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This PhD seminar series hosted by the Department of Sociology at Charles University offers an intellectually rigorous and collaborative environment for doctoral students to deepen their engagement with contemporary sociological theory and to strengthen their theorizing as a skill which is often underdeveloped in previous study curiculla.
Each seminar is structured around essential readings, interactive group exercises, and in-depth discussions, fostering critical thinking and theoretical creativity. Participants are encouraged to explore diverse tools for theorizing, apply theoretical concepts to their own work, and cultivate reflexive academic practice. With an emphasis on dialogue, peer feedback, and conceptual development, the series serves as a valuable space for academic growth and theoretical innovation in the participants' own academic work and thesis writing. Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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To complete the course, students are reuqired to:
Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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This course is taught online via Zoom or other platforms. Students submit their work and preparation by e-mail (eva.richter@ff.cuni.cz) or by other specified online means. The online seminars are interactive and require active participation, including the active use of a microphone and web-camera. Please ensure you have the necessary technical equipment and stable internet connection to participate actively, so you can gain maximum from your attendance. Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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Course Schedule:
Syllabus: 1) Where is the theory in my PhD? Prof. Kathia Serrano-Velarde, Dr. Lukas Sebastian Pfäffle (Max-Weber-Institut für Soziologie, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg) In the first part, students will think about important and seminal contribution in their field and discuss with other why they think they are important. Thereby reflecting on and developing cirteria for identifying important theoretical contribution in their field and how their own project is related to them. In the second part students will make excerises that help to identify the role ans usefullnues of theory in different parts of the project. Showing the multiple funcitons that theory can fullfil in the course of a phd project. Literature: Salmons, Janet (2019. Little Quick fix: Find the theory in your research. Sage Swedberg, R. (2016). Before theory comes theorizing or how to make social science more interesting. The British journal of sociology, 67(1), 5-22. Student preparation: Students submit a list of important (theoretical) authors and/or texts in their field of study and a commentary on wow does their project draw on those and relate to them. 2) How to theorize in racism Prof. Matteo Gianni, Prof. Sandro Cattacin (University of Geneva) There are various approaches to introducing views on group-focused enmity that reflect different traditions of social theory. These approaches begin with a) racism and the colonial past, including dynamics of racialization, b) intergroup dynamics, and c) structural analysis of discrimination. We will discuss these approaches and attempt to identify links and differences between the traditions. Literature: Koshy, Yohann (2021). "The last humanist: how Paul Gilroy became the most vital guide to our age of crisis." Guardian August(5). Student preparation: Ideally, the student prepares a one-to-two-page document that presents a concrete (observed or experienced) case of racism. The document should include a detailed description of the case, explaining why it is considered a case of racism. It should also discuss the potential personal, social, and societal consequences of this act. Finally, the document should identify the main dimensions that characterise the case as a case of racism. 3) Social Theory and posthuman perspectives: epistemological considerations Prof. Paola Rebughini, Dr. Massimo Airoldi (Department of Social and Political Sciences, University of Milan) For a while, posthuman perspectives have been at the forefront of the debate in social theory stimulating a new gaze on classical theoretical issues. Indeed, “posthuman” refers to different epistemological and theoretical stances and this notion involves different empirical objects, from viruses to algorithms. While a part of this theorization concerns mainly the deconstruction of the modern notion of subject, another is more focused on technology and its consequences. The aim of this seminar is twofold: a first part will highlight in which way, to what extent and with what issues posthuman approaches are challenging the classical items of Sociological theory and its way of theorizing; a second part will introduce a more specific focus on machine learning systems, that is, a type of AI technologies commonly employed in a number of fields, from online content recommendation to financial trading. Since machine learning systems recursively update their computational models and adapt their behaviour based on patterns in human-generated data, new sociological theorizations regarding AI agency and its consequences on social structure have recently emerged, opening novel directions for a posthuman sociological theory. Literature: Braidotti, R. (2017) Posthuman Critical Theory https://rosibraidotti.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/369.-Posthuman-Critical-Theory-1.pdf ; Susen, S. (2021). Reflections on the (Post)Human Condition: Towards New Forms of Engagement with the World? Social Epistemology, 36(1), 63–94 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02691728.2021.1893859 4) Theoretical eclectism doc. Martin Hájek, Ph.D., doc. Marek Skovajsa, Ph.D. (Charles University) Is theoretical eclecticism a problem or an advantage in writing the PhD dissertation? The seminar will focus on discussing the possibilities of combining different theoretical approaches. The seminar will include an "eclectic workshop" during which we will experiment with the compatibility of seemingly incompatible theoretical approaches. 5) TBA Prof. Dr. Tobias Werron (Universität Bielefeld) TBD 6) PhD Theorizing: workshop and discussion Eva Richter, Ph.D. (Charles University) To conclude the seminar series we will meet for a roundtable discussion and a workshop in which students will be encouraged to work on theorizing in their dissertation thesis, to discuss the contents of the seminar series and whether and how they applied any insights in their own work and thinking. The main goal of this last seminar is to inspire each other and get critical insights. Literature: TBD Student preparation: Students should prepare a short written statement on the theoretical background of their PhD thesis (as a state of thinking, i.e. description of what theories they stem from) and on their theorizing (as a process, i.e. how they use these theories). Can be a part of their dissertation or any other text they have already written. Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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Students who complete the seminars are expected to:
Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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Target participants: Current PhD students (internal & external within 4EU+ network) in sociology or related fields. No requirement on the stage of the PhD studies students are currently in - the course is open to those working on sociological (or related fields) dissertations; students must be motivated to engage with deep theoretical issues. Registration: Required for each seminar; deadlines communicated in advance. Language requirement: Seminars are in English; participants should have sufficient proficiency to engage in debatig complex concepts and theoretical issues. Preparatory work: Participants must complete assigned readings or work before each session. Poslední úprava: Richter Eva, Mgr., Ph.D. (18.07.2025)
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