| Thesis Proposal 2. Culture and Society | Researchers | Research Group |
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Building Spaces of Resistance
We propose conducting an ethnography of the new forms and tactics of political and social resistance that are emerging today through the lens of event studies (Getz; Richards; Quinn). Social and political resistance movements can be characterized as innovative in terms of their rhetoric and collective mobilization. Currently, they produce a plethora of creations with collective representations and exhibitions based on crowd synchronization to achieve specific visual, emotional, and symbolic effects. These include colorful manifestations; the occupation of large strategic infrastructures; human chains stretching hundreds of kilometers; localized and networked displays of slogans and specific messages; mass festivals, and the saturation of landscapes with symbolic color. As national authorities may have opted to prosecute political and social leaders, the demand for anonymity has led some social movements to organize and plan events in new ways through new dramaturgies of collective celebration and resistance. Some movements also use technology to design and orchestrate protests.
Research projects that focus on what these new forms of resistance and disobedience, their rhetoric, narratives, design, actions and reactions, and technological appropriations tell us about the use and appropriation of political, symbolic, and public space are welcome.
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Email: acolombo@uoc.edu
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IdentiCat |
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Critical Event Studies: Events as Drivers of Social Change in Socially Uncertain Times
Events such as festivals, carnivals, congresses, sports events, demonstrations, and contemporary rituals are analyzed within a research field known as "Event Studies". Currently, this field of study is expanding from business and politics to social, cultural, and contextual approaches (Getz; Richards; Quinn; Smith). This shift offers scholars the opportunity to address events as contemporary social activities with effects and actions, but also as forces that shape and transform societies. We have explored various aspects related to traditions, gender, sustainability, inclusion, social relations, networks, and liminality.
Thus, we offer guidance for research from a critical perspective, related to events and their consequences or potentialities for our society. We expect research projects to be based on social science methodology. The proposals should employ a qualitative methodology, but we also offer the possibility of working with quantitative measures. We encourage candidates interested in examining the role of contemporary events in our society.
The candidate may join the debate generated within the framework of the recent EU-funded HERA research project, titled "Festivals, events, and inclusive urban public spaces in Europe" (2019/2022).
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Email: acolombo@uoc.edu
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IdentiCat |
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Bodies, Affects, and Technology
Life is made up of encounters, encounters that can determine the course of one's life. This knowledge is part of the most basic wisdom of any human being and, indeed, of any living being. From the perspective of posthumanist thought, bodies are conceptualized as a set of different elements that give rise to organisms that go beyond the skin that covers them.
From this perspective, we propose to investigate human encounters with digital technologies (and also with robots and artificial intelligence) to understand some of the effects of these encounters/assemblages on the ways we relate to others (both human and non-human), on the construction of ourselves as subjects, and on the conception of ourselves as human/posthuman.
Note: This thesis direction will be conducted in Catalan or Spanish.
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Email: fnunez@uoc.edu
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MEDUSA |
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Neoliberalism in the "Gender Academy": Processes of Subjectivation and Resistance
This line offers two sub-lines of research:
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Email: avayreda@uoc.edu |
MEDUSA |
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Ecologies of Imagination
Thinking is training the imagination, producing possible images of what is not apparent, obvious, or immediate. In an immediate present that cancels all imagination except the apocalyptic, what imaginaries do we have today to enable new emancipatory visions of the present, past, and future? |
Email: mgarcesma@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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The Neoliberal Transformation of Academia in the Humanities and Social Sciences: Effects and Resistance
The impact of neoliberal policies and practices has caused the most significant transformation in contemporary science and academia since the mid-20th century. Neoliberal academic policies have placed more emphasis on creating commercial value than on achieving social welfare or knowledge; they have encouraged the use of patents over the open dissemination of knowledge and promoted private investment in universities and research projects to support those research lines with higher commercial application and, thus, financial return prospects.
Existing literature on these issues focuses on the natural or "hard" sciences, such as the biomedical field, while areas like the humanities and social sciences have been much less studied. In this research line, we aim to analyze this almost unexplored terrain, using specific cases such as "digital humanities," and to identify and study initiatives or resistance experiences—both in content and organization—inside and outside academia.
