Postdoc position in sociocultural anthropology

The Center for Subjectivity Research (CFS), Department of Communication, Faculty of Humanities, University of Copenhagen (UCPH), Denmark, invites applications for a postdoc position in sociocultural anthropology to be filled by October 1, 2021 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position is for 2 years, with the possibility of extension for one additional year.

Information about CFS can be found at https://cfs.ku.dk/

Job content
The postdoc will be part of a project entitled Who are We? funded by the Carlsberg Foundation and headed by Prof. Dan Zahavi. Applicants are asked to situate and develop their research plan within the framework of the Who are we? project.

The larger project investigates what it means to feel, think, and act as part of a we. Its guiding hypothesis is that a systematic account of the we must be embedded in a more comprehensive investigation of selfhood and social cognition. The project will systematically develop this hypothesis by combining cross-disciplinary theorizing with historical scholarship. In particular, it will draw on seminal contributions from classical phenomenology. In addition to philosophers, the project will also involve social scientists (from social anthropology, sociology, social psychology, clinical psychology, and political theory).

The postdoc should be a theoretically oriented sociocultural anthropologist working on the intersection between subjectivity, affect, and social life. The candidate should engage with one (or ideally both) of the following set of questions: 1) What is the relation between personal identity and collective identity? How does group identification and culturally defined roles affect self-identity? Does the social cohesion of a community presuppose or exclude ontologically bounded selves? 2) What is the role of affective sharing and rituals for the establishment and maintaining of we-identities beyond the here and now? How does cultural boundaries and the existence of out-groups consolidate group-identities? What is the role of storytelling and narratives for the construction of trans-generational communities?

The successful candidate will be working in close cooperation with philosophers and other social scientists and should be willing to primarily engage in theory development during the period of employment. The postdoc is not expected to conduct new empirical research.

Qualification requirements

In order to be considered for the position applicants must have research qualifications at least corresponding to what can be achieved as part of a successfully completed PhD within the field of sociocultural anthropology. It is expected that the successful candidate will be present, part of the team, and partake in the activities at CFS on a daily basis.

Furthermore, emphasis will be placed on the following:

• Research qualifications, which will be assessed in relation to the period of active research, the degree of originality, and academic output.
• The applicant’s scientific record, academic breadth and depth, rigor, thoroughness and accuracy, as well as academic relevance in relation to the job description.
• Participation in networks – national and international
• Previous experience with interdisciplinary collaboration and research
• Prior familiarity with phenomenology would be an asset
• Good interpersonal skills
• Excellent skills in English, written and spoken

For further details about the qualification requirements for postdocs, please refer to the job structure for academic staff https://employment.ku.dk/faculty/criteria-for-recognising-merit/dokumenter/Ministerial_Order_no._1443_of_11_December_2019_on_Job_Structure_for_Academic_Staff_at_Universities.pdf

For further information, please contact the director of CFS, Professor Dan Zahavi, [email protected]

Application

Submit the application online in Adobe PDF or Word format.
ZIP-files cannot be uploaded.

Please click on the “Apply now” icon at the bottom of the page.

The application must be written in English and include the following enclosures:

• Application letter/cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (with applicant’s e-mail address & telephone number)
• Documentation of qualifications (examination certificates/PhD diploma, etc.).
• Complete and numbered list of publications. The enclosed publications must be marked with *.
• Research plan (max 5 pages), including a short description of previous research and a plan for the coming years that includes an account of involvement in organising research, establishment of research seminars, symposia and congresses, etc.
• Documentation of teaching qualifications and research dissemination, if any
• Publications. Applicants may choose a maximum of three publications for assessment, of which at least two must have been published within the five years immediately preceding the deadline for applications. Publication dates must be clearly marked on the publication list. The publications selected must be uploaded as attachments and listed from 1 to 3.

Should any material submitted consist of work with named co-authors, or work that is otherwise the result of collective academic endeavours, the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the work must be clearly stipulated. The Faculty may ask for a signed statement from the co-authors stipulating the extent and nature of each individual’s contribution.

Only material in Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, English or German can be expected to be assessed.

Appointment procedure

After the application deadline, the Head of Department selects applicants for assessment on the advice of the Appointment Committee. All applicants are notified whether their application has been accepted for assessment. The Head of Department subsequently appoints an expert assessment committee tasked with carrying out an assessment of the selected applicants for the specific post. Selected applicants are notified of the composition of the committee. Applicants are ultimately offered the opportunity of commenting on the part of the assessment relating to themselves before the appointment is finalized.

Further information about the application procedure is available from HR officer Lotte Strandberg, e-mail: [email protected], please refer to ID #1 211-0746/21-2I

Salary and conditions of employment

Terms of appointment and salary will be in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Finance and The Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC). The annual salary range starts at DKK 415.000, (EUR 55.800,) + a 17,1 % contribution to the pension scheme. It is possible to negotiate salary supplements on an annual basis.

The Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) have further agreed on a protocol that makes it possible for international researchers employed by the University to achieve a pension exemption, whereby the pension contribution will be paid out as salary. For more information about the different pension schemes, please read more here: https://ism.ku.dk/salary-tax-pension/pension/

If you consider applying from abroad, you may find useful information on how it is to work in Denmark and at UCPH here : http://ism.ku.dk, http://www.nyidanmark.dk/en-us/frontpage.htm and https://www.workindenmark.dk/

UCPH wishes to encourage everyone interested in this post to apply, regardless of personal background.

The closing date for applications is 1 June 2021 23.59 CEST

Applications or supplementary material received thereafter will not be considered.

Kilde: Jobnet.dk