Critical Engagements: Social Sciences in a Changing Society

This course provides an in-depth exploration of social science’s evolving role within society, alongside the potential influences of societal stakeholders on the social sciences. Closely related to the courses on the philosophy of science and science ethics, this course covers issues of new expectations and requirements of research to interact and engage with society, and how they may reflect more general societal transformations affecting the production and application of knowledge. 

These expectations and requirements concern issues such as achieving societal impact, bringing onboard various groups of stakeholders, disseminating research findings to a wide range of and increasingly diverse set of audiences, reaching out to groups in vulnerable positions, and of incorporating non-researchers into the processes of planning, doing and publishing social science research. The course explores these trends against a backdrop of science integrity and academic freedom, which, in some European and wider international contexts, face challenges from political and societal pressures.

Theoretically, the course considers the transition from ‘Mode 1’ to ‘Mode 2’ of knowledge production, of the ‘knowledge economy’ as a real and as an imagined phenomenon, and the theoretical underpinnings of ‘evidence-based research’, including the realist approach. This course will allow candidates to critically reflect upon the drivers of recent trends that increasingly obliterate the borders between the field of science and surrounding fields of politics, practice, and the public sphere. 

Hereby candidates are prepared to utilize the many possibilities offered by these developments in terms of engaging with the wider society, while recognizing the pitfalls. Candidates will work with practical cases of how their own doctoral research can generate societal and practical impact, involve stakeholders and end-users in the science process, and integrate the principles and practices of ‘open science’.

The lectures are affiliated with different parts of Oslo Metropolitan University, including Oslo Business School, Department of Social Work, Child Welfare and Social Policy, the Work Research Institute (AFI), and Consumption Research Norway (SIFO). In addition, Professor Bob Jessop, Department of Sociology, University of Lancaster, UK, will provide an online guest lecture. 

Deadline for application: 1 November.

Admission requirements: The course is offered only to fellows who are admitted to PhD programs or equivalent.

• External applicants, please use Søknadsweb (fsweb.no).  Choose OsloMet, then the module  PhD course - Faculty of Social Sciences, 
• Internal candidates use Studentweb (fsweb.no) and sign up yourself, or contact the PhD administration.

Required attachments for the application:

• External applicants must submit a summary of about one A4 page with information about their own PhD project and why this topic is considered relevant for their own project. The summary, and documentation of your PhD program, should be  uploaded in Søknadsweb.
• Internal candidates send the summary to the PhD administration.

Three days, from 27th - 29th  November

Pilestredet 35, room Pi251 (2nd. floor)

See the course description on student.oslomet.no.

Participants who have completed and passed  the course may obtain documentation themselves. You can order a transcript of grades on StudentWeb (fsweb.no) or it can be obtained from Vitnemålsportalen (vitnemalsportalen.no). You can find more information about grade transcript and diploma (student.oslomet.no) on the student pages.