Political Concepts in the World

The University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Horizon 2020 Marie Sklodowska-Curie programme, is offering six Early Stage Researcher positions, lasting 3 years commencing September 2019, for ground-breaking research on how political concepts are used in the world.

Indicative topics listed in the Further Particulars.

• The nation resurgent?
• ‘We the people’ beyond the nation-state
• Traditions of ‘citizenship’ within and beyond Europe
• Rule of law and constitutionalism
• Sovereignty and the state
• Teaching political concepts in post-truth times
• The ‘democratic Phoenix’ – are young people changing the meaning of democracy
• Protest, populism and social movements
• Digitalising ‘democracy’ – transforming the concept?
• Civility and understanding the political
• ‘Radicalisation’, ‘extremism’ and the role of ‘civil society’
• Conceptualizing secularism, post-secularism and religion itself
• The politics of ‘religious pluralism'
• Horizons of the ‘political’

ESRs will complete a PhD with an inter-disciplinary supervisory team and benefit from a world-class training programme, including placements with one or more of our 23 international partners. We welcome applicants from across the social sciences and humanities, including anthropology, cultural and literary studies, education, history, legal theory and socio-legal studies, philosophy, politics, religious studies, sociology, and theology. ESRs will be employed by the University on a salary of £26,075 per annum, and will be eligible for a range of benefits including travel and research funding.

ESRs will propose and develop their own research projects around the theme of how political concepts have been fostered historically, debated philosophically and politically, fought over by social movements, codified in law, transmitted through education and the media, and lived out in everyday life. They will register for a PhD and work under the supervision of an interdisciplinary team of supervisors. They will receive extensive training, including in engagement with non-academic audiences, which will include one or more placements with one of our 23 partners. They will also participate in the activities of the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and the Rule of Law.

Successful applicants will be required to start on 1 September 2019 for a period of 3 years.

Candidates are required to meet the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher eligibility criteria. In particular, at the time of the appointment candidates must have had less than four years full-time equivalent research experience and must not have already obtained a PhD. Additionally, they must not have resided in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the appointment.

Any appointment will be conditional upon satisfactory references, a 12 month probation period, the fulfilment of any conditions specified in the offer of a place on a PhD programme, and confirmation of the right to work in the UK and ability to secure a valid visa, if required, from UK Visas and Immigration.

Online application and further particulars are available at www.abdnjobs.co.uk/internal/vacancy/early-stage-researchers-369165.html

The closing date for receipt of applications is 5 March 2019.

Should you wish to make an informal enquiry please contact Dr Trevor Stack, at politico@abdn.ac.uk.

Don’t send application forms or CVs to Dr Stack.

Quote LAN084R on all correspondence.