Scottish midwives, 1916-1983 : the Central Midwives Board for Scotland and practising midwives

The purpose of this thesis is to explore how differing circumstances came together to help or hinder the autonomous practice of midwives in Scotland between 1916 and 1983 when the Central Midwives Board (CMB) oversaw their training and practice. The thesis includes an examination of the records of the CMB for Scotland from 1916 to 1983 and, through oral testimonies, the work of practising midwives during the same period. The thesis is divided into two parts. Part I, comprising five chapters, explores the work of the CMB from 1916 to 1983. This includes: an examination of the issues surrounding the 1902 Midwives Act which did not apply to Scotland, and the campaign for, and opposition to, a similar Act for Scotland, passed in 1915; the constitution and early activities of the CMB which the 1915 Midwives (Scotland) Act established to oversee the enrolment, training and practice of midwives; a discussion of the national concern over the Maternal Mortality Rate in the 1920s and 1930s, subsequent Government reports and legislation and the CMB’s responses to these issues; an examination of the CMB’s work during the time of the World War II, the shortage of midwives, and the changes the National Health Service administration made to midwifery in Scotland. Finally, Part I examines the last decades of the CMB’s existence, including its response to changes in midwifery management, education, practice and statute. Part II, comprising three chapters, focuses on the practice of midwives in Scotland during the period through the aspects of antenatal, intranatal and postnatal care. Each chapter uses evidence from oral testimonies of midwives working within the framework established by relevant Acts and the CMB. Part II illuminates the contrast between the work of the CMB and the world of hands-on midwifery practice

Terrible Telegrams

In compliance to the curriculum at Louisiana State University and Swine Palace’s Actor Training Program, M.F.A. Acting candidates are required to create and develop a one-person show. The objective is to foster the actor’s creative virtuosity and to give them the confidence, capability, and skill set to continue to create their own work after graduation. My play is about Lucy James, a recent college graduate, who moves to New York to follow her dreams of becoming an actress. Lucy\u27s love for the craft is challenged when she takes a demoralizing job and her life begins to spiral out of control. Lucy\u27s journey is to discover the importance of one\u27s own humanity in the industry and the city. This thesis paper will analyze the process of research, evolution, production, and assessment of my solo play: Terrible Telegrams

Generating a Quality Peace: Negotiated Settlements and Government Respect for Rights in the Wake of Civil War

How can a quality peace be established in the wake of civil war? What role do peace agreements play in shaping what peace looks like following the resolution of civil war? This dissertation builds and tests a theory of how peace agreements and their contents influence the quality of post-conflict peace. Moving beyond negative or minimalist definitions of peace, I define a quality peace as one that is politically inclusive in nature. Specifically, I focus on two key components of a quality peace within this work: women’s political rights and the political rights of societies more broadly. I argue that peace agreements both constrain and incentivize actors to commit to more politically inclusive outcomes. As such, I assess the extent to which peace agreements not only end war but go on to create a peace that is meaningful for those living in post-conflict societies. I identify two characteristics of peace agreements, their gender-specificity and context-specificity, and argue that these characteristics influence progress made toward women’s political rights and broader political inclusivity, respectively. Peace agreements, through their language, lay the framework for the structures, behaviors, and norms of the post-conflict state; their content, through direct and indirect mechanisms identified within this dissertation, influence progress toward a quality peace. I quantitatively test the theoretical expectations on a set of civil war peace agreements signed between 1981 and 2011 using new data that I have collected on the gender-specificity and context-specificity of agreements. I also present a number of case illustrations to assess the plausibility of the mechanisms identified herein. In sum, this dissertation contributes strong evidence that peace agreements play a unique role in shaping post-conflict societies, and it offers new data to strengthen understanding of when and through which mechanisms peace agreements shape both the end of violence as well as the consolidation of peace.Doctor of Philosoph

Examining Leverage in Civil War Mediation: A Dynamic Theory of Mediator Leverage

How does leverage vary across different mediator types and what influence does this have on mediation outcomes? Extant literature has glossed over the meaning of leverage, treating it as a static measure of material power. I argue that leverage is a dynamic concept comprised of two dimensions: capability and credibility. Capability leverage is a function of economic and military might while credibility leverage derives its influence from material, historical, religious, and cultural ties. I hypothesize that mediators with capability leverage will be more likely to achieve short-term success in the form of a negotiated settlement while mediators with credibility leverage will be more likely to achieve a more durable peace. I test my hypotheses using the universe of civil war mediation attempts from 1989-2006. My results suggest that capability leverage does indeed contribute to the achievement of a settlement while credibility leverage leads to more durable outcomes.Master of Art

I am still bed six :a collection of poetry, and, Poetry as therapy and poetry beyond therapy

