PhD Researchers

PhD Researchers Filiz elik: 563742@swansea.ac.uk I graduated in International Relations (Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus) and have a BA in Psychology and Counselling (Swansea Metropolitan University). The main focus of my PhD is the intergenerational transmission of trauma following human-made disasters (e.g. genocide, massacres). Specifically I am looking at the Dersim population (today an area in Turkey), and examining whether trauma has been transmitted to younger generations by survivors of the 1938 massacre. Furthermore, this research will attempt to identify social policy issues for those that now reside in the UK. I am also interested in intergenerational relationships, and in-migration and acculturation. Beth Pearl: 138789@swansea.ac.uk I have a BSoc Sci in Psychology (Southampton) and a Masters degree in Applied Social Science (Swansea) and am a registered Social Worker. I have spent 10 years working as a hospital Social Worker with a special interest in end of life care. I have recently started my PhD part time in the Centre for Innovative Ageing looking at expectations of the role of social workers in end of life care. It is my aim to look at Social Work students, Social Workers and service users expectations of the role of the social worker and whether the expectation match the reality of the service provided. It is my hypothesis that it is the expectation that psychological and emotional support is fulfilled by the social work role; however the reality is actually different. Matthew Roberts: 440801@swansea.ac.uk I have a BSc in Criminology & Psychology from Swansea University and have always had an active interest in Gerontology. The population is ageing, and the number of older people with dementia has increased in recent years. Dementia in older people is associated with a variety of behaviours from our earlier lives, and determining which of these behaviours act in a protective manner, as well as which act as risk factors in dementia is an important area of research. Also, finding out what social factors lead to these health behaviours will help to build a fuller picture of the past lives of those with dementia. My project entitled "The impact of lifestyle on cognitive function in later life: a longitudinal cohort study" will use a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods including large scale survey data and interviews of particular respondents using a life history approach. Latent class analysis will be used to identify groups of behaviours which are risk or protective factors. This will be followed by triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the results. Sajan Shrestha: 508597@swansea.ac.uk I have an MA degree in Gerontology from Bangor University and I am currently carrying out research entitled Social and support networks of Ex-Gurkhas and their ageing parents living in the UK. I am trying to explore the sources of personal and social care of older Ex-Gurkhas while living in the UK. How do they keep/maintain their transnational relationships with their network members in their homeland and other parts of the world? What are the prospects of building up new social networks after migrating in the UK? What is it like for later life migrants in the UK in terms of integrating into the main stream community and social supports? What are the types of social network of Ex-Gurkahs and their ageing parents? These are some of the questions I am trying to explore in this research. Therefore, I am more interested in later life migrants and their well-being in the foreign land.

College of Human and Health Sciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK