sociology phd in europe

• Schools & departments

Sociology PhD

Awards: PhD

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Sociology

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Research profile

Edinburgh is one of the leading international centres of excellence for postgraduate study in sociology.

Our PhD degree is eligible for Economic and Social Research Council funding and our postgraduate research students come from all over the world and join our vibrant and diverse postgraduate student community, which plays a full role in the life of the department.

Many of our students have non-sociology backgrounds and bring with them experience and expertise from other disciplines in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Whatever your background, you will thrive at Edinburgh.

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Postgraduate Admissions Advisor (Research) to discuss their research proposals and the availability of appropriate research supervision, using the email address on the right-hand side of the page.

Programme structure

The PhD in Sociology is a three-year research programme (six years for part-time students).

The PhD degree is awarded for a thesis which must draw on your own research and which makes a significant contribution to knowledge in the chosen field of study and contains material worthy of publication. The thesis must demonstrate adequate knowledge of the field of study and relevant literature, and the ability to look critically at both your own work and that of other scholars in the field.

The normal progression for a PhD is that the first year is partly spent on preparing to undertake a PhD thesis by reading and reflecting on relevant literature and taking courses of importance to the researcher's work. A fully elaborated research proposal should be developed by the end of the first year.

Provided the proposal receives approval from a panel of members of staff with expertise relevant to the research project, the student will be registered as a PhD student at the beginning of year two.

The second year is typically spent on fieldwork and data collection, with the remaining time devoted to data analysis and write-up of the thesis.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

You will work with a supervisor on an original research dissertation and participate in advanced sociology research-training workshops, work-in-progress seminars and a writing workshop.

A wide range of training facilities will be available to you. The Graduate School provides a range of ESRC-recognised research training courses for social science students across the University.

You are encouraged to participate in taught Masters level courses to assist your intellectual development and support you research.

The University’s Institute for Academic Development provides a range of courses and events to assist with methodological training and career development.

• Institute for Academic Development

Research library and archive facilities in Edinburgh are outstanding.

You will be a member of the Graduate School of Social & Political Science, with full access to the Graduate School’s facilities in the Chrystal Macmillan Building.

Other library and archive facilities include the:

• University’s Main Library
• National Library of Scotland
• Scottish Records Office

Proximity to the Scottish Parliament and other institutions of national government provides further research opportunities.

PhD Sociology student story: “I never considered a PhD was within my realm of possibilities”

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent, and a UK masters degree with an overall mark of 65% or its international equivalent.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

School of Social and Political Science Scholarships

UK Research Council Awards

For specialised guidance on submitting a competitive scholarship application, please follow the requirements and recommendations and how to contact relevant academic staff as advised here:

• Important information and recommendations

(Revised 10 November 2023 to update featured funding opportunities.)

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Admissions Team
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: [email protected]
• Programme Advisor, Dr Julie Brownlie
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 8260
• Contact: [email protected]
• Graduate School of Social & Political Science
• Chrystal Macmillan Building
• 15A George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Sociology
• School: Social & Political Science
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Sociology - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd sociology - 6 years (part-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

You must submit a research proposal demonstrating your knowledge of your field of research, which will be closely scrutinised as part of the decision-making process. We request that PhD research proposals are no more than four A4 typed pages in Times New Roman, 12pt font. This includes charts and figures but does not include references or a bibliography.

We require PhD applicants in particular to contact potential supervisors before applying to discuss their research proposal so we can ensure there is adequate supervision.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Home > Academics > PhD Programmes > Doctorate in Sociology

Doctorate in Sociology

Three-Year PhD Programme

Programme in French & English

Presentation

The doctoral program in sociology, with substantial support from two major Sciences Po laboratories (the Centre for the Sociology of Organizations (CSO) and the Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS, ex : OSC)) , and et The Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) , is designed to provide:

• the theoretical foundations and most recent developments in international sociological analysis;
• opportunities to specialize in fields of sociology: public policy, consumption, culture, education, employment, exclusion, markets, risks and health, segregation, stratification, social uses of time, cities, etc.;
• deep, high-level quantitative and qualitative methodological work  based on fieldwork and data, with the support of leading experts;
• an international and comparative scope of training;
• tailored support at the research centers from a strongly committed and internationally recognized academic team.

The doctoral program in sociology trains excellent sociologists for both academic and university careers, as well as careers as experts in major public and private organizations and NGOs.

Skills targeted

The program provides both theoretical and practical sociological research and analytical skills, as well as high-level expertise in various methodological tools.

Research centre support

The programme draws on support from Sciences Po's two sociology research centres, which host PhD students:

• Centre for the Sociology of Organisations (CSO) : the centre is key to the French school of sociology of organisations, developing creative thought on private, public, market and non-market regulations from research on organisations, markets and occupational groups.  The centre was founded by Michel Crozier and is headed by Christine Musselin, research director at CNRS.  
• Centre for Research on social InequalitieS (CRIS, ex : OSC) : researchers here study transformations in contemporary societies, such as social stratification, intergenerational relations, migrations, the spatial dimension of inequalities, lifestyles, socialisation and deviance, and educational policies and dynamics.  The centre was founded by Henri Mendras and is headed by Alain Chenu, Professor at Sciences Po.

