Social Change and the Family

This paper explores the social change of the past 40 years through reporting the results of a restudy. It argues that social change can be understood, culturally, as involving a process of de-institutionalisation and, structurally, as involving differentiation within elementary family groups as well as within extended family networks. Family change is set in the context of changes in the housing and labour markets and the demographic, industrial and occupational changes of the past 40 years. These changes are associated with increases in women\'s economic activity rates and a decrease in their \'degree of domesticity\'. They are also associated with increasing differentiation within families such that occupational heterogeneity is now found at the heart of the elementary family as well as within kinship groupings as was the case 40 years ago. Thus the trend towards increased differentiation identified in the original study (Rosser and Harris: The Family and Social Change) has continued into the 21st century. This is associated with a de-institutionalisation of family life and an increasing need for partners to negotiate participation in both productive and reproductive work.De-Institutionalisation, Social Change, Restudy, Occupational Differentiation, Extended Family

An analysis of choice: a case study on hip prostheses

Total hip replacement (THR) surgery is a highly successful procedure offering relief of chronic pain and improving physical functioning. Given an ageing population, there is an ever increasing demand for THR, and an increasing need to establish its cost-effectiveness. This thesis explores two aspects of choice between the alternative prostheses: how choices should be made, and what choices are actually made. On the former, a key indicator is the long-term prosthesis survival rate. However, when choosing between prostheses, there is often insufficient evidence on long-term survival. The National Joint Registry (NJR) is an invaluable emerging source of information on this count. Using its Annual Reports, I identify, for example, that the use of cementless prostheses has grown rapidly, despite their performance in terms of early revision being inferior to the traditional cemented types. However, the NJR was only introduced in 2003, and cannot yet provide information on longer term prosthesis survival. Previous research has attempted to predict long-term survival by forecasting from short-term data. I assess this approach by revisiting a wellknown case-study, examining how well estimated survival curves predict what actually happened. I find that the predictions are very inaccurate, underlining the future value of the NJR as it accumulates more evidence. On the latter, I employ raw NJR data to examine the actual choices between prostheses made by hospitals. Patients’ characteristics explain little variation between hospitals with hospital characteristics appearing more important. I consider how choice might be affected by a highly concentrated oligopolistic manufacturing industry and find evidence of heterogeneous purchasing at the hospital level, consistent with a recent NAO report. I conclude that the NHS is not exploiting its potential buyer power, leaving itself susceptible to manufacturer seller power. I identify evidence potentially consistent with market sharing of regional and product markets by the manufacturers

Transforming Masculinist Political Cultures? Doing Politics in New Political Institutions

In the devolved legislative assemblies of Scotland and Wales the proportion of women representatives is approaching parity. This is in marked contrast to Westminster where one in five MPs are women. In this paper we explore the extent to which the masculinist political cultures characterising established political institutions are being reproduced in the National Assembly for Wales or whether its different gendering, both in the numbers of women representatives and in terms of its institutional framework, is associated with a more feminised political and organisational culture. Drawing on interviews with half the Assembly Members, women and men, we show that the political style of the Assembly differs from that of Westminster and that Assembly Members perceive it as being more consensual and as embodying a less aggressive and macho way of doing politics. AMs relate this difference to the gender parity amongst Assembly Members, to the institutional arrangements which have an \'absolute duty\' to promote equality embedded in them, and to the desire to develop a different way of doing politics. We suggest that the ability to do politics in a more feminised and consensual way relates not only to the presence of a significant proportion of women representatives, but also to the nature of the institution and the way in which differently gendered processes and practices are embedded within it. Differently gendered political institutions can develop a more feminised political culture which provides an alternative to the masculinist political culture characterising the political domain.Gender, Political Culture, New Political Institutions, Consensus Politics, Political Style, National Assembly for Wales

Landscapes of ephemeral embrace : a painter's exploration of immersive virtual space as a medium for transforming perception

The following text has been written to illuminate the research embodied In Ephemere, a fullyimmersive virtual environment which integrates stereoscopic 3D computer-generated images and spatialized 3D sound, with a user interface based on breathing, balance, and gaze. This artwork was begun when I entered the doctoral program at CAiNA (Centre of Advanced Inquiry Into the Interactive Arts) in 1997, and was completed in 1998. The work Ephemere is grounded in a very personal vision, developed over more than 25 years of artistic practice, including, most significantly, painting. Ephemere follows on its predecessor Osmose, and as such, Is a continuation of my efforts to: (I) explore and communicate my sensibility of what it means to be embodied, here now, in the living Rowing world; and (ii) use the medium of immersive virtual space to do so, necessarily subverting its culturally-biased conventions to achieve this goal. The contents of this text are most clearly indicated by its title: Landscapes of Ephemeral Embrace: A Painter's Exploration of the Medium of Immersive Virtual Space for Transforming Perception. And further, by its chapter headings: (I) Context: Rethinking Technology in the "Reign of King Logos ; (II) Defining Terms: Key Concepts and Concerns in the Work; (III) Origins of the Work in Prior Artistic Practice: Emergence of Key Concerns and Strategies; (IV) First Explorations in Immersive Virtual Space: Osmose; (V) Continuing Explorations In Immersive Virtual Space: Ephemere; and (VI) Strategies and Their Implications In the Immersive Experience. In this text, I have focused my discussion on artistic Intent, rather than on whether I have been successful, for this can only be evaluated with the passing of time

