PhD Positions in Social Anthropology

Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology
Leiden University, Netherlands
Starting Date: February 2025
Application Deadline: September 10, 2024

The project, “Entangled Universals of transnational Islamic Charity”, a European Research Council-funded Consolidator Grant (ERC-CoG), led by Dr. Radhika Gupta, and hosted by Leiden University’s Institute of Cultural Anthropology & Development Sociology, is looking for two PhD candidates, one for research in India, and one for research in Tanzania. The project investigates how transnational Islamic charities are positioning themselves as universalist projects by claiming humanity as their constituency. Islamic charitable networks have increasingly invested in public works to meet the social needs of both Muslims and others. As the lines between charity, philanthropy, humanitarianism and development have become blurred, transnational Islamic charity has become entangled with Western humanitarianism and neoliberal welfare regimes. This raises questions such as: How do Islamic charitable networks rearticulate the category of humanity in efforts to address diverse constituencies and new challenges? How do Islamic charities define and contribute to the public good within globalized neoliberal welfare regimes? How do recipients of aid demonstrate their humanity to meet shifting criteria of worthiness?

To address these questions, the project steps outside the ‘traditional heartland’ of the Islamic world and centers two non-Muslim majority countries in the global south: India and Tanzania. Ethnographic research in these countries will foreground the perspectives of seekers and recipients of aid to understand how sectarian, racial, and caste hierarchies figure in the articulations of humanity by Islamic charities.

Responsibilities

The selected candidate will conduct independent ethnographic research in either India or Tanzania, carving out a research topic within the frame of this project.

• Conduct ethnographic research in India or Tanzania, entailing at least 10 months of fieldwork.
• Submit a PhD thesis, publish at least one peer-reviewed journal article, and one article in a project-related edited volume.
• Use visual and digital methods (e.g., smartphone filmmaking) to make a small documentary on/in the fieldwork.
• Participate in meetings and proceedings of the project (e.g., reading groups, co-writing initiatives) and the wider activities of the Institute of Cultural Anthropology & Development Sociology, including training requirements of the institute and faculty.
• Co-organize and participate in academic and public events.

The candidate will be part of a team comprising two PhD candidates, a postdoctoral researcher, and the principal investigator. The postdoctoral fellow will undertake research on Islamic genealogies of humanity and its cognate concepts. The principal investigator will focus on the linkages through which Islamic charity is scaled up from giving at the ‘local’ level to becoming transnational in scope. The team will collaboratively address the larger theoretical questions posed by the project through reading groups, co-writing projects, and academic and public events. The entire team is expected to reside in the Netherlands and work from Leiden for the duration of the project (till August 2029) except for the fieldwork periods.

The institute will offer an employment contract for 38 hours per week as a PhD candidate, initially for a period of 1 year, with the possibility of extension for 3 years after a positive evaluation, and a salary of a minimum of €2770 and a maximum of €3539 gross per month, based on a full-time appointment (38 hours).

Requirements

Applicants should have:

• Completed a Master’s degree in Anthropology, Sociology or Religious Studies or any other relevant discipline in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
• Excellent research skills demonstrated by an outstanding Master’s thesis or long research papers.
• Enthusiasm, passion, and commitment for long-term fieldwork in India or Tanzania.
• Speaking and reading skills in Hindi and/or Urdu for research in India (PhD 1), and Swahili for research in Tanzania (PhD 2).
• Interest and some experience in multi-modal research methods.
• Excellent command of English (speaking and writing).
• Teamwork and organizational skills.

Application

To apply for these positions, applicants should submit the following before September 10, 2024:

(A) A curriculum vitae (CV) (2 pages),
(B) A motivation letter (2 pages), explaining their background, which country they would like to do research in (India or Tanzania), and why their unique skills qualify them for this research project,
(C) A preliminary research proposal, explaining how they intend to address the project’s questions (1000 words) and
(D) Names and contact details of two referees.

Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS)

Leiden University’s Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology concentrates on ‘global vulnerability and social resilience’. The institute has three main themes: diversity, sustainability, and digitalization. CADS is dedicated to making a real-world impact, not just studying change, but also working with communities to promote positive change through education and research.

More information on: University of Lieden