PhD students interested in political sociology or public policies can also join the Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics (CEE) , a Sciences Po research centre that uses a multidisciplinary approach to explore political issues such as European integration and the relationships between policy and politics.  The centre is headed by Renaud Dehousse, Professor at Sciences Po.

Programme structure

The PhD in sociology is open to students from Sciences Po Masters in Sociology as other students with a master's level degree (for more details, see admission conditions ).

See the programme catalogue

The three thesis years

During the next three years PhD students are mentored and included in the research centres, where they take part in the research, and participate in three seminars:

• "Current trends in sociology research" provides a thematic overview of contemporary sociology research with prominent contemporary authors;
• a specialty seminar organised by the research centre allows students to regularly present work;
• workshops on advanced methods.

Thesis writing takes place at the research centres or international partner universities.  Partners include the Max Planck Institute Cologne, the Stockholm Centre for Organizational Research, Northwestern University (Chicago), Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, and Oxford.

Beyond these partnerships, students may seek invitations from renowned institutions at foreign universities in Europe, North America (Harvard, Columbia, etc.), Brazil (IUPERJ: Instituto Universitário de Pesquisas do Rio de Janeiro), China (Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing), etc.

Students may also earn a dual PhD Joint PhD en Sociologie Sciences Po/Northwestern .

The PhD in sociology is awarded after completing these three years.

See Admission to a PhD

Tuition fees

Des aides à la mobilité sont proposées aux doctorants pour participer à des colloques et pour effectuer des travaux de terrain et des séjours d'études à l'étranger.

See Tuition Fees

Teaching staff

The teaching staff made up of internationally recognized sociologists. While teaching benefits from outside Sciences Po, the core of the teaching team comes primarily from Sciences Po research centers.

List of possible supervisors in the Sociology Department

PhD Students

• Consult the list of CSO doctoral students
• Consult the list of CRIS (ex : OSC) doctoral students
• Consult the list of CEE doctoral students
• Consult the list of Medialab students
• Consult the list of CERI students
• Jérôme Pélisse ,  Head of doctoral studies in Sociology, Full Professor at Sciences Po, Researcher at the CSO
• Carine Boutillier Administrative Officer Ph.: +33 (0)1 45 49 59 82

Submit an application

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Discover more about Sociology at Manchester

PhD Sociology / Overview

Year of entry: 2024

• View full page
• Bachelor's (Honours) degree in a cognate subject at 2:1 or above (or overseas equivalent); and
• Master's degree in a relevant subject - with an overall average of 65% or above, a minimum mark of 65% in your dissertation and no mark below 55% (or overseas equivalent)

Full entry requirements

Apply online

Please ensure you include all required supporting documents at the time of submission, as incomplete applications may not be considered.

Application Deadlines

For consideration in internal funding competitions, you must submit your completed application by 1 December 2023. If you are applying for or have secured external funding (for example, from an employer or government) or are self-funding, you must submit your application before the below deadlines to be considered. You will not be able to apply after these dates have passed.

• For September 2024 entry: 30 June 2024
• For January 2025 entry: 30 September 2024

Programme options

Programme overview.

• Ranked 3rd in the UK for Sociology research (REF2021).  
• Join a supportive and inspirational Sociology research community.
• Access expert supervision across a wide range wide range of research themes from staff renowned in their fields.
• Gain superb opportunities for personal and professional development, with regular opportunities to share your work.

Please enable JavaScript to watch this video.

To find out what studying on a postgraduate research programme at Manchester is like, visit our Open days and study fairs page and explore our virtual open week or future on-campus and international events.

We will be conducting our PGR virtual open week in October 2024. Find out more about future events and postgraduate research sessions by signing up for our email alerts.

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

• PhD (full-time) UK students (per annum): £4,786 International, including EU, students (per annum): £21,500
• PhD (part-time) UK students (per annum): £2,393 International, including EU, students (per annum): £10,750

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

Scholarships/sponsorships

There are a range of scholarships, studentships and awards available to support both UK and overseas postgraduate researchers, details of which can be found via the links below.

To apply University of Manchester funding, you must indicate in your application the competitions for which you wish to be considered. The deadline for most internal competitions, including School of Social Sciences studentships is 1 December 2023.

All external funding competitions have a specified deadline for submitting your funding application and a separate (earlier) deadline for submitting the online programme application form, both of which will be stated in the funding competition details below.

For more information about funding, visit our funding page to browse for scholarships, studentships and awards you may be eligible for.

• ESRC North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) PhD Studentships - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• School of Social Sciences PhD Studentships 2024 Entry
• China Scholarship Council - The University of Manchester (CSC-UoM) Joint Scholarship Programme - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Trudeau Doctoral Scholarships 2024 Entry
• PhD Studentship with the Stuart Hall Foundation (Social Sciences) - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (High Income Countries)
• Humanities Doctoral Academy Humanitarian Scholarship 2024 Entry
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarships (Least Developed Countries and Fragile States)
• President's Doctoral Scholar (PDS) Awards - Competition Closed for 2024 Entry

Contact details

See: School Subjects

Programmes in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of programmes in related subject areas.

• Social Sciences

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The University of Manchester is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the OfS website .

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at The University of Manchester, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our regulations website .

Doctoral Programme in Social Sciences

The doctoral programme offers high-quality doctoral training in the areas of media and communication studies, social and cultural anthropology, social psychology, social and public policy, social work, sociology, social data science and criminology.

