Staff profile

Stephen is the Academic Director for the Master of Social Work programme. He joined Durham University in 2021 and has researched in the field of Disability Studies, Criminology, and Adult Social Work since 2001. In 2006 he completed a PhD in Sociology (Disability Studies) at Newcastle University. Before joining Durham University, Stephen was a Professor in Social Science and was Head of the Centre of Applied Social Sciences (CASS) at the University of Sunderland. Stephen’s research crosses disciplinary boundaries and he applies theoretical perspectives that emerge from within Disability Studies to that of Criminology and Adult Social Work. His recent research explores experiences of day-to-day violence experienced by disabled populations. He has published in the areas of 'disability hate crime', 'disability mate crime and cuckooing', and 'disability community victimisation (i.e. hate relationships)'. Alongside Stephen’s research in the field of victimisation, he conducts research in the field of criminality with neurodivergent ex-offenders that have desisted. Stephen primarily explores the intersections between disability and social deprivation. Examples of some of the projects he has led on are, ‘disability, loneliness and isolation’, ‘mental health and confinement’, ‘digital inclusion and exclusion’, ‘disability hate crime’, ‘disability, cuckooing and county lines’, ‘neurodiversity and homelessness’, ‘dyslexia and policing’, ‘disabled people’s experiences in police custody’, and ‘neurodiversity and pathways into offending’. Stephen has also published in the field of Disability Studies and Social Work Theory. He is the co-author of the textbook ‘Social Work Theory and Practice’. In practice, Stephen worked in the field of dementia care in hospitals/residential settings.

Research Themes

Criminal Justice, Social Harms and Inequalities

Communities and Social Justice

• Disability and Victimisation
• Disability and Criminality
• Disability and Social Harm
• Disability and Adult Safeguarding
• Disability Studies and Social Work Theory
• Dyslexia and Neurodiversity Studies

• 2022: Hate Crime Network Journal Prize: British Society of Criminology: ‘I may be left with no choice but to end my torment’: disability and intersectionalities of hate crime’
• 2021: Associate Editor (2021-present): Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research (SJDR):
• 2010: Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA):
• 2010: Member of British Society of Criminology (BSC):

Authored book

• Deacon, L. & Macdonald, S.J. (2017). Social Work Theory and Practice. Sage.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2010). Dyslexia and Crime: A Social Model Approach. VDM Ltd.
• Macdonald, S J. (2009). Towards a Sociology of Dyslexia: Exploring Links Between Dyslexia, Disability and Social Class. VDM Ltd.

Chapter in book

• Clayton, John. Donovan, Catherine. & Macdonald, Stephen. J. (2022). Becoming visible, becoming vulnerable? Bodies, material spaces, and affective economies of hate. In Landscapes of Hate: Spaces of abjection, discrimination and exclusion. Hall, E. Clayton, John. & Donovan, Catherine. Bristol University Press.
• Macdonald, SJ. & Deacon, L. (2019). Disability Theory and Social Work Practice. In THE ROUTLEDGE HANDBOOK OF SOCIAL WORK THEORY. Payne, M. & Hall, M R. Routledge.
• Deacon, L. & Macdonald, S J. (2017). Psychotherapy, Social Work and the Conflicted Self. In SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE. SAGE Publications.
• Macdonald, S J. (2017). Five Models of Disability. In SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE. Macdonald, S J. & Deacon, L. SAGE Publications.
• Macdonald, S J. (2017). Cognitive Psychology and Social Work Practice. In SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE. Deacon, L. & Macdonald, S J. SAGE Publications.
• Macdonald, S J. (2017). Behaviourism and the Science of Control. In SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE. Deacon, L. & Macdonald, S J. SAGE Publications.
• Macdonald, S J. (2017). Humanistic Psychology, Free will and Social Work Practice. In SOCIAL WORK THEORY AND PRACTICE. Deacon, L. & Macdonald, S.J. SAGE Publications.
• Roulstone, A., Sheldon, A. & Harris, J. (2016). Disability and the Digital Divide. In DISABILITY AND TECHNOLOGY. Routledge.
• Clayton, John, Macdonald, Stephen J, Smith, Peter & Wilcock, Angela (2015). The Impact of Digital Inclusion Initiatives in a Civic Context. In Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Third Edition. IGI Global. 6863.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2015). 'The invisibles': Conceptualising the intersectional relationships between dyslexia, social exclusion and homelessness. In DISABILITY RESEARCH TODAY: INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES. Shakespeare, T. Routledge. 112-132.
• Macdonald, S. (2014). York retreat. In A COMPANION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE, MENTAL HEALTH AND RISK. Bristol:. Taylor, P., Corteen, K. & Morley, S. The Policy Press.
• Clayton, J. & Macdonald, S.J. (2013). The Limits OF Technology: Social class, occupation and digital inclusion in the city of Sunderland, England. In Information, Communication & Society. Taylor & Francis Online. 16: 945-966.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2013). The right to be labelled: From risk to rights for pupils with dyslexia in 'special needs' education. In CONSTRUCTING RISKY IDENTITIES: CONSEQUENCES FOR POLICY AND PRACTICE. Kearney, J. & Donovan, C. Palgrave. 55-72.

