School of Social and Political Science

Background

I am originally from Kerala, India where I completed my Masters in Social Work. Subsequently I taught at the College of Social Work, University of Mumbai, and later at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences India. In 1999, I began my PhD in Social Work at the University of Strathclyde, Scotland on the topic of family carers of people living with HIV in Scotland and Kerala. While pursuing my PhD, I also worked as a statutory Social Worker, specialising in social work with older people and latterly as a Practice Team Leader with Glasgow Social Work Services. In 2005, I became a Lecturer in Social Work at the University of Strathclyde, and in 2009 moved to the University of Edinburgh, where I continue work as a Senior Lecturer in Social Work.

During May 2013-July 2015, I held the additional role of Deputy Director of Edinburgh India Institute, where I organised the Institute’s inaugural conference: “Innovative Engagements for Sustainable Development – The Edinburgh India Story” with the former President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam giving the keynote address. My initiative led to the University of Edinburgh establishing an annual “India Day” celebration on 2nd October, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday with Dr Gopalkrishna Gandhi giving the inaugural lecture in 2014, entitled ‘India Yesterday, India Today’.

I am also an accredited Practice Teacher (Scottish Social Services Council) and a Senior Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy.

Teaching

I contribute to teaching across BSc, MSW and MSc programmes on the broad topics of social work with older people, refugees, race and diversity, international social work, research methods and researching sensitive topics. Prior to becoming the Head of Social Work, I was the Programme Director for Masters in Social Work and organised two of its integral courses: Doing Social Work Research and MSW Dissertation. I continue to teach across the programmes and drawing on my research, developed a new MSc course: Refugees, Health and Humanitarian Action.

I am deeply committed to diversity and social justice and one of my passions is to internationalise the curricula and enable students to have cross-cultural experiences. I have led students on a go abroad programme to Delhi in 2013 where we joined Delhi University students on a ‘College on Wheels’ trip - learning while travelling to some of India’s historical and cultural sites. I am passionate about supporting BAME students and bring service users and research participants to the classroom to enrich my teaching. I am currently supporting our social work students to celebrate the World Social Work Day in collaboration with social work students and staff of Rajagiri College of Social Sciences, Kerala and the University of Johannesburg. For my contribution to student support, I was awarded the Best Personal Tutor Award (2019) by the Edinburgh University Students Association.

List of publications

Book

Palattiyil, G. Sidhva, D. and Chakrabarti, M (Eds) (2016). Social Work in a Global Context: Issues and Challenges, London, Routledge.

Journal articles and book chapters:

Global social work and the Commonwealth – Finding a common pathway (2023). Bulletin of the Social Work History Network, p. 38-40, Volume 9, Issue 1 February 2023, available: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/hscwru/swhn

Bukuluki P., Kisaakye P., Mulekya F., Mushomi J., Mayora C., Palattiyil G., Sidhva D., and Nair H. (2022). Disruption in accessing sexual and reproductive health services among border populations during COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda. Journal of Global Health. doi: https://jogh.org/2022/jogh-12-04065

Palattiyil, G., Kisaakye, P., Mwenyango, H., Katongole, S., Mulekya, F., Sidhva, D., Nair, N., Bukuluki, P. (2022). Access to HIV/AIDS or TB care among refugees in Kampala, Uganda: exploring the enablers and barriers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Migration and Health, Volume 5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2022.100098

Palattiyil, G., Zuntz, A.-C., Nair, H., Bukuluki, P., Sebba, K.R. (2022). “How to Live a Good Life”. Conflict and Society 8, 38–56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3167/arcs.2022.080103

Mushomi, J., Palattiyil, G., Bukuluki, P., Sidhva, D., Myburgh, N., Nair, H., Mulekya-Bwambale, F., Tamuzi, J. & Nyasulu, P. (2022). Impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis on migrants on the move in Southern Africa: Implications for policy and practice; Health Systems & Reform, 8(1), https://doi.org/10.1080/23288604.2021.2019571

Mwenyango, H., Palattiyil, G. (2022). Vulnerability and Resilience of Refugee Women and Children. In: Tan, N.T., Shajahan, P. (eds) Remaking Social Work for the New Global Era. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08352-5_5

Biziewska, D., and Palattiyil, G. (2022). Promoting human rights or increasing expectations? Effects of Self-Directed Support on the realisation of human rights in Scotland, Disability & Society, DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2021.1994370

Lamba, Y., & Palattiyil, G. (2022). Engaging in group research with migrant children: Innovative data collection method for migrant children in Delhi. Groupwork, 30(1). https://doi.org/10.1921/gpwk.v30i1.1519.

Palattiyil, G., Sidhva, D., Macgowan, M., and Derr A. S. (2021). Global Trends in Forced Migration: Policy, Practice, and Research Imperatives for Social Work. International Social Work, https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/00208728211022791.

