Resettlement, Austerity and Vulnerability: A Critical Examination of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme in the North East of England

In recent years, there has been a global move from states to have resettlement perceived as the only remedy to forced displacement. A growing number of resettlement schemes have materialized in destination countries of the Global North in recent years, whilst at the same time asylum protection is increasingly restricted amid rising far right anti-immigrant rhetoric. The United Kingdom has been at the forefront of this trend with the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS). Focusing on this scheme, this thesis explores the relationship between resettlement, austerity and the concept of vulnerability in the enactment of the VPRS in the North East of England. It shows how the term ‘vulnerability’ has been embedded into the legal categorisation of refugee resettlement, becoming an integral part to the conceptual separation between individuals worthy of protection and those who are not. It also argues that in the context of resettlement schemes such as the VPRS, individuals placed in areas hit hardest by government austerity measures, such as the North East of England, adopt a neoliberal subjectivity whereby individuals become entrepreneurial and compete with themselves and with others to do better, ultimately with the eventual goal of citizenship. In developing its analysis, the thesis also illustrates the methodological point that when conducting research with groups of people framed as ‘vulnerable’ in normative ethical review processes and institutional frameworks, it is vital that researchers are attuned to the need to develop situated judgments of ethical practice and responsibility in situ. Ultimately, the thesis shows how specific understandings of vulnerability shape resettlement policy, its experience, and the ways in which it is researched. It argues that while these understandings are often at odds, they also intersect in shaping how the VPRS materialises on the ground

Investigating the Impact of Environment on the Galaxy Luminosity Function.

In this thesis, we present the DESI Y1 Bright Galaxy Survey (BGS) Luminosity Functions (LFs) in the $r$, $g$, $z$ and $w_1$-bands from $0.002 -15$. These LFs are in agreement with those presented in the literature. We further validate our results by using a range of methodologies ($1/V_{\textrm{max}}$, $1/ V_{\textrm{dc, max}}$, \gls{SWML}) to construct the LFs, which broadly agree with each other. We note some areas where further investigation is needed. This includes a disparity between the North and South LFs at the bright end, a potential need for a more complex evolutionary model, and the issue of imaging systematics at the faint end of the LF. Nevertheless, the small jackknife errorbars on our global LFs demonstrate that our results are well-constrained, and these errors will only become smaller with the release of the Y3 and Y5 BGS datasets. Moreover, we confirm that our methodology of dealing with the differing photometry in North and South is broadly successful. We extend this analysis by using the luminosity function to investigate the environmental dependencies of galaxies. In particular, we investigate how luminosity and colour depend on local density, and present our results here. These results agree well with prior results in the literature from GAMA, indicating that we have developed a successful methodology for dealing with boundary corrections and holes in the survey. Although the effective volume of the BGS survey is similar to the GAMA results due to boundary corrections, this will yield promising results on the Y3 and Y5 results which will be more complete and will have a much larger effective volume. Finally, we then use our methodology to generate $1/V_{\rm max}$ Stellar Mass Functions (SMFs). With these SMFs, we help to test and validate a new methodology called Photometric Objects Around Cosmic Webs (PAC). PAC was developed to estimate the excess projected density distribution of a spectroscopic catalogue by utilising the signal in the cross-correlation of faint galaxies from the Legacy photometric surveys with the brighter DESI BGS galaxies with known spectroscopic redshift. In doing so, PAC can estimate the SMF in a novel way, and yields results that agree with our $1/V_{\rm max}$ SMF above $10^9 M_{\odot}$ but currently differs at the low-mass end. Both our LF and SMF results serve as useful results that can act to better constrain and distinguish between different galaxy formation models

Switchable Synthetic Smiles Rearrangement Small Molecule Walkers

Natural protein walkers, such as kinesin or dynein, found in biological systems are able to walk along a cytoskeletal polymer track whilst carrying out complex cellular functions. Synthetic small molecule walkers are developed to emulate the walking motion using dynamic covalent chemistry, in sizes hundreds of times smaller than proteins. Although varies levels of success have been achieved, the challenge still remains to design a synthetic walker system that could operate efficiently and be adaptable to a wide range of conditions, environments and designs. In this research, we have designed and synthesised a series of acid/base switchable Smiles Rearrangement small molecule walkers and through in-situ switching walking experiments monitored using 1H NMR spectroscopy we demonstrated that we could transport a walking unit along amino-alcohol tracks via consecutive Smiles Rearrangements operated in a wide range of solvents. The walkers were proved to be capable of carrying out repetitive walking and are also processive, progressive, autonomous, and in one case directional. The structures of three of our walker species were confirmed with X-ray crystallography. Our results show that the Smiles Rearrangements walkers could be robust, highly switchable and adaptable, offering high degrees of control. This research has contributed to the current library of synthetic small molecule walkers, while deepening our understanding of the mechanistic of the Smiles Rearrangements, this work demonstrated clear potentials for the application of the Rearrangement in the design of other future functional walkers

