for awarding me the NTU Research Scholarship, without which this thesis and the research it is based on would not have been possible. I am also indebted to faculty and staff members at NTU as well as the people from my cohort for their kind assistance during my time at NTU. Most important of all, I want to express my most sincere appreciation to my supervisor, professor Patrick Williams, for his continuous guidance, excellent feedback, and kind support in every step of my research journey. Despite his hectic work schedule, professor Patrick went out of his way to make sure I kept up with deadlines and was generous with his time. Apart from his guidance on my thesis, professor Patrick also offered me helpful advice during my time as a teaching assistant, informed me of publication opportunities, and helped me prepare for a conference presentation based on parts of my research for this thesis.He was always supportive and understanding even when my work did not meet his expectations.I am grateful to all the participants who enthusiastically participated in my research and the people that introduced me to them or assisted in various ways in the recruitment process. Thank you for your patience, for entertaining my many questions, and for the insights your offered on my research topic. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.To my parents, I want to express my most heartfelt gratitude for your unconditional love and unwavering support despite our disagreements and misunderstandings.To my friend Dieu Anh, thank you for putting up with my nonsense rants and always making yourself available for me, sometimes even at the expense of your own wellbeing. I will never forget your loyalty and persistence in giving me support, even at times when you yourself did not know how to help me. Our friendship is one of the greatest gifts in this lifetime.vii To my friend Aziza, thank you for keeping me grounded with your brilliant advice on how to do well academically, for your monthly emails and now weekly calls, and for staying by my side through thick and thin. Our friendship means the world to me.Lastly, to Raksha, I cannot thank you enough for your encouragement and reassurance when I experienced self-doubts and your insightful feedback on the literature review and one of the finding chapters of my thesis. Thank you so much for checking on me when my mental health deteriorated, and most importantly for comforting me with your delicious tea the week my grandma passed away. I hope our friendship will never end.viii