Zuntz, AC., Palattiyil, G., Amawi, A., Al Akash, R., Nashwan, N., Al Majali, A., and Nair, H. (2021) ‘Early marriage and displace­ment—a conversation: how Syrian daughters, mothers and mothers-in-law in Jordan understand marital decision-making’, Journal of the British Academy, 9: 179–212. DOI https://doi.org/10.5871/jba/009.179

Bukuluki, P., Kisaakye, P., Mwenyango, H., Palattiyil, G. (2021) Adolescent sexual behaviour in a refugee setting in Uganda. Reproductive Health 18, 131; https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-021-01181-0

Palattiyil, G., Sidhva, D. (2021) HIV, Human Rights and Migration: Narratives of HIV-Positive Asylum Seekers in Scotland. J. Hum. Rights Soc. Work. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41134-021-00167-z

Wiggins, J., and Palattiyil, G (2021). Humanitarian HIV interventions in displaced persons’ camps in sub-Saharan African: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis. International Journal of Arts, Humanities & Social Science, Volume 02; Issue 05.

Hockley, J, Hafford-Letchfield, T, Noone, S, Mason, B, Jamieson, L, Iversholt, R, Musselbrook, K, Palattiyil, G, Sidhva, D, Quinn, N, Jain, S, McKie, L and Tolson, D. (2021). COVID, Communication and Care Homes: A Staffs’ Perspective of Supporting the Emotional Needs of Families. Journal of Long-Term Care, pp. 167–176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31389/jltc.74  

Bukuluki, P., Mwenyango, H., Katongole, S. P., Sidhva, D., & Palattiyil, G. (2020). The Socio-economic and Psychosocial Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Urban Refugees in Uganda. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 2(1), 100045; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2020.100045

Mwenyango, M and Palattiyil, G (2019). Health Needs and Challenges of Women and Children in Uganda’s Refugee Settlements: Conceptualising a Role for Social Work: International Social Work, 1-13, https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872819865010.

Rose, S., and Palattiyil, G. (2018). Surviving or thriving? Enhancing the emotional resilience of social workers in their organisational settings. Journal of Social Work, 0(0) 1–20, https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017318793614.

Palattiyil, G., Sidhva, D., Shajahan, P.K., Pawar, M., Cox, J., and Anand, J. (2018). Reclaiming International Social Work in the Context of the Global Agenda: Some Critical Reflections. International Social Work, 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872818774107.

Palattiyil, G., & Sidhva, D. (2017). Listening to the voiceless: Lived experiences of asylum seekers living with HIV in Scotland and the implications for social work practice. In: Henrickson, M., Chipanta, D., Lynch, V., Muñoz Sanchez, H., Nadkarni, V., Semigina, T., & Sewpaul, V. (Eds.). (2017). Getting to zero: Global social work responds to HIV. Geneva: UNAIDS and IASSW. (ISBN 978-0-9941415-4-5).

Palattiyil, G., Sidhva, D., and Chakrabarti, M (2016). Social work: An emerging global profession. In: G. Palattiyil., D. Sidhva and M. Chakrabarti, M (Eds). Social Work in a Global Context: Issues and Challenges, London, Routledge.

Sidhva, D., Palattiyil, G., and Chakrabarti, M (2016). Social work: a unique profession in a diverse context. In: G. Palattiyil., D. Sidhva and M. Chakrabarti, M (Eds). Social Work in a Global Context: Issues and Challenges, London, Routledge.

Palattiyil, G. and Sidhva, D (2015). Caught in a web of double jeopardy—post-traumatic stress disorder and HIV positive Asylum seekers in Scotland. Clinical Social Work Journal, Vol. 43, 2. DOI 10.1007/s10615-015-0542-5.

Sidhva, D and Palattiyil, G (2013) Listening to the Voices of HIV Positive People: Empowering, Engaging and Enabling. Evaluation of the Positive Person’s Forum.

Palattiyil, G. and Sidhva, D. (2012) Social Work in India (Editorial). Practice: Social Work in Action; 24, 2.

Palattiyil, G. and Sidhva, D. (2011) They call me “You are AIDS’: A Report on HIV, Human Rights and Asylum Seekers in Scotland, Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh.

Palattiyil, G., Blyth, E., Sidhva, D., and Balakrishnan, G. (2010). Globalisation and Cross Border Reproductive Services: Ethical Implications of Surrogacy in India', International Social Work, 53(5): 686–700. DOI: 10.1177/0020872810372157

Palattiyil, G and Chakrabarti, M. (2008). Coping Strategies of Families in HIV/AIDS Care: Some Exploratory Data from two Developmental Contexts, AIDS Care Journal. DOI: 10.1080/09540120701767166

Palattiyil, G. (2008). Conceptualising families in HIV/AIDS care: A cross-national perspective and a model for intervention.  In: M. Michailidis., S. Fargion., and R. Sanders: Research Synergies in Social Professions; EUSW: European platform for Worldwide Social Work.

Shaw, C and Palattiyil, G. (2008). Issues of Alcohol Misuse among Older People: Attitudes and Experiences of Social Work Practitioners. Practice: Social Work in Action. DOI: 10.1080/09503150802341418

Cadman, M., Chakrabarti, M., and Palattiyil, G. (2008). Social Work Services: Issues and Challenges; In: T.G.K Bryce and W.M. Humes; Scottish Education: Third Edition: Beyond Devolution. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.