Thesis and Research Data Repository Leeds Beckett University
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Sex Work in a Latemodern Context: OnlyFans and What It Means for Sex Workers
No full textThe term sex work is a notion used to describe a collection of pursuits relating to the interchange of money for sexual services (Harcourt and Donovan, 2005). Typically, sex work is divided into two classifications: direct sex work and in-direct sex work. Direct sex work categorises acts such as prostitution and escorting, both in an indoor and street context (Pitcher, 2015). In-direct sex work is used to classify acts such as stripping, peep show performances, pole and lap dancing, as well as virtual sex work such as camming (Sanders et al., 2009 cited in Pitcher, 2015). Despite in-direct sex workers not offering genital contact, a monetary fee is still exchanged. The online sex industry has been present since the early 21st century, and despite being heavily stigmatised, both in-direct and direct sex work industries remain a significant part of the contemporary economy (Weitzer, 2013).</p
Life Expectancy of RAAC Building Structures: A Review of Literature
No full textThe life of a building often extends well beyond its designed life. However, where the integrity of structural components is questioned, investigations are necessary to assure a safe continued operation. In this study, a comprehensive review of literature is performed to conceptualise the structural integrity of buildings constructed from Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC). In the UK, such a topic has seen immense controversy and concern relating to the use of RAAC in buildings, which is now being considered high risk following the sudden collapse of a school’s concrete roof. Such concerns have driven significant investments and efforts to explore the status of RAAC nationwide, particularly in public buildings, where it was commonly used during the 1970s. The emerging argument claims that all RAAC might have degraded and are having inherent structural limitations. To conceptualise this, a multidisciplinary team undertook a comprehensive review of literature to investigate the academic knowledge base relating to RAAC in existing buildings. The team systematically reviewed hundreds of papers relating to the use of Aerated Autoclaved Concrete in buildings. Subsequently, a carefully developed inclusion and exclusion criteria has been developed to filter extant literature to the most relevant academic contributions. This has led to the inclusion of 92 academic papers. The construction management research community would benefit from this review, which highlights scope for future research, and a research agenda to addressing the key questions that are yet to be answered.</p
Evaluation of carbon calculators in construction industry: A parametric study
No full textThe construction industry has high energy demand and emissions, and its devasting impact negatively contributes to climate emergency and climate change. A review of government, professional and scientific literature has recommended multiple strategies, including renewable energy adoptions, alternative non-carbon energy sources, circular economy, net zero carbon policies and calculators. The use of carbon calculators as a tool to estimate carbon emissions has become instrumental in guiding construction professionals in selecting appropriate ‘low carbon’ materials for projects. However, the influx of carbon calculators is very important but creates problems for professionals regarding their effectiveness. Therefore, this study compares two popular carbon calculators (One Click LCA Planetary and IStructE) on a building design to ascertain their efficacy. The criteria for the comparison included formats of calculators, commercialisation of calculators, customisation of data, sustainability certifications, data sources, data entry parameters and results/outputs. The findings show a ‘mixed’ outcome regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the calculators. These criteria are key for becoming the basis of selecting an appropriate carbon calculator for analysis. The discussion shows that data for the carbon calculators from countries considered upper?middle-income and/or below are lacking; carbon calculators should be easier to use; the interoperability of carbon calculators with other digital tools is key for not just making the use of the tools attractive but makes it easier to reduce non-value activities in the construction project.</p
Integrating Data into Community Resilience: A Bayesian Approach to Assessing Flood Resilience in Built Environments
No full textIn the face of escalating environmental challenges, fostering resilient communities requires innovative approaches to understanding and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters. This research introduces a novel Bayesian network model specifically designed to quantify flood resilience within built environments. This model integrates empirical data and expert insights to assess the influence of various structural and environmental factors on the capacity of communities to withstand and rapidly recover from flood events. The study commenced with an extensive survey aimed at collecting critical resilience-related data variables, broadly categorized into building-specific and flood-specific groups. The Manchester and Cumbria, recognized as high-level flood risk regions, were selected for data collection across twelve community zones with varying risk-levels. Through the application of Principal Component Analysis and Pearson Correlation Analysis, significant resilience factors were identified, and dynamic patterns and interrelationships were determined, laying the foundation for model development. By categorizing the influential key variables into actionable states of risk and analyzing their influence on key resilience parameters at gradated resilience-levels, the model quantified the resilience levels in Manchester and Cumbria offering a granular perspective on flood resilience. The model dynamically refines its predictions, enhancing its relevance and applicability to real-world flood scenarios. It further signifies the interconnectedness of built asset resilience and community well-being, highlighting the role of informed decision-making in strengthening societal resilience against floods. Utilizing actual datasets, the Bayesian model not only sheds light on the determinants of structural resilience but also serves as a crucial decision-support tool for urban planners, policymakers, and community leaders.</p