Who is sowing our seeds? A systematic review of the use of plant genetic resources in research

Collections of plant genetic resources managed by genebanks function to conserve the range of genetic diversity present in crop genepools. They can facilitate access to valuable allelic variation for both plant breeders and researchers who are able to request germplasm for use in crop improvement and both basic and applied scientific research. The direct impact of genebank collections is often unclear as downstream uses of germplasm samples may not be reported back to the genebank of origin. This study aims to systematically review scientific use of germplasm using the UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB) as a model. Between the years of 1980–2016, a total of 271 publications were identified as using UKVGB material. The frequency of publications and the international nature of use increased significantly over the time period studied. Accessions directly sourced from the UKVGB made up the majority of material used by researchers, but material from research-derived resources such as differential sets and core collections or diversity sets have also been used. Resistance to pests and diseases and genetic diversity were the main topics of study although germplasm was used to address a wide range of other research questions. Genebanks such as UKVGB provide an essential resource of allelic diversity in crop genepools which supports a diverse range of research projects. The utilisation of these plant genetic resources has increased over time, contributing to a substantial number of publications. Developments in sequencing technologies have no doubt played a part as larger numbers of accessions can be utilized in a single experiment, but the increase also no doubt reflects a greater interest in the use of allelic diversity to overcome challenges in crop improvement and research

The social care needs of people affected by cancer: a qualitative study in Lincolnshire

Background People affected by cancer (PABC) can have a range of social care needs at different stages of the patient pathway. These may include emotional, practical, personal, as well as information and financial needs. The UK charity, Macmillan Cancer Support want to refocus their current social care provision and, (where need is evidenced) develop new services to better address the social care needs of PABC in Lincolnshire. In order to do this effectively Macmillan together with the Bromhead Medical Charity has commissioned the University of Lincoln to undertake this research, with a view to developing a thorough understanding of the needs of PABC in Lincolnshire to ensure that service developments are acceptable, appropriate and accessible, and in line with the specific requirements of the local population. Aim (1)To examine the social care needs of PABC in Lincolnshire (2)To provide recommendations regarding future service development and delivery. Methods A qualitative study utilising in-depth interviews (n=10). Interviews were analysed using the Framework method of qualitative data analysis (Ritchie and Spencer, 1994). Results All reported the need for emotional support (in particular around the initial diagnosis and surrounding period). This was fulfilled by friends, family, support groups and Macmillan health professionals. The need for practical and personal care support varied amongst those we interviewed with this often being dependent on the type and frequency of treatment. For most, family and friends shouldered the burden of this as opposed to social services. Some participants relied on personal income to pay for treatment and fund additional costs associated with their illness. Furthermore, expenses were also attributed to friends and family of the patient. In addition we received reports of negative experiences when dealing with the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) and claiming for Employment Support Allowance (ESA). Information and advice was important throughout the cancer journey; the preferred format (physical or online) was influenced by personal preference. For some, they felt well informed whilst others would have liked more information. Conclusion In line with national research (Macmillan, 2015), this study shows similarities in that respondents reported a range of supportive care needs in relation to emotional, practical and personal, financial and information support. Our study offers an in-depth analysis of the social care needs of PABC in a local setting. The small sample and failure to recruit across all stages of the cancer journey would limit the extent to which the findings could be extrapolated to the wider population. At the same time, it is hoped that the recommendations offer valuable insight into areas that could further be developed to meet the needs of PABC throughout the count

Pathogens and the maintenance of genetic variation in an island population of the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis)

The objective of this thesis was to investigate how evolutionary forces shape immunogenetic variation in small populations. To achieve this, I investigated functional variation at key genes in both the innate and adaptive immune systems in the Seychelles warbler (Acrocephalus sechellensis), and how this differed spatio-temporally and in relation to individual traits and fitness components. First, I tracked evolution at one nonsynonymous TLR3 SNP over 25-years. Results showed a significant and consistent temporal decline in the minor TLR3C allele frequency within the original Seychelles warbler population and in all four derived populations. Further investigations showed that positive selection – acting on both survival and reproduction, was driving these temporal changes in the Cousin population. I then investigated whether pre- or post-copulatory sexual selection was acting in relation to the TLR3 locus. I found evidence of both pre-copulatory assortative social pairing, and a post-copulatory bias against paternal inheritance of the TLR3C haplotype. Thus, multiple mechanisms of selection appear be causing contemporary TLR3 evolution in the Seychelles warbler. Lastly, I investigated whether host-microbiome coevolution may interact with functional immunogenetic variation in this species. Using next generation sequencing techniques, I characterised the MHC (both class I and class II), and gut microbiome (GM) variation existing in a subset of individuals. I found that presence of specific MHC alleles, but not MHC diversity, was associated with differences in GM diversity and composition. These results confirm variation in the host’s immune system may play a role in shaping an individual’s GM in a population of wild animals. Collectively, my results provide insight into how different mechanisms can interact to shape functional genetic variation in a natural population. They also raise some important, as yet unanswered, questions about the identity of the selective agents (pathogens) affecting the immunogenetic variation in this species