The PhD At The End Of The World: Provocations For The Doctorate And A Future Contested

Description

This book addresses a world-wide audience with reference to a global problem: how the PhD can serve the planet. It examines the role of the PhD, in and of itself, and, as representative of research, the university and evidence-based knowledge, in relation to global crisis and the future of humanity. As such, it speaks to the scholar, the teacher, the policy-maker and the administrator concerned with the role of higher education’s highest award at a time of great global crisis. The approach is critical in that it offers diverse views on these issues and does not seek to privilege one single school of thought. The collected articles span theoretical reflections on key issues through to case-study examples of how PhDs are being deployed and re-thought to address global issues. Contents......Page 7 Notes on Contributors......Page 9 Chapter 1: The PhD at the End of the World: Provocations for the Doctorate and a Future Contested –Introduction......Page 13 References......Page 19 Chapter 2: Is Geo-logy the New Umbrella for All the Sciences? Hints for a Neo-Humboldtian University......Page 20 References......Page 33 Part I: Down to Earth – The PhD Lived-Experience......Page 35 Introduction and Background......Page 36 Conceptual Framework......Page 38 Autobiographical Approach......Page 40 Findings......Page 42 Discussion and Conclusion......Page 46 References......Page 50 The Complex and Urgent Global Context......Page 54 Operationalising PhD Research: The Shifting Focus in Doctoral Research......Page 55 Four PhDs Embedded in a Live Project......Page 56 The RISE Project and Its Methodology......Page 57 Research Ecosystem and PhD Integration......Page 58 The PhD Team......Page 59 Three Typologies of Integration......Page 60 Research Methodology......Page 61 Tensions Between Implementation and Discovery Research......Page 63 Research Timelines......Page 65 Research Impact on Communities......Page 66 Research Infrastructure......Page 67 Data......Page 68 Candidates’ Background, Competencies and Proclivities......Page 69 Conclusion......Page 70 References......Page 72 Part II: Earthing the PhD Curriculum......Page 74 Chapter 5: Postformal Learning for Postnormal Times......Page 75 Postformal Thinking and Wisdom......Page 77 Our Current State and Potential for Improvement......Page 78 University of British Columbia Experiment: The Public Scholars Initiative......Page 80 Identity, Legitimization, Successes, and Failures......Page 82 Improved Research and Impact, Deeper Student Understanding......Page 84 Other Current and Future Avenues......Page 85 Conclusion......Page 86 References......Page 87 Introduction......Page 90 Lessons from Previous Efforts at Changing the PhD......Page 91 Global/Societal Challenges......Page 92 Conceptualizing Society: The Nature of Social/Societal Change......Page 94 Role Play......Page 96 Examples from Those Who Did This......Page 97 The Role of a Thought Experiment......Page 98 Disruptors in Any Organizational Social Change Process......Page 99 Designing a Different Type of PhD: Organizational, Disciplinary, and Individual Constraints......Page 100 Social Science Research: What Is Its Purpose? Do We Need/Want to Change/Broaden Our Thinking?......Page 101 Appendix 1. Structured Thought Experiment......Page 102 References......Page 105 Introduction......Page 107 Setting the Scene......Page 108 The Power of Public Science and the Need for Outreach Universities......Page 110 Multi-disciplinary Aggregations......Page 111 Pathways to Impactful PhDs......Page 113 Enhancing Outreach Capability: The Key Role of Communication Literacies......Page 114 Rethinking Disciplinary Arrangements Towards an ‘Earthly’ University......Page 116 Doctoral Curriculum in the Earthly University......Page 117 Conclusion......Page 119 References......Page 120 Introduction......Page 122 The Doctorate in Contemporary US Higher Education......Page 125 Climate Change Engagement Within US Higher Education......Page 127 Interpreting the US PhD Through Latour......Page 128 Direct Implications......Page 129 Conclusion......Page 132 References......Page 133 Part III: Earthing Beyond the PhD......Page 134 Introduction: Unpacking the Notion of Crisis......Page 135 Viewpoint: Postdocs and the “Postdoctoralization” of Academia......Page 137 A Crisis in Collaboration......Page 138 A Crisis in PhD Education......Page 140 A Crisis in Academic Subjectivation......Page 142 Conclusions: Another World Is Already There......Page 144 References......Page 145 Introduction......Page 147 Defining Doctoral Creativity as an Epistemological Force......Page 149 The Risky Business of Doctoral Creativity......Page 151 Following the Master, or Not......Page 152 Hurtling Towards the End of the World, but All Is Not Lost......Page 154 References......Page 155 Chapter 11: The Contribution to Climate Change Research of the Professional Doctorate and PhD: More of the Same but of a Different Flavour?......Page 158 The Argument......Page 159 Form......Page 161 Difference and Sameness in Doctorate Education......Page 162 Different Work Worlds, Different Doctorates......Page 163 Knowledge Production......Page 164 Student Support, Selection and Progression......Page 166 The Benefits......Page 167 So Is This All an Illusion: The Difference That Isn’t?......Page 168 What Does This Mean for Climate Change Research?......Page 169 References......Page 170 Part IV: Theorising an Earthy PhD......Page 172 Introduction......Page 173 Etymology......Page 174 Wisdom, Ecology, Complexity......Page 176 Curious, Imaginative......Page 179 Conclusion......Page 180 References......Page 181 Introduction: Ruin and Disillusion – Or Glimpsing a New Hope?......Page 182 New Doctoral Agency, New Institutional Hope......Page 185 World-Entanglement......Page 188 Academic Activism and Citizenship......Page 191 Conclusion – The PhD Revolution......Page 193 References......Page 195 Introduction......Page 198 Being Wise Before the Event......Page 199 Being Skilful After the Event......Page 200 The End of the Thesis......Page 202 Explaining the Transformation of the PhD......Page 204 Towards an Ecological Adeptness......Page 206 A Personal Journey......Page 208 Conclusion......Page 210 References......Page 211 Afterword......Page 212