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Social enterprise growth and development in South Korea: a qualitative study of hybridity across macro, meso, micro levels
Get PDFAround the world, social enterprises have been increasingly recognised for their roles in dealing with social issues. In South Korea, social enterprises play a crucial role in the social service delivery, especially in the creation of employment opportunities. The number of social enterprises has been increasing rapidly; however, the nature of the growth and forces behind it must be carefully examined to enable them to be sustainable and function successfully.
The social enterprise has rarely been discussed from the perspective of multiple-level hybrid dynamics. However, hybridity makes social enterprises into a ‘political arena’ of conflicting logics inside at the micro-level, makes social enterprises interact with heterogeneous actors at the meso-level by attracting organisations from different sectors, and puts the social enterprises under the influence of macro-level forces that want to utilise those organisations for different purposes. In this sense, the development of social enterprises would best be understood by taking the perspective of multiple-level hybrid dynamics.
Thus, this research aims to deepen the understanding of how social enterprises are shaped, survive and develop from the perspective of multiple-level hybrid dynamics. The overarching question of the study is ‘how do the macro-, meso- and micro-levels of hybridity-related dynamics shape the development of social enterprises in Korea?’ Under this question, answers for the three sub-questions of ‘how does the political, ideological, and socio-economic environment shape the development of social enterprises in Korea?’, ‘how do meso-level inter-organisational relationships shape the development of social enterprises in Korea?’ and ‘how do micro-level inner-organisational dynamics shape the development of social enterprises in Korea?’ are explored.
To do so, this thesis provides an original contribution to the field through the development of a theoretical framework of social enterprise hybridity-related dynamics, based on a comprehensive and holistic multiple (macro-meso-micro) level approach. With this framework, the study explores each level of dynamics through empirical qualitative case study research involving interviews with social entrepreneurs, policymakers and support agents. The study presents how the dynamics of macro-level factors such as economic, political and social forces form the social enterprise sector, how meso-level inter-organisational relationships are related to the resource attainability of social enterprises, and how inner-organisational micro-level dynamics influence individual social enterprises’ management.
As a result of the analysis, the study answers the research questions on each level of dynamics and the overarching question. At the macro-level, the economic, political, and social forces and discourses have had social enterprises contribute to the economy by hiring vulnerable people, counterbalance market and state failure by providing needed social services and solving social problems, and promote democracy by bringing about societal change. These dynamics have intervened in the construction of the social enterprise sector as well as the environment for social enterprises that is the domain of meso-level dynamics. Further, the macro-level political dynamics has influenced micro-level dynamics by encouraging individuals to favour certain values.
At the meso-level, social enterprises interact with other actors including the central government, local governments, KoSEA, local support agencies, private companies, and third-sector organisations to secure necessary resources. Social enterprises face institutional pressures in the relationships and deploy strategies such as isomorphism, impression management, resource diversification, cooperation, and networking to enhance their stable resource-achievability. The meso-level dynamics are under the influence of macro-level dynamics that influence the actors around the social economy sector, and also have impacts on the micro-level inner-organisational dynamics of a social enterprise by forming the conditions such as the resource-richness inside and outside the organisation that should be considered when making decisions. The strategies adopted for meso-level relationships often include the inseparable effects on the goals and structures of social enterprises.
At the micro-level, hybrid tensions and dynamics are observed and dealt with around founding motivations and aims, dual goals, diversification, internal standardisation, decision-making, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB), Public Service Motivation (PSM), internal motivation, and management of organisational culture
What is the experience of adults with a diagnosis of gender incongruence at an NHS GIC (Gender Identity Clinic) in England who have sought treatment, but decided to detransition, or retransition during the treatment pathway?
Get PDFIntroduction
Some people who experience gender incongruence, comprised typically of feelings of gender dysphoria, will refer to a GIC to access medical interventions to align their body with their gender identity (NHS England, 2013). Recent research has noted the phenomenon of people pausing or stopping (detransitioning) their gender identity following a period of transitioning, with studies in the UK suggesting this is prevalent in around 1-6.9% of cases (Hall et al., 2021; Richards & Doyle, 2019). Although some studies have noted detransition, or pausing and/or stopping, may not be wholly attributable to the cessation of feelings of gender incongruence but rather difficulties external to them (Turban et al., 2021), this area is still largely under researched.
