Who promoted the idea of Practical Knowledge? *
Answers
Answer
The research group Theory of Practical Knowledge was established in 2013 with the aim of promoting research on Practical Knowledge. The research group has, for the most part, been based within the Centre for Practical Knowledge (CPK), although it also includes members from outside the CPK, from other faculties at Nord University, and from external institutions.
The research group, along with the CPK, has been committed to the development of research in and on Practical Knowledge as a way of both articulating the foundations of the field of studies in Practical Knowledge, as well as applying this research perspective in the context of specific practices and professions.
The activity of the Research Group Theory of Practical Knowledge is directly relevant, and forms the Research Foundation, for the Faculty's Masters program in Practical Knowledge and for the PhD in the study of Professional Praxis. Several members of the Research Group are also active in teaching modules in the Theory of Science in other programs at the Faculty.
The Research Group comprises both Professors and Associate Professors, as well as PhD fellows.
The group has a continuing interest in research that contributes to a better understanding of Practical Knowledge as such. This includes foundational work on the ontological and epistemological underpinnings of Practical Knowledge, its situation in the landscape of knowledge production and acquisition generally, as well as on issues such as habit, memory, embodiment, intersubjectivity, socialization, learning, and innovation.
The research group also pursues research in specific practices and professions as the focal area in which Practical Knowledge comes to expression. As such, research in Practical Knowledge has been developed in fields such as Health Care and Education, but also in Journalism, Police work, Drama, Coaching, and Leadership. This research both exemplifies and develops the foundational work on Practical Knowledge.
Another major focus of the group has been on questions of method for elaborating and articulating practical knowledge. The CPK has traditionally focused on narrative based research on practitioners lived experience, while the research group has also sought to incorporate other methods and approaches to this end.
Given that the focus of the research group's activity is Practical Knowledge, it is not surprising that the group's members represent a wide range of academic disciplines and practical backgrounds. The research group is committed to interdisciplinarity both in terms of its members and its focal areas of research. This is justified predominantly with reference to the fact that practical knowledge as phenomenon is not the purview of any single discipline or practice.
At present, the group's membership covers disciplines such as Philosophy, Pedagogy, Psychology, Anthropology, Religious Studies, Social work, while it is an ambition to include more disciplines and background within the group in the future.
Recent years have witnessed an increasing interest in research in Practical Knowledge. The research group Theory of Practical Knowledge has sought to harness this interest through the establishment of collaborations with national and international research partners. Our closest international partner is the Centre for Practical Knowledge at Södertörn University College, Stockholm.