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Email: eaibar@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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Visual Culture and Society
This proposal invites PhD candidates interested in exploring the role of visual culture in contemporary society. This includes examining photography, visual and performing arts, cinema, and video, as well as electronic media, focusing on the historical foundations of visuality and theories of visual culture and aesthetics. Candidates are invited to explore the role of visual culture in society concerning:
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Email: acreus0@uoc.edu |
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Mutations of Doubt: From Methodical Doubt to Agnotology
Modern thought and science placed doubt at the center of their method for accessing truth and knowledge. Today, however, new forms of doubt have emerged, often systematically produced by powerful actors aiming directly to generate confusion, controversy, or ignorance. In the case of scientific knowledge, studies in agnotology have analyzed and documented numerous cases of systematic doubt production to create uncertainty or ignorance about what we already know (climate change, ozone depletion, the effects of tobacco, etc.), which are at the root of so-called denialism.
Phenomena such as fake news, the rise of conspiracy theories, or the collapse of imagination are also examples of these new forms of doubt. From a philosophical approach, we propose investigating these new forms of doubt and ignorance, their cases, and their conceptual and socio-political implications. We aim to analyze what kinds of transformations are currently taking place in the regimes of truth/falsehood and in the relationships between knowledge, ignorance, and truth, using both theoretical studies and case or sectoral analyses.
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Email: eaibar@uoc.edu Email: mgarcesma@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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Relational Infrastructure, Social Capital, and Inequality
Research proposals to study how more homogeneous or more mixed spaces of interaction impact inequality and subjectivity.
Study of inequality from the perspective of the impact of interactions, social ties, and social capital. This proposal is aimed at those with knowledge in statistics and/or network analysis, or proficiency in qualitative techniques such as interviews, life history, or ethnography, who wish to join ongoing research exploring the relevance of social ties and capital that are formed differently depending on homogeneous or diverse interaction spaces in various institutional contexts (school, city, territory, leisure spaces, youth linguistic or cultural spaces, etc.) in the production and modification of symbolic boundaries between individuals and groups and subsequent social trajectories (inequalities).
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Email: rmartinezsa@uoc.edu
Email: igonzalezbal@uoc.edu
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Youth Cultures, Styles, and Tastes
Research projects focused on specific youth cultures and styles or on the relationship between different styles, with the aim of understanding how they articulate boundaries and social meanings.
Youth cultures can be studied using both quantitative and qualitative methodological strategies, focusing on specific styles or the relationship between styles; on contemporary or historical cases; and in a single location or a broader geographical scope. The objective is to study youth styles as cultural productions that generate meanings and symbolic responses to the historical and structural contexts in which they exist (social transformations and various forms of inequality).
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Email: rmartinezsa@uoc.edu
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IdentiCat |
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Critique of Technodigital Reason This research line critically examines the reason that governs our current times: technodigital reason. We define technodigital reason as the economic, behavioral, and ideological logic that characterizes the contemporary era, marked by the shift from homo machina to homo data, representing a second stage of what is known as big tech capitalism or data capitalism. This research line aims to create a space for thought within the field of governmentality studies, offering new critical perspectives on foundational contributions from authors like Michel Foucault, and contemporary figures such as Mariana Mazzucato and Evgeny Morozov, focusing on the forms of control that data ideology exerts over the modern being, the homo sapiens. |
Email: igozalo@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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Technoscientific Activisms: Collective Action with, Against, and Beyond the Burden of Proof
From patient collectives suffering from rare diseases to mobilizations against the disastrous effects of certain infrastructure projects, recent decades have witnessed many groups and collectives breaking into the once-sacred spaces and activities of science and technological production. From participatory engagements of laypersons in expert-led processes — e.g., citizen science — to the articulation of counter-expertise and evidence-based activism — e.g., work with affected communities, concerned groups, embodied health, and environmental justice activism engaging in dialogue with experts — many of these practices are transforming not only who produces technoscience but also how, where, and with what outcomes.
This research line welcomes PhD proposals interested in developing conceptual and ethnographic studies of various repertoires of ‘technoscientific activism’ (counter-expertise, translation, issue publics, cosmopolitics, and self-experimentation), paying close attention not only to the complex distributions and attributions of agency but also to the particular relationships these forms of collective action have with the burden of proof and different forms of ‘truth politics’.
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Email: tomcriado@uoc.edu |
CareNet |
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Scientific Fraud and Integrity in Contemporary Research
The analysis of scientific fraud and misconduct can shed light on some fundamental aspects of science. For instance, the historical evolution of scientific fraud, from traditional “epistemological” manipulation — fabrication or falsification of data — to current varieties of “post-production” misconduct — aimed at enhancing publication impact — reflects dramatic changes in how science is evaluated and organized. We seek research proposals willing to analyze some of the most distinctive features of this new emerging style of scientific misconduct and link them to structural changes in the organization, funding, and evaluation of contemporary science.
