The Quest for Exciting Knowledge: Developments in Figurational Sociological Research on Sport and Leisure.

This paper provides a thematic and developmental review of figurational sociological research on sport and leisure. It demonstrates how Elias’s main theoretical principles have been incorporated in this work and it uses ideas from Norbert Elias’s sociology of knowledge to explain how the emphasis on these principles has changed over time. Specifically, the paper identifies three overlapping stages in the construction of this body of knowledge and argues that a focus on violence has gradually diminished. The paper argues that this trend is both a consequence of the increasing availability of a broader range of Elias’s texts, but also due to social relations in the field, as latter generations of researchers find emotional gratification in expanding into new research agendas. The paper concludes by demonstrating the potential applicability of Elias’s theoretical principles to some of the most significant social issues of the twenty first century.This paper provides a thematic and developmental review of figurational sociological research on sport and leisure. It demonstrates how Elias’s main theoretical principles have been incorporated in this work and it uses ideas from Norbert Elias’s sociology of knowledge to explain how the emphasis on these principles has changed over time. Specifically, the paper identifies three overlapping stages in the construction of this body of knowledge and argues that a focus on violence has gradually diminished. The paper argues that this trend is both a consequence of the increasing availability of a broader range of Elias’s texts, but also due to social relations in the field, as latter generations of researchers find emotional gratification in expanding into new research agendas. The paper concludes by demonstrating the potential applicability of Elias’s theoretical principles to some of the most significant social issues of the twenty first century

Gender, power and identities in the fitness gym : towards a sociology of the 'exercise body-beautiful complex'

This thesis examines the ways in which female bodies are central to the production and reproduction of gendered social inequality, and the formation of feminine identities in the fitness gym. Ethnographic methods were utilised to investigate the patterns and relations of power that underpinned the production and reproduction of feminine body ideals and feminine identities and habituses in a fitness gym in the South-East of England. The potential usefulness of harnessing feminist and figurational concepts for understanding gendered bodies in the context of sport and exercise is also explored. Some of the theoretical and methodological links between feminist and figurational perspectives are explored in this thesis. A feminist-figurational approach is presented as a useful way of understanding the complexities of female body image and feminine identification in the fitness gym. Central in this regard has been an examination of the unequal relationships between, and within, groups of people in exercise and fitness settings. The task of producing a relatively high degree of adequate knowledge about gendered bodies in the fitness gym has also involved consideration of several concepts related to Elias's (1978,1987) theory of involvement and detachment including: the personal pronoun model, the use of developmental thinking, the interplay between theory and evidence and the adequacy of evidence. Feminist and figurational ideas about gender, power and identities have been of use in making sense of the relationships between workingout, female bodies and femininities. Elias's conceptualisations of power, establishedoutsider relations and identification have been particularly helpful. Evidence from participant observations and interviewing revealed that several mechanisms serve to reinforce, challenge and negotiate a variety of images of the female body-beautiful in the fitness gym. These include: the insecurity and emotion that surround the acquisition and maintenance of an ideal physique, the monopolisation of corporeal power, the construction of group charisma and group disgrace, the formation of gossip networks, and the corporeal logic of the 'exercise body-beautiful complex'. The findings also reveal that female bodies are central to the formation of feminine identities and habituses. Feminine identities are founded on both different and shared characteristics of the female body-beautiful. Some female exercisers also share some characteristics with other women, specifically in the context of the fitness gym. Linked to a desire for a high status body Image, there is a tendency for white, western, middle-class, heterosexual, able-bodied women, who go to the gym, to share a preference for cosmetic fitness activities, and an emotional tie to aspirations for a slender, muscularly toned physique. The exercise histories of the women in this study indicated that the inculcation of feminine conduct and bodily preference happens over time, and in relation to a range of corporeal experiences including: physical education, sport, exercise, dance, dieting and adolescence.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Dissecting the telomere-independent pathways underlying human cellular senescence

Replicative senescence describes the irreversible growth arrest that primary human fibroblasts undergo when cultivated in vitro and represents one example of a biological process known as cellular senescence. Cellular senescence is associated with organismal ageing and functions an important tumour suppressive mechanism. A conditionally immortalised human mammary fibroblast cell line, HMF3A, has been developed with the aim of determining the precise molecular basis of telomere-independent cellular senescence. HMF3A cells constitutively express hTERT, the catalytic component of human telomerase, and a temperature sensitive non-DNA-binding mutant of Simian Virus 40 large T (LT) antigen. At the permissive temperature, 33.5C, HMF3A cells grow normally but at the non- permissive temperature, 39.5C, LT antigen is inactivated and the cells undergo a rapid and synchronous irreversible growth arrest. The stringency of HMF3 A growth complementation has enabled me to functionally analyse the pathways implicated in the induction of senescence in these cells. It was concluded that inactivation of the p53 pathway was sufficient to overcome the conditional HMF3A growth arrest. However, expression of a pl6iNK4a insensitive cvciin D1-CDK4R24C fusion construct indicated that the pRb pathway was not critical for the induction of this process. I subsequently identified three novel markers of telomere-independent cellular senescence by cDNA microarray analysis (namely, AKR1B1, CDH13 and UBE2C), and three potential regulators of senescence by an RNA interference screen (namely, NEUROD2, TARBP1 and RRM2). Finally, I detected a novel functional activity of the Adenovirus El A 13S splice variant that is not shared with the El A 12S splice variant. This activity enabled 13S El A, but not 12S El A, to bypass the conditional HMF3A growth arrest. The genes identified using these independent experimental approaches constitute novel markers of senescence and, upon validation of these findings, may provide prognostic and/or diagnostic value in the context of tumorigenesis

