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2015

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Polyphibianism: Evolving Transdisciplinarity Into An Imaginary Organism Of Living Knowledge, Ziva Ljubec Jan 2015

Polyphibianism: Evolving Transdisciplinarity Into An Imaginary Organism Of Living Knowledge, Ziva Ljubec

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Transdisciplinarity emerged from the urge to grasp the elusive knowledge in the most fertile zone in between and beyond disciplines that escapes even the most elaborate interdisciplinary operations. While interdisciplinary protocol enables experts to operate within foreign disciplines, in the extreme case as diverse as art and science (by inviting artists into scientific departments and vice versa), the production of knowledge remains confined to particular domains. To transcend these confinements and access the knowledge that evades institutionalisation Basarab Nicolescu’s Manifesto of Transdisciplinarity sets up conditions for an open structure to be grown outside the current compartmentalisation into a living knowledge. …

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Machine Performers: Agents In A Multiple Ontological State, Louis-Philippe Demers Jan 2015

Machine Performers: Agents In A Multiple Ontological State, Louis-Philippe Demers

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

In this thesis, the author explores and develops new attributes for machine performers and merges the trans-disciplinary fields of the performing arts and artificial intelligence. The main aim is to redefine the term “embodiment” for robots on the stage and to demonstrate that this term requires broadening in various fields of research. This redefining has required a multifaceted theoretical analysis of embodiment in the field of artificial intelligence (e.g. the uncanny valley), as well as the construction of new robots for the stage by the author. It is hoped that these practical experimental examples will generate more research by others …

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The Construction Of National Identity In Post-1918 Poland, Bartosz Lyszkiewicz Jan 2015

The Construction Of National Identity In Post-1918 Poland, Bartosz Lyszkiewicz

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis analyses the construction of the modern national identity in Poland following the state’s creation in 1918. Its central aim is to argue that although much of Poland’s national identity was, in fact, the product of the revolutionary eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, in the twentieth century, ethnocultural foundations proved essential in the process of nation building. In order to offer a novel approach to this issue this thesis will evaluate the programmes of the émigré organizations and political parties to demonstrate the role of the two national currents: ethnic/organic and civic/territorial, which developed during the nineteenth century and shaped …

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Discursive Designing Theory - Towards A Theory Of Designing Design -, Juergen Faust Jan 2015

Discursive Designing Theory - Towards A Theory Of Designing Design -, Juergen Faust

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Discursive Designing Theory - Towards a Theory of Designing Design- Juergen Faust Motivated by the immature theoretical framework of design, this thesis employs transdisciplinary discourse to provide a contemporary and forward-looking model of design and design theory, as well as the linkages between the two, along with the necessary methodology. The discourse involves research into the current understanding of design, its principles, its practice and conceptual framework. The methodology developed and employed in this thesis can be outlined in five steps: 0. Design briefing 1. Developing a conceptual model based on the writings of Michel Foucault and Helmut Krippendorff. 2. …

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Subject And Aesthetic Interface - An Inquiry Into Transformed Subjectivities, Kathrine Elizabeth Lorena Johansson Jan 2015

Subject And Aesthetic Interface - An Inquiry Into Transformed Subjectivities, Kathrine Elizabeth Lorena Johansson

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

The present PhD-thesis seeks new definitions of human subjectivity in an age of technoscience and a networked, globalized, Information Society. The perspective presented relates to Philosophy of Science, which includes the Human, the Natural, the Social and the Life Sciences. The project is directed at addressing, and aims to participate in, the further development of Philosophy of Science, or rather, the philosophy of knowing, which leaves a perspective broader than that of science. Methodologically, I combine readings of technoetic artworks, which I approach from a hermeneutical-semiotic perspective, with transdisciplinary research into existing theory concerning the human subject. These readings form …

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A Postcolonial Critique Of Industrial Design: A Critical Evaluation Of The Relationship Of Culture And Hegemony To Design Practice And Education Since The Late 20th Century., Taslima Begum Jan 2015

A Postcolonial Critique Of Industrial Design: A Critical Evaluation Of The Relationship Of Culture And Hegemony To Design Practice And Education Since The Late 20th Century., Taslima Begum

