Claire was awarded her PhD in Social Statistics in May 2015 from the University of Manchester. Prior to this, she gained an MSc in Sociological Research and a First Class degree in Sociology, both at the University of Manchester. Before starting her doctoral studies she worked for a year as a research assistant at the European Work and Employment Research Centre (EWERC) at the University of Manchester, where she contributed to a European Commission funded project exploring minimum wages and collective bargaining across Europe. Claire also contributed to a European Commission Network of Excellence project investigating women’s representation across the boards of UK listed companies. Her PhD research focused on an investigation of gender role attitude changes and a comparison of welfare state policies across 19 European countries using three waves of the European Values Study (1990 to 2008).
After completing her PhD, Claire worked for more than two years as a researcher at the International Centre for Guidance Studies (iCeGS) at the University of Derby. While at iCeGS, she conducted a wide range of applied quantitative and qualitative research exploring themes around career education and employability.
Claire joined CRSP in August 2017 and will be supporting the core Minimum Income Standards programme as well as contributing to a qualitative project funded by the Thomas Pocklington Trust examining Minimum Income Standards for people with visual impairment.
Claire's research interests are broad ranging but tend to coalesce around inequality: including gender role inequalities in the home and workplace; comparative social policies and welfare states; wage inequalities; and career development and employability.
- Padley, M., Davis, A., Shepherd, C. and Stone, J. (2019) A Minimum Income Standard for London 2018. London: Trust for London.
- Davis, A., Hirsch, D., Padley, M. and Shepherd, C. (2018) A Minimum Income Standard for the UK, 2008-2018: continuity and change. York: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
- Hill, K., Shepherd, C. and Hirsch, D. (2018) Experiences of Living with Visual Impairment: matching income with needs. Loughborough: Centre for Research in Social Policy.
- Shepherd, C., Hanson, J. and Dodd, V. (2018) ‘Experiences of Education, Health and Care plans: A Multivariate Analysis March 2018’. London: Department for Education
- Adams, L., Tindle, A., Basran, S., Dobie, S., Thomson, D., Robinson, D. and Shepherd, C. (2017) ‘Experiences of Education, Health and Care plans. A survey of parents and young people. Research report March 2017’. London: Department for Education
- Shepherd, C. (2017) ‘The gender and age profile of the house-building sector’, Milton Keynes: NHBC Foundation
- Shepherd, C. and Hooley, T. (2016) ‘They’ve got their backs to the sea’: Careers work in Kent’s coastal schools. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby.
- Hooley, T., Shepherd, C. and Dodd, V. (2015). ‘Get yourself connected: conceptualising the role of digital technologies in Norwegian career guidance’. Derby: International Centre for Guidance Studies, University of Derby