Methods
Participants were recruited from an NHS GIC and were interviewed about their experience of pausing or stopping transition, and in some cases transitioning again. Interviews were transcribed and analysed utilising IPA methodology (Smith et al., 2021).
Results
Five participants took part in the research study, all had been assigned male at birth. Two participants had stopped gender transition and did not have any intention to transition again, one had paused and wishes to transition again, and two had already begun to transition again.
There were four main themes: 1. A sense of difference from childhood; 2. Gender transition is challenging in multiple ways; 3. Conflicts are experienced, and 4. Stopping transition has challenges and benefits.
Discussion
Gender transition is a varied experience and people experiencing this have multiple needs. Psychological support is viewed as beneficial and helpful in navigating the challenges of transition, and in pausing and stopping transition. GIC’s should consider the dynamic nature of transition in clinical decision making and offer adequate medical and psychological support
The disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction: four papers in the philosophy of medicine
Get PDFThe title of my dissertation is ‘The Disease Versus Moral-Problem-in-Living Distinction: Four Papers in the Philosophy of Medicine’. This dissertation consists of an introductory chapter and four papers. This dissertation addresses the following question: should medicine be primarily concerned with problems of an involuntary and non-moral nature? This question concerns what I call the ‘disease versus moral-problem-in-living’ distinction. I do not defend any definition of disease. Rather, I clarify the disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction, point out the problems that this distinction causes, and argue that we should reject this distinction as a means to constrain the scope of medicine because it denies or undermines the value of moral guidance.
Paper one provides an overview of the concept of disease and mental illness debate. Much of the concept of disease debate has been isolated from developments in philosophy concerning the fact versus value distinction and philosophically methodology. I argue for drawing on such developments to inform the debate on what should be the nature and scope of medicine.
Paper two provides an alternative reading of Thomas Szasz’s argument that mental illnesses are not real illnesses. I argue that Szasz’s primary concern was not that mental illnesses
are not real illnesses. Rather, I argue that his primary concern was the medicalisation of moral- problems-in-living as such, which he saw the concept of mental illness as representing. His solution to this concern was to argue for a clear disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction to constrain the scope fo medicine. The rest of the dissertation is a criticism of this approach and an attempt to provide an alternative solution to the medicalisation of moral-problems-in-living.
Paper three challenges Gene Heyman’s choice model of addiction as a solution to the puzzle of addiction. I argue that Heyman’s distinction between two ways of thinking about our best interest, a local versus a global temporal choice framework, is promising in solving the puzzle of addiction. But I argue that Heyman’s appeal to a ‘natural bias’ to the local choice framework has serious problems. I argue that Heyman’s assumption that the global choice framework is sufficient for both knowing what is in our best interest and for acting in our best interest gives rise to his appeal to a natural bias as part of his solution. I draw on the work of Hanna Pickard on the role of denial in addiction to argue that Heyman is wrong to assume that the global choice framework is sufficient for knowing what is in our best interest and for acting on such knowledge. I then draw on the work of Gena Gorlin on Cognitive integrity as a framework to explain how we can act contrary to our best interest even when we have knowledge of what is in our best interest.
Paper four clarifies the different ways that the disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction has been used and then argues against one of those uses. The first is an explanatory distinction within medicine, the second is as a means to constrain the scope of medicine. I make a further distinction between a hard and soft version of the disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction as a means to constrain the scope of medicine. The hard version of the distinction rests on a narrow conception of disease that has already been rejected in the concept of disease debate. I argue that the soft version of the distinction is incompatible with a broad conception of disease and therefore a broader scope of medicine. I argue that we should therefore reject the disease versus moral-problem-in-living distinction as a means to constrain the scope of medicine
Functional activity of upper extremities to improve trunk function after chronic incomplete spinal cord injury
Get PDFA spinal cord injury (SCI) impairs both motor and sensory functions. Improving trunk function is an important factor to increase quality of life for those living with SCI. However, traditional rehabilitation methods in the United Kingdom (UK) can be complex for individuals living with a chronic SCI due to current challenges in the national health services (NHS), trips to exercise clinics for guidance from physiotherapists. These challenges constrain the time available for exercise. Hence, there is a pressing need for innovative rehabilitation strategies for improving trunk function. Arm cycling is a suitable form of exercise that can be performed independently at home without the need of direct feedback from clinicians. With the current challenges for continuing rehabilitation in the chronic phase of SCI, this thesis investigates the effects of a home-based arm cycling program on trunk function in individuals living with chronic SCI.
