Course syllabus The Practice of Soldier-Scholars
Swedish name: Forskande officerare i praktiken
Course code:
3KR0005
Valid from semester:
Education cycle:
Third cycle
Scope:
7.5 credits
Progression:
undefined
Grading scale:
Two-grade scale
Main field of study:
Department:
Department of War Studies and Military History
Subject:
War Studies
Language of instruction:
The teaching is conducted in English.
Decided by:
Forsknings och utbildningsnämndens kursplaneutskott (KUS)
Decision date:
2024-03-19
Entry requirements
Admitted to a doctoral proggramme at a national or international university.
Course content and structure
Like many other researching practitioners, military officers with a PhD degree are often confronted with the conflicting identities of being both a military officer and a researcher. This course aims to introduce and develop analytical tools to better manage and reflect over these dual identities. Do you become a better officer if you are a researcher and do you become a better researcher if you are an officer? How do these roles and identities interact in the research process as well as in the military profession? The course is primarily tailored towards military doctoral students.
The central topic of the course is partly about the knowledge production of professions, partly about the knowledge consumption of professions. The first part of course introduces challenges for researching practitioners in non-military professions as well as the military profession. The second part of the course critically evaluates how research influences the military profession. The course concludes by evaluating different ways in which professions receive different forms of knowledge. What role does gate-keeping mechanisms and professional identity has in obstructing or facilitating different knowledge claims? By integrating knowledge about the practices of both soldiers as well as scholars, the course elucidate the interaction between two partly different value systems and how this integration influences the two sets of practices.
The course is primarily conducted through compulsory seminars. During the final seminar, the doctoral student is expected to present their own text, as well as evaluate other participants’ texts. By studying the literature, the doctoral student improves knowledge about the military profession as well as the rivalling norms of research and military practices. By partaking in the seminars as well as writing their final papers, the doctoral students’ ability to problematize, reflect, and critically evaluate how the military profession produces and consumes knowledge increase.
Type of Instruction
Seminars
The central topic of the course is partly about the knowledge production of professions, partly about the knowledge consumption of professions. The first part of course introduces challenges for researching practitioners in non-military professions as well as the military profession. The second part of the course critically evaluates how research influences the military profession. The course concludes by evaluating different ways in which professions receive different forms of knowledge. What role does gate-keeping mechanisms and professional identity has in obstructing or facilitating different knowledge claims? By integrating knowledge about the practices of both soldiers as well as scholars, the course elucidate the interaction between two partly different value systems and how this integration influences the two sets of practices.
The course is primarily conducted through compulsory seminars. During the final seminar, the doctoral student is expected to present their own text, as well as evaluate other participants’ texts. By studying the literature, the doctoral student improves knowledge about the military profession as well as the rivalling norms of research and military practices. By partaking in the seminars as well as writing their final papers, the doctoral students’ ability to problematize, reflect, and critically evaluate how the military profession produces and consumes knowledge increase.
Type of Instruction
Seminars
Objectives
Upon completion of the course the doctoral student should be able to:
Competence and skills
Competence and skills
- identify and contrast the practices of officers and researchers, including the ethical and epistemological value systems underpinning these practices
- problematize, analyse, and evaluate the interaction of these practices in both the research process and the military practice
- critically evaluate and assess the role of research in the practices of soldier-scholars
Examination formats
The practice of soldier-scholars
Scope: 7.5
Grading Scale: Fail, Pass
The course is examined by active and constructive participation in the compulsory seminars as well as by a written final paper, which is presented at the final seminar. The grade is based on the doctoral student’s ability to orally and in writing elaborate on the central problems raised in the course.
The Examiner can decide on revisions to reach the grade Pass.
The Examiner can decide that absence from compulsory seminars can be compensated by written tasks. Written tasks should be handed in no later than three days after grade has been decided.
Grading
The doctoral student is graded on a two-point grading scale: Fail (U) and Pass (G). To earn the grade Pass, the doctoral student needs to demonstrate active and constructive participation at compulsory seminars as well as earn a Pass on the final paper.
Restrictions in Number of Examinations
There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities
Scope: 7.5
Grading Scale: Fail, Pass
The course is examined by active and constructive participation in the compulsory seminars as well as by a written final paper, which is presented at the final seminar. The grade is based on the doctoral student’s ability to orally and in writing elaborate on the central problems raised in the course.
The Examiner can decide on revisions to reach the grade Pass.
The Examiner can decide that absence from compulsory seminars can be compensated by written tasks. Written tasks should be handed in no later than three days after grade has been decided.
Grading
The doctoral student is graded on a two-point grading scale: Fail (U) and Pass (G). To earn the grade Pass, the doctoral student needs to demonstrate active and constructive participation at compulsory seminars as well as earn a Pass on the final paper.
Restrictions in Number of Examinations
There is no limit on the total number of examination opportunities
Transitional provisions
Other regulations
The course cannot be included in a degree with another course whose content fully or partially corresponds to the content of this course.
If the Swedish Defence University has formally decided that the doctoral student is entitled to receive special educational support due to a disability, the examiner may decide on alternative forms of examination for the doctoral student. The course director will conduct an evaluation on the completion of the course, which will form the basis for any changes to the course.
This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.
If the Swedish Defence University has formally decided that the doctoral student is entitled to receive special educational support due to a disability, the examiner may decide on alternative forms of examination for the doctoral student. The course director will conduct an evaluation on the completion of the course, which will form the basis for any changes to the course.
This is an edited version of the syllabus, created to transfer the original to the education database Ladok education planning. For originals, refer to the archive.