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Using the hypothesis that interaction with net art can be categorised, the primary purpose of the research was to generate a taxonomy of this interaction. Emphasis is given to interactive web based works that require the user to participate by contributing material to the piece. An initial period of contextualisation was required to position net art within contemporary arts culture this included an examination of previous attempts at categorising interactivity and the exploration of connected historical art practices. Most previous attempts at categorisation either characterise types of interactive work, or detail specific interactive characteristics the work itself may have. This aim of this thesis was to take an alternative approach by focusing on the interaction itself in order to create a taxonomy. To establish this characterisation of interactivity, several practical pieces of internet art were created that doubled as data collection tools. The main outcome of this project resulted in the development of my own Connected, Partially Connected and Unconnected ( C.P.U.) model of interactivity. This in turn necessitated the examination of the interactive process which resulted in defining a loop of interaction . This loop of interaction specifies several separate phases to the interactive process, the C.P.U. model of interactivity occupying one of these phases. This thesis primarily provides a platform with which to further interrogate interaction with net art. An unexplored area of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) that is specific to net art has been identified and is therefore of use to theorists and researchers working in this area. It is also of use to artists enabling them to better understand how interaction is understood within the context of their own practice.

Metal-cyclopentadienyl bonds in moderately strained silicon-bridged [l]ferrocenophanes and dicarba[2]ferrocenophanes and highly strained dicarba[2]ruthenocenophanes react with diphosphines to form mixed-hapticity metallocycles through haptotropic reduction of one η⁵-,π-bound Cp to η¹, σ-coordination. The dependence of these reactions on the type of phosphine and degree of strain in the metallocenophane was probed. In one case, an unstrained photoadduct was found to undergo unprecedented ring-opening polymerisation (ROP) to produce polyferrocenylsilane (PFS).

This thesis develops an idea of how the common good might be pursued in a plural society, beginning from Jonathan Sacks' vision of such a society as a'community of communities'. It does so principally by developing Alasdair Maclnytre's concept of 'tradition'. Chapter 1 begins by assembling conceptual tools for the task, drawing on the work of scholars from a variety of disciplines. These include understandings of morality, plurality, community relations, the common good, the public arena, and modernity. Chapter 2 begins to refine these tools through a case study of The Satanic Verses controversy. The analysis is achieved principally by viewing the controversy in terms of a conflict between two communities of interpretation, a'literary community' and 'the British Muslim community'. While it is recognised that these constructs are over-simplistic, it is argued that the conflict can most fairly be viewed by seeing participants in the controversy as members of communities of interpretation, each with their own history, practices and identities at stake. In the course of the chapter, the 'literary community' is identified as broadly 'liberal' in outlook. Liberalism is then the topic of Chapter 3, in particular recent theoretical formulations of liberalism in the work of Rawls, Kymlicka and Galston, and their application of liberal theory to minority cultures in plural secularised societies. Chapter 4 provides an account of the failure of such liberal approaches according to Maclntyre, developing his concept of tradition as an alternative way to safeguard the integrity of individuals and communities, and to pursue the common good in a plural society. Chapters 5 and 6 seek to understand aspects of British Muslim and Christian communities respectively in the light of this analysis, in particular their inter-relationship with British society, and their contribution to the common good. Chapter 7 then problematises and refines the concept of tradition through an examination of the work of John Milbank, suggesting an understanding of tradition which combines teleological orientation, emphasis on concrete cultural practices and recognition of difference. Finally, Chapter 8 applies this refined concept of tradition to two contested fields; the international debate on Islam and human rights, and multicultural, citizenship and religious education in schools in England and Wales.

The purpose of this study is to determine if a particular type of school board culture is predictive of Alaskan public school superintendents' intention to leave their positions. Cameron and Quinn's four types of organizational culture--hierarchy, market, clan, and adhocracy--serve as the model for the study, which surveyed Alaska's public school superintendents during the 2010-2011 school year. The 47 participants completed the Anticipated Turnover Scale and the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument. A correlational analysis was utilized to assess what relationship might exist between anticipated turnover and superintendents' perceptions of their school board culture. No statistically significant correlations were found for any of the specific organizational types and superintendents' intention to quit their job. The findings do not discount the potential for school board culture to impact superintendents' intention to leave their positions; rather they suggest directions future research might take in reframing and exploring this question. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

