Karen Lyons

Staff Profile for London Met website for Karen Lyons  

I joined London Metropolitan University in Autumn 2004 as an Honorary Professor following 26 years in social work education and previously 12 years in social work practice and management. My main areas of interest are in international and comparative social work; education for the social professions; and workforce issues in relation to social work practitioners and academics in the UK and internationally. I currently undertake writing, research, supervision and external examining in these areas. In addition, following a five year period (2004-9) as the Editor in Chief of the journal, International Social Work, London Met is now my base for co-editing the Sage Handbook of International Social Work (due out in 2011).

Qualifications:           

1997: PhD, Brunel University. Thesis title:       'Social Work in Higher Education - Demise or Development?'

1982: MA: Public and Social Administration, Brunel University

1975: P/G Diploma: Applied Social Studies, CQSW, Goldsmiths College

1966: P/G Diploma: Social Administration, LSE

1965: BA Hons: Geography, University of London

Academic Posts:

1978-2004 - employed at University of East London, (Senior Lecturer, Principal Lecturer, (1980-1997), Reader (1997-2003), Professor (2003/4)). 

(Course Director, MA International Social Work with either Community Development Studies or Refugee Studies (2000-2004)).

Recent/current Research Activities:

Implications of Generational Change in the social work academic workforce with Rea Maglajlic-Holicek (Swansea University) 2008-ongoing

Doctoral developments related to the field of social work - survey for JUC SWEC of doctoral developments in UK (2002/3) and feeding in to EU funded CERTS project (2000/4).

Selected Recent Publications

3 chapters in Healy, L. and Link, R. (eds) (forthcoming) Handbook on International Social Work, New York, Oxford University Press as follows:

Lyons, K. and Huegler, N. ‘Social Exclusion and Inclusion’ (chapter 6)

Lyons, K.and Huegler,N. ‚Migration and Refugees’ (chapter 34)

Lyons, K. and Huegler, N. ‚International Labour Mobility’ (chapter 76)

Lyons, K. and Huegler, N. (2009) ‘Immigration and the European Union’(chapter 29, pp.980-1008)) in Segal, U. Mayadas, N. and Elliott, D. (eds) Immigration Worldwide,  New York, Oxford University Press

Lyons, K. (2009) ‘Researching Social Work and Social Services in the UK’ in Kantowicz, E. Role of Research in Education for Social Work in Europe, (pp.27-39)  Olsztyn, Poland, Wydawnictwo UWM

2 chapters in Seibel, F.W. (ed) (2008) Biographies of IASSW Presidents, 1928-2008, Blansko, Albert, namely:

Lyons, K. ‘Eileen Younghusband’, (UK) President, 1961-1968;

Lyons, K. ‘Tasse Abye’ (Ethiopia) President, 2004-2008,

Lyons, K. (2007) Work in Progress: Social Work, the State and Europe, pp.103-128 in Seibel, F. Otto, H-U. and Friesenhahn, G. (eds) Reframing the Social: Social Work and Social Policy in Europe, Brno (Czech Republic), Albert

Lyons, K. Manion, K and Carlsen, M. (2006) International perspectives on social work: global conditions and local practice, Basingstoke, Palgrave

Lyons, K. and Littlechild, B. (eds) (2006) International Labour Mobility in Social Work, BASW Monograph, Birmingham, Venture Press

Lyons, K. (2006) ‘Globalisation and Social Work: international and local implications’ in British Journal of Social Work, 36(3)365-380

Lyons, K. and Manion, K. (2006) ‘Migration –an ongoing focus for local and international social workers’ in Hall, N. (ed.) Social Work: making a world of difference. Social work  around the world IV, Oslo, Fafo/IFSW

Lyons, K and Lawrence, S. (ed’s) (2006) Social Work in Europe: educating for change, Birmingham, IASSW/Venture Press

Lyons, K. and Manion, K. (2004) Goodbye DipSW: trends in student satisfaction and employment outcomes, Social Work Education, 23(2)133-148

Lyons, K. (2004) International perspectives on education for social policy and social work practice, in Burgess, H. and Taylor, I. (ed’s) Effective Learning and Teaching in Social Policy and Social Work, London, Kogan Page/ILT/THES

Lovelock, R. Lyons, K and Powell, (ed’s) (2004) Reflecting on Social Work- discipline and profession, Ashgate, Aldershot

Lyons, K. and Taylor (2004) Gender and Knowledge in social work, in Lovelock et al, op. cit.