In the first chapter, the literature was reviewed to define SCI and the trunk, and to describe the neuromuscular and neurophysiological consequences of SCI in the trunk, as well as current approaches to SCI trunk rehabilitation in the UK. Subsequently, therapeutic interventions targeting the trunk musculature in SCI are described, as well as its assessment methodologies such as electromyography (EMG), kinematics and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Then, the main question and its objective are outlined.
The second chapter describes a reliability study assessing a novel electromyographic method named high-density surface electromyography (HDEMG) that enables measuring the muscle’s spatial characteristics. The reliability of several HDEMG parameters was examined. The results demonstrate that root mean square (RMS), a metric for quantifying muscle activity, and mean frequency were consistently reliable both within and between sessions during voluntary trunk movements and reaching tasks. The reliability of the barycentre, a measure of the centre of the distribution of muscle activity, varied depending on the task. The technique is found to be appropriate to use in intervention studies.
The third chapter reports an experiment characterising the differences in thoracic trunk muscle function between able-bodied individuals (control group) and individuals with an incomplete SCI (SCI group). All participants performed postural tasks and reaching tasks. During postural tasks, the SCI group demonstrated a more caudal distribution of erector spinae muscle activity compared to the control group. During the reaching tasks, distinct patterns of muscle activity were observed in the control group that was absent in the SCI group, highlighting the injury-related differences between the two groups.
The fourth chapter was an observational study to assess the feasibility and effects of a six-week home-based arm cycling exercise training programme on improving trunk control in individuals with chronic SCI. Before and after the exercise programme, the corticospinal excitability was assessed during rest, as well as the activation of the erector spinae muscles during multidirectional reaching tasks and two postural tasks (rapid shoulder flexion task and external perturbation task). Improvements were observed after the exercise programme, including a slightly higher reaching distance during forward reaching and a higher total trajectory of the trunk and centre of pressure during the perturbation task. Furthermore, a higher corticospinal excitability and higher trunk muscle activity were observed in the post-assessment. The exercise programme was found to be feasible, as demonstrated by a high adherence to the exercise.
The fifth chapter describes the preliminary results of an ongoing randomised control trial (RCT) study in which the effectiveness of arm cycling was compared to conventional physiotherapy exercise to improve trunk function in people with SCI. Participants were randomly allocated to the arm cycling exercise group or conventional physiotherapy exercise group. Both groups performed additional upper-body exercise videos. Descriptive analyses were applied due to the low sample size. The same postural and reaching tasks were performed as in Chapters 3 and 4. A qualitative assessment was carried out to investigate perceptions of the participants on the home-based exercise programme. In the post-assessment, a slightly greater reaching distance and higher trunk- and centre of pressure displacements were found in both groups. The erector spinae activation pattern differed between the two groups, with lower and more cranially located erector spinae activity in the arm cycling group during the reaching tasks. In contrast, the upright sitting group demonstrated a higher and more caudally located erector spinae activity. The results of the qualitative assessment emphasised the role of intrinsic motivation and social support from family as relevant factors to adherence to the study.
The sixth and final chapter is a general discussion of the overall findings and their implications. In addition, recommendations are made for further research in this area
Development of a hybrid battery thermal management system for electric vehicle based on merged digital and physical twinning
No full textVehicle electrification is emerging as a prevailing trend in the automotive industry. Lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) are the energy storage devices for electric vehicles, and their performance, lifespan, and thermal stability are notably impacted by the ambient temperature and its gradient. Advanced battery thermal management systems (BTMS) not only maintain optimal battery operating temperatures in low-temperature environments but also promote rapid heat dissipation from the power battery to mitigate risks such as heat accumulation and thermal runaway, thereby ensuring the safety and reliability of electric vehicles. The purpose of PhD research is to design a BTMS considering battery safety in electrified vehicles. The digital-physical twinning methodology has been incorporated into this study, encompassing the development of numerical models and physical prototypes, thereby enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of BTMS development processes. The research provided three main contributions:
1) An algorithm-driven optimization method for LiB thermal modelling is proposed. The experimental results at various loads and different ambient temperatures are used for calibration and validation of the thermal model. The irreversible heat item of the LiBs model introduced a set of correction factors as a function of the state of charge (SOC). By optimizing the correction factors, the surface temperature error between experimental data and the simulation results was reduced to less than 0.5 °C.
