Maria Pentaraki
Biographic Data
| ID | 5823540 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Maria Pentaraki |
| GIVEN NAMES | Maria |
| FAMILY NAME | Pentaraki |
| SIGNATURE | PENTARAKI M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Queen's University Belfast |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6651-0765 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 53 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Secondary school leaders’ lack of knowledge of abuse in adolescent intimate partner relationships in Northern Ireland, a post-conflict region
This paper explores secondary school leaders’ knowledge, specifically lack of knowledge, about abuse in adolescent intimate romantic relationships in Northern Ireland (NI), a post-conflict society. It is based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 participants (principals, deputy-principals, senior teachers – all pastoral leads). There were participants who did not recognize that abuse may exist in adolescent relationships, or that adol…
Technology-facilitated abuse within the context of intimate partner violence
Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), a consequence of structured gendered disadvantage, poses increasing harm to women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children. This paper presents a small explorative transdisciplinary (social work and geography) study which aims to assess the knowledge of women professionals from four European countries (Estonia, Finland, Greece, and Northern Ireland) working in the area of IPV about TFA in…
A Common Purpose? Social Work Students’ Social Justice Related Views in Finland and the island of Ireland
Exploring social work students’ views to understand how equipped they are to pursue the social justice mission of the profession should be of central academic and practical interest. There are, however, surprisingly few empirical studies focussing on social work students’ views on social justice-related issues from a comparative viewpoint. Such knowledge is thought to be of a wider international interest from a number of perspectives, including s…
Covid-19 response – lessons learned
Social work academic literature has consistently documented the detrimental effects of the neoliberal phase of capitalism on society and has issued calls against it. This paper supports and furthers these claims. It is informed by a critical pedagogy and Gramscian lens and argues that the COVID-19 public health emergency context provides some lessons which can be used to discredit the ‘There is No Alternative’ (TINA) neoliberal discourse. More sp…
The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Young Women’s Educational Well-Being
Research highlights that romantic relationships of young people are not all ‘puppy love’ but can be also abusive. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a gendered phenomenon as it primarily affects women who are at a higher risk of more severe forms of violence and also suffer more severe consequences than young men. IPV leads to substantial negative outcomes such as mental health decline, economic insecurity and/or academic underachievement. Partic…
Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland
Domestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils …
Social work students on the island of Ireland
Understanding the characteristics, motivations, and experiences of student social workers is important to inform their professional education and support needs. To date, there has been relatively little research about social work students in Ireland, both North and South. This study reports on an all-Ireland survey of students beginning their social work course in Autumn 2018 in the six Universities delivering social work education. It describes …
Grassroots solidarity structures in Greece as counterhegemonic practices contesting the dominant neoliberal hegemony
In crisis conditions, solidarity structures emerge as a social and political response to the crisis. This study introduces a new conceptualisation of solidarity structures as grassroots contestations to the neoliberal 'there-is-no-alternative' (TINA) discourse. It argues that their operation reflects counterhegemonic practices that can keep alive the hope that another world, based on principles of solidarity, is possible. Moreover, this paper, ut…
Austerity common sense and contested understandings of the austerity measures within a leadership of a professional association of social workers
This paper introduces a preliminary conceptualisation of ‘austerity common sense’ in order to understand why austerity policies, despite the social harm they cause, have support not only from the economic and political establishment but also from the wider population including members of the social work profession. Building on the Gramscian concept of common sense, ‘austerity common sense’ refers to the set of beliefs circulated by the ruling eli…
Social workers
Traditionally, in western countries, the social work profession primarily has come into contact with issues of precarity through the lives of service users. This paper introduces precarity in the social work scholarly literature as a feature of social workers’ professional and personal lives. It draws from the findings of a qualitative small study of mental health social workers working in the non-profit sector in Greece. The findings reflect a p…
Living (in) the city centre, neoliberal urbanism, Engage Liverpool and citizen engagement with urban change in Liverpool, UK