PhD ThesisThis collection of lyrical poetry is significantly inspired by personal experiences, particularly a diagnosis of Ankylosing Spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory arthritis and autoimmune condition. Issues such as hospitalisation, the power dynamics between doctors and patients, and managing both physical and emotional pain inform the writing. Highly specified form in the poetry serves to contain and organise powerful emotions using simple, epigrammatic language. The layout of the research mirrors the layout of the poetry. The researcher’s own experiences of finding therapeutic value in her own poetry writing led to the research element which explores how and why poetry writing works therapeutically and whether poetry is more effective than other forms of therapeutic writing. The specific benefits of poetry writing as therapy for those who have experienced emotional distress are explored in depth. The difference between poetry as therapy and poetry as art is also considered. A small scale research study was undertaken with service users at a local charity, who have experienced emotional distress. A qualitative, semi-structured interview design was used, which was then analysed using Interpretational Phenomenological Analysis. The findings suggest that poetry is a particularly useful form of therapeutic writing as poetry promotes successful processing of a traumatic event through the use of image and metaphor. The participants retained the distinction between their priority of expressing themselves honestly and a preoccupation with artistic endeavour. Stevie Smith and Julia Darling provide examples of poets who found therapeutic elements in the writing process. Some of their poems are analysed in depth and their views on poetry’s therapeutic effects are considered. Alongside this, the difference between poetry as therapy and poetry as art is explored. Research reveals that poetry as therapy prioritises self-expression and poetry as art prioritises artfulness, but the two are not completely distinct; rather, they lie on a spectrum.the John McKie Elliot Trust who kindly supported me with a generous donation towards my studies

The use of radio frequency identification technology for inventory control in academic libraries in South Africa : a study of the University of South Africa and the University of Fort Hare Library Systems

The study sought to investigate the use of RFID technology as inventory control in academic libraries in South Africa, with a focus on the University of South Africa and the University of Fort Hare libraries. The objectives of the study were to describe the current inventory control practices at the libraries of the University of South Africa and the University of Fort Hare in order to determine the infrastructure required for the use of RFID for inventory control for the University of Fort Hare’s libraries; to evaluate the benefits of RFID technologies, in order to gain a competitive advantage for the University of South Africa’s and the University of Fort Hare’s libraries; to identify the challenges associated with adopting RFID technology, as experienced by the libraries of the University of South Africa and the University of Fort Hare. The study adopted both the quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The researcher followed a rigorous methodological path that began with a thorough literature review coupled with the careful and thoughtful posing of research questions and objectives. A purposive sample of forty (40) respondents was selected from the library staff from both the University of South Africa and University of Fort Harelibraries. The collected data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences 23 (SPSS 23) and Microsoft Excel 2010. The findings of the study revealed reasons for both academic libraries to invest in RFID technology; these reasons include RFID’s ability to deliver self-service options, inventory control, improved reader access and improved security. The challenges related to the implementation of RFID technology are also related to staff not being rewarded by library management for being innovative; the difficulty of staff learning new technology; the staff’s inability to generate new ideas for the library; and the staff not being able to share knowledge with each other. Further research needs to be conducted by library RFID vendors in order to meet the need, of academic libraries, for RFID inventory control. RFID hardware and software (API software) should be subjected to further investigation for the purposes of research and development. Libraries should work closer with RFID vendors so as to trial and test hardware and software

Tipping Points of Digitisation: The Case of Legal Services

This paper contributes to the literature by challenges the value proposition of digitalisation across three sectors of professional services namely: law, and accounting/finance services. Our study aims to reflect on the knowledge and application of new technologies, deliberating a case for improving the value proposition challenging the existing business models of legal services. The study makes a contribution through a reflection new technologies and business models, through the ‘arcs of integration’. An exploratory research design, embracing an abductive approach, was adopted to new technologies, perceived performance through 224 quantitative data responses. The findings identified the issues professional service firms face, particularly the scope of adoption new technologies and perceived value of digitisation. This research has created a model that impact of legal and financial services. It adds much needed value to the concepts of the value proposition and technology transfer

Conflict Environments and Civil War Onset

The spread of civil war poses serious risks and costs. We argue that conflict environments, which vary across time and space, systematically exacerbate the spread of civil war. As conflict in a state’s neighborhood becomes more spatially proximate and as lingering effects of conflict accumulate over time, that state’s risk of civil war onset increases. To theorize and test this argument, we construct the conflict environment (CE) score, a concept that taps into spatial and temporal dimensions of violence in a state’s neighborhood. Using the CE score in established empirical models of civil war onset, we demonstrate that a dangerous conflict environment consistently elevates the risk of civil war, outperforming traditional measures of nearby violence, even when domestic factors are taken into account