2) A passive thermal management solution using copper foam-PCM is studied experimentally to enhance the heat dissipation performance of the battery module. A prototype of the battery module composed of 16 thermal dummy cells was constructed and used to conduct a reliability analysis for thermal management strategies. The results revealed that the addition of copper foam can effectively improve the heat dissipation performance of PCM, and can reduce the maximum temperature and improve the temperature uniformity of the battery module.
3) A hybrid BTMS integrating active liquid cooling and passive cooling is developed to improve the heat dissipation performance of the battery module in normal and thermal runaway conditions. Based on the established CFD model, a parameterisation study was conducted on the effect of both the selection of filling materials and the coolant flow rate on the thermal state of the battery module. In the multi-physical coupled process, the governing equations of the model involved the energy conservation equation, mass conservation equation, and momentum conservation equation. The results revealed that the proposed hybrid BTMS can effectively prevent thermal runaway propagation in the battery module
Carbon-neutral synthetic fuel production via CO2 methanation over supported Ni catalysts
Get PDFThe innovative Power-to-Gas concept is a promising solution for converting surplus energy into synthetic natural gas (SNG). Through catalytic CO2 methanation, renewable H2 and captured CO2 are converted to methane (CH4) or SNG, thereby offering a potent energy storage medium characterised by its elevated heating value. Intrinsic to the global push towards sustainable energy solutions, CO2 methanation stands as a mature reaction, perpetually demanding high-performing catalyst design and synthesis to enhance industrial process efficiency.
The main thesis goals come together along three crucial trajectories. First, it involves the synthesis of high-performance Ni-based catalysts, including YSZ, CeO2, Al2O3, and SBA-15, followed by their performance evaluation for CO2 methanation. Second, the investigation of the influence of distinct reactor conditions, encompassing temperature, H2/CO2 ratio, catalyst positioning, CH4 presence in feed, gas hourly space velocity (GHSV), pressure, and the effect of La-promoter on the yield and selectivity of the optimal catalyst. Finally, the third trajectory delves into the design and modification of monolithic and split reactors for CO2 methanation. This chapter encompasses an investigation into dual catalyst beds and the dynamic interplay of catalyst ratios within reactor subsections.
The thesis started with a background on the recent trend in energy demand, the impact of high fossil fuel dependency on climate change, and the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy. The discussion also covered an overview of carbon capture technologies and the potential of CO2 methanation as a strategy for CO2 mitigation. The thermodynamics, reactor considerations, and intricate reaction mechanisms of CO2 methanation are discussed.
The catalysts were synthesised using the wetness impregnation technique, followed by comprehensive characterisation, including BET surface measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy, for the understanding of their physicochemical properties. The performance of the synthesised catalysts was studied in a continuous flow quartz tube fixed-bed reactor with an internal diameter of 5.5 mm and wall thickness of 2 mm at a temperature range of 473 to 823 K and pressure range of 0.5 to 3 bar depending on the test setup. The gaseous feed stream employed contains N2 (60 mL min-1), H2 (60 mL min-1) and CO2 (15 mL min-1) in the ratio of 4:4:1. Mears' and Weisz-Prater criteria obtained indicated negligible transport limitations.
Activity tests revealed Ni/YSZ as the optimal catalyst with a CO2 conversion rate of approximately 83%. The superior performance of Ni/YSZ is attributed to its distinctive properties, including high oxygen vacancies, augmented basic sites, and an intrinsic resilience to metal sintering, underscored by a low activation energy. The optimum temperature was between 633 and 643 K beyond which the catalyst activity declined. While an increase in the H2:CO2 ratio favoured both the CH4 yield and CO2 conversion, CH4 yield was found to decline at an H2:CO2 ratio beyond 4.
For the investigation of the effect of La-promoter on the performance of Ni/YSZ, a slight stability enhancement was observed, but the catalytic activity was largely unaltered. Notably, there was a structural change in Ni/YSZ as observed from the characterisation results upon La-promoter addition indicating its potential to positively influence catalyst performance in other reforming reactions.
