DR STEPHEN J MACDONALD
BSc (Hons), MSc, PhD
SENIOR LECTURER, PROGRAMME LEADER FOR BA (Hons) HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Tel: 0191-515-3380
Fax: 0191-515-2229
Email: stephen.j.macdonald@sunderland.ac.uk 
Faculty of Education and Society,
Department of Social Science,
University of Sunderland,
Priestman Building,
Green Terrace,
Sunderland, SR1 3PZ
BIOGRAPHY
Stephen Macdonald is the Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Health and Social Care. One of his strategic roles since joining the University has been to develop the widening participation agenda by developing foundation degree programmes in association with regional partnership colleges. Stephen holds a Senior Lecturer post in the department of Social Sciences. His teaching interests are in research methods where students study qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to understand the social environment. Stephen's theoretical interests are in issues of disability.
RESEARCH INTERESTS AND EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENTS
Stephen's research interests are in disability studies, medical sociology and research methods. In some of his current work he applied a psycho-sociological approach to the condition of dyslexia (specific learning disabilities). This predominately set out to understand dyslexia using a social model. In addition to research into dyslexia, he attempts to understand the broader issues of disability using the social model.
CURRENT WORK
Stephen is part of the evaluation team for digital challenge which aims to establish digitally enabled communities. This is a national project based in Sunderland which encompasses a number of projects using digital technology to support people across the City of Sunderland. Furthermore, he is working on a number of smaller research projects looking at quantitative information on dyslexia and the autobiographical histories of people with learning disabilities.
POSTGRADUATE SUPERVISION
Director of Studies (PhD): Author: Jessica Peers: Title: `Life Narratives of Individuals with Asperger Syndrome'.
Director of Studies (PhD): Author: Katarzyna Opowicz-Górowska Title: `Students with Dyslexia and the Enabling Role of New Technologies'.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND RESEARCH REPORTS
Macdonald, S.J. (2010) Dyslexia and Crime: a social model approach: Saarbrücken, VDM Publishing House Ltd.
Macdonald, S.J. (2010) Towards a Social Reality of Dyslexia. British Journal of Learning Disabilities.
Macdonald, S.J. (2009a) Towards a Sociology of Dyslexia: Exploring links between Dyslexia, Disability and Social Class: Saarbrücken, VDM Publishing House Ltd.
Macdonald, S. J. (2009b) Windows of Reflection: Conceptualising Dyslexia Using the Social Model of Disability. Dyslexia: An International Journal of Research and Practice.