50 new doctoral students are admitted each year. We're an international community, and the programme is multilingual: you can complete a degree in either Finnish, Swedish or English.

Want to know more? Visit our profile & activities page to learn more about the key research areas and activities in the programme.

Study Postgraduate

Phd in sociology (2024 entry).

Course code

30 September 2024

3-4 years full-time; Up to 7 years part-time

Qualification

University of Warwick

Find out more about our PhD in Sociology.

The PhD in Sociology offers a broad span of research areas and expertise. From gender and sexuality to markets and capitalism, Warwick's Sociology department, ranked 9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2022), has an active and exciting research culture where you will receive specialist training.

Course overview

The doctoral programme in Sociology provides access to a vibrant and welcoming community of international researchers and supports you in developing your independent sociological research project.

As well as being part of an active and exciting research culture, you will receive specialist training in undertaking doctoral study at the beginning of your course and dedicated and expert supervision throughout.

Teaching and learning

All first year PhD students undertake a two-term course called Research Process and Research Design. Provided by the Department, this course supports students with the fundamentals of PhD study and life and prepares them for their upgrade from MPhil to PhD. All doctoral students have access to dedicated PhD study rooms with computers and printers.

General entry requirements

Minimum requirements.

A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Sociology or a related subject; a strong research proposal.

English language requirements

You can find out more about our English language requirements Link opens in a new window . This course requires the following:

• IELTS overall score of 7.0, minimum component scores of two at 6.0/6.5 and the rest at 7.0 or above.

International qualifications

We welcome applications from students with other internationally recognised qualifications.

For more information, please visit the international entry requirements page Link opens in a new window .

Additional requirements

There are no additional entry requirements for this course.

Our research

Research within our department covers a broad span of the discipline and is organised into three main themes:

• Economy, Technology, Expertise
• Inequalities and Social Change
• Justice, Authority and the Geopolitical

The Department hosts the Social Theory Centre and the Centre for the Study of Women and Gender.

We have considerable expertise in areas such as:

• Gender and sexuality studies
• Social and cultural theory
• Race and racism
• Criminology
• Work and employment
• Political sociology
• Markets and capitalism
• Methodologies

Full details of our research interests are listed on the Sociology web pages Link opens in a new window .

You can also read our general University research proposal guidance.

Find a supervisor

Find your supervisor using the link below and discuss with them the area you'd like to research.

Explore our Sociology Staff Directory.

You can also see our general University guidance about finding a supervisor.

Tuition fees

Tuition fees are payable for each year of your course at the start of the academic year, or at the start of your course, if later. Academic fees cover the cost of tuition, examinations and registration and some student amenities.

Find your research course fees

Fee Status Guidance

We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.

Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?

If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.

Find out more about how universities assess fee status

Additional course costs

As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.

For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on the course web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our  Module Catalogue  (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).

Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2022/23 year of study). Information about module department specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:

• Core text books
• Printer credits
• Dissertation binding
• Robe hire for your degree ceremony

Scholarships and bursaries

Scholarships and financial support

Find out about the different funding routes available, including; postgraduate loans, scholarships, fee awards and academic department bursaries.

Sociology Funding Opportunities

Find out more about the various funding opportunities that are available in our department.

Living costs

Find out more about the cost of living as a postgraduate student at the University of Warwick.

Sociology at Warwick

We have an international reputation for research excellence, a global and cosmopolitan perspective, and high-quality teaching. Our curriculum offers a comprehensive and up-to-date foundation with a diverse range of specialist options.

What does it mean to understand the world in which you live? What will your contribution be to this changing world? How do your own experiences and life chances compare to those of others?

Sociology – the study of humans in society – attempts to capture the rich variety and complexity of human social life. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any area of social existence that a sociologist wouldn’t be interested in examining, from the most intimate of personal relationships to the worldwide circulation of ideas, beliefs, products and people.

Find out more about us on our website. Link opens in a new window

Our Postgraduate courses

• Gender and International Development (MA)
• Gender and Sexuality (MA)
• Social and Political Thought (MA)
• Social Inequalities and Research Methods (MSc)
• Sociology (MA)
• Sociology (PhD)
• Women's and Gender Studies (PhD)

How to apply

The application process for courses that start in September and October 2024 will open on 2 October 2023.

For research courses that start in September and October 2024 the application deadline for students who require a visa to study in the UK is 2 August 2024. This should allow sufficient time to complete the admissions process and to obtain a visa to study in the UK.

How to apply for a postgraduate research course  

After you’ve applied

Find out how we process your application.

Applicant Portal

Track your application and update your details.

Admissions statement

See Warwick’s postgraduate admissions policy.

Join a live chat

Ask questions and engage with Warwick.

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Postgraduate fairs.

Throughout the year we attend exhibitions and fairs online and in-person around the UK. These events give you the chance to explore our range of postgraduate courses, and find out what it’s like studying at Warwick. You’ll also be able to speak directly with our student recruitment team, who will be able to help answer your questions.

Join a live chat with our staff and students, who are here to answer your questions and help you learn more about postgraduate life at Warwick. You can join our general drop-in sessions or talk to your prospective department and student services.

Departmental events

Some academic departments hold events for specific postgraduate programmes, these are fantastic opportunities to learn more about Warwick and your chosen department and course.