Forming Catholic Identity in Young People: Contingency, Agency and the Power of Family Life

This thesis argues that the formation of Catholic identity is not exclusively an institutional nor an innate process, but is co-produced by families and young people in a complex relationship with the institutional Church. It highlights the expertise and labour of Catholic families to contextualise catholicity within specific family, social and cultural settings; the agency and persistence of participants as they seek out the relational, affective Catholicity required to maintain their identity; and the ambiguous role of the institutional Church in balancing forces of innovation and tradition. The study reveals the processes of inheriting or choosing, normalising, enacting and imagining this identity in cycles of adaptation and innovation. Drawing Pierre Bourdieu and Robert Orsi into conversation to examine the interrelationship of structuring structures and improvisation in the data, I sketch three styles of Catholic parenting: spiritual apprenticeship, enforcing, and enabling. I then outline the range of participants’ responses and the surprising role of ambiguity and paradox in their religious lives. A capacious catholicity is revealed, centred around a loving relationship with God, capable of withstanding the shocks and challenges of adolescence, and more concerned with the doxa of their families and communities than the orthodoxy of the institutional Church. I argue that these daily micro-innovations contribute to Catholicism’s ability to adapt across time and space, raising questions about the complex role of the Church in managing processes of change while remaining recognisably Catholic. Developing an emic, non-normative Lived Catholicism approach during the research, I have argued that Catholic identity is far more contingent, diverse and locally produced than either sociologists of religion or the Church itself usually acknowledge. This research contributes to the wider discussion about the production of religious identity in young people, the future shape of the Catholic Church, and the complex relationship between religion and secular culture

INSTITUTIONAL, CULTURAL AND CONTEXTUAL INFLUENCES ON EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PRACTICES: EVIDENCE FROM THE FINANCIAL SERVICES INDUSTRIES OF HONG KONG AND THE UNITED KINGDOM

Studies on executive compensation, particularly in the financial services industry, are largely decontextualised and centred around dominant yet generalised management practices (Rousseau and Fried, 2001; Cooke, 2018). These concepts are assumed to be generalisable worldwide and industry-agnostic. However, they do not consider the impact of a broad range of institutional, cultural, and contextual differences, which may vary in instrumentality across different locations. Using a critical realist epistemology, this research project utilises data from interviews with 36 executives in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom to investigate the breadth of institutional, cultural, and contextual factors that have shaped executive compensation design, practice, and regulatory reforms following the global financial crisis of 2008. The findings of this research challenge the assumed generalisability of the aforementioned dominant approaches, specifically in the field of executive compensation. The data reveal a complex interplay of contextual factors that limit the assumed portability of these practices beyond the location from which they originate. This research also problematises the existing literature, given recent trends of decontextualization in the human resource management literature (Cooke, 2018) and the existing literature’s inherent avoidance of integrated analysis, which would otherwise identify the interrelationships of these contextual factors. Through an integrated lens, this research demonstrates that executive compensation design, practice, and efforts to reform are a context-dependent meso-level product of the interrelationships between macro- and micro-level factors. The context-dependency of executive compensation design, practice and reforms provides evidence that the assumed generalisability and implicit dominance of current decontextualised management practices are flawed. There is merit in investigating and understanding the factors specific to an Asian context (Sun et al., 2010), to which the generalised application of existing dominant practices is limited in relevance and efficacy. The findings of this research offer original empirical, theoretical and managerial contributions that directly support calls for more contextualisation in international business research (Welch et al., 2021; Cooke, 2018), and more integrated explanations in both the institutional and human resource management literature (Edwards et al., 2020; Schotter et al, 2021). It evidences that the presence, or lack thereof, of public anger, political involvement and economic agendas has a direct and interrelated impact on the design, practice, and reforms of executive compensation in different locations or contexts. It also evidences the role of transnational actors as an additional layer in the macro-level factors which influence executive compensation, design, practice and reform. This research project demonstrates that this finding has been overlooked in the existing literature to date. The data indicate that the interrelationships between contextual factors at both the macro and micro levels vary in their impact strength across locations, and consequently, have differing effects on executive compensation outcomes at the meso-level. From a managerial perspective, ignoring the impact of these interrelated factors and relying on the assumed portability of dominant executive compensation practices will limit the impact and effectiveness of these practices in other contexts. Generalisable “best practice” may be relevant in specific contexts, but deviation from this should not be viewed as a limitation (Cooke, 2018) or a sign of dilution; local adaptation is necessary to ensure congruency and efficacy within local institutional, cultural and contextual factors

