University of Helsinki
The 8th Annual Conference for the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences & the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change (14-15 October 2021) explores the political dimensions of causality, ethics, and institutions in various societal and historical contingencies. This conference will address the qualitative and quantitative aspects of causality in different research arenas, and consider what types of methodological, theoretical, empirical, and ethical considerations they warrant in practice. Furthermore, we wish to explore how interdisciplinary perspectives can provide important nuances into research design in order to frame causality and measurement in various social, political, cultural, and economic phenomena.
We welcome theoretical, empirical, and methodological papers discussing the politics of analysis – especially reflective of the issues of causality, ethics, and institutions in research design – in their multitude of forms. We also encourage those interested in submitting their proposals to reflect on the impacts of various crises, including the current COVID-19 pandemic, on these questions. How can we analyse, measure, and interpret the facets of the crises and the reconfiguration of the world after such events? How can qualitative and quantitative research frameworks help us understand the social transformations during and after crises? However, crises are only one phenomenon that can be analysed in this context, and we welcome papers in other areas of analysis as well.
The following are (non-exclusive) examples of the kind of topics the submissions might engage with:
- Differences and complementarities between qualitative and quantitative research
- Intersections of institutions and causality in social research
- Measurement of culture and social transformations
- Measurement of economic and institutional characteristics
- Research ethics as an opportunity and impediment for research
- Application of causality in research design and empirics
- Crises and institutional change over time
- Politics of analysis in empirical, theoretical, and/or methodological aspects of research
- Interdisciplinary challenges in the analysis of societal transformations
Keywords: Causality, Research Ethics, Institutions, Measurement, Qualitative, Quantitative
We warmly welcome doctoral candidates from the Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences and the Doctoral Programme in Political, Societal and Regional Change at the University of Helsinki as well as doctoral candidates from other universities to propose papers. This 8th annual conference is organised as an online conference.
We have confirmed two globally recognised scholars as keynote speakers: Professor Deirdre McCloskey (University of Illinois at Chicago) and Professor Iddo Tavory (New York University).
The extended deadline for abstract submissions (max. 300 words) is 30th August 2021. Please add four or five keywords to your abstract to facilitate the allocation of papers to different sessions.
The deadline for final papers is 30th September 2021. The recommended length for papers is 1000-8000 words. The doctoral students who will give a presentation of their paper will be awarded with 2 study credits. You may also attend the conference without a paper and obtain 1 study credit. The credits will fall under PYAM-940 or SOST-936.
Please note that University of Helsinki students will be given priority in the selection of papers to be presented at the conference.
Accepted presenters will be notified by the 7th of September. The deadline for final papers (max. 8000 words) is 30th September 2021; further instructions will be sent out closer to the time.
If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Tuuli Holttinen: tuuli.holttinen@helsinki.fi