See our online departmental events

Warwick Talk and Tours

A Warwick talk and tour lasts around two hours and consists of an overview presentation from one of our Recruitment Officers covering the key features, facilities and activities that make Warwick a leading institution. The talk is followed by a campus tour which is the perfect way to view campus, with a current student guiding you around the key areas on campus.

Connect with us

Learn more about Postgraduate study at the University of Warwick.

We may have revised the information on this page since publication. See the edits we have made and content history .

Why Warwick

Discover why Warwick is one of the best universities in the UK and renowned globally.

9th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2024) Link opens in a new window

67th in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024) Link opens in a new window

6th most targeted university by the UK's top 100 graduate employers Link opens in a new window

(The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research Ltd. Link opens in a new window )

About the information on this page

This information is applicable for 2024 entry. Given the interval between the publication of courses and enrolment, some of the information may change. It is important to check our website before you apply. Please read our terms and conditions to find out more.

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PhD in Sociology and Social Research

• Admission Board
• Training and research

Application deadline: Jun 20, 2023 at 11:59 PM (Expired)

PhD Call for Applications, with scholarships funded by NRRP and other funds

• Call for applications
• PhD Programme Table

Enrolment: From Jul 21, 2023 to Jul 31, 2023

Doctoral programme start date: Nov 01, 2023

• Sociological theory and research methodology
• Urban sociology, tourism and migratory processes
• Sociology of cultural and communicative processes
• Digital Sociology
• Sociology of family and generations
• Sociology of education and socialization processes
• Sociology of deviance, criminology and victimology
• Sociology of Health
• Sociology of well-being
• Sociology of Social Policy
• Sociology of economic processes, organization and work
• Sociology of Consumption
• Social communication and participatory processes
• Sociology of web society
• Sociology of Social Innovation

Appointed by RD n. 709/2023 Prot n. 149534 on Jun 02, 2023

* The following shall take part in the work of the Examination Board as expert members for positions linked to specific research topics:

• Giuseppe Tesei - Trenitalia Tper Scarl

The main aims are the the formation and improvement of highly qualified professionals with a strong and solid attitude for the elaboration, organization and direction of empirical and theoretical research. The Phd is organized to educate scholars who will be able to manage:

• theoretical and sociological reflections along with the most important and innovative emerging social issues;
• field-work with qualitative and quantitative methodologies, also in the digital realm.

To achieve these goals the students are invited, in the first year, to participate to several methodological seminars, designed to improve their quantitative and qualitative techniques of sociological research. Along the whole period of study the students are invited to participate to regular methodological laboratories, organized to make them able to utilize statistical programms for the social sciences, as SPSS and Stata.

During the PhD program the students will analyze critically the main theoretical sociological paradigms and its methodological consequences. More specifically, the students will carry out the following activities:

• theoretical research
• fieldwork, that is:

a) how to plan a sociological research b) operationalization c) selection of the best methodology and research techniques d) data collection by qualitative and quantitative e) data analysis and data interpretation f) how to write the research paper

• tutoring and teaching assistance in classes and group work with junior students
• writing reviews and working papers
• research activities carried out abroad for 6 months in a university.

Research training activities are structured as follows:

• at least five seminars for all doctoral students (from all cycles)
• lectures by outstanding national and international scholars
• specialized seminars for research topics
• standardized methodological and theoretical training courses with a total duration of 120 hours consisting of an introductory module, a qualitative analysis module, and advanced modules on the introduction to data processing (quantitative, qualitative, visual); sociological theory; digital sociology; and creative methods of social research.
• three ad hoc courses with lectures devoted to research design, use of databases for social research, and "scientometrics."

For the second year, in addition to departmental lectures, specialized seminars, and international lectures, individual thesis work under the supervisor's guidance to specify the thesis's scope and submit a paper introducing the topic and summarizing the work completed.

The educational activity in the third year is individual work under the supervisor's guidance, specifically aimed at completing the doctoral thesis.

• Information about the Phd Program are sent by an institutional e-mail to a large number of sociological department in several foreign countries. Moreover, information about the Ph. D Program are sent to international sociological networks (International Sociological Association, European Sociological Association, British Sociological Association) and then spread to their members.
• The Ph.D students are obliged to spend six months of their research period abroad, in foreign universities, to follow classes and/or to work on their dissertation. They are strongly invited to partecipate at international conferences and summer schools.
• The PhD Program hosts every year several international guests from foreign universities.
• The PhD Program offers classes in order to learn out to write an article for international journals and how to write abstracts in order to be accepted at international conferences
• At the moment, a PhD student (Laura Tanzini XXXV Cicle) is achieving a "internal" joint-PhD (with Barcelona Pompeo Fabra University).
• in 2020 a joint-Phd was achievied with a KU Leuven (Giulia Ganugi XXXI Cicle)
• Agreements have been signed with Ghent University and University of Bielefeld
• A PhD student from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, is achieving an "external" joint-PhD in our Programme

On the basis of the deep learning of the main sociological paradigms and their connection with the methodological outomes, the students are expected to acquire a personal and original research style. Moreover, the students should write:

• at least one scientific article in a sociological journal during the 3 years of PhD Program
• an innovative thesis
• the publication of a paper with the results of the thesis or a second article, within 2 years after the end of the PhD Program. The Board will help the student to connect with publisher and journals

Moreover, the Board of PhD Program encourage the students to work on emerging social issues that can help solving social problems on local, national or international basis. Therefore, the Board will help to spread students research results towards the main institutions that could be affected and through the most appropriate channels. Students research is timely monitored by the Board.

