Postdoc/Assistant professorship within the ‘Outside Citizenship’ Project (Aarhus University, Denmark)

A postdoc/assistant professor position is open within the FSE / Independent Research Fund of Denmark project Outside Citizenship: The Making and Integration of Denizens at the Department of Political Science, Aarhus University.

The position is a fixed-term position of 2 years (postdoc) or  3 years (assistant professor) starting 1 August, 2020 or subject to mutual agreement.

The Outside Citizenship Project

The Outside Citizenship project investigates effects on immigrants of not being, and in particular not being able to meet requirements to become a citizen or, in some cases, even acquire permanent residence. Effects include measure of social, economic, psychological and political integration, as well as the number and composition of non-citizens or denizens. The particular object of study are immigrants, including refugees and family reunified, who face the Danish requirements, which include demands – about employment, language, knowledge, and clean criminal records – that are among the most restrictive in Europe. The project pays particular attention to the psychological effects and possible (dis)incentive mechanisms, including potential withdrawal, frustration, and shifting preferences/alienation, which may operate and intensify over time, during the mandatory waiting period and after. The project investigates these questions through registry data, repeated surveys, and life course interviews – both among those who can fulfill the requirements, including a small group who nevertheless choose not to apply, and among the large group for whom it appears impossible.

Job description

Outside Citizenship is by the Danish Independent Research Fund for the period 2020-2024. It received the 2019 prize from the Fund for the most original research idea across the sciences. The research group includes Associate Professor Per Mouritsen (director), Professor Julia Nafziger, (Department of Economics, Aarhus University) and Assistant professor Kristian Jensen (Department of Political Science, Aalborg University). The postdoc/assistant professor will be employed as part of the research group and will devote his or her research time to the project, engaging in the collaborative research within the focus of the project, including both quantitative and qualitative research and publication efforts. The position will involve approximately 35% teaching in the BA and MA programs of the department, where the candidate will be affiliated with the political sociology section. Through the research group, the assistant professors will have access to funding for conferences, data collection, etc.

Requirements

Applicants are expected to hold (or be close to completing) a PhD in political science or a related social science field. In addition to interest in conducting collaborative research within the focus of the project, applicants must demonstrate the ability to conduct and publish excellent research within the field. They should also possess strong methodological skills, extensive experience with empirical research, and an excellent command of spoken and written English and preferably also Danish or another Scandinavian language (for interviewing and survey design) as well as relevant knowledge of migration studies.

In addition to a CV, proof of PhD degree (or the near completion of a PhD degree), and publications, applicants should submit an application letter (2-3 pages) motivating why he or she wishes to be part of Outside Citizenship and how the applicant can contribute to the success of the project, outlining potential avenues for research within the focus of the project.

For more information, see: https://international.au.dk/about/profile/vacant-positions/job/postdocassistant-professorship-at-the-department-of-political-science-aarhus-university/

Application deadline: 31 March 2020