Evgenia Pastira (she/her)
PhD in Social Work & Social Policy: Humanitarian Response and Social Work Perspectives: Addressing “Stop the Boats” Policies and Migrant Deaths in the English Channel.
Evgenia, who’s from Greece, is currently pursuing a PhD program in Social Work and Social Policy, focusing on “Humanitarian Response and Social Work Perspectives: Addressing ‘Stop the Boats’ Policies and Migrant Deaths in the English Channel.” In addition to her academic pursuits, she actively contributes to discussions on European migration policies and associated humanitarian challenges. Drawing from her academic background in Central and East European Studies, Politics, and International Relations, she seeks to offer in-depth insights into the complex interplay between national security, ethical considerations, and social work interventions. Beyond her research commitments, she envisions empowering social workers and stakeholders with practical tools to provide support and advocate for policy changes in the intricate landscape of migration across the English Channel.
PhD in Social Work & Social Policy: The Lived Experience of Men During Death, Dying and Bereavement following same-sex partner loss in Adulthood in the United Kingdom: A ‘Comparative’ Autoethnographic and Exo-autoethnographic Study.
I am a retired Registered Mental Nurse with extensive experience within acute and rehabilitation services in the NHS. I have a B.A. (Hons) in Independent Studies and Women’s Studies (University of Lancaster), an MSc in Inequality and Society (University of Sunderland), an Advanced Certificate for Conversion to Registered Nurse in Mental Health (University of Central Lancashire) and a PGCE in Post Compulsory Education and Training (University of Sunderland).
As a nurse I have sat and worked with individuals facing their own deaths, watched as families grieved for the life about to end, pronounced death, delivered the news of the death of a loved one, performed last rites, and finally worked with bereaved individuals for them to make meaning of, and work through, their bereavement and grief. As an educator, I have delivered undergraduate, professional, and vocational courses; both to health care professionals and within the funerial profession to funeral directors, and allied staff, about death, dying and bereavement, both the practical components of death, and how to ‘work’ with the deceased individual, their loved ones, and the theoretical aspects of death.
As a nurse I have sat and worked with individuals facing their own deaths, watched as families grieved for the life about to end, pronounced death, delivered the news of the death of a loved one, performed last rites, and finally worked with bereaved individuals for them to make meaning of, and work through, their bereavement and grief. As an educator, I have delivered undergraduate, professional, and vocational courses; both to health care professionals and within the funerial profession to funeral directors, and allied staff, about death, dying and bereavement, both the practical components of death, and how to ‘work’ with the deceased individual, their loved ones, and the theoretical aspects of death.
My previous academic work, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, has been multi-disciplinary in scope, but has been underpinned from nursing, social science, and queer theory perspectives. I am interested in how death and dying intersect with various aspects of identity, including sexuality, gender, and culture. My research is informed by narrative medicine framework, autoethnographic methods, and the role of storytelling in informing clinical practice and policy development.
