The rise of digital media in Nigerian public life is evident in a variety of contexts – from how mainstream journalists gather news and information, to how young people express their dissatisfaction with the government on matters of concern, such as the case of the 276 kidnapped Chibok Girls (April 2014). This thesis is an investigation into the growing use of digital media in Nigeria, and identifies significant developments in Nigerian democracy through a growing ‘digital public sphere’. New communication skills of dialogue and deliberation are being cultivated through an improvised and often creative use of digital media, and ‘netizens’ [citizens active on the Internet] are purposively generating social, political and cultural consciousness. To explore this embryonic digital public sphere in Nigeria, field research was conducted in the form of historical, political and interview based research with active digital media users. The interviewees featured journalists, citizen journalists, bloggers, public officials, social activists, religious leaders, and cultural producers, and revolved around current uses of digital media technologies, online dialogue and key issues, and digital media as a tool for democracy in Nigeria’s future development. Largely on the basis of the interview data, this thesis argues that despite a discernible ‘culture’ of democracy cultivated through pervasive use of digital media, a digital public sphere can only be realised in a democratic-enabling political environment. This would necessitate public officials engaging in public dialogue; protections from harassment, insults and cyber-bullying; and the digital media infrastructure being developed, accessible and affordable. Furthermore, this thesis identifies how an effective digital public sphere will only function where the agencies of mass media are willing to take more active roles in collaborating with citizens online in order to cultivate transparency in public affairs, and also disseminate vital information, and work for widespread digital access.

This research aims to develop knowledge of dyslexia from the subjective experiences of dyslexic students currently attending mainstream, state schooling in England. As the importance of identifying dyslexia early within a student’s schooling, to prevent educational failure, is generally agreed (Rose 2009) research within the field of dyslexia remains predominantly concerned with neurological and cognitive studies of causation, identification, and remediation. Consequently, to date, there is limited research designed to gain an understanding of dyslexia through the lived experiences of dyslexic individuals. The current research draws upon twenty-one school-aged students and explores their lived experience of being identified and labelled as dyslexic and the effects of dyslexic difficulties within their schooling. The research was guided by the interactional approach to disability (Shakespeare 2014). The research was guided throughout by a qualitative approach to data collection. The data was derived using a digital communication aid entitled ‘Talking Mats’ and follow-up semi-structured interviews. The dyslexic students who participated in this research came from one mainstream state secondary school and three mainstream state primary schools in England. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis and three overarching themes emerged. These were: Diagnosis, dyslexic students’ experiences of the process of being identified and labelled as dyslexic, Dyslexia, the difficulties experienced by dyslexic students in the classroom and Discrimination, dyslexic students’ experiences of discrimination and the effects within schooling. The students’ experiences suggest that regardless of the age of being identified and labelled as dyslexic, the experience of the assessment process remained a challenging experience, that did not aid their understanding of dyslexia. Despite their diagnosis, the students continued to experience a range of difficulties predominantly with reading, spelling, and handwriting. Although the students requested the use of reasonable adjustments to lessen their difficulties this was often denied. This research highlighted a multitude of barriers these dyslexic students experienced within school, for example, discrimination, humiliation, and punishments.

This thesis aims to advance understanding of how behaviour that constitutes sexual harassment, as the imposition of unwelcome attention based on sex or gender, is embedded within the everyday working lives of secretaries. This aim is achieved through the reporting of results from a number of research studies including a self-report questionnaire completed by secretaries, an examination of texts and advertisements concerning secretarial work, and two ethnographic studies of the secretarial workplace. The thesis reports research that demonstrates the limitations of commonly used investigative methods which abstract sexual harassment events from the immediate microsocial context in which they occur, and arguments are made for the centrality of an approach to sexual harassment research that acknowledges and prioritises the intrinsic socially situated nature of sexual harassment. Research is reported that demonstrates how sexually harassing behaviour carries out multiple social functions within everyday interaction. Research is reported that analyses how social rules for interaction, set within cultural structures defining identity and status, limit the possibilities for effective challenge of sexually harassing behaviour. Research is reported that considers the place of certain features of social identity as they are culturally constructed particularly around women, and secretaries, in influencing the conditions for sexual harassment to occur and to pass unchallenged. Implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the project to eliminate sexual harassment.

Ireland has a comprehensive yet complex, statutory framework for the resolution of employment disputes. Various bodies offer conciliation, mediation, arbitration and regulation, however the processes are taking too long. The focus of this dissertation is on another form of dispute resolution – collaborative law and its suitability to the resolution of Irish employment disputes. The overarching question of this research is: Can a dispute resolution model based on collaborative practice be a useful addition to alternative dispute resolution in Irish employment law? A review of ADR and employment literature provides a context for this research. The first phase of the primary research consisted of a survey of collaborative practitioners in Ireland to identify the current usage and success of collaborative law and whether practitioners felt collaborative law was suitable for the resolution of Irish employment disputes. TheaThis thesis will outline the incidence of suicide and self-harm in today’s society.  It will examine methodology and the impact on the family unit and significant others.  It will explore the various causative factors from obtaining a mental illness diagnosis to gender, age, marital status, physical illness, unemployment, occupation, trauma, abuse and bullying.  It will analyse the main theories of suicide, past and present, and the influence of modern society on suicide and self-harm.  It will refer to the research findings as discussed in this paper and focus on a proactive approach. Such a direction will be validated by the research findings as this MPhil will focus on the principle of positive risk management by analysing the principles a person has for living as opposed to reasons for dying.  It will challenge previous suicide and self harm strategies focused on a negative risk assessment.  Interventions therefore were defensive rather than defensible. The impetus towards a “Recovery” orientated delivery in mental health services will be highlighted.  It will put forward an innovative and practical initiative from the research findings that re individually centred and have the service user at its core.  This approach called “STRENGTH” has the potential to be a leading pathway towards a service that has recovery at its centre that will improve the safety and quality of services and promote consistency and standardisation of best practice.
second phase entailed depth interviews with key employment stakeholders to verify the findings from phase A. Analysis of the findings indicate that collaborative law could be a successful method of dispute resolution and that practitioners feel it is an appropriate method of dispute resolution for employment disputes.