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

A Postcolonial Critique of Industrial Design: A critical evaluation of the relationship of culture and hegemony to design practice and education since the late 20th century. This thesis specifically focuses on the professional practices and training of Western industrial designers using postcolonial theory to inform working practices in a complex global ecology. It investigates the culturally hegemonic construction of design solutions in man-made products. By adopting key ideas from postcolonial and cultural studies as a lens to evaluate fields of industrial design discourse, practice and pedagogy, the work proceeds from the premise that design is not intrinsic to a product …

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A Decision Support Framework For Selecting Innovative Sustainable Technologies For Delivering Low Carbon Retail Buildings, Syeda Dangana Jan 2015

A Decision Support Framework For Selecting Innovative Sustainable Technologies For Delivering Low Carbon Retail Buildings, Syeda Dangana

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

There is an urgent need to adopt innovative sustainable technologies (ISTs) to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions whilst improving process efficiency of existing retail buildings, due to rising energy prices and the impacts of retail buildings on the environment. Despite their reported advantages, exhibited performance and numerous policies and legislations that encourage their adoption, there is a slow uptake of ISTs in the retail sector. This is due to the fact that the majority of stakeholders consider the task of selecting ISTs as a complex multi-attribute, multi-valued problem involving a large number of stakeholders with numerous, often conflicting objectives. …

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Delivering Zero Carbon Homes And Sustainable Communities: The Potential Of Group Self-Build Housing In England, Emma Elizabeth Heffernan Jan 2015

Delivering Zero Carbon Homes And Sustainable Communities: The Potential Of Group Self-Build Housing In England, Emma Elizabeth Heffernan

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Concerns about anthropogenic climate change, fossil fuel depletion, energy security, and damage to our ecosystems are acting as a catalyst for action in many sectors of industry and society. One key sector which has been identified as crucial for addressing these issues is the building sector. Therefore, in the UK context, with the aim of reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the requirements for new homes in terms of their energy efficiency are becoming ever more stringent, leading to the introduction of the zero carbon homes standard from 2016. Alongside this, broader priorities for sustainable development have been established in the UK, …

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Soils And Interventions, Linus Lancaster Jan 2015

Soils And Interventions, Linus Lancaster

School of Art, Design and Architecture Theses

Linus Lancaster Soils and Interventions Dissertation Abstract The problem that I have identified during my research for this dissertation is the quantifiable depletion and exhaustion of large percentages of the world's soils through human activity in agriculture and other industrial practices. In the course of researching this problem I have looked closely at some of the primary causes, and a range of proposed and applied solutions in the field of ecology. The primary focus of the research has been in looking at how artists have responded to ecological issues and have engaged in environmental activism in their practices. Integral to …

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The Application Of Ocean Front Metrics For Understanding Habitat Selection By Marine Predators, Kylie Lisa Scales Jan 2015

The Application Of Ocean Front Metrics For Understanding Habitat Selection By Marine Predators, Kylie Lisa Scales

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Marine predators such as seabirds, cetaceans, turtles, pinnipeds, sharks and large teleost fish are essential components of healthy, biologically diverse marine ecosystems. However, intense anthropogenic pressure on the global ocean is causing rapid and widespread change, and many predator populations are in decline. Conservation solutions are urgently required, yet only recently have we begun to comprehend how these animals interact with the vast and dynamic oceans that they inhabit. A better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie habitat selection at sea is critical to our knowledge of marine ecosystem functioning, and to ecologically-sensitive marine spatial planning. The collection of studies …

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Investigation Of Microplastic Debris In Marine Surface Waters Using Different Sampling Methods, Saeed Seyed Sadri Jan 2015

Investigation Of Microplastic Debris In Marine Surface Waters Using Different Sampling Methods, Saeed Seyed Sadri

