Dr Claire Malcolm

Professional biography

I was awarded my PhD from Cardiff University's Politics and International Relations Department, in 2010. Since then, I have worked as a Lecturer at both Cardiff and Swansea Universities and have been teaching for the Open University for over 14 years. During this time, I have designed and taught modules across the social sciences, at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

It has also been my great pleasure to work with the Welsh Assembly Government, as part of its "Women in Public Life" series and to engage in research on behalf of UN Women and the UN Special Rapporteur for the Causes and Consequences of Violence Against Women.

My more recent research interests are principally concerned with anti-racism. In 2023, I co-authored the Frontiers of Sociology paper 'Degrees of Change: The promise of anti-racist assessment' and my forthcoming co-authored book 'Mothering at the Margins: Black mothers raising autistic children in the UK' is due to be published in July 2025. 

I am a module team member and author for D228 ('Exploring International Relations'), a level two OU module which will be going into presentation in 25J.

As well as my teaching and research, I provide training and consultancy in the fields of anti-racism and neurodiversity, and have delivered a range of workshops on these topics, both within the OU and for external agencies including NHS Trusts, Safeguarding Teams, and Community Groups. 

Recent Conference Presentations: BMEECR, NASEN, BERA

Recent appearances: Community Policy Forum Podcast, Arden University Black History Month Keynote Address, University of Reading's Autism and Wellbeing Hub Monthly Talk

Research interests

Anti-Racist Practice

Anti-Racist Pedagogy

Race and Neurodiversity

Feminist International Relations

International Relations Theory

Humanitarian Intervention 

Violence Against Women

Teaching interests

Politics and International Relations

Sociology

Anti-Racism

Intersectionality

External collaborations

Cardiff University

UN Women

Welsh Assembly Government

Black Mothers Matter

Global Child and Maternal Health

Black SEN Mamas

No More Exclusions

Arden University

Community Policy Forum

NHS Midlands

Practice Matters Children's Services

University of Reading Autism Wellbeing Hub