Different methods can be used: from quantitative studies on “retractions” to qualitative analyses of specific cases. We are particularly interested in focusing on some recent notorious cases of alleged misconduct in Spanish science and how they have been handled by academic and governmental institutions, the media, and colleagues.
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Email: eaibar@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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Social Studies of Science and Technology (STS)
The so-called ‘Science & Technology Studies’ (STS) are an interdisciplinary research field that emerged a few decades ago, exploring different social aspects surrounding science and technology. At the intersection of disciplines like history, sociology, or the philosophy of science with a post-Kuhnian orientation, it promotes fundamentally empirical studies (using ethnographic, historiographical methods, or case studies) of specific practices, initiatives, and episodes in science and technology from a situated and critical standpoint against traditional perspectives of technological determinism, scientism, or the ideology of innovation.
This research includes analyses of the creation, design, or use of scientific knowledge and technological artifacts, paying particular attention to their social, cultural, and political contexts.
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Email: eaibar@uoc.edu |
MUSSOL |
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Cultural Rights: From Inequality to Equity
Analysis, on one hand, of inequalities in various dimensions of cultural rights (participation, education, creation, production, and governance). On the other hand, the study of policies and projects that address these inequalities.
This research addresses questions such as: What factors influence inequalities in exercising cultural rights? How do factors such as place of residence, people’s origin, or gender affect access to and creation of culture? What kinds of cultural and social policies are being developed to respond to these inequalities? How is the public problem of inequality constructed within these policies? What implications and results does promoting equity in cultural participation through specific programs and projects have?
In short, the research analyzes culture as a key dimension in addressing social and urban inequalities.
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Email: nbarbieri@uoc.edu |
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The Public Value of Culture: From Instrumentalization to Democratic Transformation
Analysis and evaluation of the public value of cultural policies and projects, studying the shift from the instrumentalization of culture for economic and social objectives to processes of democratic transformation. This line of research addresses questions such as: To what extent do cultural policies and projects promote collective and equitable identities, fostering a sense of belonging to shared, yet socially diverse spaces? How can culture foster the autonomous and creative development of individuals, providing opportunities for learning, understanding, and engaging with current societies?
What policies can drive inclusive and sustainable territorial transformation, building new cultural centralities and recognizing people’s cultural capacities? Methodologically, this research advocates for innovative approaches to measure the value and impact of cultural projects using both quantitative and qualitative instruments (indicators, surveys, frame analysis, etc.).
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Email: nbarbieri@uoc.edu |
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Peripheral Resistances: Youth, Marginalities, and Forms of Political Action
PhD projects that seek to study and understand how young people from peripheral contexts respond to inequality and marginalization, primarily from a qualitative and/or ethnographic approach.
In recent decades, society, media, academia, and politics have placed a strong emphasis on observing young people's attitudes and discourse towards democracy and their political engagement, seeking to measure the extent to which they hold reformist, disruptive, or even reactionary ideas. This focus has often led to stigmatizing views of youth, especially in peripheral or marginalized areas. In these contexts, young people face structural challenges such as a lack of decent employment, social segregation, or increasing poverty.
This research line aims to deepen the understanding of these political forms, moving away from stigmatizing perspectives on youth.
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Email: eballestei@uoc.edu |
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Generative AI Oppression Generative AI produced 15 billion images in its first year, a feat that took photographers 150 years to achieve. The societal impact of this technology has not yet been fully understood.
Especially concerning are AI biases. These biases reinforce stereotypes and perpetuate discriminatory practices regarding race, gender, or age, among others, mainly because generative AI models fail to capture the diversity and complexity of our society, prioritizing certain narratives over others.
This research line aims to study the different forms of production, consumption, appropriation, or regulation of generative AI technologies in relation to various forms of discrimination and exclusion.
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Email: jlinareslanzman@uoc.edu
Email: arosalescl@uoc.edu
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Resistance and AI
This research focuses on the emerging global rebellion against AI oppression and the dominant AI paradigm, including its practices, myths, and discourses. It draws on shared experiences of how AI is affecting society and explores the different ways users strive to negotiate their agency on algorithmic platforms, which could potentially evolve into collective algorithmic agency actions, impacting technology development.
Resistance to AI often questions the ethical implications of AI systems, power control, and social equity. It may operate within or against the system, encompassing social movements, legal struggles, algorithmic audits, or reverse engineering techniques, among other strategies.
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Email: jlinareslanzman@uoc.edu
Email: arosalescl@uoc.edu
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Communication Networks and Social Change - CNSC UOC |