Journal Article

• Peacock, Donna, Macdonald, S. J., Podd, W. & Cosgrove, F. (2023). 'We capture their comments before we leave the station': Service user involvement in the delivery of Appropriate Adult Schemes. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 24(1): 28-49.
• Macdonald, Stephen J., Donovan, Catherine, Clayton, John & Husband, Marc (2022). Becoming cuckooed: conceptualising the relationship between disability, home takeovers and criminal exploitation. Disability & Society
• Donovan, C., Macdonald, S. & Clayton, J. (2022). Re-Conceptualising Repeat Reports of Hate Crime/Incidents as Hate Relationships Based on Coercive Control and Space for Action. Sociological Research Online
• Clayton, J., Donovan, C. & Macdonald, S. (2022). Living with hate relationships: familiar encounters, enduring racisms and geographies of entrapment. Environment and Planning D: Society and Space 40(1): 60-79.
• Grünke, Matthias., Hord, Casey. & Macdonald, Stephen. J. (2021). A Rationale for the Use of Case Reports in Special Education: The Significance of Detailed Descriptions of Assessment and Intervention Scenarios for Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap. Insights into Learning Disabilities 18(1): 91-101.
• Macdonald, S.J., Donovan, C. & Clayton, J. (2021). ‘I may be left with no choice but to end my torment’ disability and intersectionalities of hate crime. Disability and Society
• Macdonald, S.J., Peacock, D., Cosgrove, F. & Podd, W. (2021). ‘The silence’ examining the missing voices of disabled people in police custody. Disability and Society 36(1): 19-37.
• Lid, I.M., Katsui, H., McLaughlin, J., Macdonald, S., Ljuslinder, K. & Tarvainen, M. (2021). Interdisciplinary disability research in the time of a pandemic. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research 23(1): 207-208.
• Deacon, L., Macdonald, S.J. & Donaghue, J. (2020). “What’s wrong with you, are you stupid?” Listening to the biographical narratives of adults with dyslexia in an age of ‘inclusive’ and ‘anti-discriminatory’ practice. Disability and Society
• Macdonald, S.J. (2020). Therapeutic institutions of violence: conceptualising the biographical narratives of mental health service users/survivors accessing long term “treatment” in England. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice 7(2): 179-194.
• Macdonald, Stephen J & Cosgrove, Faye (2020). Removing disabling barriers in policing: Dyslexia and literacy difficulties in the police service. The Police Journal: Theory, Practice and Principles 93(4): 332.
• Macdonald, S.J. & Deacon, L. (2019). Twice upon a time: Examining the effect socio-economic status has on the experience of dyslexia in the United Kingdom. Dyslexia 25(1): 3-19.
• Macdonald, S.J. & Cosgrove, F. (2019). Dyslexia and policing: Understanding the impact that dyslexia has in the police service in England and Wales. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 38(6): 634-651.
• Donovan, C., Clayton, J. & Macdonald, S.J. (2019). New Directions in Hate Reporting Research: Agency, Heterogeneity and Relationality. Sociological Research Online 24(2): 185-202.
• Macdonald, SJ. (2019). From ‘Disordered’ To ‘Diverse’ Defining Six Sociological Frameworks Employed in the Study of Dyslexia in the UK. Insights into Learning Disabilities 16(1): 1-22.
• Deacon, L., Macdonald, S.J., Nixon, J., Akintola, A.R., Dore, S., Ellis, G., Gillingham, A., Highmore, L., Ismail, A., Kent, J., Matthews, D. & Sullivan, S. (2018). The loss: Conceptualising biographical experiences of disability, social isolation and emotional loneliness in North-East England. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 20(3): 68-87.
• Macdonald, S.J., Nixon, J. & Deacon, L. (2018). ‘Loneliness in the city’ examining socio-economics, loneliness and poor health in the North East of England. Public Health 165: 88-94.
