The Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join the Dutch Research Council (NWO-VICI) project ‘Political Masculinities in Europe.’

Politics is traditionally a man's world. Despite much progress in recent years, most politicians are still men. What knowledge we have about gender and inequality in politics is mainly based on counting women and men. In contrast, we do not well understand the underlying gendered norms about behavior that is considered inappropriate and appropriate: political masculinities. This project’s research reveals how political masculinities change or persist among voters, elected politicians, leaders, and aspirants. The research results will bring much-needed nuance and depth to a currently polarized but ultimately simplistic debate about gendered inequality in politics.

As postdoc you will study the following research question: How are political masculinities experienced by men in representative politics? The aim of this subproject is to reveal how elected male politicians experience masculinities in their daily work and how this has changed over the course of their political career. How has this been influenced, in their view, by personal factors, their identification, their political party, their political socialization, and by wider socio-political transformations? How do they evaluate political masculinities in the European Parliament, and how does this relate to their experiences in their countries of origin? The post-doc will conduct a concise organizational ethnography in the European parliament to get a first overview of the institutionalization of masculinities (codes of conduct, procedures, behavioral norms). Based on the insights of the organizational ethnography, the post-doc will develop the interview protocol. The post-doc will conduct interviews with male Member of European Parliament in office from different European regions and representing different political groups.

What are you going to do

Specifically, you will

• Conduct high-quality research within the framework of the project, including an organizational ethnography and interviews;
• Write academic articles with other team members (including the PI, the PhDs, and other associated researchers at the UvA and other institutions);
• Assist with administrative responsibilities related to the project, including organization of workshops, team meetings, writing deliverables, data management, and dissemination of project findings in general audience venues;
• Co-support and mentor PhD students and junior researchers working on the project;
• Be affiliated with and take active part in the research environment within the program group ‘Challenges to Democratic Representation’ and the research group ‘Politics of Diversity’ led by Liza Mügge;
• Teaching courses on diversity (max 0.2 fte) in the political science BSc or MSc programme might be possible.

You are expected to live in Amsterdam (or within commuting distance) and take active part in team meetings and the research environment. Mentoring and support to prepare for your next career steps will be available and facilitated. It is possible to gain teaching and supervision experience during the period of employment.

What do you have to offer
The following qualifications are essential:

• a PhD degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences. Political Science, Political Sociology or Political Anthropology are preferred academic backgrounds. The degree must have been obtained before the employment starting date;
• excellent publication record (i.e., publications in highly-ranked international journals) or demonstrated potential thereof;
• interest in masculinities, representation and the European parliament, and willingness to develop additional subject-matter expertise;
• potential interest in teaching on topics related to research interests to political science bachelor and master students;
• excellent command of qualitative research methods, including political ethnography and in-depth interviewing, skills to analyze qualitative data sets in Atlas/MAXQDA/NVIVO/etc.;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• a commitment to academic integrity and transparency;
• independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• the ability to work independently as well as collaborate in an interdisciplinary team;

The following qualifications are desirable:

• demonstrated expertise in research in politics and gender and/or political representation;
• experience with qualitative data analysis;
• (optional) experience teaching courses in Political Science at the bachelor or master level;
• experience with political/organizational ethnography and elite interviews.

Our offer
This is a temporary employment contract for 30,4 - 38 hours per week as Onderzoeker 3 / Researcher 3 , for the duration of two years (24 months.) Depending on education and relevant work experience, the salary amounts to a minimum of €4,492 and a maximum of €5,278 gross per month (scale 11.0-11.5) based on full-time working hours (38 hours per week), excluding 8% vacation allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. The Collective Action Agreement (CAO) Dutch Universities is applicable. In addition, we offer an extensive package of secondary employment conditions, including a generous vacation scheme and year-end bonus, and we believe it is important that you continue to develop and professionalize yourself. To this end, we offer excellent study and development opportunities.

What else can we offer you
A challenging workplace with varied tasks and plenty of room for personal initiative and development in an inspiring organization. You will be embedded in the ‘Politics of Diversity’ team and Challenges to Democratic Representation programme group of the Department of Political Science. The Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR) plays a leading role in addressing major societal and political challenges facing the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.

Working at the UvA means working in a critical, independent, innovative and international climate, with an open atmosphere and a strong commitment to Amsterdam and its (international) society.

About us
The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest range of courses. An intellectual hub with 39,000 students, 6,000 staff and 3,000 PhD students. Connected by a culture of curiosity.

Curious about our organization and attractive fringe benefits such as a generous vacation plan and development opportunities? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam here.

Questions
For questions about the position or the department please contact: Dr. Liza Mügge (l.mugge@uva.nl)

Job application
If this vacancy speaks to you, but you are uncertain whether you meet all requirements, please do apply. Given the department’s commitment to diversity, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates, and specifically from people of color, with a migration background, and/or with other backgrounds underrepresented in academia.

Please submit your application by 31 October 2024. You may apply online by using the link below.

Applications should be submitted as one bundled .pdf* that includes:

• a two-page cover letter describing your qualifications and motivation for the position. Please specify which aspects of the project you are interested in and would like to contribute to;
• a CV with a list of qualifications;
• the contact details of two academic references;
• one published article or other writing sample.

* Please upload the bundled PDF on the next page it says “CV.”
Please do NOT include any other materials at this stage. No other materials will be reviewed by the committee.

The deadline for applications is 31 October 2024. The selection committee expects to notify short-listed candidates a week after the closing date. These candidates will be asked to submit a short research proposal and their references will be contacted. Interviews are expected in November/December 2024.

Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please.

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