Antonio Francesco Maturo

Dipartimento di Sociologia e Diritto dell'Economia - SDE

Strada Maggiore 45 Bologna (BO)

[email protected]

• All categories

Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology

Currently, the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (CADS) hosts almost 50 PhD candidates working on a wide variety of topics.

The PhD Regulations (‘promotiereglement’) of Leiden University   apply to all PhD candidates registered at the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences. All PhD  candidates should be registered at the Graduate School by the beginning of their doctoral training.

The Netherlands School of Anthropology (NESA)

The Netherlands School of Anthropology (NESA) is a graduate programme for PhD candidates who work in the field of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology. This programme is a co-creation of the Anthropology faculties of 5 Dutch Faculties. NESA offers a one-year teaching and training programme especially for upcoming and all first year PhD candidates, consisting of 5 masterclasses on current and trending theoretical debates in our discipline, an extensive methodology training and occasionally a cohort meeting off campus.

PhD categories

The Institute of CADS distinguishes between two PhD categories:

• Regular –  A PhD candidate who is hired by CADS and thus a formal employee. These candidates are paid through ‘eerste geldstroom’ (including those funded by ‘profileringsgebieden’), ‘tweede geldstroom’ (NWO), or ‘derde geldstroom’ (EU).  
• Contract and External (‘beurspromovendi’ and ‘buitenpromovendi’) –  A PhD candidate with a scholarship (for e.g. DIKTI [Indonesia] and CONACYT [Chile]) or self-funded.  

Applying for a PhD

PhD scholarships are not offered outside of faculty research projects. If you intend to pursue a doctorate at the Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, you can:

• Reply to an advertised  PhD  vacancy in a staff project  
• Apply with funding from a self-obtained  research grant

This latter category of application is only permitted under certain conditions and subject to case-by-case evaluation by the Institute’s Research Committee. The decision is based, among other criteria, on the feasibility of the funding, quality of the proposed study, qualifications of the applicant, availability of adequate supervision, and relation of the proposed study to the Institute’s expertise.

If you have questions, please send an e-mail to Annemarie Samuels .

Important information

CADS offers regular and bench fee-paying PhD candidates a PhD track. The PhD track includes:   

• Registration at the FSW Graduate School;
• FSW (e-mail)account;
• A workspace at CADS;
• A LU-Card (for the Library, photocopying and printing);
• Access to library (also online);
• Regular (monthly/bimonthly) meetings with (co)supervisor(s);
• ‘6 months’-meetings with the Director of Graduate Studies;
• Annual review (Resultaat & Ontwikkelingsgesprek);
• research seminars;
•  staff lunches, institute meetings and annual outing;
• courses (relevant MA or BA courses);
• annual/bi-annual PhD seminar organized at CA-DS
• Administrative support and advice regarding project finances.

The bench fee for PhD candidates amounts to €8,500 a year for a maximum period of four years. Note that the bench fee pays for the PhD track, and therefore cannot be used to pay for research/travel/visa/conference/training costs for the PhD candidate.

The bench fee should be paid every year (for a maximum of four years). The first payment should be made before the start of the PhD programme. A refund of the bench fee—for example in the case of (early) termination of the PhD—is not possible. 

For research/travel/visa/conference/training costs candidates should allocate at least €2500 per year in order to guarantee successful execution of the project.

The Leiden Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences' PhD regulations, an overview of the formal procedure from start to defence, and the relevant forms and templates are available on the Graduate School website .

• Employment status: Employee
• PhD Track: Yes
• Writing of an 8-month-paper, summarizing their results so far. Fieldwork may only start after this paper is approved. 
• Bench fee: No
• Teaching: the PhD candidate can spend a maximum of 10% of their 3-5 year appointment on teaching or committee work (e.g. as a member of the ‘Instituutsraad’ or ‘onderzoekscommissie’).  Teaching time will be officially considered teacher training. Additionally, the candidate may participate in a maximum of two ICLON teacher-training/ University Teaching Qualification (BKO) courses (paid for by the Institute). While teaching experience and training courses may contribute to a BKO portfolio, they will probably be insufficient for qualification.

Candidates following a PhD track

• Employment status: Guest employee
• Legal status: depends on the contract
• Bench Fee: Yes Note that some contract PhDs (e.g. DIKTI) have already set bench fees based on previously determined contract/agreements with the fund provider and Leiden University. In these cases, the bench fee/tuition fee that has been agreed upon will be binding
• Teaching: by mutual agreement the candidate may  give one or more guest lectures in a BSc or MSc course or a research seminar, but cannot receive any compensation for this. For non-EU PhD candidates, restrictions in permits may apply. Participating in the course University Teaching Qualification (BKO) is an option, but will have to be paid for by the candidate or the fund provider.

Candidates not following a PhD track

• Legal status: depends on individual arrangement, usually none
• PhD Track: No
• Bench Fee: No
• Teaching: No

Note that the supervision for a PhD candidate who does not follow a PhD track will be significantly less intensive.

