PhD Studentship: Office Work: Transformations in Technology, Practice and Energy Demand
Deadline for applications: 5pm Monday 8 th January 2024
Supervised by Stan Blue and Elizabeth Shove
Deadline:
This is a call for applications for a three and a half year, fully funded, ‘CREDS (Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions) Interdisciplinary Energy Demand Studentship’.
The project investigates the ways in which office technologies and office work are changing, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research investigates emerging complexes of technology (digital and otherwise) as they become embedded in working practices and as they modify the extent and distribution of energy consumption and carbon emissions.
The aim of the project is to identify and describe the processes involved in specific settings so that insights into the details of this sociotechnical transformation can be extended to other organisations seeking to develop and adopt lower carbon ways of working.
The position as advertised on Jobs.ac.uk
Practice theory: A one week intensive course at Lancaster University (held online via MS Teams) – 24th April – Tue 30th Apr 2024.
The course is taught by experts in theories of practice, including Stanley Blue, Ted Schatzki, and Elizabeth Shove. Its aim is to introduce students to various theories of practice. Among the topics we will examine are substantial theoretical ones such as change, power, time, connectivity, variation, materiality, and method as well as aspects of practice theories that have informed research in a number of substantive areas including management, education, health, and energy. To this end, the course blends preparatory work—recorded lectures, podcasts, reading, and various intellectual exercises (all released in March)— with a week of activities, linked exercises, and cross-disciplinary group work (held online in the last week of April).
Participants have a great opportunity not just to learn about theories of practices but to connect and work with researchers from around the world who use, or are interested in using, such theories in their work. For evidence of the kind of fun we have, you can leaf through a scrapbook of postcards, produced by course participants (see also 2021 and 2022). We ended with a capping off ceremony: Hats on, and then hats off to everyone!
To learn more about the content of the course and how it is organised, you can read the 2023 Practice Theory course handbook, available here. (2024 Handbook available February 2024.)
The course is credit bearing: 20 Lancaster MA credits (transferable in the UK system), and the equivalent of 10 ECTS credits.
Cost
If you are not a student at Lancaster University, the cost of the course is £640.
To apply
To apply, send a CV (no more than 2 pages) and a brief statement (no more than 1 page) about your interests and why you want to join the course to Stanley Blue, S.Blue@lancaster.ac.uk by 17:00 British time on Monday 8th January 2024.
Dates to bear in mind:
Mon 6th November 2023: the call for participants goes out.
Mon 8th January 2024, 5pm: the deadline for all applicants.
Wed 17th January 2024: we send out decisions about which applicants we have selected.
Fri 9th February 2024, 5pm: deadline for payment.
Mon 26th February 2024, cancellations are non-refundable after this date.
Mon 11th March 2024: course materials available to those who have registered.
Mon 8th April 2024, 5pm: deadline for participants to submit blogs for sharing
Thu 11th April 2024, 4pm-5pm UK time: pre-course meeting online
Wed 24th April – Tue 30th Apr 2024: the course itself.
Mon 3rd June 2024: coursework deadline