Carbohydrate diet and reproductive performance of a fruit fly parasitoid, diachasmimorpha tryoni

Augmentative releases of parasitoid wasps are often used successfully for biological control of fruit flies in programs worldwide. The development of cheaper and more effective augmentative releases of the parasitoid wasp Diachasmimorpha tryoni (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) may allow its use to be expanded to cover Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) (Diptera: Tephritidae), a serious pest of many vegetables and most fruit production in Australia. This demands a fuller understanding of the parasitoid's reproductive biology. In this study, mating status, fecundity, and size of female D. tryoni were determined under laboratory conditions. A range of pre-release diets, 10% concentrations of honey, white sugar, and golden syrup, were also assessed in the laboratory. Mature egg loads and progeny yields of mated and unmated parasitoid females were statistically similar, demonstrating that mating status was not a determinant of parasitoid performance. Female lifespan was not negatively impacted by the act of oviposition, though larger females carried more eggs than smaller individuals, indicating a need to produce large females in mass-rearing facilities to maintain this trait. White sugar gave the highest adult female lifespan, while honey and golden syrup shared similar survivorship curves, all significantly greater compared with water control females. Pre-release feeding of D. tryoni, particularly with white sugar, may enhance the impact of released parasitoids on B. tryoni. These findings are important because honey is currently the standard diet for mass-reared braconids, but white sugar is less than one-third the cost of other foods; however further work is required to assess postrelease performance of the parasitoid

Conceptual framework for living with and beyond cancer: A systematic review and narrative synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: The concept of living with and beyond cancer is now emerging in policy and literature. Rather than viewing this notion simply as a linear timeline, developing an agreed understanding of the lived experience of people affected by cancer will aid the development of person-centred models of care. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. The review question was "What does the term 'living with and beyond cancer' mean to people affected by cancer?" The protocol for the review was preregistered in the PROSPERO database (PROSPERO CRD42017059860). All included studies were qualitative, so narrative synthesis was used to integrate descriptions and definitions of living with and beyond cancer into an empirically based conceptual framework. RESULTS: Out of 2345 papers that were identified and 180 that were reviewed, a total of 73 papers were included. The synthesis yielded three interlinked themes: Adversity (realising cancer), Restoration (readjusting life with cancer), and Compatibility (reconciling cancer), resulting in the ARC framework. CONCLUSIONS: Three themes describe the experience of living with and beyond cancer: adversity, restoration, and compatibility. The ARC framework provides an empirically informed grounding for future research and practice in supportive cancer care for this population

Live Sites: Bringing Places to People

Live Sites can bring national festivals alive in local communities and promote community wellbeing 1- How can Live Sites help promote an inclusive ‘family model’ of community? 2- What strategies can bring places to people through Live Sites to promote community wellbeing? 3- How can local partners ensure Live Sites are seen as benefitting communities rather than commercial interests

The Games in Schools: PE & Cross Curricular Impacts

School-based initiatives are the most effective way to use the Games to engage and excite children and young people. 1- Can short school based initiatives have a longer-term impact on sport participation, learning and behaviour? 2- Are there Olympic and Paralympic themes beyond sport that can engage and excite children and young people? 3- Is it realistic to try to use the Games to get children and young people who don’t like sport to play more

Inspiring Sport Participation: The Demonstration Effect.

The Olympic and Paralympic Games can inspire some people to play more sport. 1- Are politicians and Games organisers telling the whole story about sport participation legacies? 2- Is getting people who are already interested in sport to play more a good enough legacy? 3- Do the Olympic and Paralympic Games put some people off playing sport

Paralympic Narratives- Perceptions of Disability

The Paralympic Games have the potential to change popular perceptions of disability. 1- Is the specific legacy potential of the Paralympic Games taken seriously by politicians and Games organisers? 2- Could stories about the Paralympic Games and disabled athletes have a negative impact on disabled people? 3- Is it asking too much of the Paralympic Games to change people’s attitudes towards disability