Supervision and social safety of PhDs at our Institute

Revised: December 2022

(complementing the CADS PhD Training and Supervision Protocol of March 2020, the Leiden University PhD regulations of 2021 and the Golden Rules of PhD supervision )

This document was drafted together by the CADS Institute Board, its Institute Council and representatives of the CADS PhD community, in response to concerns that were first raised among the latter.  Concerned PhD students emphasized that our institute has a wide range of PhDs with different positions, in terms of funding and institutional position, but also based on their passports, the academic culture they have come to expect etc. An overall conclusion was that some of the existent measures work for some of these PhDs and not for others, and that we need a variety of measures to strengthen the position of PhDs in the Institute and increase mechanisms that ensure their social safety.

After an open and constructive conversation, regarding recurring problems experienced within the PhD trajectory, and suggestions for improvement we decided to collectively formulate the following guidelines, that again, complement the guidelines in the documents already mentioned above:

• Graduate Mentor
• Per September 2022 the Institute CADS has instated a Graduate Mentor (GM) who will pay special attention to the work life, progress and wellbeing of PhD students.
• The graduate mentor will regularly check in with them, at least once a year, with all PhD students who are in their contract period. The role of the Graduate Mentor applies specifically to contract PhDs (both those on NWO, ERC or other funded projects, or those here with a scholarship from abroad), but also external PhDs and PhDs whose contract ended) are welcome to approach the Graduate Mentor for a talk.
• The Director of Research (DirRes) keeps annually contact through email with PhD students who fall outside this regimen ( e.g., external PhD students or those beyond their contract years), asking them to provide an overview of where their project is standing but also about the challenges and hindrances they may be experiencing. This is necessary as especially the external PhD students may already be less ‘visible’ and ‘vocal’, so this contact, at least once a year, should help keep track of their safety and well-being
• The GM (not the Institute manager as in other cases) is present at the Performance and Development Interview of the PhD, including the startup meeting. As soon as PhD students get an invitation for a P&D interview, they contact GM to see if she can be present during and beforehand discuss that Interview. This, to ensure that these are evaluative conversations about the past year and future plans, as well as the working relation between supervisor and supervisee, rather than another supervision meeting (see also below).
• The annual GM/PhD meeting and Performance and Development Interview should be sequenced after one another. In that way the GM can be fully updated and coach the PhD for the Performance and Development Interview. In the Performance and Development Interview GM will be a neutral witness. In case the situation is difficult, the GM can advise the PhD on strategy of next steps, and e.g. help with writing a letter to IC. The GM has no position to sanction anyone, not the PhD nor the supervisor. Any attempts to intervene in the supervision and PhD trajectory should come from the IB.
• the Graduate Mentor follows the PhDs, but does not monitor the PhDs (e.g. not: “your 8 th month paper is due next week”), PhDs and their supervisors are expected to take a lead here.
• All PhD students can approach the GM for advice regarding their trajectory. The Graduate Mentor does not have mandate; Graduate Mentor can talk with supervisors, but the mandate lies with the Institute Board .
• The graduate mentor can also advise supervisors, both during supervisor peer discussion sessions (intervisie) and on a more individual basis, to improve supervision and prevent frictions and misunderstandings of escalating into conflict or dysfunctional working relations. The (co)promotoren overleg is the best setting to put structural aspects of supervision on the agenda. For specific topics GM can chair the meeting.
• The graduate mentor has an exit meeting with supervisor and PhD student . In case the official employment of a PhD Student ends before the actual thesis is finished, expectations about the continuation of supervision will be discussed during this exit meeting. A perspective of closure is key to think long-term career strategies and to keep calm and confident. If the PhD contract is ended, laptop, mobile and office keys need to be returned as they are formally property from Leiden University, not CADS. Candidate can now apply for a guest / affiliated researcher account, still make use of office space and borrow one of the CADS laptops during office hours.
• Supervision team
• The CADS PhD training protocol includes a requirement for each PhD to have a second supervisor . This is formally the case, but it is important to ensure that that second supervisor is factually involved, and has complementary expertise to that of the PhD. Ideally, the supervision team consists of a senior and relatively junior member of staff.
• Where possible, the second supervisor is chosen in dialogue with the PhD candidate. The first month can be used to explore possibilities, before the Training and Supervision Plan (TSP or OBP in Dutch) is uploaded.
• Before the start of a research project or PhD trajectory, DirRes discusses the proposed supervisory arrangements with prospective supervisor, including the composition of the supervision team, to ensure that the requirements are met, and more generally, that they can expect to have favorable working conditions and will be sufficiently integrated into the institute.
• DirRes and Institute Manager (IM) help ensure comparable working conditions over the various projects, and that these conditions meet the parameters of employees in our Institute.
• Startup meeting
• Supervisors should ensure they are informed about the CADS and other relevant PhD training regulations (see at the top of this document). At the start of a PhD trajectory, they are expected to have a conversation with each PhD to discuss these regulations, as well as, more generally, the parameters of their working relation . This includes rights to holidays, health arrangements, agreements regarding budget and expenses, meeting in person/working remotely, working rhythms (including the prevention of systematic over-work), number of tasks and time pressure.
• These agreements are part of and set down in the TSP (see chapter 2 of the PhD Regulations ), and should be revisited on a yearly basis in the annual Performance & Development Interview.
• The TSP is not just a paper tiger, it is about expectation management, aims to protect the PhD students and provides a road map for supervisors to use when they are at the start of a collaboration with a PhD. Hence the TSP needs to be approved by the scientific director of the Institute.
• It would be good to develop a topic list or protocol that supervisors can use for this meeting. We can draw on the existing Golden Rules for PhD Supervision document. In the Bring your thesis seminar PhDs students will regularly (also for newcomers to the community) discuss this list, and add suggestions. These suggestions will then be sent to the Director of Research who will discuss it with the Supervisors and adjust a local CADS version of the Golden Rules accordingly.
• Yearly Performance & Development Interview (ROG)

