Representation, Otherness and Fantastic Storyworlds: Breaking Gender Binaries and Reworking Identities in Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones’ (HBO, 2011-2019) fantastic storyworld incorporates narrative and representational arcs that interrogate its gendered social, cultural and political framework. Working from Schubart and Gjelsvik’s (2016:1) assertion that the show’s female characters are ‘key to the originality […], appeal and popularity of the GoT universe’, I argue that the show capitalizes on fantasy’s position outside the realities and limitations of the human condition. In doing so, it challenges representational binaries through characters like Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams) from their respective positions within and outside of the structures of power. They push back against the gendered expectations imposed on them by the patriarchal established order, reworking their own identities to forge their own paths. My analysis therefore reflects the scope for a multiplicity of complex identities to emerge within the show and for a deeper understanding of the representational possibilities in television

Structures of control : the changing role of shop floor supervision in the U.S. automobile industry, 1900-1950

The thesis is based on a longitudinal study of the automobile industry in the U.S.A. from its inception around the turn of the century, to the 1950s. Charting the changes in methods of production, organisational structure, demography and skill configurations among the workforce, and institutional and political formations at the workplace, the study focuses upon the meaning of these developments in terms of the control of work and the personnel directly involved in that control - the changing role of foremen in 20th century industry. Using a range of sources including contemporary governmental and industrial surveys, company and trade union records and oral histories, a picture is built up of the way in which methods of production, and the control of that production, are mediated through a series of social, demographic, spatial and ideological factors, in all of which the foreman is a central character. In examining the role of shop floor supervision in shaping workers experience and actual structures of control at the workplace, and showing how the experience of foremen, individually and as a group, in turn are affected by changing patterns of work, the thesis constructs a historical modification to accounts of the labour process which stress a progressive, teleological exodus of control from the shop floor. The study points out for example, that the role of shop-floor supervisor during the inter-war period, largely supposed to have been proscribed and marginalised by technological and bureaucratic developments, remained in fact the focal point of control over hiring, firing, wage levels, production levels and methods of work, in short almost all aspects of the industrial workers' experience of factory life. Having established the boundaries of power and control surrounding the foreman in pre-war mass production, and discussed the meaning of these boundaries in terms of class, ideology and divisions among the workforce, the thesis then examines the origins and effects of unionisation on the role of supervision. Following an account of the restructuring of power and control which comes with the establishment of production workers unions in the industry, the advent of the unionisation of foremen themselves is examined. The Foremen's Association of America (FAA), which saw its genesis and principal area of recruitment in the automobile industry, represented the most serious attempt to organise supervisory workers in the USA this century, and marks a pivotal point in the spread of unionisation, managerial response and state intervention in industrial relations. Building on earlier sections outlining the position of foremen in terms of power and ideology, the thesis proposes a complex, multi-level dynamic behind the formation, growth and decline of the FAA as a corrective to previous accounts which stress the primacy of legislative and institutional explanatory frameworks. Finally the thesis charts the post-war response of management in the industry to the threat of foremen's unionisation, locating ensuing attempts to restructure the role, status and prestige of foremen in terms of the historical impact and progress of competing managerial theory, in particular that of the human relations school

Breaking the wheel: exploring representations of female archetypes in Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

