Criminal groups communicate strategically about their practices to legitimate them in the court of public opinion as well as to morally justify their actions. For example, claims about the harmed party’s immorality, lack of intended harm, or positioning oneself as a Robin Hood type “virtuous criminal” may be used in communication strategies to legitimize criminal action. Although legitimation strategies are common organizational practices, we do not know how the general public evaluates criminal groups’ legitimation strategies. This is a significant research gap because a better understanding of the effectiveness of legitimation strategies will help support law enforcement agencies to develop effective delegitimization strategies to counter criminal action.

You will support a cutting-edge research project that directly addresses this issue. The project called “Justifying the Unjust - A multidisciplinary study exploring and assessing the influence of legitimation strategies for criminal practices on public opinion” (JUST, more information: https://research.vu.nl/en/projects/justifying-the-unjust-a-multidisciplinary-study-exploring-and-ass) is conducted collaboratively between the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the University of Twente. The team examines the (medial) strategies criminal and illicit groups use to justify negative behaviour to the public, for example criminal activity such as smuggling or selling illegal drugs. Your responsibilities include screening relevant literature, supporting the development and deployment of online survey experiments, and helping organize a roundtable event to present the research project’s findings.

For further information about this position, please contact Dr. Kristina S. Weißmüller (k.s.weissmueller@vu.nl). The position is part of research funded by the VU-UT Alliance Creating Secure Societies societal theme (https://vu-ut.nl/en/research-and-impact/secure-societies/)

Your duties

• Desk research: Searching academic databases for relevant literature, summarizing relevant research on topics such as legitimation strategies, public opinion, and moral licensing
• Helping with the design of a survey experiment and implementing it in the software Qualtrics
• Helping with the development and deplyoment of a pilot study and with raising data with the survey experiment
• Helping with organizing a roundtable event towards the conclusion of the event (March 2025).

• Currently pursuing a bachelor or (research) master in the field of public administration, criminology, business administration, communication science, organizations science, psychology, economics, or social sciences more broadly
• Strong interest in academic research in general and in the above-described topic in particular
• Empirical research skills, such as experience with quantitative research, survey design, and/or Qualtrics will be an advantage
• Willingness and ability to regularly be present in the office at VU Amsterdam
• Good communication skills (in Dutch and English)
• This is a team project and so good team working skills are essential. As a team we value a positive work environment and so honest, transparent but supportive communication is expected. You will also be expected to be able to work independently as the project will likely involve some unsupervised working.

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore, we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 3 months.

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary € 2.896,00 (SA) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile Student assistant step 2, Student assistant step 3, Student assistant step 4. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.3 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 3 months, with a possible extension of 1 month.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
• discount on (and occasionally exclusive access to) theater performances and courses at the Griffioen Cultural Center
• hybrid working enables a good work-life balance

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

You will be employed at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration within the Faculty of Social Sciences. This is a large and diverse department with many multidiscipilinary research projects into societally relevant topics (https://vu.nl/en/about-vu/faculties/faculty-of-social-sciences/departments/political-science-and-public-administration).

Faculty of Social Sciences
At the Faculty of Social Sciences we examine the major social issues facing us today from a variety of critical perspectives. We combine sociology, anthropology, political science, communication science, administration and organisation. Because there aren’t any ready-made solutions to the complex social issues of today. They demand a multidisciplinary approach. Working together with others helps you expand your mind, come to new ways of understanding and devise creative solutions.

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences? That means working with a team of colleagues from different disciplines in an inspiring work and study climate. Enjoy working in a professional organisation with an informal atmosphere, where we give you space for personal development. FSS employs over 350 staff members and enrols around 3,000 students.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility. Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.