Shenjing water map
No full textThe 'Shenjing water map' version 1 was produced in collaboration between Leeds Beckett University and South China University of Technology. It depicts 'bodies of water' including ponds, rivers and streams, ponds, public wells and water tanks as well as water related services such as water sellers, public toilets, public wash basins, drinking fountains, water sellers, the local ferry terminal, piers and dragon boat river dock. The map is published under the Creative Commons license BY-NC-SA 4.0 which can be accessed here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/</p
The Talent Development Environment in Elite English U21 Men’s Professional Football
No full textThe career trajectory of young footballers has been given attention in recent years, in particular the factors influencing their progression to becoming established senior professional footballers. Researchers have focused on aspects such as the quality of talent development environments (e.g., Mills et al., 2012; 2014a; Mitchell et al., 2021) and understanding junior to senior transitions (e.g., Morris et al., 2015; 2017; 2017). This research is centred on the U21 professional development phase of football in England, which is the final stage the majority of young footballers will encounter before entering a first team environment.This phase has been identified as the most crucial career transition point, with the ultimate goal of producing a greater number of ‘home-grown’ players (Premier League, 2011). It has been suggested that this phase presents nuanced challenges that players and practitioners must navigate (Dowling et al., 2018; Richardson et al., 2013). However, relatively little is known about the daily experiences of players in the U21 phase, and almost no research has focused on the effectiveness of such an environment. This research examines the extent to which the primary objective of the elite English academy system in professional football, i.e., a talent development environment, is being met, with a specific focus on the U21 professional development phase.A mixed methods approach, both quantitative (scoping review and survey) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews and ethnography) facilitated the capture of insights into development practice and the perceptions, views and opinions of players, coaches and support staff in this phase of professional football in England. The research consists of four studies.Study one is a scoping review of all professional clubs’ academies to identify the structure, extent and organisation of U21 football. Findings identify significant variation across the four academy categories and limited web-based information about clubs’ objectives. In addition, a review of the research literature specifically focused on U21 football, reinforced the dearth of empirical literature in this area. Study two surveys players’ opinions about the quality of their talent development environments and general health, across category 1 and 2 clubs. The most positively perceived elements of the players’ environments were a recognition of long-term development and the availability of support networks; the least positive were the absence of holistic quality preparation, communication and alignment of expectations. However, players perceived their general health to be good.Study three is an interview-based exploration of the organisational structure, value of competition, relationships, attitudes, and the role of coaches in managing and conducting U21 football. Players and coaches provided a comprehensive insight into their environment, highlighting the impact on the developmental agenda of factors such as inconsistent and unstable group composition, limitations in providing an environment that would ready players for first team football, and a lack of competitive challenge. These elements were not conducive to an effective learning environment and impacted negatively on well-being and intrinsic motivation. Study four adopts an ethnographic approach to explore the lived experiences of players and key stakeholders. A practitioner-researcher perspective provides an ‘insider’ insight into the day-to-day workings of the U21 environment, documenting these experiencesover an extended period of time. Findings highlight a range of structural issues relating to the stability of the group and psycho-social challenges emanating from identity, meaning, purpose and belonging. Specifically, the results showed that players beyond their first year experienced a loss of determination and self-motivation due to a lack of exposure to first team football and/or de-selection.It seems clear from both the concept of the U21 phase and from these accounts of practice that(a) its developmental ambitions might be better termed a ‘late development model’ and (b) that another more apt descriptor would be ‘talent readiness’ phase (both in preparing for first team football and a sifting/selecting process by clubs). In summary, this research contributes a unique and novel perspective on U21 football across the English academy system. It casts considerable doubt that its structural integrity, its capacity to ‘reach’ all players, and the quality of competition as a precursor to the intensity and results-oriented nature of the first-team experience provides an adequate developmental experience for players and readies them for first team football. It presents opportunities for the Premier League and the Football Association to re-evaluate the phase to better meet its intended purpose. This might usefully be centred on the quality of competition, integration of squads and structured incorporation of first team exposure.</p
Parental Perceptions and Experiences of Children with Autism and their Educational Needs in Nigeria: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
No full textParenting and supporting children with autism spectrum disorder can be stressful for parents. Additionally, providing effective educational interventions for these children may prove more challenging because of the characteristic behavioural challenges associated with ASD. Whilst there is research relating to parenting children with ASD, there has been none that looked at parenting children with ASD and their educational experiences in Nigeria.