The critical current of urban regeneration scholarly research focusses on neoliberal urbanism. In concentrating on the neoliberal economic, business and nancial dimensions as driving forces behind urban change and regeneration, the human dimension of city centres and city centre living is frequently overshadowed. This paper explores the human dimension through the example of Engage Liverpool, a citizen and neighbourhood organisation. This paper i…
Practising social work in a context of austerity
Since the 1980s and within a context of neoliberal globalization, the welfare state provision in many countries has been affected adversely by austerity and social spending cuts that have intensified since the last global financial crisis of 2008. A country that has been particularly harshly affected is Greece. This paper draws on interviews with public sector social workers in Greece and presents their perceptions of the consequences of austerit…
I Am in a Constant State of Insecurity Trying to Make Ends Meet, like Our Service Users’
This article introduces the concept of an emerging shared austerity reality, which refers to the socio-economic context of austerity that is shared both by social workers and service users, albeit to different degrees. Traditionally, the concept of the shared reality has been utilised to encompass the experiences of welfare professionals working in situations where both they and service users are exposed to the adverse effects of a natural disast…
The executive committee of the Greek Professional Association of Social Work in an age of austerity
This paper explores the response by the Greek Association of Social Workers (SKLE) to Greece's current economic crisis. Socioeconomic conditions in Greece have deteriorated rapidly since the imposition of a Structural Adjustment Programme as a condition of the loan Troika provided to Greece to address its class-based public debt crisis. Interviews were conducted with SKLE Executive Committee members to examine SKLE's response in the context of ne…
If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’
‘If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’. Establishment politicians and media figures use this new ideological mantra throughout the Western world to frighten people into consenting to further neo-liberal restructuring along with cuts in social spending. This phrase and other ideologically laden assertions hide the real causes of the Greek public debt crisis. This commentary challenges the dominant discourse by contextualizi…
The class impact of post disaster restoration policies
This article presents research findings from selected rural communities that were struck in 2007 by one of the largest fires in history in Greece. The restoration policies implemented resulted in a class-differentiated recovery process. The article examines this development in the context of neoliberal policies and argues that political context should be a locus of intervention
Practising social work in a context of austerity
Since the 1980s and within a context of neoliberal globalization, the welfare state provision in many countries has been affected adversely by austerity and social spending cuts that have intensified since the last global financial crisis of 2008. A country that has been particularly harshly affected is Greece. This paper draws on interviews with public sector social workers in Greece and presents their perceptions of the consequences of austerit…
I Am in a Constant State of Insecurity Trying to Make Ends Meet, like Our Service Users’
This article introduces the concept of an emerging shared austerity reality, which refers to the socio-economic context of austerity that is shared both by social workers and service users, albeit to different degrees. Traditionally, the concept of the shared reality has been utilised to encompass the experiences of welfare professionals working in situations where both they and service users are exposed to the adverse effects of a natural disast…
The executive committee of the Greek Professional Association of Social Work in an age of austerity
This paper explores the response by the Greek Association of Social Workers (SKLE) to Greece's current economic crisis. Socioeconomic conditions in Greece have deteriorated rapidly since the imposition of a Structural Adjustment Programme as a condition of the loan Troika provided to Greece to address its class-based public debt crisis. Interviews were conducted with SKLE Executive Committee members to examine SKLE's response in the context of ne…
Social workers
Traditionally, in western countries, the social work profession primarily has come into contact with issues of precarity through the lives of service users. This paper introduces precarity in the social work scholarly literature as a feature of social workers’ professional and personal lives. It draws from the findings of a qualitative small study of mental health social workers working in the non-profit sector in Greece. The findings reflect a p…
If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’
‘If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’. Establishment politicians and media figures use this new ideological mantra throughout the Western world to frighten people into consenting to further neo-liberal restructuring along with cuts in social spending. This phrase and other ideologically laden assertions hide the real causes of the Greek public debt crisis. This commentary challenges the dominant discourse by contextualizi…
