Political Concepts in the World – Teaching Political concepts in post-truth times
The University of Aberdeen, in collaboration with the Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie programme, is delighted to offer 6 Early Stage Researcher (PhD) positions, lasting 3 years starting in September 2019, for ground-breaking research on how political concepts, such as nation, citizenship, civil society and rule of law, are used in the world.
ESRs will complete a PhD with an inter-disciplinary supervisory team and benefit from a world-class training programme, including placements with one or more of our 23 international partners. They will also actively participate in the activities of the Centre for Citizenship, Civil Society and the Rule of Law (CISRUL). We welcome applicants from across the social sciences and humanities, including anthropology, cultural and literary studies, education, history, legal theory and socio-legal studies, philosophy, politics, religious studies, sociology, and theology.
ESRs will be employed by the University on a salary of £26,489.40 per annum, and will be eligible for a range of additional benefits including ample travel and research funding.
One of the topics that we invite applicants to consider is Teaching political concepts in post-truth times
Teaching political concepts in compulsory or post-compulsory education has become more important and more difficult in the internet (mis)information age. In this post truth, post-trust era, the teaching of politics, civics and citizenship require new approaches to teaching and new understandings of the political. We invite the ESR to consider how the teaching of political concepts can be reconceptualised in response to populist movements and a reduced civil sphere. For example, while the UNCRC requires, and student organisations call for, student participation in decision-making, there are few examples of educational establishments embracing meaningful participation – the ESR might explore how “student participation” is being understood by schools. Another possible topic would be to examine whether political concepts are being taught with a view to ensuring compliance or in a way that allows students to problematize existing political structures.
Other indicative topics listed in the Further Particulars are
- “We the people” beyond the nation-state
- The “nation” resurgent?
- Traditions of “citizenship” within and beyond Europe
- Rule of law and constitutionalism
- Sovereignty and the state
- The ‘democracy Phoenix’ – are young people changing the meaning of democracy
- Protest, populism and social movements
- Digitalising ‘democracy’ – transforming the concept?
- Civility and understanding the political
- ‘Radicalisation’, ‘extremism’ and the role of ‘civil society’
- Conceptualizing secularism, post-secularism and religion itself
- The politics of ‘religious pluralism
- Horizons of the ‘political’
These are indicative topics – applicants are free to propose their own projects on how political concepts are used in the world.
Candidates are required to meet the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Early Stage Researcher eligibility criteria. In particular, at the time of the appointment candidates must have had less than 4 years full-time equivalent research experience and must not have already obtained a PhD.
Additionally, they must not have resided in the UK for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before the appointment.
Any appointment will be offered a contract of employment that will be conditional upon satisfactory references, a 12 month probation period, the fulfilment of any conditions specified in the offer of a place on a PhD programme, and confirmation of the right to work in the UK and ability to secure a valid visa, if required, from UK Visas and Immigration.
Deadline is 20th January 2019. Please click here for Further Particulars and details of how to apply.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research & Innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 754326.