Dr Joanna Kostka

Lecturer in Social Work

Research Interests

I am a critical public policy and social work scholar based in the Social Work discipline at Lancaster University. My research investigates how race, power, and institutional practice intersect to shape structural inequalities, particularly within the systems of child protection, education, and welfare. I focus on the lived experiences of racialised communities, with sustained work on the impact of state policies on Roma families across Europe.

A central feature of my research is participatory action research, through which I collaborate with communities to co-produce knowledge that informs equitable policy reform and challenges institutional racism. My work moves beyond inclusion frameworks to engage more deeply with the mechanisms of marginalisation, resistance, and social transformation.

My most recent project, Improving Experiences of Roma Families with Children’s Services in England, was delivered in collaboration with AdviceNow (formerly Law for Life), Anglia Ruskin University, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research. The study explored racialised dynamics within child protection systems and contributed to the development of anti-discriminatory practice in social work.

I have worked with a range of academic, policy, and advocacy organisations across Europe, including the Center for Policy Studies at Central European University (Budapest), the Centre for European Studies at Sciences Po (Paris), the Budapest Institute for Policy Analysis, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, the Roma Education Fund, and the Open Society Institute. In the UK, I collaborate with organisations such as the Roma Support Group and AdviceNow to link community perspectives with policy impact.

At Lancaster, I teach Contemporary Social Problems (SWK.116) and Contemporary Social Work (SWK.277). My teaching is grounded in critical theory and social justice, encouraging students to interrogate systems of power and to imagine how social work can actively contribute to more just and equitable futures.

My work is driven by a commitment to anti-racism, structural change, and the transformative potential of community-engaged social work.

Come to us in a peaceful way: Improving experiences of Roma families with Children's Services in England
01/01/2023 → 31/07/2024
Research

Multimedia Toolkit for Roma Parents
02/11/2020 → 25/01/2021
Consultancy

Racialized Politics of Garbage
01/01/2019 → 30/06/2019
Research

Horizon 2020 Project "Enhancing the EU's transboundary crisis management capacity"
01/10/2015 → 31/10/2016
Research

Romani Racialization Beyond Majority-Minority Narratives
Participation in conference - Academic

Fostering Cross-disciplinary Reflections to Bridge Societal Divides
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Hope into Action: Social Sciences Impact Conference
Participation in conference - Academic

Looking back to look forward: Celebrating 10 Years of Research onMigration, Forced Displacement and Superdiversity
Participation in conference - Academic

Child Protection for Gypsy and Traveller Advocates
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Child Protection for Roma Advocates
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Waste in the City: Racialized Inequalities of Solid Waste Management in Central and Eastern Europe
Oral presentation

Ethnic and Racial Studies (Journal)
Publication peer-review

Fourth International Conference on Cultural Political Economy
Oral presentation

The Challenges and Pitfalls of Roma Inclusion Policies
Invited talk

Critical Approaches to Romani Studies
Oral presentation

Book Presentation Financing Roma Inclusion with European Structural Funds
Invited talk

International Migration Conference. EU at the crossroads of migration: critical reflections on the refugee crisis and new 'migration deals'
Oral presentation

Aproximación crítica a la participación y el empoderamiento
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

24th International Conference of Europeanists "Sustainability and Transformation"
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Biennial Conference of the Finish Anthropological Society
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Gender and the Economic Crisis
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Moving Cities: Contested Views on Urban Life
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Housing activism: Beyond the West
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Qualitative Social Work (Journal)
Publication peer-review

TransCrisis Meeting
Participation in workshop, seminar, course

Ethnic and Racial Studies (Journal)
Editorial activity

VIII Congreso sobre Migraciones Internacionales en Espana
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

IV Forum ds. Lokalnych Polityk Migracyjnych (IV Forum on Local Migration Policies)
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Roma Participating in Policymaking and Knowledge Production
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Roma empowerment and housing policy dialogue practices in the Visegrad countries and Macedonia
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

UACES Evolving Europe: Voices of the Future
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Decade of Roma Inclusion - Perspectives on EU Funding for Roma Inclusion
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

UACES 42nd Annual Conference: Old Borders - New Frontiers
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Dissemination conference of A Good Start Project
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

HKAC: Local Governance, Decentralization and Participation - Meta-Governance Perspectives
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Monitoring and Evaluation of Roma Projects and Policies
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

BMW Center for German and European Studies 2011 Graduate Student Conference
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience

Luke Parkinson

Luke Parkinson

PhD student