Therefore, this research aimed to explore how parents of children diagnosed with ASD perceived the experience of caring for and educating their children in school. Four fathers and four mothers of children who had been diagnosed with ASD, with experience of mainstream school and specialist school participated in this research. Semi-structured, face to face interviews were carried out with these parents to explore their lived experiences of caring for and supporting children with ASD.
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was the chosen methodological approach. Interview data were transcribed and analysed using IPA guidelines. IPA methodology was utilised to enable an in-depth exploration of parents’ experiences. Four super-ordinate themes and their sub-themes were identified from the data analysis: (1) “a roller coaster of emotions”: the journey to diagnosis, (2) parental resilience, (3) parents challenging relationships with school and, (4) the power of the parental voice. These findings were discussed with regards to the main research question and existing literature and theories.
The study provided a wider understanding of parents’ experiences of children with ASD in Nigeria, and the challenges parents go through in providing effective educational interventions for them. The implications for parents, educators, counsellors, policy makers, wider society and suggestions for future research were also presented
Optimising the Employability of Product Design Graduates Through Co-Design
No full textOptimising the employability of graduates is a key consideration for UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in recent times, with government remits to address skills gaps and increase graduate employability for the benefit of the economy. The aspiration for many students pursuing higher education is to increase their employment prospects. However, employers in the product design industry report that graduates are not fully prepared to operate in the workplace at entry level. University careers teams acknowledge the need for greater subject-specific employability support with the literature advocating for individualised approaches (Williams et al, 2019) which are time and resource intensive. This creates a pressure for HEIs in the UK, with employability performance being measured by graduate employment statistics. Predominantly, the literature indicates that employability can be defined as not only getting a job but keeping a job (Yorke, 2006), framing employability as a lifelong set of personal attributes to develop over time. Furthermore, individual ownership of employability is identified as a fundamental approach to students developing their own employability, with support, guidance and agency. This study investigates how higher education (HE) teaching and learning materials need to develop in order to optimise the employability of product design graduates in the UK. This is explored through the co-design of an employability toolkit, ‘The Design Graduate’ app, for product design undergraduate
courses. A qualitative research methodology is utilised, applying research methods associated with product design practice, including co-design and design thinking in combination with phenomenographic semi-structured interviews. The findings present the different perspectives of key stakeholders: students, graduates, employers, careers teams and academic teams predominantly from three UK institutions, with further contributions from six UK institutions, in the co-design of employability skills and attributes development. Data
collection and analysis took place over a span of five years from 2018-2022. Participants included 97 undergraduate product design students and 7 postgraduate 3D design students from University 1, 12 undergraduate students from University 2, 20 undergraduate students
from University 3, 11 product design academics from Universities 1-3 and 6 from other UK HEIs, 17 employers/industry professionals in product design fields, 8 product design graduates from UK HEIs and 11 careers team members from Universities 1-3, with an
additional 8 from other UK HEIs.
This study makes an original contribution to knowledge in adapting the notion of the ‘best self’ to the employability of product design graduates, acknowledging that an individual’s
wellbeing is a significant factor in performing well and maintaining employment over time.
Furthermore, it makes a contribution to knowledge through the methodological approach of co-designing for employability by key stakeholders to ensure maximum relevance. The digital toolkit outlines a set of recommendations for product design courses in order to
optimise employability within their teaching and learning materials. This digital resource supports physical teaching and allows for availability of learning materials digitally, supporting widening participation and retention. Co-design provides the method for continuous improvement and ongoing validation of the effectiveness of this resource
Can the Benefits of Mental Health Apps Be Fully Realised in a Neoliberal Society?
No full textMental health awareness seems to be everywhere these days, and probably with good reason. The British Medical Association (2023) has identified a steady increase in the prevalence of adult mental disorders between 2000 and 2014, with COVID-19 and the associated lockdowns accelerating this trend – mental health service referrals were up 22% in 2022 compared to 2019. This critical reflection will start by using the theory of the Technological Information Society (Webster, 2014) to explain how the development of new technologies has changed the way people interact with each other and the social world, before then going on to discuss self-surveillance in the form of mental health tracking through apps and the benefits people can gain from this practice. Finally, it will situate the use of these apps within a neoliberal society to question the limits of placing responsibility for monitoring and treatment of mental health problems on the individual without also examining the social and cultural context in which mental health problems are experienced.</p
Beyhive: The World Taken by Swarm
No full textOn the 10th May 2023, Beyoncé kicked off her Renaissance tour which saw celebrities and even royals in attendance demonstrating how far her popularity has reached (Vanity Fair, 2023). Yet, it was not the high-profile celebrities in attendance that intrigued me about the tour, it was how her fans showcased their excitement and the endless buzz about it circling on social media. We have seen this being an occurring theme in the music industry from looking at A.R.M.Y, the Swifties and the Barbz.</p