion to ones which stress the socially constructed nature of tourism destination evolution. This is complimentary to the 'organic' nature of networks. Field research was undertaken using a methodology called interpretative anthropology. Data was collected in two destinations with differing levels of tourism infrastructure development. One was in Scotland and the other was in India, resulting in in-depth interviews with a total of 34 respondents. Participant observation was additionally used in the Indian context. Collective templates were developed from the data and presented in two main areas. The first provided a social background to the business community and the second illustrated business networking as an integrated part of wider social norms. These were then discussed in relation to social, communication and exchange networks and their contributions to destination development. Practical implications of the findings are identified in relation to business growth and tourism destination development. A key outcome is that less developed tourism infrastructure results in greater reliance on networking between businesses, whilst more developed infrastructure reduces direct business contribution. The former results in a more directly significant contribution to tourism destination development than in the latter. The key is to achieve equilibrium between horizontal and vertical network support, rather than a transition from informal to formal. A further significant outcome is the influence of destination size and social network density. This impacts on the nature and effectiveness of the tourism businesses' contribution to destination development. Destination size and social network density are also significant success factors when viewed from an internal destination perspective i.e. sub-communities and/or tourism sectors. These are identified as crucial to understanding and supporting tourism business communities. The community embeddedness of networks means smaller business communities have much greater control and regulation of their own members, and their contribution to tourism destination development. This is achieved through stronger social norms. Support agencies need to be aware of this when assisting business communities, with advice tailored accordingly.
The acute and long-term effects of 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy') upon cerebral and cerebrovascular serotonergic processes.
(Queen Margaret University, 2004) Ferrington, Linda
The amphetamine derivative 3,4,-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; Ecstasy) is a recreational drug of abuse, particularly popular among young people with whom it has formed a well-established sub-culture. MDMA is popular for its euphoria-inducing and mild stimulant properties and its popularity continues to rise despite a number of well-publicised cases of MDMA-associated fatalities and evidence of MDMA-induced acute toxicity. MDMA is known to produce an acute efflux of serotonin (5-HT) release in the brains of experimental animals, in which a marked behavioural response is also demonstrated. In the long-term MDMA causes specific neurotoxic damage to serotonergic nerve terminals, a phenomenon which is not demonstrated in other neurotransmitters. MDMA use has been associated with long-term adverse effects on both psychological and physiological health and this may represent a major public health problem given the 2 million people who use the drug in the UK alone. However, there is a perceived imbalance between the relative number of those who use MDMA and the serious adverse effects of the drug and it is possible that these may occur in a more susceptible sub-population of users. This thesis involves in vivo work using the Dark Agouti (DA) rat strain which is known to be more susceptible to MDMA and which may therefore provide an insight in this more susceptible sub-population of human MDMA users. The data presented in this thesis demonstrate that a single exposure to MDMA (15mg.kg-1) has a significal effect upon local cerebral glucose utilisation (LCMRglu) and local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) in DA rats both acutely and in the longer-term. This work demonstrates that this single dose of MDMA is neurotoxic to serotonergic neurons, inducing up to 80% depletion of serotonergic nerve terminals 6 weeks later. Furthermore, data generated from pharmacological challenges upon animals treated with MDMA 6 weeks earlier demonstrates the existence of compensatory mechanisms which act to normalise LCMRglu and LCBF, despite the persistence of serotonergic depletion. Thus this thesis extends the currently available information regarding acute and long-term effects of MDMA in a vulnerable sub-population of users and also proposes potential theories for the mechanisms of action by which pharmacological compensation for these long-term effects of MDMA-induced neurotoxicity may occur. In addition this thesis examines the effects of previous exposure to MDMA upon physiological challenges that might realistically be encountered by human users of the drug. The nature of MDMA-induced neurotoxicity suggests that human users of MDMA may suffer from untreatable chronic psychosis, and this thesis lends support to the view that currently available first line anti-depressant therapies may not be useful in the treatment of this sub-section of the population.