Dr Cristina Asenjo Palma
Lecturer - Social Work
Mary Seacole 301 Pod 4 Desk B
- Email: cristina.asenjopalma@brunel.ac.uk
- Tel: +44 (0)1895 268707
Summary
I am a lecturer in Social Work at the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences. My research focuses on community development, well-being and conflict resolution. These research interests stem from my practice. I have over twenty years of professional experience, having worked for a wide range of community development organisations in Spain, Bangladesh, Ireland and the U.K.
I have a strong commitment to undertake research that contributes to community practice and social justice. As a practitioner, I became interested in how different organisations address social justice issues differently, some focussing on what people can improve by themselves; others on promoting changes at a structural level. I undertook my PhD to explore the strengths, weaknesses, and complementarities of applying different community development approaches.
Qualifications
PhD (ESRC funded) in Social Policy from the University of Edinburgh, UK
MSc in Community Education (Distinction) from the University of Edinburgh, UK
PgDip in Conflict and Dispute Resolution Studies from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
BA in Social Education from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Newest selected publications
Asenjo Palma, C. and Verity, F. (2025) 'How the rights-based approach can help social work deliver social justice outcomes: Lessons from housing rights activism in Scotland'. The British Journal of Social Work, 00 (ahead of print). pp. 1 - 21. ISSN: 0045-3102 Open Access Link
Asenjo Palma, C. (2025) 'Reclaiming the well-being agenda in community development'. Community Development Journal, 0 (ahead of print). pp. 1 - 17. ISSN: 0010-3802 Open Access Link
Havsteen-Franklin, D., Asenjo Palma, C., Dima, M., Hansen, M., Merdin-Uygur, E., Töre Yargin, G., et al. (2025) 'Wellbeing in the wild: co-creating context-sensitive wellbeing dimensions with a community of young artists'. Arts and Health, 0 (ahead of print). pp. 1 - 24. ISSN: 1753-3015 Open Access Link
Asenjo Palma, C. (2019) 'Conflict resolution in community development: Are the benefits worth the costs?'. Critical Social Policy, 39 (2). pp. 268 - 288. ISSN: 0261-0183
Asenjo, C. (2015) 'Rethinking the relationship with the state'. Concept : The Journal of Contemporary Community Education Practice Theory, 6 (1). pp. 1 - 11. ISSN: 1359-1983 Open Access Link