The course will present different strands within philosophy of science and involve the course participants in discussions about the implications of each of these meta-theoretical positions for research and professional practice. The positions presented in the lectures will be empiricism, phenomenology, poststructuralism, science and technology studies (STS), and critical realism. In addition, one lecture will elaborate on the concept of causation, whereas the possibilities and limitations of "research by design" will be the subject of another lecture.  

A considerable part of the course will be devoted to discussion of papers written by the participants and submitted to the organizers prior to the course. In order to be able to write the papers, it is important to start reading the required reading of the course early. Reading the required literature before the course starts is also important in order to have good discussions during the course. Each of the participants` papers should address the following two aspects:

• Your understanding of the concept of causality, and how this understanding is reflected in your PhD project
• Your understanding of the relationship between knowledge and power, and how this understanding is reflected in your PhD project

The paper presentation sessions make up an important part of the course. Each paper will be commented on by an appointed opponent as well as by the other course participants. The presentation of each paper should last for about 5 minutes, followed by comments by the appointed opponent of 5-10 minutes duration. This leaves time for about 25 minutes of general discussion about each paper within a total time slot of 35-40 minutes per paper.

Required reading

Cross, N. (2006). Designerly ways of knowing. London: Springer. Chapter 1, pp. 1-12 and Chapter 7, pp. 95-100.

Danermark, B.; Ekström, M. & Karlsson, J. C. (2019): Explaining Society, second edition, chapters 2-4. London/New York: Routledge.

Dixon, D. P., and Jones, J. P. III (1998). My dinner with Derrida, or spatial analysis and poststructuralism do lunch. Environment and Planning A, 30(2), pp. 247 - 260.

Finlay, L. (2009). "Debating Phenomenological Research Methods." Phenomenology & Practice, Volume 3, No. 1, pp. 6-25.

Gadamer, H.G. (2004) [1960]. Truth and Method. London and New York: Continuum. "Introduction", pp. XX-XXIV.

Gunder, M. and Hillier, J. (2009). Planning in ten words or less: A Lacanian Entanglement with Spatial Planning, Chapter 1. Farnham: Ashgate. http://books.google.se/books/about/Planning_in_Ten_Words_Or_Less.html?id=ov-NKtgiH58C&redir_esc=yhttp://books.google.se/books/about/Planning_in_Ten_Words_Or_Less.html?id=ov-NKtgiH58C&redir_esc=y.

Joks, S. & Law, J. (2017). Sámi Salmon, State Salmon: TEK, Technoscience and Care. The Sociological Review, 65(2) suppl., pp. 150-171.

Merleau-Ponty, M. (2002) [1945]. Phenomenology of Perception. London: Routledge. "Preface", pp. VII-XXIV.

Moses, J. W., & Knutsen. T. L. (2007). Ways of knowing: competing methodologies in social and political research, pp. 1-52, pp 142-196, and pp. 285-294. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Mumford, S. & Anjum, R. L. (2011). Fundamentals of causality. Information Knowledge Systems Management, 10, pp. 75-84, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rani_Lill_Anjum/publication/262240220_Fundamentals_of_causality/links/56d0716408ae059e375d4247.pdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rani_Lill_Anjum/publication/262240220_Fundamentals_of_causality/links/56d0716408ae059e375d4247.pdf

Mumford, S. & Anjum, R. L. (2011). Effects of context. Information Knowledge Systems Management, 10, pp. 101-110, https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rani_Lill_Anjum/publication/262279784_Effects_of_context/links/56d0717108ae4d8d64a38cf1.pdfhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rani_Lill_Anjum/publication/262279784_Effects_of_context/links/56d0717108ae4d8d64a38cf1.pdf

Purcell, M. (2013). A new land: Deleuze and Guattari and planning. Planning Theory & Practice, 14(1): 20-38. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649357.2012.761279#preview.

Richardson, T. (2002). Freedom and control in planning: using discourse in the pursuit of reflexive practice. Planning Theory and Practice. 3(3): 353-361. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14649350214953?journalCode=rptp20#.Uim8IBZqtSU

Sevaldson, B. (2012). Discussions & Movements in Design Research. A systems approach to practice research in design.  FORMakademisk Vol.3 , nr.1 2010, 8-35.

Verran, H. (2002). A Postcolonial Moment in Science Studies Alternative Firing Regimes of Environmental Scientists and Aboriginal Landowners. Social Studies of Science, 32(5/6), pp. 729-762.

Ween, G. B. (2012). Resisting the imminent death of wild salmon. Local knowledge of Tana fishermen in arctic Norway. In Carothers, C.; Criddle, K.R.; Chambers, C.P. et al. (eds.) Fishing People of the North. Cultures, economies, and management responding to change, pp. 153-171. Fairbanks: University of Alaska.