The Performance & Development Interview (RO Gesprek, in Dutch, or ROG) should be a moment where PhD and supervisor can discuss both the student’s progress and work experiences, look forward to the coming year(s) and discuss their work relation. The latter is difficult in light of the hierarchical and dependency relation of that relation, which means this has to be explicitly facilitated.

In order to do so, we propose the following:

• Include explicit questions about the working relation between PhD and supervisor in the yearly overview form for PhDs (such as: what do you like about the relation, what can be improved? How often do you meet, and is this a good rhythm for you? Does the type and form of feedback you receive from your supervisors work well for you? If not, what could be improved etc.). The IC has meanwhile come up with a proposal for a new format in Fall 2022.
• Have the Graduate Mentor sit in on the P&D Interview , and invite PhDs to consult with them beforehand to prepare for their Performance & Development Interview. This consult is part of the annual P&D Interview.
• Contract PhD’s and buitenpromovendi don’t have a yearly P&D Interview. The Graduate Mentor will, however, have a yearly meeting with the contract PhD’s.  The Director of Research will similarly keep in touch with the buitenpromovendi on an yearly basis.
• Supervisory skills and roles
• Supervisors are required to take a course on PhD supervision; this includes courses for first-time co-promotors, and possibly refresher courses for more experienced ones.
• Supervisors are invited to the regular (co)promotoren overleg is (intervisie) organized by the Director of Research, where they exchange experiences and discuss conundrums that are part of PhD supervision. This can be among PI’s of larger projects, but also can encompass all PhD supervisors, depending on the topic at hand. The graduate mentor can provide input for and be an important interlocutor in these meetings.

Important discussion topics: balance between project requirements and space for PhD’s own choices, development and insights; how best to deal with budget in transparent manner within project teams; what can supervisors/PI’s do to ensure the successful integration of new PhDs in the Institute?

• Supervision should be an important aspect of the promotor’s ROG. The graduate mentor is asked for input in this regard.
• Bureaucratic processes and their consequences on the PhD trajectory (e.g. with regard to visa, housing) can be a challenge. Supervisors, however, do not have a responsibility in these matters which are more efficiently handled by other bodies such as the International Office.
• Oftentimes PhDs would like to integrate career discussions, incl. those that address careers outside of the institute, more into the supervisory process of the PhD trajectory.  Although some supervisors may give good advice and it does not do harm to ask, these are typical issues that are best discussed during the Bring Your Thesis seminar.

In case of problems in the supervisory relation that PhD students feel they cannot discuss with their supervisors, they can:

• Consult with the Graduate Mentor. The GM can provide advise on how to open up a conversation on this, or can play a mediating role with the supervisor in question.
• In more complex and fraught cases, the graduate mentor can confer with the SD and/or advise the student to write an email to the SD explaining the situation. Depending on the nature of the complaints, there will be follow up advice on next steps. The SD may discuss the problem with the various people involved, in an attempt to mediate and find a solution. The advice may also entail the recommendation to consult with the confidential counselor of the Faculty/Leiden University or a referral to the official complaint procedure of Leiden University.

Research clusters play an important role in providing a safe space for learning and intellectual exchange, and ensure that PhD students have connections and a space to share their work with junior and senior staff beyond their specific project and/or supervisor. In order to ensure this works well, we propose that:

• Every PhD becomes a member of a research cluster.
• Cluster coordination is done by a team of one permanent faculty members and a senior PhD student.
• The PhD who co-coordinates a research cluster should have the status of employee within the contract time. Other PhDs can take on a role as cluster co-coordinator too, if they want to, however the institute should not expect it from e.g., external PhDs or PhDs who are beyond their contract period.
• PhD supervisors should make sure they do not reproduce that supervisory relation in the research cluster. Cluster coordinators and the graduate mentor can help ensure this. 
• The coordinators also ensure that new members “land” well in the cluster.
• PhD community

There are several initiatives for collective and self-care within the PhD community which have already proven important with respect to social safety and PhD wellbeing, especially the first hour of the BYT seminar. The PhDs will take up the idea of PhD mentorship in which a more senior PhD mentors an incoming PhD. The PhDs are investigating the status of the ‘buddy system’ that we initiated. For starters, the PhD representative sent a message to all PhDs to send her an email if they want to be coupled to a PhD mentor. Support that would help this initiative further. When a PhD starts, it would be great if the supervisor or GM could connect the new PhD to the PhD representative who has an overview of the current PhD mentors.

This document is formal living document that twice a year will be evaluated, once at the first Bring Your Thesis seminar of the academic year, and another time in the 1 st regular (co)promotoren overleg of the academic year.

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Phd sociology.

