Are you enthusiastic about advancing our understanding of microaggressions in different contexts? Are you excited by the idea of conducting conceptually and methodologically sound and innovative social science together with a team of experts in intergroup relations, cultural psychology, and emotion research? Are you interested in learning and employing a diverse set of scientific methods, including experiments and correlational studies, as well as interviews and focus groups to get in-depth insights into the perceptions, experience, and consequences of microaggressions by different social groups in society?
Join us! We are seeking a PhD candidate for a 4-year project on microaggressions. This PhD track is embedded in the Social Psychology programme group, consisting of a vibrant group of world-renowned researchers studying intergroup relations, culture and emotion. The desired starting date is May 1st, 2025, with some room for negotiation.
What are you going to do The PhD candidate will become part of the Starter Grant Project “Discrimination or “just a joke”? The experience, perceived acceptability, and consequences of microaggressions,” supervised by Dr. Liesbeth Mann, Dr. Allard Feddes, and Dr. Bertjan Doosje. As a part of this team, you will play a central role in shaping and executing this new line of research. You will work on a wide array of research tasks, that include designing and performing empirical studies, analysing data, and presenting your work at international conferences and in scientific journals.
The Project Microaggressions are the quick, commonplace, and sometimes - though not always - subtle forms of derogation that people from disadvantaged groups (e.g., migrants, women, black people, people with obesity, or LGBTIQ+ people) experience often and that can have a negative impact on their well-being (Osman et al., 2024). Microaggressions differ from other forms of discrimination in that they usually refer to the more ambiguous and subtle types. For example, they may also reflect positive stereotypes. This ambiguity could be problematic for several reasons, one being that they may go unnoticed by people who are not targets themselves. Even the people who express a microaggression may not be aware they do so. On the other hand, not all targets may be equally bothered by a microaggression and not all types of microaggressions may be equally harmful. Additionally, targets of a microaggression may respond differently to this microaggression depending on their experience of the episode and on the context.
In this research project we aim to get a better understanding of the perception of microaggressions both from a targets’ perspective as well as from the point of view of the actor (the person making a microaggressive statement or showing such behavior) and observers. Secondly, we will study the consequences of experienced microaggressions (i.e., effects on well-being, but also collective action to counter perceived unfairness).
The resulting knowledge is important as it gives more clarity on the experience, perceptions and effects of different types of discrimination and can provide the knowledge necessary to develop more specific and targeted tools for intervention.
Reference: Osman, M., Williams, M. T., & Alftieh, A. (2024). State of the science on racial microaggressions.
Behavior Therapy, 55, 1172-1188.
doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2024.05.005 Tasks you will do: - Conducting research and completing a PhD thesis within the period of appointment;
- Conceptualizing and planning empirical studies on the project topic;
- Drafting pre-registrations and submitting ethics reviews;
- Learning and executing quantitative as well as qualitative techniques including cross-sectional studies, experiments, interviews and focus groups;
- Presenting research results at national and international workshops and conferences;
- Drafting articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
- Actively participating in the Social Psychology Programme Group, your project group, and the wider scientific community through collaborations, workshops, and presentations;
- 5% of your time will be spent on teaching and/or supervising Bachelor and Master theses.
What do you have to offer - Master’s degree in psychology by May 1st, 2025. You may apply if you have not yet completed your Master's degree only if you provide a signed letter from your supervisor stating that you will graduate before May 1st, 2025.
A strong applicant: - Enjoys working collaboratively;
- Has a background in social and/or cultural psychology;
- Is willing to learn new research methods;
- Is highly motivated to research topics related to intergroup relations and social (in)justice;
- Has excellent writing and presentation skills in English;
- Makes things happen instead of waiting for them to happen.
Any of the following would be a plus (but not required): - Experience with scenario studies;
- Experience with interview studies and focus groups;
- Experience working in teams;
- Note that speaking Dutch is NOT required, but learning basic Dutch is encouraged.
What Else Do We Offer You will be conducting research and completing a PhD thesis within the period of the appointment.
We offer a temporary full-time position of 38 hours a week for a term of 4 years. The initial employment is for one year. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of 36 months, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate. The preferred starting date is May 1st, 2025 (with some room for negotiation). We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international conferences.
An inspiring international working environment in the heart of Amsterdam, Roeterseiland campus.
About the faculty A challenging work environment with a variety of duties and ample scope for individual initiative and development within an inspiring organization. The
social and behavioral sciences play a leading role in addressing the major societal challenges faced by the world, the Netherlands and Amsterdam, now and in the future.
Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about
working at the University of Amsterdam.
Do you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:
- Liesbeth Mann, Assistant Professor of Social Psychology, l.mann@uva.nl
Do you recognize yourself in the job profile? Then we look forward to receiving your application by February 9, 2025. You may apply online by using the link below.
Applications
in one bundled .pdf should include:
- A curriculum vitae including the names and contact details of two academic referees (name, position, institution, and email);
- A letter of motivation (max. 1.5 pages, 12pt Times New Roman) that describes your motivation to apply to this project and outlines your relevant skills and experiences;
- Transcript from you Master’s degree (for ongoing degrees, an unofficial transcript is sufficient).