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

‘Microplastics’ are pieces of plastic debris <5mm in diameter. They are introduced into the marine environment directly for example via release of small pieces of plastics used as abrasives and indirectly through the fragmentation of larger items. The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive 2008/56/EC (MSFD) regards microplastics as an emerging issue of concern and calls for more data on the quantity, distribution and composition of this debris. This thesis examines the amount, composition and distribution of buoyant microplastic debris in marine waters using different sampling devices and methodologies. To investigate the spatial distribution, abundance and composition of microplastic debris between nearshore and offshore marine subsurface waters a subset of samples from the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey were examined. Abundance was generally higher in nearshore coastal waters than the offshore oceanic samples, with the highest mean concentrations observed in the UK’s coastal waters of the northeast Atlantic and the southern North Sea. To validate the accuracy of the presence/absence of microplastic debris reported in the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) samples by analysts at the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS) a subset of data was formally analysed using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. This analysis indicated a good level of accuracy (~66%) in the ability of the SAHFOS’ analysts to detect visually microplastic fragments during their normal processing of plankton samples. To compare quantity and composition of buoyant microplastic debris collected by two different approaches (CPR vs. Manta net) samples were collected from a similar body of coastal waters. The results showed significantly higher abundance of microplastic in samples collected by the manta net per unit of distance but no significant difference once the results were standardised per cubic volume of water. To assess the susceptibility of each method to ‘procedural contamination’, repetitive controlled tests were conducted to quantify the amount and composition of contaminants before, during and after the sampling programme. In both methods the highest number of contaminants was found on the net and prior to the deployment to sea. The semi synthetic Rayon fibres were the most abundant type of contaminants in both cases. To compare the abundance and composition of buoyant plastic debris in estuarine waters according to daily and lunar tidal cycles a mensurative experiment was conducted in a macrotidal Estuary. Microplastics comprised 82% of the debris and there was a significant difference in size frequency distribution between the spring and neap tides with more fragments of larger size observed during spring tides. In conclusion, this study shows further evidence of the spatial heterogeneity of microplastic debris distribution in marine waters and therefore also highlights the need for more comparable data from different marine habitats using standardised methodologies.

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A Biogeochemical Study Of Nutrient Dynamics In Artificial Soil, Kate Schofield Jan 2015

A Biogeochemical Study Of Nutrient Dynamics In Artificial Soil, Kate Schofield

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Artificial soils have been employed within the Biomes of the Eden Project since its construction in 2000. Produced from sand, bark, composted green waste and lignite clay, these soils were designed to have their nutrient concentrations controlled through careful fertiliser applications. However, following variable environmental conditions, management practices and planting, the soils across the site are performing variably with regard to nutrient retention and storage. Experiments were conducted to assess the performances of an artificial soil in terms of nutrient cycling. This was carried out in three phases: Firstly, soils from the Humid Tropics and Outdoor biomes were sampled and …

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Process-Based Modelling Of Storm Impacts On Gravel Coasts, Robert Timothy Mccall Jan 2015

Process-Based Modelling Of Storm Impacts On Gravel Coasts, Robert Timothy Mccall

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Gravel beaches and barriers occur on many high-latitude, wave-dominated coasts across the world. Due to their natural ability to dissipate large amounts of wave energy, gravel coasts are widely regarded as an effective and sustainable form of coastal defence. However, during extreme events waves may overtop, overwash, and even lower, the crest of the gravel beach, flooding the hinterland. In the evaluation of the safety of gravel coasts against flooding, coastal managers currently rely on models that have been shown in previous studies to be inaccurate. The research in this thesis attempts to improve the current predictive capacity of gravel …

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Managerial Discretion: An Empirical Review And Focus On Future Research Directions, David B. Wangrow, Donald J. Schepker, Vincent L. Barker Iii Jan 2015

Managerial Discretion: An Empirical Review And Focus On Future Research Directions, David B. Wangrow, Donald J. Schepker, Vincent L. Barker Iii

Management Faculty Research and Publications

Scholars have long been interested in when and to what degree managers are able to exert control over their organizations. In this review, we examine managerial discretion, or the latitude of action available to managers. Since its introduction, scholars have attempted to explain when managers will have discretion, what discretion means for organizational outcomes, and how discretion may differentially influence organizational outcomes when it enables or constrains leaders. Our review indicates that while a significant number of studies have examined discretion, few have attempted to validate the prescriptions of the managerial discretion construct. Furthermore, studies to date have primarily focused …

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The Development And Evaluation Of A Dynamic Elastomeric Fabric Orthosis To Support The Management Of Athletic Pelvic/Groin Injury, Leanne Sawle Jan 2015

The Development And Evaluation Of A Dynamic Elastomeric Fabric Orthosis To Support The Management Of Athletic Pelvic/Groin Injury, Leanne Sawle