This thesis interrogates the representation of the female archetypes of the monstrous mother and the warrior woman in HBO’s Game of Thrones (2011-2019). As a complex text that pushed the boundaries of what is possible on television during its run, Game of Thrones is unusual in terms of the prominence of strong women. Simultaneously labelled feminist and anti-feminist on account of the centrality of women and the debates surrounding issues like sexual violence and the objectification of their bodies, the show has produced numerous discourses that question whether its representation can be considered progressive. This thesis develops the concept of layered complexity as a means by which representation in twenty-first century televisual texts may be read and explores the extent to which that produces progressive discourses that challenge the construction and transgress the limits of existing female archetypes. In exploring those archetypes, this thesis develops an understanding of how representation functions in modern televisual texts. It harnesses detailed textual analysis to read the construction of characters in conjunction with existing scholarship on the archetypes of the monstrous mother and the warrior woman. Two distinct theoretical frameworks are pursued, structuring the thesis into twin sections, one for each archetype. The first section deals with the monstrous mother through the characters of Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke), with chapters on the mother archetype, dysfunctional motherhood, reproductive power and monstrosity. The second section deals with the warrior woman through the characters of Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie) and Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), with chapters on the warrior woman archetype, her aesthetics, codes of conduct and performativity. Through the televisual text’s four dimensions of layered complexity - the storyworld, seriality, narrative, and deeply entwined arcs – this thesis argues that Game of Thrones’ intricately woven televisual landscape offers the potential to address television’s under-representation of certain archetypes. In exploring, reversing and reconstructing established archetypes, it reflects the realities of modern identities and makes the case for more inclusive categories of identification and representation

Exploring the lived experience of an eating disorder: a qualitative analysis

Chapter 1: Literature Review “The male elephant in the room”: A Qualitative Evidence Synthesis Exploring Male Experiences of Eating Disorders. Abstract: Objectives: The qualitative evidence synthesis aimed to explore the qualitative literature relating to male experiences of an Eating Disorder, in order to synthesise the findings and offer a transcendent understanding of the existing literature. Method: Clearly defined search strategies were applied to multiple databases in order to enable a systematic search of the literature. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to the findings resulting in 12 papers deemed suitable for inclusion. A Meta-Ethnographic approach to synthesising the data was undertaken. Findings: Four themes were identified: ‘Societal Construction of the Perfect Male’, ‘Striving to Maintain a Masculine Identity’, ‘The Interconnectedness of Control and Self-Worth’ and ‘The Hidden Man’. There appeared to be an underlying concept relating to the conflict of being male, with what is perceived to be a female illness and how this challenged an individual’s masculinity, as well as challenging wider societal concepts. Conclusions: Societal constructions, combined with both internal and external conflict in relation to societal expectations and gender norms intensified the male experience of an Eating Disorder. The male experience of an Eating Disorder occurred in the context of societal assumptions, which enabled the illness to remain hidden. The notion of a female illness and gendered norms further compounded the experience of males in terms of maintaining masculine norms and fitting societal ideals. To enable a shift in the male experience of an Eating Disorder change needs to be implemented at varying levels. Chapter 2: Empirical Paper Exploring the Experience of Young People Receiving Treatment for an Eating Disorder: Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa and Multi-Family Therapy in an Inpatient Setting. Abstract: Introduction: Research indicates that Family Therapy for Anorexia Nervosa (FT-AN) and Multi-Family Therapy (MFT) are effective treatments for adolescents experiencing Anorexia Nervosa (AN). However, less is known about young people’s experiences of these two treatments, as there is limited qualitative research. Furthermore, to date there is no qualitative research exploring their experience of these two treatments in an inpatient setting. Method: Five young people were recruited to the study from an inpatient unit who were receiving treatment on the AN pathway which included both FT-AN and MFT. Semi structured interviews were undertaken and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Four superordinate themes and twelve subthemes were developed from the data. The four superordinate themes were: ‘Process of Understanding’, ‘Reviving Connection’, ‘Emerging from the Eating Disorder and ‘Development of I’. Discussion: There appeared to be two overarching concepts: the role of the individual and the role of others. The superordinate themes ‘Emerging from the Eating Disorder’ and ‘Development of I’ focussed on the development of the individual. Conversely, the superordinate themes ‘The Process of Understanding’ and ‘Reviving Connection’ were centred on the familial relationships existing within the family system

Epigrafski nadgrobni spomenici VII. legije i pojava vojničkih zajednica u rimskoj provinciji Dalmaciji u 1. stoljeću po Kr.

