University of Sunderland

DR JOHN CLAYTON

BA (Hons), MSc, PhD
RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

Fax: 0191-515-2229

BIOGRAPHY

John Clayton is currently employed as a full time post-doctoral Research Associate within the Department of Social Sciences.  Within this role he is working with Dr Stephen Macdonald on a Department of Communities and Local Government commissioned evaluation project.  The research looks to assess the progress Sunderland has made in transforming itself into a digitally inclusive city.  He also assists with teaching across the faculty and has recently worked on a number of other research projects.

RESEARCH INTERESTS AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS

John Clayton's research interests are in the fields of human geography and sociology, particularly around the themes of identity, belonging and social relations, with a focus on `race', ethnicity and social class.  As a geographer, he has a strong interest in the various connections between the social and spatial.  More specifically his work to date has concentrated upon the `lived' aspects of cities and the geographies of inter-ethnic relations in the city of Leicester; social class and the Higher Education experience in different geographic contexts; and the connections between social, spatial and digital inclusion/exclusion in Sunderland.  Methodologically, his main focus is upon qualitative forms of research which attempt to access the experiential aspects of identities, social relations and everyday life. 

CURRENT WORK

John Clayton is the lead researcher of an evaluation team based at the University which is investigating the progress of digital inclusion in Sunderland.  The evaluation which is a national project and is commissioned by the Department of Communities and Local Government, assesses the social impact of a number of digital inclusion programmes rolled out in Sunderland in recent years such as E-Neighbourhoods and Digital Challenge.  These programmes aim to establish digitally enabled communities in the city and improve the quality of life for residents through the use of technological solutions.  John has also recently completed an evaluation of a youth project within the West End of Newcastle, which offers a service for young people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds.

POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION

Director of Studies for two PhD students within the Faculty:

Jane Davies `A critical investigation of the coverage of `race' on ITE Programmes in England and student teachers' responses to such provision'.

Patricia Smith `Social and Educational Initiatives in East Durham between 1985 and 2005: perceptions of experiences'.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH REPORTS

Clayton, J. (forthcoming) Thinking spatially: towards an everyday understanding of inter-ethnic relations. Social and Cultural Geography.

Crozier, G., Reay, D., Clayton, J., Colliander, L. and Grinstead, J. (2008) Different strokes for different folks: Diverse students in diverse institutions, Research Papers in Education 23, 2: 167-177.

Crozier, G. & Clayton, J. (2007) Working class students, higher education and the challenges of gaining access: from methodological to substantive issues, Building Research Capacity 12: 3-5.

Clayton, J. (2009) `Multiculturalism' In N. Thrift and R. Kitchin, International Encyclopaedia of Human Geography. Oxford: Elsevier.

Clayton, J. (2008) `Everyday geographies of marginality and encounter in the multicultural city'.  In C. Dwyer and C. Bressey, New Geographies of Race and Racism. Aldershot: Ashgate.