PhD position in the Sociology of Green Transition 2022-224-04947

The Department of Sociology and Social Work at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at Aalborg University is inviting applications for a three-year PhD scholarship starting on February 1, 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter.

Research at the Department of Sociology and Social Work is organized within several research groups that represent cutting-edge expertise in the fields of e.g., social differentiation, gender studies, social geography, demography, sociology of health, everyday life, social norms, emotions and formations of identity and meaning. More information can be found here www.socsci.aau.dk

Job description

Job description
The PhD student will be part of the project ‘Masculinities in Green Transition. Negotiating Gender Norms and Transforming Men’s Practices’ (MANTRA), financed by the Independent Research Fund Denmark. 

The MANTRA-project takes as its starting point that climate changes and gender are inextricably linked as a socially sustainable green transition requires the commitment and participation of women and men on an equal footing. In Denmark, large population surveys have identified a gender difference: Danish men stand out as being less climate ambitious than women and less willing to change their everyday practices.

The aim of the PhD project is to identify and analyze how views of manhood and characteristics of what it means to be a ‘real’ man influence Danish men’s beliefs about climate changes and their openness  towards adjusting their everyday practices; and, further, how masculinity in the Danish setting are being negotiated in light of the rise in new, and at times polarized, understandings of what is, in the current situation, viewed as acceptable vis-à-vis unacceptable consumption patterns and lifestyle adjustments.

The PhD project will be carried out in close collaboration with (among others) associate professor of Sociology Stine Thidemann Faber (Principal Investigator), and assistant professor in Culture and Consumption, Jonatan Leer (Co-investigator).

The main task of the PhD-student is to conduct the research described in the research proposal of the MANTRA project, e.g., the applicant is expected to collect new empirical data, by adopting a dual methodological approach: Focus group interviews; and walk-along individual interviews also covering observations during everyday practices. The overall project addresses some specific theoretical perspectives some of which is expected to be included in the PhD project. However, PhD-students are encouraged to supplement the theoretical and methodological approach based on good insights and/or to address and potentially set-up new studies relevant to this project. In that sense you will make important contributions to the project but will also pursue your own research agenda and develop your own skills.

A detailed description of the MANTRA-project may be requested from the PI of the project, Associate Professor, Stine Thidemann Faber ([email protected] ) prior to submission of the application.

Qualification requirements

The PhD scholarship has a duration of three years. Applicants to the PhD scholarship must hold a degree equivalent to a Danish Master’s degree. Applicants enrolled at a Danish Master programme who expect to graduate before the date of appointment must forward statement from thesis supervisor, verified transcripts, a copy of thesis contract and documentation for the date of their final exam.

The completion of the scholarship will be in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the PhD Programme at the Universities No 1039 of 27 August 2013 (the PhD Order), and it is a prerequisite for allocation of a scholarship that enrolment as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Social Sciences takes place. According to the PhD Order, the PhD study comprises among other requirements: Participation in active research environments, including stays at other, mainly foreign, research institutions, private research enterprises etc.
Please find information on admission requirements for PhD positions on the website of the Doctoral School .

Qualifications within one or more of the following areas are required:

• Excellent study results from the master’s education, preferably in sociology, gender studies or a related discipline within the Social Sciences and Humanities.
• A strong interest in theoretical and empirical questions regarding climate change, green transition, culture, and consumption as well as gender and masculinity.
• Qualitative methods skills, and preferably prior experience with conducting and analyzing interviews and/or focus groups interviews.
• Strong skills in oral and written communication.
• Prior experience with communicating ideas and knowledge in oral presentations to smaller or larger groups.
• Proficiency in written/spoken Danish (to be able to conduct interviews and focus group interviews with Danish-speaking participants) and good English writing and communication skills.

Application requirements 

• letter of motivation
• Application form
• project proposal (approx. 5 pages) containing the research project title, an outline of how you would design your part of the research, selecting the key aspects which you would focus on within the overall frame of the larger project description and argue why you do so, and finally a tentative timeline addressing the feasibility of the project.
• information on which language the PhD thesis is expected to be written in
• curriculum vitae
• diplomas confirming academic degrees (Master degree), including academic transcripts
• Applicants WHO are planning to complete a doctoral thesis in English and who do not have English as a first language or WHO have not completed an English language-based Master’s programme (or an equivalent educational achievement in English) shall provide documentation that they have passed one of the following official tests with the respective minimum score: IELTS (band score):7 TOEFL (paper-based): 600, TOEFL (internet-based): 100. 
• Co-author statement. If publications that have been written in cooperation with others are submitted, a declaration from each of the authors must be enclosed. The declaration must state the extent of the applicant’s contribution to the total work and be signed by the authors.
• Application for credit transfer if relevant.

The complete application including attachments shall be sent electronically by selecting the “apply online” function on AAU’s job-portal https://www.stillinger.aau.dk/ (not other online job portals that may have reposted the position).
Please note that zipped files are not supported by the recruitment system, please upload only Word or PDF files.

Shortlisting will be applied. This means that subsequent to the deadline for applications the head of department supported by the chair of the assessment committee will select candidates for assessment. All applicants will be informed whether they will be assessed or not.

The Faculty draws your attention to the fact that the applicant’s project description may be tested for plagiarism in the IT system iThenticate.
 
Contact

You may obtain further information regarding the academic contents of the position from Stine Thidemann Faber ([email protected] ).
If you have questions regarding the procedure of applying for the position, please contact Gitte Mitzi Hansen [email protected]

Agreement

Appointment and salary as a PhD fellow are according to the Ministry of Finance Circular of 26 June 2019, on the Collective Agreement for Academics in Denmark, Appendix 5, regarding PhD fellows, and with the current Circular on the employment structure at Danish Universities.

AAU wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background or belief.

Vacancy number

2022-224-04947

Deadline

05/12/2022

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Online application – some good advice

Aalborg University uses an electronic recruitment system for receiving applications. Towards the bottom in the respective job advertisement you will find a link, which you need to use when applying for the position. Before uploading your application it is important that you have all relevant documentation ready in a Word or PDF format, as you need to upload all material at the same time. You cannot leave the application and return to it a couple of hours later without having to start over.

The system does not support ZIP or images files. Filenames can only contain numbers and letters, and each document must take up no more than 20 MB.
If you experience technical problems, we encourage you to try again. If the technical problems, contrary to expectation, cannot be solved, please contact the member of staff listed as the contact person in the job advertisement.