http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/69 2026-09-08T09:03:36Z 2026-09-08T09:03:36Z Hughes, William Richard Andrzej http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6794 2026-05-22T13:25:17Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: An Organisational Ethnography of Geopolitical Knowledge Production Authors: Hughes, William Richard Andrzej Abstract: This thesis explores how geopolitical knowledge is constructed by an important peace-focussed think tank, the European Centre for Minority Issues (ECMI). Based in the Danish-German borderlands region, the ECMI was founded in 1996, on the assumption that the lessons learned from the innovative peacebuilding solution to the ‘Schleswig-Holstein question’ could be useful in policy interventions to support the rights of other autochthonous national minorities in post-Cold War Europe. In order to explore how it produced knowledge to undertake this work, I conducted immersive organisational ethnography from October 2021 until September 2022. I held a dual role for these eleven months. Firstly, I was a member of the team, in the position of ‘visiting researcher’. I was a part of the everyday knowledge production in this role, attending and contributing to meetings, undertaking research, writing material for its website, and later, representing the ECMI as a speaker at academic conferences. Working with ECMI researchers gave me a unique insight into how institutional strategy, funding pressures and the organisation’s navigation of the field of minority issues impacted the everyday knowledge production practices. Secondly, I was an outsider who was performing a fieldwork study of them. In utilising interviews and textual analysis in a tri method approach, I had four focuses: (1) the role the Schleswig-Holstein model plays as either an intellectual tool or ‘authority signifier’; (2) how the unique institutional structure of the ECMI shapes organisational strategic objectives; (3) the organisational debate as to whether it should focus more on ‘action’ or ‘research-orientated’ projects; and (4), specifically what an ethnographic methodology can reveal about organisational knowledge production which other methods cannot. This thesis addresses a key methodological gap in political geography and critical geopolitics, where discourse has not sufficiently been investigated ethnographically. Description: Ph. D. Thesis.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Jones, Daniel http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6753 2026-05-01T10:24:10Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Geographies of Impulse : Tourette Syndrome and the embodied experience(s) of public space Authors: Jones, Daniel Abstract: Tourette Syndrome, characterised by impulsive vocal and motor tics, is of increasing interest to researchers, and the experiences had by Tourettic folks are distinct. With the nuance and complexity of ticcy experiences, an interdisciplinary approach is required. Through taking an interdisciplinary crip approach to disability, drawing upon participatory practices, medical sociology, geographical, bioethical, and crip influences, the thesis aims to bring to light these distinct experiences that are had by Tourettic adults in and around public spaces, in both the physical and digital realms. Through careful analysis of the stories told by the project’s participants, the research found that experiences in and around public spaces occur in ways that relate to chance encounters. The material and immaterial elements of public spaces contribute the Tourettic encounters that might occur in them, and the way that Tourettic adults manage and strategically respond to these encounters in creative ways is distinct from non-disabled people. These processes highlight the various ways in which Tourettic people are othered in both physical and digital public spaces, which contributes to increased levels of loneliness within the Tourettic community. With loneliness a distinct part of the Tourettic experience, the research highlights the need for better spaces of support for adults, and problematises those that already exist. In doing so, it offers the example of the zineing workshop space as a site for the facilitation of solidarity and community building within the Tourettic community. The results of the research offer steps forwards in producing data that highlights the need for further consideration of adults with Tourette Syndrome, not only in regard to the design and provision of support services but also conceptually within academic research spaces. In doing so, it also offers the case for a geography of impulse, whereby concepts of impulse can be applied more broadly in the study of public spaces and the processes that happen within and around them. Description: Ph. D. Thesis.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Jolley, Martin James http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6747 2026-04-29T11:19:40Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: On the development and application of seeding metrics to improve river flow measurements using image velocimetry Authors: Jolley, Martin James Abstract: This thesis presents a novel approach to improving river flow measurement accuracy by optimising seeding metrics used in Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV), a non-contact method that estimates surface flow by tracking the movement of individual tracers—such as foam or debris—between frames of video footage. The study focuses on refining how seeding density, dispersion, and a combined metric known as the Seeding Density Index (SDI) are measured and applied under vary ing spatial and temporal conditions. SDI is developed as a post-processing tool that quantifies the quality of tracer conditions in each video frame by combining observed seeding density and dispersion values, and is shown to correlate with the accuracy of velocity measurements. Unlike traditional methods that rely on filtering input data, this research shifts the focus to post-analysis optimisation and error correction, improving the reliability of velocity estimates derived from video footage. High-resolution video was captured at several UK river sites, alongside synthetic datasets with controlled tracer conditions. All data was processed using an adapted version of Kanade-Lucas Tomasi Image Velocimetry (KLT-IV) software, developed to support new post-processing tech niques. The synthetic simulations confirmed the effectiveness of the approach, while real-world footage validated the findings and demonstrated the practical benefits of applying SDI in routine f low monitoring. The first analysis uses synthetic videos to assess how different combinations of seeding density and dispersion affect flow measurement accuracy, and to define SDI values that can be used to estimate error in each video. The second analysis applies these findings to real-world case studies, recalculating discharge based on filtered results to test how well the metrics hold in natural conditions. The third analysis shifts focus to spatial effects, identifying where within a river cross-section measurements are most reliable based on seeding characteristics. These insights are then applied to site data to evaluate their practical value. Together, these findings demonstrate how SDI can be used to improve the consistency and ac curacy of river discharge estimation from video data, offering a practical tool for enhancing hydro logical monitoring in a range of environmental settings. This research recommends the adoption of post-processed SDI as a standard component of image velocimetry workflows, particularly in oper ational monitoring contexts, where rapid, automated, and accurate flow estimation is increasingly essential. Description: Ph. D. Thesis.

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Cure, Fatih http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6638 2025-12-16T13:36:24Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Subnational variegations of populism and left-behind places in the UK and Germany Authors: Cure, Fatih Abstract: Populism plays a pivotal role in shaping economic, political, and societal discourse and outcomes, highlighting left-behind places as hotspots of the geographies of discontent as a focal point for understanding contemporary socio-political dynamics. This study draws upon Geographical Political Economy to emphasize the importance of considering time, space and context dependent knowledge in understanding this phenomenon. It undertakes a comparative analysis of Tees Valley, England and Duisburg, Germany, to identify and explain the drivers of populism, and to explore populism’s variegated nature across regions. Addressing the gap in work at the subnational level, the research aims to understand and explain the complexities of populism by examining its causes and manifestations at the regional level with a focus on left-behind regions and old industrial areas. Employing a multi-method approach, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, the thesis finds, first, that economic decline plays an important role in the geography of discontent and second, that beyond statistical indicators, left-behind feelings and loss of identity are also significantly influential in the production and manifestation of discontent especially in the old industrial regions which traditionally have a strong identity and sense of community. The thesis introduces the concept of variegated populism, which goes beyond conventional varieties perspective and dichotomies of economy versus culture. It demonstrates that populism is interconnected and interdependent, recognizing its articulated nature across various ideologies and actors. This highlights the complexity and nuance inherent within populist politics and populist reasons which have multiple dimensions as being real, perceived and mediated by politicians. The research demonstrates the nuanced interplay between economic trajectories, regional identities, and political representation which are the three key element of regional variegations of populism and offering fresh insights into the roots of populism and regional discontent in left-behind places. Description: PhD Thesis

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