The investigations reported in this thesis have been carried out primarily on British representatives of the Archaeogastropoda. The work falls into two parts the first relates to the fine structure of epithelial sensory cells and the second to the fine structure and function of the juxtaganglionar organ, a putative endocrine gland. Observations on the sensory cells are primarily concerned with those found in the cephalic and epipodial tentacles, and the epipodial sense organs. The general organisation and innervation of these structures is described together with the ultrastructure of their sensory cells. The species examined most extensively were Gibbula umbilicalis (da Costa) and Emarginula reticulata Sowerby. Much similarity was observed between these species, particularly with regard to the epipodial sense organs. Similar structures were also found on the mantle edge bordering the shell slit of E. reticulata. Members of the Patellacea were examined briefly for comparison. Fine structural observations on the juxtaganglionar organ were carried out on G. umbilicalis. The organ was found to possess many features characteristic of an endocrine gland and to show similarity to the dorsal bodies of pulmonates. Animals were collected at monthly intervals throughout one year in order to investigate the possibility of seasonal variation in the activity of the organ. Such variation was observed in females and was shown to correlate with the reproductive cycle. Males were not examined in this respect. The juxtaganglionar organ of an opisthobranch, Aplysia punctata Cuvier, was examined for comparison. It was found to exhibit further similarity to the pulmonate dorsal bodies.

The general theory of magnon interactions in antiferromagnetic insulators is examined from a new view point, and the nature of the antiferromagnetic ground state is clarified. It is shown that the Anderson canonical transformation to free spin wave operators is non-unitary, with the magnon state vectors having large non-physical projections, and a projection technique which restores unitarity at low temperatures is developed. The non-physical projection of the state vectors leads to a large kinematic interaction, even at zero temperature. A group theoretic approach to the problem of calculating magnon self energies in complicated magnetic structures is developed, and this technique is combined with the Dyson-Maleey boson mapping in an effort to elucidate, the mechanism of the Morin phase transition in haematite. The free magnon dispersions are calculated for both magnetic phases of haematite, and it is shown that the optic modes can have unusually low energy. The equations for self-consistent renormalisation of the magnon energies are given for the low temperature phase, and order of magnitude estimates for the energy shifts are calculated at the centre of the Brillouin zone. The numerous experimental 'anomalies' are considered and it is proposed that the optic modes are unstable against magnon interaction.

The aim of this thesis is to investigate alternative help-seeking methods for dementia care among Black African and Black Caribbean Christians (BABCC) and South Asian Muslims (SAM) in the UK with a view to develop more effective care pathways. There has been limited research on Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups and alternative pathways to dementia care. The findings of this thesis allow for a more integrated approach to understanding help-seeking decisions that are made within the BAME community in the UK than has been prevalent, and to give insight to alternative care pathways that can be utilised alongside professional care. Previous research has found that BAME groups face certain barriers to dementia care, which leads to delayed diagnosis of dementia, underutilisation of services, and people with dementia (PwD) being more likely to be dissatisfied with the services as compared to White counterparts. There are efforts being made to remove these barriers and provide culturally appropriate care. Ethnicity, culture, and religion were found to play an important role in BAME groups' understandings and experiences of dementia. To understand the current research on dementia care pathways, a critical literature review was carried out, which suggested that there are barriers to professional health care and that individuals utilised alternative help-seeking methods which needed to be further researched. This thesis adopted a mixed method sequential design. Study 1 is quantitative research which examines BAME groups and their White counterparts understanding of dementia. It was found that BAME groups were more likely to believe that religious and spiritual factors were the causes of dementia, and that alternative treatments were beneficial for PwD. Study 2 was qualitative research which explored PwD's understandings and experiences through their caregivers. Four overarching themes were identified: 1) facilitators to care pathways, 2) barriers and obstacles to seeking help, 3) alternative methods to help- seeking and coping and 4) negative perceptions and stigma. Study 3 was also qualitative research which iii explored the role of religion and religious leaders in help-seeking methods for dementia. Four overarching themes were also identified: 1) dementia beliefs, 2) influence of religion, 3) sources of help and 4) faith and science. These findings are further elaborated to construct a model which illustrates the current help-seeking process (including alternative methods) and its practical application in the UK namely how the knowledge generated can be used to develop better integrated care pathways enabling earlier engagement with services, diagnosis, support and outcomes for PwD and their carers and families.