The Imperial Roman military consisted of a vast collection of armies and overlapping sub-communities, causing it to be a multi-layered entity. Scholars have explored its social dynamics since the 1980s, with epigraphic material – particularly of a funerary nature – providing valuable insight. The provinces of southeastern Europe, such as Dalmatia, are home to a great deal of well-catalogued archaeological and epigraphical material which could contribute to these studies, however, they are often left unconsidered in scholarship from outside the region. This paper conducts an epigraphical and archaeological analysis of the Romano-Dalmatian inscribed funerary monuments of the Seventh legion (Legio VII Claudia pia fidelis) to study the construction of identity and community. It is demonstrated that Legio VII was home to a complex network of servicemen intersected by various social, familial, legal, and military roles, relations, and symbols, which was rejuvenated and negotiated through the textual, sculptural, and spatial dimensions of funerary monuments. Moreover, these very funerary monuments were a significant part of this network, acting as media of identity and community (re)construction and (re)negotiation. Not only does this shed light on the social dynamics of Roman military communities, but it also reinforces the image which has emerged in recent scholarship of funerary monuments as socially constructive media. Finally, this paper demonstrates the value of theoretically engaged analyses of material from, and scholarship concerning, Romano-Dalmatia. This paper was supported by the Croatian Studies Foundation 2020 Community, Culture and Research Scheme and the Macquarie Gale Graeco-Roman Travelling Scholarship.Rimska carska vojska predstavljala je višeslojnu cjelinu sastavljenu od konglomerata međusobno preklapajućih različitih vojnih postrojbi i pratećih civilnih zajednica. Društvena dinamika carske vojske intenzivno se istražuje još od 1980-ih, s naglaskom na epigrafski materijal i posebno nadgrobne spomenike. Područja nekadašnjih rimskih provincija u jugoistočnoj Europi, poput Dalmacije, posjeduju veliku količinu izvrsno katalogiziranog arheološkog i epigrafskog materijala koji bi itekako mogao pridonijeti ovim studijama. Nažalost, radovi pisani na vodećim svjetskim jezicima obično nemaju običaj uzimati u obzir ovaj značajan korpus izvora što značajno ograničava domet istraživanja. Ovaj rad se bavi epigrafskom i arheološkom analizom nadgrobnih spomenika Sedme legije (Legio VII Claudia pia fidelis) iz provincije Dalmacije, s ciljem proučavanja konstrukcije identiteta vojničke zajednice ove postrojbe. Diskusija pokazuje da je Legio VII bila dom složenoj mreži legionara, ispresijecanoj različitim društvenim, obiteljskim, pravnim i vojnim ulogama, međusobnim odnosima i specifičnim simbolima, koji su osnaživani i uspostavljani kroz tekstualne, skulpturalne i prostorne dimenzije nadgrobnih spomenika. Sami nadgrobni spomenici predstavljali su značajan dio ove složene mreže, djelujući kao aktivni mediji u proces konstrukcije identiteta i (re)konstrukcije odnosno (ponovnog) uspostavljanja odnosa unutar vojničke zajednice. Ne samo da se tako baca svjetlo na društvenu dinamiku rimskih vojničkih zajednica, već također pojačava sliku koja se pojavila u novijim proučavanjima nadgrobnih spomenika kao društveno konstruktivnih medija. Naposljetku, ovim se radom nastoji pokazati vrijednost teorijski angažiranih analiza rimske arheološke građe iz provincije Dalmacija kao i rezultatima dosadašnjih istraživanja. Ovaj rad financijski su poduprli „Program zajednice, kulture i istraživanja“ australske Zaklade hrvatskih studija za 2020. i Macquarie Gale Graeco-Roman Travelling Scholarship

