Topic outline

  • Doctoral Workshop: Participatory Practices and Social Change


    Aalto University, 28.02-04.04.2022

    Credits: 3 ECTS, Evaluation: Pass/Fail

    This doctoral workshop explores participatory approaches to designing and conducting social inquiry using qualitative methods applied to design and artistic research. We focus on evaluating and applying various dimensions of participatory practices in diverse socio-cultural settings. The workshop facilitators will suggest case studies and readings that will be co-presented and discussed by participants in relation to co-created themes. The workshop is highly interactive, with each session providing ample time for facilitated discussion using Miro, and smaller teams to discuss implications and opportunities for your own research.

    The themes of the workshop will be decided upon in the first session, depending on your collective interests. That being said, in general we intend to review the grounding of research practices, including motivations, goals, questions, positionality, and social impact; as well as approaches for designing research projects, conducting independent and collaborative inquiry, and handling ethical concerns. We will consider how qualitative research methods such as participant observation, ethnography, peer-based interviewing, and diary studies can be made more participatory and reflexive. We will also examine exploratory methods including sensory ethnography, walking with video, sound, performance, and speculative fiction as means for conducting design and artistic research. Throughout the workshop we will critically examine the ethical implications of designing and conducting participatory practices by reviewing theory and practice, and discuss the relevance of these for your own work in-depth. It does not matter how far along you are in your doctoral studies, we expect you to contribute to shared learning in this peer-based participatory workshop.

    Workshop Facilitators: Prof. Nitin Sawhney, Minttu Tikka, Vuokko Härmä, and Floris van der Marel

    Invited talk by Henriette Friis and Eva Duran Sánchez on Feminist Futures Helsinki

    Expectations of Participants

    As a workshop participant, to receive credits you are expected to:

    • Provide a very brief introductory presentation in the first session outlining your research interests and dissertation topic, in relation to participatory practices and social change;

    • Co-present some aspect of one of the topics or readings selected by participants in forthcoming workshop sessions;

    • Create a visual poster or Miro-based presentation for the final session outlining the implications of what you have learned in relation to your own research practices;

    • Attend all workshop sessions, unless otherwise agreed upon with the facilitators.

    We’ll be using Slack and Miro as the main online platforms to coordinate, share work, and reflect collectively throughout the workshop. You will receive an invitation to these platforms once you sign-up for the workshop.

    Sessions
    Mon 28.02.22 15:15-18:00
    Mon 07.03.22 15:15-18:00
    Mon 14.03.22 15:15-18:00
    Mon 21.03.22 15:15-18:00
    Mon 28.03.22 15:15-18:00
    Mon 04.04.22 15:15-18:00

    The workshop will run as hybrid with in-person sessions held in Otakaari 1, room M203 and via Zoom.

    The workshop is open to both doctoral and second year masters students across Aalto schools. 

    Sign-up form: Please answer a few guiding questions in this form briefly so we can ensure this workshop is well suited to you. Do remember you still need to register in SISU to get the credits.