IACR Annual Conference 2006

University of Tromsø, August 11-13

Theme: Interdisciplinarity and Intersubjectivity

Confirmed key-note speakers: Margaret Archer
                                                   Roy Bhaskar 
                                         Karl Georg Høyer
                                         Ole D. Mjøs
                                         Arne Johan Vetlesen

Pre-conference PhD course August 8–10

 

Tromsø town by midnight

The 2006 Annual Conference of The International Association for Critical Realism will be organised by the Department of Education in collaboration with the Centre for Peace Studies at the University of Tromsø, Norway, from the 11th to the 13th of August. 

As a slogan interdisciplinarity has not had sufficient ontological and epistemological grounding. It is also difficult for meta-theories based on the Humean notion of causality, as the contingency of events, to make sense of interdisciplinary approaches. Critical realism can provide such grounding and rationale in its conception of reality as a multiplicity of stratified mechanisms in open systems. In interdisciplinary fields such as education and peace studies, where the improvement of practice is an overriding concern, we need to look at the totality of practice and include the study of mechanisms at different levels. Therefore there is an urgent need to theorise interdisciplinarity in a more stringent way at the meta-level, to inform substantive research.

Intersubjectivity is also central to the solution of problems addressed by applied research. In a four planar perspective on social being, the solution of problems arising in human interaction appears to be the precondition for solving other problems, such as human transactions with nature (ecological problems), transformation of social structures and the emergence of stratified agency.

An old fishing boat at the quay

Sub-themes for workshops on interdisciplinarity:

I. On the theory and practice of interdisciplinarity

II. Fields and contexts of interdisciplinary research

Sub-themes for workshops on intersubjectivity:

III. Intersubjectivity and justice

IV. Intersubjectivity and new modalities of peace and justice

Workshops on other themes may be organised depending on incoming suggestions and submitted papers. Abstracts should be sent via e-mail to iacr@sv.uit.no as soon as possible (see Call for Papers).

The Arctic Cathedral - a landmark of Tromsø and Northern Norway

Organisers of the conference:

Tone Skinningsrud, Assoc. Professor/Chair, Department of Education, University of Tromsø.
Telephone: +47 776 45 254.

Lodve A. Svare, MPhil Student, Centre for Peace Studies, University of Tromsø.
Telephone: +47 922 35 072.

Contact for further questions:

Registration:

Online registration to the annual conference and the pre-conference PhD course is now open (see Registration in the left menu for details). Early registration and hotel booking is strongly recommended!