School of Health Professions Theses

Athletic pelvic / groin injuries can be difficult to define, diagnose and therefore manage. These injuries are often the result of multifactorial dysfunction, making them susceptible to becoming chronic. Transverse pelvic belts have shown effectiveness in reducing pain and improving function in athletes with pelvic / groin pain, but there may be better alternatives. Exploring different pelvic belt configurations with athletes with pelvic / groin pain confirmed the role of a transverse belt but also found that diagonal belts produced significantly (<0.05) greater effects upon clinical measures of pain and function. Dynamic elastomeric fabric orthoses (DEFOs) are Lycra®-based orthoses theorised as providing stability and enhancing proprioception. A DEFO was designed to apply diagonal force to the pelvic girdle and mimic transverse belt application. In a series of single case studies the DEFO was found to have beneficial effects upon pain and / or function in selected athletes with pelvic / groin pain. Athletes’ subjective reports suggested that balance and power may have also been positively influenced. Further work exploring appropriate measures of athletic balance led to the investigation of the intra-rater reliability of a functional measure; the multiple single-leg hop-stabilisation test. Good to excellent reliability (ICC = 0.85; CI 0.61-0.90) confirmed this measure as being reliable for use in a future study, and highlighted relationships with other factors such as age and training status. The findings of a pilot RCT indicated that with minor revisions this protocol could be effectively implemented in informing a future RCT. Findings also indicated that the DEFO led to moderate to large effect sizes on clinical measures (d = 0.6-1.1) of active straight leg raise and squeeze test force, and negligible to small effects on measures of power and functional balance (d = 0.1-0.3). This thesis therefore outlines the development and initial evaluation of a novel DEFO for supporting the management of athletic pelvic / groin injury. Further work is required to undertake a fully powered RCT, and to explore the mechanistic action of this DEFO.

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The Effects Of Pilates Based Core Stability Training In People With Ms, Esther Elizabeth Fox Jan 2015

The Effects Of Pilates Based Core Stability Training In People With Ms, Esther Elizabeth Fox

School of Health Professions Theses

Background: People with Multiple Sclerosis experience difficulties with balance and mobility. Pilates exercises are often used to address these difficulties. Design: This was a multi-centre, double blind, block randomised, controlled trial. Eligible participants were recruited from seven UK centres. Participants were randomly allocated to either: Pilates based core stability training (Pilates), Standardised Exercise (SE) or Relaxation (placebo). All received face-to-face training sessions over a 12 week period; together with a home exercise programme. Blinded assessments were taken before training, at the end of the 12 week programme and at 16 weeks (follow-up). The primary outcome measure was the 10metre timed …

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An Investigation Of Accidental Falls In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Hilary Gunn Jan 2015

An Investigation Of Accidental Falls In People With Multiple Sclerosis, Hilary Gunn

School of Health Professions Theses

More than 50% of people with MS fall in any six-month period. The importance of developing a suitable falls management programme has been identified by people with MS and professionals. This thesis aimed to develop a model for an MS falls intervention. The studies employed a systematic approach to evaluate the risk factors for falls and to identify the optimal programme content, format and structure. Methods The thesis comprises two sections; the first involving a systematic review and an observational study of falls risk factors (n=148). Part two included a second systematic review to inform programme content, and a nominal …

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Informativeness Of Unaudited Forward-Looking Financial Disclosure: Evidence From Uk Narrative Reporting, Ahmed Hassanein Jan 2015

Informativeness Of Unaudited Forward-Looking Financial Disclosure: Evidence From Uk Narrative Reporting, Ahmed Hassanein

Plymouth Business School Theses

Forward-looking financial disclosure (FLFD) is potentially uninformative if it does not change from the previous year, especially after a significant change in firm performance. This study uses a sample of UK narrative statements of the annual reports over the period from 2005 to 2011. It employed the automated content analysis technique to measure change in FLFD over years to answer three research questions. First, to what extent does change in firms’ earnings performance drive managers to change FLFD over years? Second, what are the other drivers of the change of FLFD from year to year? Third, do investors use information …

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Determinants Of Capital Structure: The Case Of Mena Countries, Mansour Saleh Albarrak Jan 2015

Determinants Of Capital Structure: The Case Of Mena Countries, Mansour Saleh Albarrak

Plymouth Business School Theses

This thesis examines the determinants of capital structure in the MENA coun- tries. The main interest is to investigate both financial firms specially banks and non-financial firms. This study test the main theories of capital structure, namely: trade off theory and pecking order theory. The countries included in this thesis are Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (Include both Abo-Dhabi and Dubai stock indexes), Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine and Jor- dan. The characteristics it covers as suggested by previous literature are tangibility, profitability, risk, debt tax shield, growth, dividends,size, cash flow and liquidity. It will also investigate …

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The Impact Of Exchange Rate, Interest Rate And Oil Price Fluctuations On Stock Returns Of Gcc Listed Companies, Marim Alenezi Jan 2015