This thesis is a qualitative study of migration, belonging and identity in the desistance narratives of migrant ex-offenders in England and Wales. Existing research on desistance has comprehensively explored how various components are central to the process of ceasing offending; these include age, familial ties, employment, education, social connections and social support, socio-economic status before and after release from prison, life circumstances, faith, preparation before being released, and future plans (Glueck and Glueck, 1951; Bruner, 1987; Laub and Sampson 2001, 2003; Maruna, 2001; Giordano et al., 2002; Gadd and Farrall, 2004; Farrall, 2004; Giordano et al., 2008; Healy, 2010; McNeil, 2014). A significant body of recent work argues that successful desistance often involves not only particular social attachments, but also identity change, usually termed ‘secondary desistance’. There is now a range of work that explores the development of secondary desistance through the form of life narratives (Maruna, 2001; Piquero, 2004; Ezel and Cohen, 2005; Pals, 2006; Massoglia and Uggen, 2007; Vaughan, 2007; McNeil, 2014). This research suggests that a central part of this process is the ability to explain away periods of offending, and to separate off this old, offending identity from a new, non-offending identity. In order to develop our understanding of the relationship between life narrative, identity transformation and the process of ceasing offending, this thesis explores the narratives of migrant ex-offenders seeking to desist from crime. In recent years, the demographics of the UK prison population have changed significantly, with 14% of inmates (Allen and Watson, 2017) now consisting of non-UK nationals or foreign-born prisoners. Thus, recent research has emphasised the specificity of the experience of migrant prisoners, both in the UK and across Europe (Bosworth et al., 2016). This thesis therefore explores the ways in which migrant ex-offenders narrate their desistance journey, their sense of belonging and their identity, as they enable the creation of a new non-offending identity. This is explored through narrative interviews, which are analysed thematically, allowing examination of the ways in which migrants narrate their past experiences and relate them to their desistance process. The sample consists of 15 male migrant ex-offenders, both foreign nationals and foreign-born UK nationals. Drawing on these interviews, the thesis argues that the dislocating experience of migration functions in their narratives as an explanation for offending, whereas becoming settled and established is the route to a new identity. Central to this process is the narration of a ‘functional’ sense of belonging and identification, which is connected to particular social support networks and roles; this helps the participants to construct a non-offending identity and a sense of purpose, defined by hope for a future life without crime.

In spite of the recent reform of the curriculum, Religious Education (RE) in Cyprus remains confessional and it is dominated by the Greek Orthodox Church, reflecting the island's history of occupation, colonization and partition and the need to promote national unity amongst a presumed-to-be homogeneous population, with imperatives for nation-building superseding concerns with the island's historic cultural diversity. However, a series of changes, broadly since Cyprus' independence in 1960 but especially since 2000, present challenges to this confessional RE. Therefore, the aim of this PhD thesis is to assess the implications of changes in Greek-Cypriot society for the provision of RE in Greek-Cypriot primary schools, and to identify ways of addressing the challenges posed by these changes; and especially to respond to the increasingly multicultural character of Cyprus. At the same time, it aims to provide some suggestions as to how RE can be reformed along the lines of multiculturalism in order to promote the reconciliation of the island and to encourage students' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This thesis primarily considers the way RE is taught in Cyprus, but at the same time it examines the RE curricula frameworks of other European countries, since Cyprus is a part of the European Union and thus, shares similar visions and challenges with them. For the conduction of this PhD thesis, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were applied. However, the main research tool was a RE booklet which was developed by the researcher and it was used as an additional teaching material which aimed to reform students' knowledge, views and attitudes about a variety of topics. This PhD research has revealed that some of students' knowledge, views and attitudes regarding different spiritual, moral, social, and cultural issues have been enriched and changed, in some way, after being taught from the RE Booklet. Most of their original misconceptions and false knowledge have also been successfully redressed. However, their views and attitudes towards the minority community of Cyprus, Turkish-Cypriots, have not been changed, and this reveals that a systematic effort needs to be made in order to change well-embedded confessional views. Another finding was that the majority of Greek-Cypriot students, teachers and educators prefer a more multicultural RE rather than a confessional one, but there are some reservations which need to be addressed before putting this into practice. These include: the Church of Cyprus' preference for a confessional RE, its influence on the educational system, the confessional teaching material, the inadequate guidance and support offered to teachers by the Ministry of Education and individual prejudices towards people of different cultural and religious origins. This research has also revealed that the three representatives from the religious minorities of Cyprus (Maronite/Armenian/Turkish-Cypriot) believe that the majority of Greek-Cypriot teachers have very negative attitudes towards religious and cultural diversity, and so they are unwilling to promote multicultural education within their classrooms. They also perceive the Greek-Cypriot community as being more nationalistic and religiously fundamentalist than their own communities. Finally, this PhD thesis has reached the conclusion that the integration of citizenship and religious education can promote intercultural dialogue which will help individuals to coexist, cooperate, understand and respect each other. However, the Cypriot society is not prepared yet for a radical change in the way RE is taught. Therefore, it is a better option initially to combine confessional and multicultural RE; to orient RE to multiculturalism, and not to change radically the way that RE is taught, because that would provoke adverse reaction. At the same time, the Ministry of Education has an instrumental role to play in improving RE; it needs to seriously take into consideration the presence of non-Orthodox children attending schools, to correct students' misconceptions and combat their social and religious prejudices, to encourage assessment for learning and to ensure that education is free of political interests and Church influences.