• Macdonald, S.J., Charnock, A. & Scutt, J. (2018). Marketing ‘madness’ conceptualising service user/survivor biographies in a period of deinstitutionalisation (1975–2014). Disability and Society 33(6): 849-865.
• Macdonald, S.J., Deacon, L., Nixon, J., Akintola, A., Gillingham, A., Kent, J., Ellis, G., Mathews, D., Ismail, A., Sullivan, S., Dore, S. & Highmore, L. (2018). ‘The invisible enemy’ disability, loneliness and isolation. Disability and Society 33(7): 1138-1159.
• Stephen J Macdonald, Catherine Donovan & John Clayton (2017). The disability bias: understanding the context of hate in comparison with other minority populations. Disability & Society
• Macdonald, S.J., Charnock, A. & Scutt, J. (2017). Mad studies and social work: Conceptualising the subjectivities of service user/survivors who experience significant mental health problems. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 19(3): 98-118.
• Macdonald, S J., LDeacon, L. & Merchant, J. (2016). “Too Far Gone” Dyslexia, Homelessness, and Pathways to Drug Use and Dependency. Insights into Learning Disabilities 13(2): 117-134.
• John Clayton, Catherine Donovan & Stephen J Macdonald (2016). A Critical Portrait of Hate Crime/Incident Reporting in North East England: The Value of Statistical Data and the Politics of Recording in an Age of Austerity. Geoforum 75: 64-74.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2015). ‘Community fear and harassment’ learning difficulties and hate crime incidents in the north-east of England. Disability and Society 30(3): 353-367.
• Macdonald, Stephen J. (2015). Tom Campbell. Dyslexia: the government of reading. Disability & Society 30(1): 162.
• MacDonald, S.J. & Taylor-Gooby, D. (2014). 'Patient zero': A critical investigation of the concept of public and patient involvement in the national health service. Social Work and Social Sciences Review 17(1): 5-21.
• Macdonald, S.J. & Deacon, L. (2014). ‘No sanctuary’ Missed opportunities in health and social services for homeless people with dyslexia? Social Work and Social Sciences Review 17(3): 78-93.
• Macdonald, S.J. & Clayton, J. (2013). Back to the future, disability and the digital divide. Disability and Society 28(5): 702-718.
• Macdonald, Stephen J. (2012). “Journey's end” statistical pathways into offending for adults with specific learning difficulties. Journal of Learning Disabilities and Offending Behaviour 3(2): 85.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2012). Biographical pathways into criminality: Understanding the relationship between dyslexia and educational disengagement. Disability and Society 27(3): 427-440.
• Macdonald, S J. & Cappleman-Morgan, J. (2012). Sociology in Practice: Dyslexia Action Needed. BRITISH SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION NETWORK 112(3): 4–5.
• Macdonald, S.J. (2010). Towards a social reality of dyslexia. British Journal of Learning Disabilities 38(4): 271-279.
• Macdonald S J. & Taylor-Gooby, D. (2010). The Role of Patient Involvement in Practice Based Commissioning within the UK's National Health Service. ECONOMICS OF MEDICINE 10(1).
• Macdonald, S.J. (2009). Windows of reflection: Conceptualizing dyslexia using the social model of disability. Dyslexia 15(4): 347-362.

Monograph

• Clayton, J., Donovan, C., Macdonald, S.J., Cosmina, U. & Knight, M. (2021). Exploring ‘hate relationships’ through Connected Voice’s Hate Crime Advocacy Service. Durham University.
• Macdonald S.J. & Taylor-Gooby, D. (2010). Evaluation of Patient Involvement in Primary Care Trusts in East Durham. Department of Health.
• Clayton, J., Macdonald, S.J. & Wilcock, A. (2010). Digital Challenge Evaluation. Sunderland: Department of Community and Local Government. Department of Community and Local Government.

Newspaper/Magazine Article

• Clayton, J. Donovan, C. & Macdonald, S.J. (2016). Exploring third party reporting across categories of hate in Tyne and Wear. NORTH EAST RACE EQUALITY FORUM 9: 1-4.