PhD SV: VITSV900 2012

The doctoral programme contains an obligatory course in Philosophy of Social Science and Ethics. Associate Professor Thorvald Sirnes at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (Senter for vitenskapsteori), UiB, is in charge of the course.

Registration information for 2012

The next Philosophy of Social Science and Ethics course will be held from Tuesday 7. February until Friday 10. February, 2012 in Vatnahalsen. On Monday 6. February 2012 there will be a Start-up meeting in Bergen

Department of Social Sciences

NB! Enrollment is open ONLY for those accepted into the Ph.D. program, Faculty of Social Sciences, SV-fak, at the University of Bergen, Norway.

Course Content

The theory of science and ethics portion of the PhD training at the Faculty of Social Science grants 10 credits and entails approximately two months of course work. An intensive four day course in ethics and theory of science is held once a year, usually in February, which is given by the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities, SVT (Senter for vitenskapsteori). The course is obligatory and marks the beginning of a reading, writing and guidance process that will result in an essay. It is desired that most of the course participants hand in their essays by the deadline in the spring, which is the 15th of May. For candidates who for different reasons (for example: stays abroad and fieldwork) cannot complete the essay in the spring, there is another deadline in the fall, the 15th of November. The essay is graded (pass/not pass) by a committee with two members from the candidate's own institute and one from SVT, in addition there will be a collective seminar where the candidates will participate in discussions about all the essays.

One of the main intentions with the essay is that it ought to concern itself with some of the fundamental theoretical and methodological dilemmas in the candidate's PhD project so that it can serve as a driving force that moves the work on the candidate's dissertation forward. The essay should be closely related to the dissertation process, and at the same time provide the possibility to overstep the discipline's own limitations and take up more general theoretical problems.

Pre-requirements

At Vatnahalsen it will be assumed that the participants have elementary philosophy of science skills. For participants who feel they may lack such skills, a start-up seminar is organized in Bergen the day before the course at Vatnahalsen begins.

Contact

Associate Professor Thorvald Sirnes at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities (Senter for vitenskapsteori), UiB, is in charge of the course.

Thorvald.Sirnes@svt.uib.no

Signe Solberg is administrative contact: signe.solberg@uib.no

Participation expenses

The course is free to doctoral candidates. The faculty will cover the expenses for room and board (participants will cover their own drinking bills at meals). The travel expenses (train tickets) to Vatnahalsen will be charged your individual PhD fundings after the course.

Reading list

The syllabus of the Philosophy of Social Science component of the doctoral programme should total approximately 700 pages. The syllabus can be adjusted to the candidate´s interest and the topic of his/her paper. A list of the syllabus chosen is to be submitted together with the paper (i.e. after the course; the candidates do not need to put their syllabus together before the course). More information about this will be given at Vatnahalsen.

The syllabus must, however, include at least one philosophy of social science handbook (ca. 250 pages) and readings in research ethics- and politics (ca. 100 pages). It is recommended that the course participants have read one such handbook and the research ethics- and politics readings before they arrive at Vatnahalsen. The handbook topics will be addressed the first three days of the course, while the compendium in research ethics and politics mainly will be addressed the final day.

One of the following three philosophy of social science handbooks is recommended:

Brian Fay: Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science. A Multicultural Approach. Blackwell

Martin Hollis: The Philosophy of Social Science. Cambridge University Press

Daniel Little: Varieties of Social Explanation. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Social Science. Westview Press

A compendium covering topics in research ethics- and politics can be bought at Studia from approx. January 10th.

Course registration and deadlines

Registration deadline is January 6.

Language of instruction

English

Form of assessment

Course participants are required to submit a one page note, wherein they give a brief presentation of their phd-project (containing information about research questions, methodology and theoretical perspectives/conceptual framework).

The course participants are to submit a paper after the course. Accepted papers are to be presented at a department seminar at the end of the semester. Participation at the course equals 10 study points provided that the paper is accepted and presented.