‘Give, Act and Pray’: The dynamics of ‘transformational’ supporter engagement and global citizenship in relation to Christian Aid’s work in the UK. RDFC18/SSL/BAILLIE-SMITH

This collaborative PhD between the International NGO, Christian Aid, and the Centre for International Development at Northumbria University will explore Christian Aid’s relationships with its supporters; and how they view their contribution to international development, and the role of Christian Aid.
Christian Aid considers poverty to be caused by unequal power relations. It believes that building common cause between people in the global north and global south is key to shifting and ending poverty. However, the organisation recognises that social change is complex, and it wants to understand more about how change happens over the longer-term. To this end it has set up a study to follow the lives of their supporters (in the UK) and programme participants (in Kenya, Colombia) over the next 10 years in order to understand different perspectives on change, and the impacts of their work.
This PhD will contribute to the UK element of the study. It will develop participatory methodologies with UK supporters to explore the factors that shape how different people understand and engage with Christian Aid. Through active engagement with Christian Aid and the wider literature, this PhD will develop new and integrated understandings of the diverse factors that shape engagement with INGOs and with issues of international development and change. This could include factors such as geographical location, gender, age and ethnicity, socio-economic context, citizenship practices / global citizenship, faith motivations, geopolitical change, etc. depending on applicant interests.
The research will be developed and managed between Professor Baillie Smith and Christian Aid. Applicants should have interests and/or experience in one or more of the following: international development; community development in the UK and internationally; civil society; participatory methods. You should demonstrate an interest in developing Christian Aid’s study, producing original academic knowledge and ensuring that the analysis contributes to practice and wider debate. For more information about the wider project or this PhD, please contact: Professor Matt Baillie Smith ([Email Address Removed]) and/or Dr Kate Newman ([Email Address Removed]).

Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.

For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/

Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF18/…) will not be considered.
Deadline for applications: 15th June 2018
Start Date: 1st October 2018
Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award in recognition of our commitment to improving employment practices for the advancement of gender equality and is a member of the Euraxess network, which delivers information and support to professional researchers