The purpose of this study is to identify key factors that have led women to enter higher education on a large scale in Iran. My research will analyse the social, political, economic and cultural contexts which have provided an opportunity for women to take up more than 65% of places in Iranian universities, in a society which is unequal in many other respects. The rationale for a focus on women's share of higher education on such a scale is that education is considered to be a key social development indicator for measuring women's status and condition in any country. Tertiary education is seen by many commentators as a provider of greater opportunities for women's economic and social development. Education is one of the most significant means of empowering women with the knowledge and skills they need in order to play a greater role in the process of economic and social development. This research will also cover the historical background of women's issues since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. I will then explore the rise of female participation in social movements, which have been followed by government repression. The role and solidarity of women with different political views in reformist movements and specifically the role of women in the Green Movement of 2009 will be discussed. This study will also examine the role of the Iranian diaspora in general, and specifically the role of women in the diaspora, in social and cultural change. The impact of social media im mobilising people not only to support their demands inside Iran but also to serve as a strong tool for communication with the outside world will be important issues to discuss. New Social Movement theory will be the main theoretical framework discussed in this research. Qualitative multi-methods were used to gather data based on existing resources in English and Farsi, and interviews were conducted in Iran and abroad with sixteen women activists. In addition, a Facebook page was designed to collect more information from other sources. A brief comparison of the situation of women in education and employment in Iran and that of women in the region more widely has also been conducted. This research sims to address gaps in the existing research and provide suggestions and recommendations for future research on the women's movement in Iran. Finally the research aims to discuss how educated Iranian women's journeys can make an impact on social, political and cultural development in contemporary Iran.

This study proposes an investigation into the formation of a new British Muslim identity, alongside various personal and social challenges and consequences many Muslim converts face as a result of conversion to, and in some cases from, Islam. The thesis analyses the factors and elements that greatly contribute to a more positive conversion experience and draws on insights from colonial history, the political climate, the Islamic fitrah, and western theories on conversion and identity development. Based on a qualitative study sample of thirty-four British converts, the thesis argues that many challenges Muslim converts face are due to them having a limited understanding of Islamic teachings and their rights. The study was guided by research questions: What are the anticipated benefits and positive elements that encouraged the start and continuation of an Islamic conversion journey? What constitutes a comfortable and balanced British Muslim identity and lifestyle for westerners? and What are the main problems and challenges new Muslims face that can lead to de-conversion? Is Lewis Rambo’s stage model, alongside Helen Ebaugh’s de-conversion stages appropriate for the study of conversion and de-conversion to and from Islam? It was found that those who enjoyed being Muslims were able to create a balanced British Muslim identity by negotiating and applying their own western values to their understanding of The Prophet Muhammad’s biography and The Quran, and integrated Islamic values into their own environments and everyday lives that were free from foreign cultural practices. It was important to understand what they were expecting to benefit from Islam and how they later perceived, practised, expressed and understood their new faith and identities as British Muslims. The study also examines how converts deal with Islamophobia and extremism, and how Islamic conversions can be perceived as a threat to White British identity, social class and values. The participants shared common difficulties regarding gender and racial discrimination, living among Muslims, identity development, marriage, parenting, Muslim culture, isolation, integration and practising Islam, but at different levels, and with differing consequences. The sacrifices, challenges and consequences faced by some individuals as a result of a de-conversion are explored, which includes living with hidden identities as ‘closeted disaffiliates’ out of fear of abuse and stigmatisation.