The Impact Of Exchange Rate, Interest Rate And Oil Price Fluctuations On Stock Returns Of Gcc Listed Companies, Marim Alenezi

Plymouth Business School Theses

Exchange rate risk, interest rate risk and oil price fluctuations are the most demonstrated risks in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries (Arouri and Nguyen, 2010). Research, however, in this area is still underdeveloped. The importance of this study is to contribute to this research gap. This research aims to show how these three risks affect firms' market values by examining 473 listed firms in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates for the period January 2007 to June 2012. The research further examines the determinants of these risks. The study uses the AR (1) EGARCH-M model. …

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Distributions Of Glycine Betaine And The Methylamines In Coastal Waters: Analytical Developments And A Seasonal Study, Charlotte Cree Jan 2015

Distributions Of Glycine Betaine And The Methylamines In Coastal Waters: Analytical Developments And A Seasonal Study, Charlotte Cree

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

A novel technique comprising solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography has been developed to analyse the three methylamines (monomethylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine) at the concentrations expected in seawater. The volatility of the methylamines was exploited and allowed the headspace pre-concentration and gas chromatographic separation of the analytes. This method achieved limits of detection of 0.43 nmol dm-3, 2.50 nmol dm-3 and 0.37 nmol dm-3 for monomethylamine, dimethylamine and trimethylamine, respectively, which are lower than any previously reported for seawater. This technique was applied to natural samples collected from the Western English Channel (WEC) and the methylamines were successfully quantified. A …

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Fire Performance Of Cold-Formed Steel Sections, Shanshan Cheng Jan 2015

Fire Performance Of Cold-Formed Steel Sections, Shanshan Cheng

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Thin-walled cold-formed steel (CFS) has exhibited inherent structural and architectural advantages over other constructional materials, for example, high strength-to-weight ratio, ease of fabrication, economy in transportation and the flexibility of sectional profiles, which make CFS ideal for modern residential and industrial buildings. They have been increasingly used as purlins as the intermediate members in a roof system, or load-bearing components in low- and mid-rise buildings. However, using CFS members in building structures has been facing challenges due to the lack of knowledge to the fire performance of CFS at elevated temperatures and the lack of fire design guidelines. Among all …

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An Investigation Of The Management Options Available To Secure A Future For The Pony On Dartmoor: A Behavioural And Opinion Based Evaluation., Robyn Jessica Petrie-Ritchie Jan 2015

An Investigation Of The Management Options Available To Secure A Future For The Pony On Dartmoor: A Behavioural And Opinion Based Evaluation., Robyn Jessica Petrie-Ritchie

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Abstract Robyn Petrie-Ritchie AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MANAGEMENT OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO SECURE A FUTURE FOR THE PONY ON DARTMOOR: A BEHAVIOURAL AND OPINION BASED EVALUATION. The management of the pony (Equus Caballus) herds on Dartmoor commons has become a contentious issue between all stakeholders. There are three types of pony being bred on common land and only one of these is the recognised Dartmoor breed. However all originate from the same stock thought to have been introduced by Phoenician traders around 2000 years BCE. Recent changes to export laws and consequently market demand have meant the unhandled pony from Dartmoor …

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Attitudes Towards Marine Energy: Understanding The Values, Jiska Reinarda De Groot Jan 2015

Attitudes Towards Marine Energy: Understanding The Values, Jiska Reinarda De Groot

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) in the form of wave, tidal and offshore wind has emerged as a potentially major component of strategies to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and combat climate change. One factor influencing the implementation of MRE technologies is acceptance by people living near developments. This study investigated (i) attitudes towards MRE in small island communities as likely host communities for MRE developments; (ii) the underlying factors and values shaping these attitudes; (iii) how communities viewed MRE with regard to their place attachments; (iv) the inclusion of communities attitudes into MRE decision-making; and (v) contributions to policy and practice …

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Three-Dimensional Turbulence Characteristics Of The Bottom Boundary Layer Of The Coastal Ocean, Edward C. C. Steele Jan 2015

Three-Dimensional Turbulence Characteristics Of The Bottom Boundary Layer Of The Coastal Ocean, Edward C. C. Steele

