TEHA upcoming events

13-14 July 2026, 09:30-13:30, room M-225

TEHA invites all SOGOLAS’ researchers to attend the masterclass of Professor Virginia Braun, who is best known for co-developing reflexive thematic analysis together with Victoria Clarke.

This course offers theoretically grounded, practice-oriented, and reflexive engagement with the doing of reflexive thematic analysis (the approach developed by Virginia Braun and Victoria Clarke), aiming to facilitate analytic engagement that moves beyond categorisation and into interpretation. Some basic understanding will be assumed, and the course aims to build a critical reflexive practice related to coding, theme generation, and interpretation, all aspects crucial for doing rigorous analysis that is both theoretically and methodologically congruent.

The teaching combines a range of pedagogical styles and activities, from (a few) mini-lectures through classroom discussion, small-group and individual- classroom activity, as well as homework. It asks for a reflexively open and interrogative learning-engagement from participants. At the end of the two days, you should have a deeper understanding of the potential (and limitations) of (reflexive) thematic analysis, and what this sort of analysis can - and cannot - deliver. 

General preparation

Participants will be asked to do some preparatory reading before the first class, so we can “jump in”. These will be indicated in good time ahead of the workshop. Those participating will also benefit from “homework” between Day 1 and Day 2. 

Day 1 

Day 1 will focus on elements including:

• Foundational concepts (why they matter)
• Ethics, reflexivity and positioning yourself; subjectivity 
• Close engagement with a dataset
  • Familiarisation 
  • Initial coding (review, rigour and quality considerations)
  • Coding development

Day 2 Classroom based

Day 2’s focus is really getting into reflexive TA analysis

• Understanding themes conceptually 
• (Initial) theme generation – processes, positionality and practice 
• Reflexivity and subjectivity in theme development and interpretation
• Quality considerations

Please register by 29 June

Priority will be given to researchers affiliated with SOGOLAS.

Additional information: eva.valdna@tlu.ee 

Time: 11 June 2026, 10:30–17:00, and 12 June 2026, 10:00–17:00
Venue: Tallinn University, room A-206

The social sciences are in the business of explaining puzzling social phenomena. However, explanatory practices vary widely across disciplines and research traditions-from causal inference and formal modeling to interpretive, historically grounded, and case-based approaches. This diversity raises fundamental questions about the aims, limits, and standards of social scientific explanation. At the same time, philosophers of science have developed rich accounts of explanation that often remain only loosely connected to empirical practice. 

This two-day workshop aims to bring together practicing social scientists and philosophers of social science to create a space for mutual engagement on the nature and practice of explanation across the social sciences. 

More information can be found HERE. 

Programme

Masterclass by Professor Patrick Thaddeus Jackson in early December on relational methods and analytical pragmatism will introduce the philosophical foundations of relational inquiry and provide participants with concrete analytical tools for developing relational, case-specific explanations of complex social phenomena. 

On 2 December, all interested participants are also welcome to attend Professor Jackson’s public lecture, “Balance in the Force: Star Wars as a Cultural Critique of U.S. Manifest Destiny.”

Further details will follow.