A census of water bird life on upper Klamath Lake

A water bird census was taken at three points on Upper Klamath Lake at weekly intervals extending over a period from September 9, 1936 to May 29, 1937. A total of 24,319 birds was recorded in field records and included thirty-two species. Totals of birds by weekly field trips show the following maxima: October 3 produced by pintail, December 24 produced by olden eye, January 16 by ruddy and olden eye, March 6 by ruddy, and May 1 by greater scaup together with western and eared grebe. During the winter months while the lake is frozen over, the birds are concentrated in open water near hot springs or where a strong water current is present. They consist of bottom feeding or diving birds during this time; principally meranser, bufflehead, pied-billed grebe, ruddy, golden eye, coot and greater scaup. The fall migrants consisted largely of widgeons while the spring influx was composed mostly of greater scaup, western an eared grebe. The most abundant species were the ruddy, golden eye, widgeon, coot and greater scaup, constituting 23%, 21%, 16%, 11% and 10% respectively of the total number of all birds observed. In frequency of appearance in field records, the greater scaup and coot were recorded on more than 80% of the field trips while the ruddy and golden eye were present in from 70% to 80% of the trips. Availability of feeding areas appears to be the principal factor causing fluctuation in number during the winter season. The temperature and precipitation conditions during the period of the census were not average. The dry tall characteristic of this region prevailed extremely late. The first precipitation of any consequence and in the form of snow occurred in late December. An extremely cold period during January and February followed this dry fall season. The spring season was later than usual, the temperature falling to moderate until late March. These variations from the average weather conditions produced three effects: first, a delayed fall migration; second, limited feeding area for the wintering birds due to restricted areas of open water while the lake surface was frozen; third, a delayed spring migration which was concentrated an of short duration

The Evolution of Private Equity: Corporate Restructuring in the UK, c.1945-2010

The paper analyses the role of private equity in restructuring the UK corporate economy. It develops a theoretical synthesis to show that the evolution of the PE industry and firms in which it invested were governed by the relations of corporate governance between investor and investee companies. Effective governance relations were a necessary condition for success and complement firm specific resources to create competitive advantage. Four case studies are used to show the contrasting effects of these determining factors, ICFC and Slater Walker, and the two waves of buy-out centred restructuring that developed with the maturity of the PE industry after 1980. In contrast to the evolutionary approach, the periodisations utilised in this study show that structural breaks associated with points of institutional reform are also necessary to make firm specific resource and governance determinants of competitive advantage operable

Attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence: a systematic review of measurement properties

Background: Attachment theory proposes that humans develop representations of self and other in early childhood which are relatively stable across the life-course, and play a key role in psychological adaptation. However, to date, the psychometric properties of attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence have not been evaluated in a systematic review. Method: A systematic review (PROSPERO ID: CRD42017057772) was conducted using COSMIN criteria. Two researchers independently searched MEDLINE, PsychINFO and Embase databases for relevant articles. Results: Fifty-four studies were included in the review. The methodological quality of studies was typically fair or poor, with only a smaller number of studies being rated as of good or excellent quality. The measurement properties of attachment measures in this age group were frequently rated as inadequate according to COSMIN criteria. The Child Attachment Interview (CAI) has the best psychometric properties of the interview and projective measures, and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) the best evidence of the self-report measures. Overall, the evidence for the CAI and IPPA included both positive and negative findings relating to adequacy of measurement properties. Conclusions: Attachment measures in middle childhood and adolescence currently have limited evidence for the adequacy of their psychometric properties

A Learning Approach to Monitoring and Evaluation

This article draws on literature from both monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and organisational learning to explore synergies between these two fields in support of organisational performance. Two insights from the organisational learning literature are that organisations learn through ‘double?loop’ learning: reflecting on experience and using this to question critically underlying assumptions; and that power relations within an organisation will influence what and whose learning is valued and shared. This article identifies four incentives that can help link M&E with organisational learning: the incentive to learn why; the incentive to learn from below; the incentive to learn collaboratively; and the incentive to take risks. Two key elements are required to support these incentives: (1) establishing and promoting an ‘evaluative culture’ within an organisation; and (2) having accountability relationships where value is placed on learning ‘why’, as well as on learning from mistakes, which requires trust

Where constructionism and critical realism converge: interrogating the domain of epistemological relativism

The paper interrogates the status, nature and significance of epistemological relativism as a key element of constructionism and critical realism. It finds that epistemological relativism is espoused by authorities in critical realism and marginalized or displaced in the field of management and organization studies, resulting in forms of analysis that are empirically, but not fully critically, realist. This evaluation prompts reflection on the question of whether, how and with what implications epistemological relativism might be recast at the heart of critical realist studies of management and organization