Austerity common sense and contested understandings of the austerity measures within a leadership of a professional association of social workers
This paper introduces a preliminary conceptualisation of ‘austerity common sense’ in order to understand why austerity policies, despite the social harm they cause, have support not only from the economic and political establishment but also from the wider population including members of the social work profession. Building on the Gramscian concept of common sense, ‘austerity common sense’ refers to the set of beliefs circulated by the ruling eli…
The class impact of post disaster restoration policies
This article presents research findings from selected rural communities that were struck in 2007 by one of the largest fires in history in Greece. The restoration policies implemented resulted in a class-differentiated recovery process. The article examines this development in the context of neoliberal policies and argues that political context should be a locus of intervention
Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland
Domestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils …
Grassroots solidarity structures in Greece as counterhegemonic practices contesting the dominant neoliberal hegemony
In crisis conditions, solidarity structures emerge as a social and political response to the crisis. This study introduces a new conceptualisation of solidarity structures as grassroots contestations to the neoliberal 'there-is-no-alternative' (TINA) discourse. It argues that their operation reflects counterhegemonic practices that can keep alive the hope that another world, based on principles of solidarity, is possible. Moreover, this paper, ut…
Living (in) the city centre, neoliberal urbanism, Engage Liverpool and citizen engagement with urban change in Liverpool, UK
The critical current of urban regeneration scholarly research focusses on neoliberal urbanism. In concentrating on the neoliberal economic, business and nancial dimensions as driving forces behind urban change and regeneration, the human dimension of city centres and city centre living is frequently overshadowed. This paper explores the human dimension through the example of Engage Liverpool, a citizen and neighbourhood organisation. This paper i…
The class impact of post disaster restoration policies
This article presents research findings from selected rural communities that were struck in 2007 by one of the largest fires in history in Greece. The restoration policies implemented resulted in a class-differentiated recovery process. The article examines this development in the context of neoliberal policies and argues that political context should be a locus of intervention
The executive committee of the Greek Professional Association of Social Work in an age of austerity
This paper explores the response by the Greek Association of Social Workers (SKLE) to Greece's current economic crisis. Socioeconomic conditions in Greece have deteriorated rapidly since the imposition of a Structural Adjustment Programme as a condition of the loan Troika provided to Greece to address its class-based public debt crisis. Interviews were conducted with SKLE Executive Committee members to examine SKLE's response in the context of ne…
If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’
‘If we do not cut social spending, we will end up like Greece’. Establishment politicians and media figures use this new ideological mantra throughout the Western world to frighten people into consenting to further neo-liberal restructuring along with cuts in social spending. This phrase and other ideologically laden assertions hide the real causes of the Greek public debt crisis. This commentary challenges the dominant discourse by contextualizi…
Living (in) the city centre, neoliberal urbanism, Engage Liverpool and citizen engagement with urban change in Liverpool, UK
The critical current of urban regeneration scholarly research focusses on neoliberal urbanism. In concentrating on the neoliberal economic, business and nancial dimensions as driving forces behind urban change and regeneration, the human dimension of city centres and city centre living is frequently overshadowed. This paper explores the human dimension through the example of Engage Liverpool, a citizen and neighbourhood organisation. This paper i…
Practising social work in a context of austerity
Since the 1980s and within a context of neoliberal globalization, the welfare state provision in many countries has been affected adversely by austerity and social spending cuts that have intensified since the last global financial crisis of 2008. A country that has been particularly harshly affected is Greece. This paper draws on interviews with public sector social workers in Greece and presents their perceptions of the consequences of austerit…
I Am in a Constant State of Insecurity Trying to Make Ends Meet, like Our Service Users’
This article introduces the concept of an emerging shared austerity reality, which refers to the socio-economic context of austerity that is shared both by social workers and service users, albeit to different degrees. Traditionally, the concept of the shared reality has been utilised to encompass the experiences of welfare professionals working in situations where both they and service users are exposed to the adverse effects of a natural disast…
Austerity common sense and contested understandings of the austerity measures within a leadership of a professional association of social workers