Corporate Governance Monitoring, Decision Making, Reporting and Disclosures, and the Effect of Technological Tools: The case of Corporate Boards of Directors and Pension Scheme Boards

This thesis uses agency theory and highlights research gaps regarding how big data analytics (BDA) and technological tools can enhance governance, particularly in directors' monitoring and decision-making in corporate boards (BoDs). I conducted 40 semi-structured interviews focusing on corporate boards and explored the potential effects of BDA and technological tools on monitoring, disclosures, and reporting. Technological tools are a variable previously overlooked in agency theorisation, which is why I wanted to understand the perceptions of participants on whether such tools are used and their potential effect on some key governance functions of the BoDs. The findings underscore the pivotal role of technological tools in mitigating agency costs through enhanced monitoring mechanisms. Allowing the BoDs access to real-time and high-volume data, these technologies effectively reduce information asymmetries that affect oversight functions. However, findings also reveal that too much data can lead to the BoDs ‘’drowning’’ in data. A key theoretical implication is that the direct transmission of critical information to BoDs, bypassing managerial intermediation, can substantially lower agency risk. This advancement holds significant promise for enhancing organisational transparency and improving the quality of reporting and disclosure processes. To complement the general enquiry on whether and/or how BDA and technological tools can improve some key governance functions, I completed a second study, a case study on pension fund governance, where 18 participants were interviewed. I explored whether BDA and technological tools are used, and my participants’ views on whether such tools can affect the monitoring and decision-making functions of trustees. I delved deeper to examine whether information asymmetries can be affected by the use of technological tools. Findings from this study indicate that these technologies can help alleviate traditional agency problems, such as the informational advantage typically held by agents over principals. Artificial intelligence provides new insights and abilities that question and refine key assumptions of agency theory. Furthermore, the study reveals significant variation in trustee behaviour, challenging the conventional view that trustees uniformly act as principals and highlighting the nuanced and diverse nature of their governance roles and engagement

Discerning God in the Process: An Empirical and Theological Analysis of Vocational Discernment towards Ordained Ministry in the Church of England

From its earliest days, the Church has carefully discerned those called to roles of public leadership and responsibility. This thesis offers a theological analysis of the Shared Discernment Process (SDP) used by the Church of England to discern vocations to ordained ministry. Introduced in 2021, the SDP was a significant revision of previous processes, designed to reflect contemporary changes in ministry and promote greater diversity among candidates. Through empirical research with Diocesan Directors of Ordinands (DDOs) and candidates, this study examines how the SDP is experienced as a means of discerning God’s call, rather than merely a pragmatic selection process. I analyse the theology of the vocational discernment process and engage with three key themes. First, I explore the role of personal narrative in discernment, drawing on Stanley Hauerwas’s narrative theology to argue that storytelling should move beyond psychological theories of storied personal identity and emphasise the church community’s role in discerning vocation. Second, I examine how candidates articulate their calling in formal interviews, engaging with Wesley Vander Lugt’s theatrical theology to reflect on authenticity and formation in these moments of performance. Third, I address the asymmetrical power dynamics involved in these encounters, using a recent blog post by Mike Higton on power in the Church of England to highlight the need for accountability and transparency in ecclesial discernment processes. As one of the first practical theological studies on the SDP, this thesis offers a unique contribution by analysing the lived experiences of those engaging in this process. Theologically, it advances contemporary discussion on vocation and ecclesiology. Practically, it proposes recommendations for improving the work of DDOs and others involved in vocational discernment. These insights will be valuable for theologians, church leaders, DDOs, and candidates exploring a call to ordained ministry

Gender-Assemblages and the Case of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

Established in 1986 as a stand-alone season of lesbian and gay cinema, ‘BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival’ is Britain’s largest and longest-running queer film festival. A complex and unstable confluence of culture, politics, sociality, and affect, this queer cultural organisation represents a particularly rich research context, one marked by its epistemological productivity and reflexivity. This thesis explores its historical production of gender politics by analysing multiple dimensions of the organisation. Film, while central to the queer film festival’s politics, represents just one dimension of its political productivity. This study analyses three dimensions of the festival in order to extrapolate, correlate, and map its historical-epistemological relationship towards gender politics. I examine the discourse of its organisers; the commercial materials, title changes, and spatiality it annually produces or temporarily occupies; and the relational, more-than-textual politics of its curation. To theorise the complex and often contradictory political significations produced by, through, and across the queer film festival, I utilise the concept of ‘assemblage’: a versatile and dynamic theory of social ontology widely taken up in queer theory. By harnessing assemblage philosophy and placing it into dialogue with the heterogeneous dimensions of the queer film festival, this investigation presents a revitalised approach to analysing and identifying the multifarious contours of the queer film festival’s political productivity, demonstrating not only how gender politics are historically produced within this space but also how they are subject to reflexive self-examination and organisational destabilisation. The ideas explored and findings presented here seek to contribute to various critical fields, including British queer cultural history, (film) Festival Studies, and queer-feminist philosophy. In doing so, this thesis offers practical insights into the organisational operations of BFI Flare in its traversal of a highly unstable identitarian landscape