For the reactor design, three distinctive configurations—the single reactor with one catalyst bed, the single reactor with dual catalyst beds, and a two-reactor series, were considered. In the latter configuration, the catalyst ratio within the reactors was varied from 20 to 80%. The outcome revealed that the series-connected two-reactor system with an installed water-removing device and catalyst of ratio of 30%:70% is the best, providing a CO2 conversion of approximately 99%.
In a broader perspective, the findings from this work can help in advancing the research on the seamless and efficient integration of a methanation reactor with a solid oxide electrolyser, considering that the best performance was achieved at reaction conditions such as relatively elevated temperatures and low pressures, which are similar to the operating conditions of a solid oxide electrolyser
Towards active vaccination against robo4, a tumour endothelial marker
No full textAbstract not available
Plasma defect engineered and characterisation of yttria-stabilised zirconia
Get PDFOxygen-deficient zirconia (ZrO) holds great promise for applications demanding light absorbing materials and has recently become the focus of many high-quality studies. Despite various approaches taken to manufacture this material, ranging from electrical, chemical, and physical methods, achieving commercial success in the production of bulk ZrO has proven challenging to date. This project aimed to investigate the feasibility and transformation mechanism for plasma-induced blackening of zirconia (ZrO) and to illustrate the resulting change in properties and potential for applications.
Different types of plasma technologies (DC plasma and active-screen plasma), variations in DC plasma treatment configurations (contact conditions and cathode material), and a range of treatment parameters (potential, temperature, and duration) were explored to study the conditions for plasma-induced blackening of zirconia and to understand the underlying mechanisms involved in the generation of the black oxygen-deficient zirconia. Comprehensively characterisation of black zirconia generated through low-pressure plasma treatment, against untreated equivalent samples, was characterised in terms of structure, microstructure and properties. In addition, a plasma-induced crack-healing phenomenon was also discovered and fully characterised.
The findings reveal that the bulk-transformed black zirconia can be successfully fabricated by low-pressure plasma treatment from industrially available dense zirconia and that the oxygen-deficient zirconia formed is structurally unmodified from the pristine material. The oxygen-deficient nature of the plasma treated zirconia (ZrO) is revealed using a combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and thermal analysis (TGA and DSC) characterisation techniques. Light absorption behaviour of plasma-treated zirconia, measured via diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), demonstrates >65% absolute light absorption across the tested spectrum (200-3000 nm). Comparisons of the average absorption across the spectrum indicate a substantial enhancement of 66.2% after plasma treatment of the zirconia.
Furthermore, plasma treatment is also found to lead to a significant reduction in both the direct and indirect bandgap values of zirconia. The direct bandgap decreases from 4.84 eV to 2.61 eV, while the indirect bandgap decreases from 3.19 eV to 1.45 eV.
The results also elucidate the conditions and the mechanism involved in the plasma blackening (reduction) process. The initial location and reduction rate of plasma blackening are determined by the contact conditions with the cathode. The initiation of blackening in oxygen-deficient zirconia is found to consistently arise at locations in direct contact with the cathode, before gradually spreading to non-contacting regions. The black areas are always found to expand from the cathode-facing surface towards the anode-facing surfaces, and the opposing migration of oxygen vacancies and lattice oxygen leads to the hemispherical growth of black regions, which differs from traditional current reduction methods. Throughout the plasma treatment, the degree of blackening (reduction) of zirconia samples varies based on plasma treatment parameters (such as temperature, time, voltage, pressure, etc.), with a positive correlation with the blackening process being observed for most of them.
