Workshop on Normative Philosophy and Qualitative Methods

The Normative Philosophy and Qualitative Methods workshop is jointly organised by Dr Elizabeth Kahn from Centre for Political Thought; Dr Jessica Begon, Dr Brian Carey and Dr Emil Archambauldt from School of Government and International Affairs; Dr Sarah Wieten from CHESS and PhD Candidate Isaac Seely from the School of Government of International Affairs / Department of Philosophy. 

The event will bring together: 

• researchers with experience of using qualitative methods in philosophical projects;
• those engaged in qualitative research that engages with philosophical questions; and 
• those interested in designing future projects of both kinds.

The workshop builds on the belief that normative philosophers and qualitative researchers would benefit from learning from the insights of each other. For normative philosophers such insights include sensitivity to the contextual nature of norms and values, the importance of researcher positionality and reflexivity, and the constitutive relation between power, knowledge, and authority.

Meanwhile, social researchers are increasingly being called on to engage in normative debates and to justify their positions about what individuals and institutions should do, politically and ethically and with what justification. If they are to take up this call, they need to develop a thoughtful and reliable approach to doing so. To aid the development of their own approaches to making normative recommendations they could benefit from engaging with theorists whose primary task is to do so. Thus, qualitative researchers wishing to develop normative recommendations in their work could benefit from examining and exploring the methods philosophers use.

Finally, we believe that applied philosophers benefit considerably from the development of innovative participatory methods that include people and perspectives from outside of academia—not just as empirical resources or subjects of research but as active co-reasoners with analytical insights and normative arguments worthy of serious consideration. We anticipate that the development of such methods will enable qualitative researchers and philosophers to work together, with those outside the academy, to address societal challenges in a thoughtful, rigorous, and responsive way. 

Speakers:  

• Sarah Banks (Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, Durham University)
• Sydney Calkin (Queen Mary University of London)
• Joseph Hoover (Queen Mary University of London)
• Elizabeth Kahn (Centre for Political Thought, School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University) 
• Sui Ting Kong (Centre for Social Justice and Community Action, Durham University)
• Katherine Puddifoot (Philosophy at Durham University)
• Susanne Ravn (University of Southern Denmark)
• Helene Scott-Fordsmand (University of Cambridge)
• Cat Wayland (University of Edinburgh)
• Sarah Wieten (CHESS, Philosophy at Durham University)
• James Wilson (University College London)