This paper introduces a preliminary conceptualisation of ‘austerity common sense’ in order to understand why austerity policies, despite the social harm they cause, have support not only from the economic and political establishment but also from the wider population including members of the social work profession. Building on the Gramscian concept of common sense, ‘austerity common sense’ refers to the set of beliefs circulated by the ruling eli…
Social workers
Traditionally, in western countries, the social work profession primarily has come into contact with issues of precarity through the lives of service users. This paper introduces precarity in the social work scholarly literature as a feature of social workers’ professional and personal lives. It draws from the findings of a qualitative small study of mental health social workers working in the non-profit sector in Greece. The findings reflect a p…
Social work students on the island of Ireland
Understanding the characteristics, motivations, and experiences of student social workers is important to inform their professional education and support needs. To date, there has been relatively little research about social work students in Ireland, both North and South. This study reports on an all-Ireland survey of students beginning their social work course in Autumn 2018 in the six Universities delivering social work education. It describes …
Grassroots solidarity structures in Greece as counterhegemonic practices contesting the dominant neoliberal hegemony
In crisis conditions, solidarity structures emerge as a social and political response to the crisis. This study introduces a new conceptualisation of solidarity structures as grassroots contestations to the neoliberal 'there-is-no-alternative' (TINA) discourse. It argues that their operation reflects counterhegemonic practices that can keep alive the hope that another world, based on principles of solidarity, is possible. Moreover, this paper, ut…
Covid-19 response – lessons learned
Social work academic literature has consistently documented the detrimental effects of the neoliberal phase of capitalism on society and has issued calls against it. This paper supports and furthers these claims. It is informed by a critical pedagogy and Gramscian lens and argues that the COVID-19 public health emergency context provides some lessons which can be used to discredit the ‘There is No Alternative’ (TINA) neoliberal discourse. More sp…
The Impact of Intimate Partner Violence on Young Women’s Educational Well-Being
Research highlights that romantic relationships of young people are not all ‘puppy love’ but can be also abusive. Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a gendered phenomenon as it primarily affects women who are at a higher risk of more severe forms of violence and also suffer more severe consequences than young men. IPV leads to substantial negative outcomes such as mental health decline, economic insecurity and/or academic underachievement. Partic…
Barriers to domestic violence education in Northern Ireland
Domestic violence (DV) in adult and young people's intimate partner relationships is a social and public health problem across the globe. Education can play an important and unique role in addressing DV; however, it remains relatively under‐investigated. The aim of this qualitative study set in Northern Ireland, the first of its kind, was to explore young people's views and experiences of DV education. Focus groups were conducted with 188 pupils …
Technology-facilitated abuse within the context of intimate partner violence
Technology-facilitated abuse (TFA), a consequence of structured gendered disadvantage, poses increasing harm to women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) and their children. This paper presents a small explorative transdisciplinary (social work and geography) study which aims to assess the knowledge of women professionals from four European countries (Estonia, Finland, Greece, and Northern Ireland) working in the area of IPV about TFA in…
A Common Purpose? Social Work Students’ Social Justice Related Views in Finland and the island of Ireland
Exploring social work students’ views to understand how equipped they are to pursue the social justice mission of the profession should be of central academic and practical interest. There are, however, surprisingly few empirical studies focussing on social work students’ views on social justice-related issues from a comparative viewpoint. Such knowledge is thought to be of a wider international interest from a number of perspectives, including s…
Secondary school leaders’ lack of knowledge of abuse in adolescent intimate partner relationships in Northern Ireland, a post-conflict region
This paper explores secondary school leaders’ knowledge, specifically lack of knowledge, about abuse in adolescent intimate romantic relationships in Northern Ireland (NI), a post-conflict society. It is based on semi-structured interviews conducted with 14 participants (principals, deputy-principals, senior teachers – all pastoral leads). There were participants who did not recognize that abuse may exist in adolescent relationships, or that adol…
Sociology (14 works) · Political science (13 works) · Law (8 works) · Politics (8 works) · Social Work (7 works) · Social Work Education and Practice (7 works) · Employment and Welfare Studies (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Social Policy and Reform Studies (6 works) · Austerity (5 works)