It has also been found that during the plasma reduction of zirconia, indentation-formed microcracks on zirconia can be healed and microcracks formed by a load of 20 kgf are partially repaired under the plasma conditions of N gas, 500 °C, 10 hours, and 3 mbar pressure. The repair of the cracks is attributed to the plasma induced transformation of the tetragonal phase around the cracks to the monoclinic phase with a lower specific volume as compared with the tetragonal phase, which is accompanied by a volume expansion that enables the closing or repair of the cracks. Raman mapping and XRD measurements around an indent produced by a load of 5 kgf provided strong supporting evidence. Moreover, a unique simultaneous increase in both surface hardness and fracture toughness is also measured following the plasma-treatment of zirconia and is also attributed to the formation of the dispersed monoclinic crystal that pre-stress the material
Impact of stabiliser selection on the uptake of polyester nanoparticles by hepatic cells
Get PDFThe development of new nanomedicines remains a priority for formulation scientists everywhere. It is also becoming increasingly apparent that a clear framework is needed to inform nanocarrier design and assessment to aid translation to the clinic. This seems particularly important for polymeric nanomaterials, where many factors need to be considered, including the impact of the stabiliser used in nanoparticle (NP) manufacture, which is the focus of this project.
This study will examine how polyester nanoparticles are taken up by hepatic cells. These cells were chosen as NPs are known to accumulate in the liver after intravenous (i.v.) administration, but little is known about the specific cells responsible for uptake. To this end, polyester NPs made from either poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA) or poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), and using either polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and Poloxamer 407 (PXM) as stabilisers were produced, characterised and tested in vitro. The NPs were synthesised by nanoprecipitation and met the stated quality attributes in terms of size (150-200 nm) and size distribution (PdIPXM) but this did not impact stability or protein adsorption (tested using BCA kit) after exposure to foetal bovine or human serum. NPs were loaded with Nile Red as a hydrophobic fluorescent dye and their uptake by immortalised cells representative of the different hepatic cells was studied. No clear trend between cell types could be detected using flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy, but this might result from difficulties in analysing uptake data because of the fluorescence difference between NPs and requires further investigation.
Lactoferrin (LCF) is one of the ligands of asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R). LCF-targeted NPs were prepared and tested in a co-culture system involving HEP-G2 hepatomas, HMEC-1 endothelial cells and DTHP-1 macrophages to assess the feasibility of targeting hepatocytes and determine whether NP’s properties such as size, charge, and surface hydrophobicity were a barrier to achieving this. Modification with LCF did not significantly affect NP properties, though hydrophilicity did increase afterwards. Results showed increased uptake of LCF-coated PLGA-PVA NPs by HEP-G2 cells (2.6-fold, p<0.01) which was attributed to the ASGP-R since it is found in higher levels on hepatocytes than other hepatic cell types, while uptake by macrophages was not affected as expected since it is known that macrophages do not express ASGP-R.
To further investigate NP-cell interactions, bovine serum albumin (BSA) NPs were synthesised to compare the BSA NPs uptake behaviours of different hepatic cell lines. Here, citric acid was selected as the cross-linker. NPs, with a similar size and hydrophobicity as polyester NPs were produced. Uptake studies showed increased internalisation by THP-1 monocytes and DTHP-1 macrophage cells compared to HEP-G2 and HMEC-1 cell lines because of the higher phagocytic activity of the monocytes and macrophages than endothelial and epithelial cells. The overall findings provide an insight to importance on NP surface modification on the cellular uptake behaviour of hepatic cells
The grandchildren of Franco: examining the function of the agentic child seer in contemporary Spanish horror
Get PDFThere is a long-standing tradition in Spanish cinema of children facing horror. To the extent that the genre of Spanish horror film foregrounds the trope of the watchful child, many horror films employ a haunting narrative which becomes the ideal vehicle for exploring and exorcising that which haunts Spanish society. Yet, as this thesis will examine, far from being a helpless victim, a passive cypher for the future, or a demonic antagonist, the child protagonist in contemporary Spanish horror cinema is an active agent, drawing power and agency from their all-seeing gaze. Consequently, this thesis will demonstrate how the children in each case study are actively looking subjects, who through their status as “other” are able to act as communicators with the supernatural and ultimately bring about justice for the dead who have been wronged. This thesis therefore responds to the current situation in Spain, which is finally making progress in the recuperation of traumatic memory with regards to the Spanish Civil War and the ensuing fascist dictatorship. The objective of this thesis is to subject key horror films to contextual, comparative, and textual analysis in order to argue that the child in each film represents a generation - the grandchildren of Franco - that is sufficiently removed from the initial trauma of the Civil War and the dictatorship to finally enact justice for their ancestors. The environment and family that a child is brought up in significantly influences a child’s development, therefore this thesis will also pay close attention to the family dwelling in each case study, and the guardians of each agentic child
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