Losing Touch? Reaching for a Theology of Touch for a Digital Age

Within a theological framework, this thesis asks to what extent human touch is fungible. Advances in haptic technology open the possibility of replicating, synthesising, and mediating aspects of touch, including sexual stimulation, through mechanical or digital transmission. Is there a substantive theological difference between being touched by someone and being touched by something? After an introductory chapter, chapter two reviews the philosophy of touch in the Western tradition, and its place among the senses. An analysis of touch in the work of twentieth century phenomenologists, especially Maurice Merleau-Ponty, suggests that human touch is an event at which meaning is created and recognised, creating what he calls a “dehiscence”. Chapter three examines the theological anthropology of Rowan Williams, and his understanding that humans recognise their personhood in the desire of others and of God. Chapter four suggests that this might be extended from reciprocal gaze to touch, and begins to explore what this might mean if applied to interactions between a person and a machine. Chapter five explores the quasi-sacramental qualities of touch, and its role in opening possibilities of grace, while chapter six offers an overview of the theological and cultural understandings of touch in the Biblical texts. Chapter seven explores the ways in which touch that is mediated by a machine such as a computer is like or unlike plain human touch, and chapter eight sets out some of the ways in which the nature of touch might change when it is digitised, mediated or commodified. The concluding chapter suggests that a theology of touch for a digital world belongs in an eschatological context. Machine touch is analogous to human touch, but the latter cannot be wholly replicated or objectified without loss of meaning. Our experience of touch is rooted in space and time, but its ultimate meaning lies beyond both

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF GENDER AND SEXUALITY: A MULTI-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF IMPLICATIONS FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN INDIAN YOUTH

This thesis examines the mental health and well-being of Indian youth aged 18 to 29, focusing on how they navigate the complexities of gender identity and sexuality in various social contexts. In a country with diverse socio-cultural dynamics, understanding these dynamics is essential for addressing mental health disparities among SOGIESC (sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics) individuals. This study responds to a significant gap in academic research by investigating the micro, macro, and interpersonal factors shaping the mental health experiences of this underexplored population. This thesis addresses key questions such as: How do gender and sexuality affect the mental health and well-being of young people in India? What are the potential risk and protective factors for mental health? How does Indian culture impact the experiences with these concepts? Employing a multi-phase qualitative approach, this study examined the social and psychological well-being, along with broader mental health challenges, of young people. Phase 1 (n=145) involved a survey designed to assess gender role identity, social and psychological well-being, while Phase 2 (n=19) comprised of in-depth interviews with a sub-sample from the survey to explore these issues further. Data analysis focused on identifying recurring themes and patterns, providing a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing mental health. In this research, I contribute new insights to the literature on gender and sexuality and mental health in India. The study identified several mental health challenges among participants, including depression, anxiety, gender dysphoria, and suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Key risk factors included stigma and discrimination, lack of legal recognition, cultural norms and expectations, and family rejection. Conversely, protective factors such as personal agency, future aspirations, and access to mental health services emerged as significant. A notable finding was ‘Corrective Child Sexual Abuse,’ describing experiences where participants perceived their abuse as an attempt to ‘correct’ their non-normative gender identity or sexuality. The research also highlighted that participants’ gender and sexuality are affected at various levels (macro, interpersonal, and individual). At macro level, various structural inequalities such as lack of all legal rights and institutional discrimination, and cultural expectations such as heteronormativity and religious expectations, created a backdrop of distress for the participants. At interpersonal level, pressures from their family and society like pressure to marry and to conform to societal norms created a cycle of extreme distress where participants could not turn to their primary caregivers for support. At individual level, participants experienced challenges due to a lack of awareness about their identity and their agency being suppressed. Their mental health deteriorated when they were not able to act the way they wanted, leading to stress and anxiety. Furthermore, this study contributes valuable data to the literature on SOGIESC identities, an area that remains understudied in India. The findings provide critical insights that can inform policies and interventions aimed at reducing mental health disparities and promoting well-being among SOGIESC youth in India