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

The form and dynamics of ocean turbulence are critical to all marine processes; biological, chemical and physical. The three-dimensional turbulence characteristics of the bottom boundary layer of the coastal ocean are examined using a series of 29,991 instantaneous velocity distributions. These data, recorded by a submersible 3D-PTV system at an elevation of 0.64 m above the seabed, represent conditions typical of moderate tidal flows in the coastal ocean. A complexity associated with submersible 3D-PTV in the coastal ocean is that gaps and noise affect the accuracy of the data collected. To accommodate this, a new Physics-Enabled Flow Restoration Algorithm has …

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The Effects Of Lateralisation On Detour Based Problem Solving In Horses (Equus Caballus), Hannah Savin Jan 2015

The Effects Of Lateralisation On Detour Based Problem Solving In Horses (Equus Caballus), Hannah Savin

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Potential impact of motor laterality on equine performance has resulted in research into this aspect of equine behaviour. Many studies demonstrate that equids exhibit a preference for one side over the other but there is little evidence for directional biases. In modern day equestrian practices, equids are frequently required to manoeuvre around objects and laterality preferences may hinder or aid in this movement. The aim of this study was to investigate if horses consistently show a directional preference during a detour task. Twenty three horses of various breeds, ages and sexes were required to obtain a goal, a piece of …

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Implementation Of Technology Enhanced Learning Pedagogy And Impact On Employability And Learning Within Engineering Education Frameworks, Rebecca Vickerstaff Jan 2015

Implementation Of Technology Enhanced Learning Pedagogy And Impact On Employability And Learning Within Engineering Education Frameworks, Rebecca Vickerstaff

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Engineering Education experiences turbulent changes, both from government pressures and from industry demands on readdressing the requirements of graduate capability. Despite vast amounts of engineering literature discussing ‘change’ within the field, engineering curricula still maintains its predominant pedagogic model of dissemination to students as it did in previous decades. Technology Enhanced Learning in education has created new and flexible options in the delivery and assessment of teaching and learning, but uptake is limited and approached with caution within Engineering Education. This mixed methods research introduces an inclusive and innovative approach to Engineering Education assessment techniques utilising an integrated blended learning …

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Reanimating The Wound: Dermatilliomanic Practice And The First World War, Camilla Nock Jan 2015

Reanimating The Wound: Dermatilliomanic Practice And The First World War, Camilla Nock

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This research project uses an exploratory painting practice to examine a melancholic shadow cast by the First World War. The mode of inquiry is predicated upon the persistence of the past in the present, and upon a personal need to purge a persisting familial grief. To inform this stance there is systematic engagement with cathartic and redemptive artworks of the twentieth century, and with the poetry of the First World War. Developments of process and emotional register are specifically prompted by the writings of William Morris, Edmund Blunden, and Ivor Gurney, and reflections on practice are sub-divided accordingly. Wilfred Owen’s …

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Natural Strange Beatitudes: Geoffrey Hill's The Orchards Of Syon, Poetic Oxymoron And Post-Secular Poetics And An Atheist's Prayer-Book, Jonathan Wooding Jan 2015

Natural Strange Beatitudes: Geoffrey Hill's The Orchards Of Syon, Poetic Oxymoron And Post-Secular Poetics And An Atheist's Prayer-Book, Jonathan Wooding

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

Geoffrey Hill’s The Orchards of Syon (2002) occupies a contradictory position in twenty-first century poetry in being a major religious work in a post-religious age. Contemporary secular and atheistic insistence on the fundamentally crafted and flawed nature of religious faith has led Hill not to the abandoning of religious vision, but to a theologically disciplined approach to syntax, grammar and etymology. This dissertation examines Hill’s claim to a poetics of agnostic faith that mediate his alienation from a cynical and debased Anglophone contemporaneity. The oxymoronic nature of a faith co-existent with existential loss is the primary focus. The semantic distinction …

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Are You Known To Us? Inscribing A Gendered Body Through Play In The Public Built Environment, Danielle Zahra Abulhawa Jan 2015

Are You Known To Us? Inscribing A Gendered Body Through Play In The Public Built Environment, Danielle Zahra Abulhawa

Other Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business Theses

This thesis begins from a concern over the perceived lack of female involvement in performances of play in the public built environment. Its starting point is the male-dominated practice of skateboarding. Although a popular creation myth presents skateboarding as a subversive, socially resourceful activity born from the natural landscape (the riding of waves by surfers), it has since become consumed within a masculine commercial culture. It is used as an exemplar, because of my own history of involvement in the culture, which allows me to question the presence women occupy within its spaces and practices. The practice at the centre …

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