Theory in Practice ? - May 29-30 2012
Conference at Roskilde University
Background Challenging the concept of theory Presenters and work titles
The theme of the conference
For some time now, researchers within the social sciences and humanities have questioned the premises and usefulness of dualistic and positivistic understandings of man, society and culture. Many agree that its necessary to overcome such dualistic approaches. How to do so is however a contested topic.
This conference takes point of departure in the relation of theory and practice. Some of the presenters take human practice as a basic analytical concept and focus; a concept and focus that by definition weave together the individual and the social; the particular and the general and the situated and the socio-historical. Other presenters see theories as structuring strategies in a messy practice. We find the relation of theory and practice to be an important point of departure, that invites social science to include an interest for everyday life activities. But it is also a point of departure that invites for challenging dialectic ways of thinking, that pose some tough discussions and challenges. For example:
How do we understand and handle the vivid relationship between theory and practice in our research? How do we use and develop “theory”?
How can we understand the relation between everyday activities and broader societal relationships and power-structures – how – if at all – can we conceptualize and seize the connection and movement between the particular and the general?
How can we practice critical thinking and research, that at once endeavor to respect the uniqueness of social situations, but at the same time endeavor to analyze this uniqueness critically and politically?
These are some of the questions we hope to address and discuss at this conference.
The invited speakers have all contributed to new ways of analyzing social practice from and they have all challenged the common understanding of theory in the humanistic sciences in interesting ways.
From each their perspective the presenters will talk about their latest research, which have implications for the understanding of the relation between theory and praxis.
- Fee: 1400 d. kr - Phd students: 700 kr.
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