ABSTRACT
The main concern of this chapter is on delineating the key theoretical frameworks and conceptual themes that have come to the fore over the past few decades. In doing so, we shall lay out the foundations of the core arguments in the chapters that follow and provide an overarching frame for the book. The chapter also links the development of conceptual perspectives in the British context with trends in the broader global research cultures in this field and possible conversations about the focus of conceptual innovation as well as empirical research. It provides an overarching framework for the key arguments that will be explored in the book as a whole and situates key theoretical frameworks and perspectives within a broader historical frame.
