Empathy, Compassion and Meaning: Theory and participatory approaches (PHD304)

Content

This transdisciplinary course will put doctoral fellow candidates at the front of knowledge, and with participatory research skills for research based on empathy, compassion and meaning. We offer this course in the believe that universities are not only to prepare doctoral candidates on how to do research, but to prepare scholars to do research that is implemented in ways that helps others and contributes to the better good in the world, and in accordance to the UN Sustainability goals.

Empathy, compassion, and meaning have become central notions in contemporary psychology, social sciences, the humanities, healthcare sciences, and leadership. Emotional fatigue, stress, time pressure, ruptures of trust, a mismatch between working tasks and our core values, the lack of sense of direction and purpose in what we are doing, are only some of the aspects that make empathy, compassion and meaning difficult to practice. Despite our best aspirations at being kind, trustworthy, caring, and proactive, our relationships with colleagues, leaders, clients, users and nonetheless, with ourselves can go astray. Different decisions, structural constraints, policies, or relational conflicts make it challenging to embrace empathy, compassion and meaning, which also becomes an obstacle for the planning, implementation, and assessment of collaborative projects in research and development.

During this course, the candidates will analyse three dimensions related to empathy, compassion and meaning:

1) the state of art of empathy, compassion and meaning studies;

2) core research approaches and relationship skills in the applicability of the principles of empathy, compassion and meaning when collaborating with candidates, colleagues, users, clients and or research participants; and

3) an reflexive practice about the impact of empathy, compassion and meaning for the candidate’s own experiences of well-being and their role as researchers. This course will bring relational processes at the core, through experiential learning, as well as a continuous process of critical thinking. To ensure this, the course targets a parallel orientation. On the one hand, the candidates will work on the formulation of a case where empathy, compassion and meaning are at stake in their PhD project. In addition to this case formulation, the candidates will submit a process-oriented report about reflexivity, self-awareness, collaboration, and critical thinking.

The candidates will be asked therefore to keep fieldnotes during all the modules, which will be central for the process-oriented aspects of the course. This will be a dual resource, both as a skills training in journaling to promote self-awareness and relational awareness, as well as a skills training on fieldnote taking as part of research. In addition, each of the plenary sessions will have at least one micro-mindfulness which will serve as an experiential learning of micro-mindfulness practices the candidates can implement at their workplace and or whet their collaborators and participants.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon course completion, the candidate :

• LOK1 has advanced theoretical knowledge about the contributions from different traditions in the study of empathy, compassion and meaning.
• LOK2 contributes significant to the development and documentation of new research-based knowledge and practices in empathy, compassion, and meaning.

Skills

Upon course completion, the candidate can:

• LOS1 challenge established knowledge and practices in the fields of empathy, compassion and meaning.
• LOS2 plan and conduct research that addresses issues of empathy, compassion and meaning in their projects in a reflective way
• LOS3 handle complex issues about the impact that our own emotions and values, as well as those of others, have in mental health and well-being.

General competence

After completing the course, the candidate should be able to:

• LOG1 Identify and critically evaluate relevant ethical dilemmas around empathy, compassion and meaning in research, as well as respond to these with scholarly integrity.
• LOG2 Assess the need for, as well as initiate and practice transdisciplinary and innovative collaborations in research based on the principles of empathy, compassion and meaning.
• LOG3 Critically reflect about the epistemological and ontological implications of different understandings of empathy, compassion and meaning.

Required prerequisite knowledge

Recommended prerequisites

Exam

Coursework requirements

Course teacher(s)

Course coordinator:

Method of work

If receiving enough applicants, the course can be delivered in two different formats:

1. Semester-based course: This course will be delivered online during 5 plenary sessions, one session of supervision per group/challenge, as well as with the candidate’s independent work.
2. Summer-school format: The candidates will meet at the campus of the University of Stavanger for one week, participating of a combination of lectures, discussions, and skills training.

A detailed timetable will be made available at the beginning of the course-semester on Canvas.

Open for

Course assessment

Literature