Collective Phronesis. A survey of collectivity, decision making and professional considerations in the welfare professions in Sweden and Germany

The project examines whether, and if so how, Phronesis (Practical Wisdom) could be understood as a collective capability, and if so, in what way this knowledge is expressed and understood. The project combines philosophical investigations of the concept of ”collective phronesis” with a study of how professionals in the education system, the police force and healthcare institutions in Sweden and Germany – understand and relate to this very concept.

The project consists of three subprojects and a joint collection of empirical data through ethnographic and qualitative methods. Subproject 1 will study collective phronesis from the point of view of existential philosophy and examine in what way a professional judgement or action could be understood as an expression of collectivity. Study 2 takes departure in the phenomenological tradition and ask for different experiences of collectivity. Project 3 is a PhD project that will examine the actual appearances of collective phronesis from within one of the professional fields.

The project’s contribution to the research is twofold: On the one hand, it will map and conceptualize concrete practical problems in several professional fields and develop methods for doing this. These findings can then be used both in an educational context and research contexts. On the other hand, the project will make a contribution to epistemology and professional research in general.

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Final report - Jonna Lappalainen - Collective Phronesis. A survey of collectivity, decision making and professional considerations in the welfare professions in Sweden and Germany