Sutapa Haldar

Sutapa is a full-time lecturer on the undergraduate courses at the School of Health and Life Sciences, UWS. Sutapa has been teaching sociology, psychology, health and social care, public health, dementia, and academic study skills across Further Education and Higher Education institutions as a qualified teacher. Sutapa has worked both in research and education. Sutapa has also contributed towards assessing qualifications, and quality assurance of assessment processes and practice as a qualified assessor and as a qualified IQA.

Sutapa’s research focuses on the ‘effects of reminiscence group psychotherapy among elderly care home residents’ and ‘social exclusion’.

Sutapa’s thesis, ‘social exclusion and South Asian youth’ investigated the issues of social exclusion among South Asian youth. The study attempted to approach social exclusion from a South Asian perspective, to develop a more inclusive definition of social exclusion, as well as to consider what is precisely that young Asians are being excluded from, and what is it they desire to be included into. This thesis is based on phenomenology theory to articulate the views of socially excluded or socially included young Asians and justify the knowledge, nature and essence of their perspectives. The methodology involved in-depth qualitative interviewing with young South Asians living and other relevant adults and professionals in order to obtain their detailed inclusive accounts of social exclusion or inclusion. Results of the research suggest that amongst those interviewed, social exclusion played an important but varied part in establishing and shaping the wide spectrum of perspectives in relation to the meaning of social exclusion. There was a strong recognition that social exclusion is perceived quite differently depending on gender differences, religious differences, and ethnic variations among young South Asians.

Sutapa is currently teaching psychology for health and wellbeing, therapeutic communication, as well as dissertation modules across several levels of undergraduate courses.

Sutapa’s future research interest is the ‘difference in perspectives towards changing NHS-provided healthcare among middle-aged working adults from a variety of ethnic communities and its impact on the NHS.’ By doing this research, Sutapa would wish to potentially be having an impact on future NHS policy, especially regarding NHS outreach to, and building trust within certain ethnic communities in the UK. This is increasingly important to ensure access to innovative, sustainable and high-quality health care by all ethnic communities, some of which’s response to the NHS is as of yet unknown.