European / International Joint Ph.D. in
Social Representation and Communication

Theoretical and Methodological Development of the Social Representation Research Field

I. A. THEORETICAL and META-THEORICAL ISSUES RELATED TO THE STUDY OF SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS
The research programs in this area promote:

  • I.A.1. Analysis of the main constructs of the Social Representations Theory, like “anchoring”, “objectification”, “naturalization”, “cognitive poliphasia” etc., and the relationship between the concept of Social Representations and other key constructs of social psychology, like attitudes, opinion, image, stereotype, action, practice, intergroup relations, linguistic repertories etc.: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Université « Paul Valéry » Montpellier III – France; University “A.I. Cuza“ Iasi – Romania; University of the Basque Country and University of Valencia – Spain; University of Lausanne and University of Geneva, Switzerland; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; University of Belgrano – Argentina
  • I.A.2. Meta-theoretical analysis to review the critical debate about the Social Representation Theory and other psychosocial paradigms or well-established trans-disciplinary research areas, such as “cultural studies”, “discursive psychology”, “collective memory” and “emotions”: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; University of the Basque Country – Spain; Aix-Marseille University – France; Maison des Sciences de l’Homme – Laboratoire Européen de Psychologie Sociale – France; University “A.I. Cuza” Iasi – Romania; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico;
  • I.A.3. Critical comparison between the explanatory principles of the social representations paradigm and the vast literature on social cognition literature, where there is a wide affinity in terms of content and objects of investigation: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; University“Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ Iasi – Romania; University of Lausanne and University of Geneva– Switzerland; Aix-Marseille University – France; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic;
  • I.A.4. Development of the “central core” theory and the “structural” approach to Social Representations: University of Provence and University « Paul Valéry » Montpellier III – France; University“Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ Iasi – Romania;
  • I.A.5. Development of the “socio-dynamic approach” to the study of Social Representations: University of Lausanne and University of Geneva, Switzerland; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; University“Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ Iasi – Romania; University of Basque Country, Spain;
  • I.A.6 Development of the “narrative and dialogical approach” to the study of Social Representations: Aix-Marseille University – France; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Nankai University – China; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico;
  • I.A.7 Development of the “anthropological and ethnographic approach” to the study of Social Representations: Aix-Marseille University – France; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; University of Belgrano – Argentina; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico; Matej Bel University – Slovakia
  • I.A.8 Development of the “modelling approach” to the study of Social Representations: Sapienza University of Rome - Italy; University “A.I. Cuza” Iasi – Romania; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (LACCOS) – Brazil;
  • I.A.9. Articulation between the Social Representations Theory and the “minority influence theory”: University of Valencia – Spain; University of Geneva, Switzerland; University of Provence – France; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy;
  • I.A.10. The developmental approach to the study of Social Representations, socio-cognitive development and the social genesis of knowledge: University of Geneva – Switzerland; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Masaryk University, Brno - Czech Republic; University of Belgrano – Argentina.

 

I.B. MULTI-METHODOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE “THEORY OF METHOD” ON SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS
With regard to methodology, research programs are guided by the goals to:

  • I.B.1. advocate a multi-methodological approach to the study of Social Representations based on an integrating and differentiating paradigmatic option inspired by a multi-theoretical perspective, underscoring the widespread inconsistency in the literature between the complexity of the Social Representations construct and its methodological operationalization: Sapienza University of Rome - Italy; Aix-Marseille University – France; University of the Basque Country – Spain ; Maison des Sciences de l’Homme - Laboratoire Européen de Psychologie Sociale – France; Masaryk University, Brno - Czech Republic; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (LACCOS) – Brazil
  • I.B.2. promote or adopt specific methods inspired by the “structural approach to Social Representations” and the theory of the “central core” and its development: Aix-Marseille University and University « Paul Valéry » Montpellier III – France;
  • I.B.3. develop the “social positioning approach”, guided by the socio-dynamic perspective to Social Representations: University of Lausanne and University of Geneva, Switzerland; University of the Basque Country – Spain; Sapienza University of Rome – Italy;
  • I.B.4. focus on “monographic”, “anthropological”, “biographical-narrative” and “discursive approaches to Social Representations: Maison des Sciences de l’Homme - Laboratoire Européen de Psychologie Sociale – France; Aix-Marseille University – France; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; Sapienza University of Rome– Italy; Beijing Normal University and Nankai University – China; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico;
  • I.B.5. stress the interest of the “experimental” approach to study of Social Representations: Aix-Marseille University – France; University of Valencia – Spain; University of Vienna – Austria; University of Geneva, Switzerland;
  • I.B.6. emphasize the interest in the figurative channel of communication as a source and product of Social Representations: Sapienza University of Rome– Italy ; University « Paul Valéry » Montpellier III – France; University of Geneva, Switzerland; Masaryk University, Brno – Czech Republic; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico;
  • I.B.7. develop application and cross-validation of new projective lexical-textual and graphical techniques, such as the “euroSKYcompass”, “imaginary maps”, “city maps and preferred paths”, the “family eating drawing”, the innovative symbolic spatial use of the Family Relation test and the “graphical configuration of the Actual, Origin and Ideal Family”, etc. and to compare their validity as well as lexical associative techniques, including the "associative netwok", “associative card”, “self-identification conceptual network”, “basic cognitive schemas”, or those based on tasks, like “ambiguous scenarios”: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; University of Provence, University « Paul Valéry » Montpellier III – France; University “Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ Iasi – Romania; Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana – Mexico;
  • I.B.8. investigate how different strategies of data analysis (Spad-T, Alceste, Discan, Lisrel, Hudap, Taltac, Similarity Analysis, EVOC etc.) applied to the same data files affect results and their interpretation in terms of the “theory of method”: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (LACCOS) – Brazil; University of Lausanne and University of Geneva – Switzerland; University of Basque Country – Spain; Aix-Marseille University – France;
  • I.B.9. develop new techniques of sociological and psychological web surveys with the added advantage of language orientation (qualitative and quantitative analysis of web interview texts, press, and forums), semantic maps of customer perception, online survey tools able to reach large samples, customized online gaming for assessment purposes etc. for investigation and interventions in the sectors of operational and strategic business management, communications, public affairs: ContattoLavoro - Italy;
  • I.B.10. develop software for research on how users interact, changes in human behavior, social aspects and methods for how to effectively transform knowledge in a distributed meeting; use of distance learning tools and behavioural change, actively developed methods also for providing communication between professors and students using distributed tools for synchronous communication over the Internet; development of commercialization strategies for technologies, companies and regional innovation eco-systems and mentoring techniques to help start-ups to solve commercialization and market challenges: CONERI - Sweden;
  • I.B.11. use digital media (including social networks, web-platforms, mobile devices…) to investigate the social construction of everyday knowledge and of the related social practices: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Elsevier BV – Netherlands; IFSTTAR – France;
  • I.B.12. develop collaborative researches “on” and “by” new forms and digital tools of knowledge production/dissemination (big data, meta-data, semantic ontologies, metrics…) in the supra-disciplinary field of social representations within and beyond the 2.0 scenario: Sapienza University of Rome – Italy; Elsevier BV – Netherlands

 

Thematic Areas: Training “for” and “by” Research
In addition to research programs aimed at contributing to the theoretical, meta-theoretical and Methodological development of the Social Representations Theory described above and guided by the common framework of providing the background necessary for training both “for” and “by” research in all the thematic areas, the next 12 international and cross-sectoral research teams - that include academic institutions, research organisation and private companies (big multi-national and small-medium companies) - cooperate in training early-stage researchers on these 12 main thematic areas and related sub-topics.