• Study at Maynooth /

Qualification : PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTOR DEGREE

Award Type and NFQ level : RESEARCH PH.D. (10)

CAO/PAC code : MHY02 (FT), MHY03 (PT)

CAO Points :

View FETAC details

• Entry Requirements
• Research Interest
• Course Structure
• Career Options
• How to Apply

- To provide high quality research training in a lively intellectual atmosphere - To promote students’ professional involvement in academic life - To ensure that students will make a contribution to the advancement of knowledge in sociology - And to ensure that students will make a contribution to the understanding and well being of contemporary societies

By the end of their time as a research postgraduate student in the Department it is our goal that students will:

- Have completed a thesis which is a high quality piece of orginal sociological analysis and is at least partly publishable in a peer-reviewed academic outlet - Have developed and demonstrated a significant level of skill in at least one methodology of sociological research and analysis - Have a broad knowledge of a number of sub-fields within sociology - And have had the opportunity to develop teaching and administrative skills and experience

Closing date Research applications are generally accepted at any time however the deadline for applications is the 30th of June if you wish to start in September of the same year.

Commences September

Minimum 2.1 degree in BA or MA in Sociology or Cognate subject. Applications with equivalent learning are also welcomed.

Applicants must have a recognised primary degree which is considered equivalent to Irish university primary degree level.

Applicants are advised to contact the Department to discuss their research topic before submitting a required research proposal of 7-10 pages duration. Please see course website for further details.

Minimum English language requirements:

• IELTS: 6.5 minimum overall score
• TOEFL (Paper based test): 585
• TOEFL (Internet based test): 95
• PTE (Pearson): 62

Maynooth University’s TOEFL code is 8850

Dr. Mary Benson Cityscapes, gentrification, place, community and visual representations. Current research focuses on urban agriculture.

Dr. Delma Byrne Research interests include social stratification in education and the labour market spanning the primary, second-level and higher education sectors as well as post-secondary education and training, transitions between education and the labour market and the evaluation of educational interventions.

Dr. Barry Cannon Research interests are on Latin American politics, with particular expertise on Peru, Venezuela and Central America, especially on issues of democratisation, power relations, Left and Right politics, civil society, and development. Current research focuses on opposition politics in Venezuela, right wing politics in Latin America, and, comparisons between collective reactions to crisis in Latin America and in Ireland and Europe.

Dr. Brian Conway Research interests include sociology of religion, collective memory, history of Irish sociology. Current research focuses on examining Catholic public discourses and institutional arrangements, trends and patterns in the Catholic workforce, and religious institutional responses to scandal, all in comparative perspective.

Professor Mary P. Corcoran The Irish migratory experience, public culture, and urban transformation and change. Professor Corcoran is currently engaged in research on urban agriculture initiatives and urban food policy. 

Dr. Colin Coulter Research interests include development studies, global politics, Marxism, ethnicity and nationalism, popular culture and in particular popular music and Northern Irish politics and society.

Dr. Laurence Cox Research interests include social movement research (movement waves, alterglobalisation and anti-austerity movements, European social movements, movement theorising, protest policing, knowledge and learning production in social movements, activist sustainability), Buddhist Studies (Buddhism and Ireland, early western Buddhists in Asia), new religious movements, sociology of knowledge and culture (history of ideas, sociology of intellectuals, counter culture), working-class studies (community organising, oral history), social theory (western Marxism, socialist feminism), and methodology (participatory action research, community research).

Dr. Pauline Cullen Research interests include political sociology, gender inequality, social movements, civil society and state relations, nongovernmental organisations, social policy and European Integration, coalitions between diverse constituencies, activism on social rights beyond national settings. 

Professor G. Honor Fagan Research interests include Human Security, Gender and Development Governance, and Social Sustainability.

Dr. Eoin Flaherty I am interested in how patterns of inequality are formed and maintained, and how they change over time. I study these processes with a particular focus on income inequality during the late 20th/early 21st century, and instances of famine during the 19th century (mainly Ireland). I am also interested in how human societies have formed systems of cooperation and managed resources collectively, and whether such systems were resilient to environmental stress.  I am also interested in: Top incomes and the 'super-rich', labour's share of national income, time series and pooled time series cross-section analysis. Financialisation, rentiers, and power resources.  Famine, common-pool resource systems, primitive communism, and nineteenth-century Ireland. Complexity theory, human ecology, and environmental sociology.  

Prof. Jane Gray Research and teaching interests include families and households, comparative-historical sociology, life history analysis.  Her current research focuses on: life histories and social change in twentieth-century Ireland,  family and community, gender, household economies and social change.

Dr. Aphra Kerr Teaching and Research interests focus on technology and media in society and digital sociology.  Current research explores the implications of data driven digital media design, online community management work, production in the global digital games industry, and the rise of the ‘indie’.  Recent projects have explored broadcasting and diversity, innovation in animation companies, the design of future telecommunications network services and applications and gendered practices and representations in digital games culture.

Dr. Rebecca King Ó Riain Research and teaching interests include globaliSation, emotions and technology, racial/ethnic beauty pageants; critical race theory, qualitative methods, interracial marriage and multiracial people. Her current research explores the ‘Globalisation of Love’ through qualitative research with transnational, mixed couples and their children looking at uses of digital technology to create and maintain global emotional networks.

Dr. Mary Murphy Research interests include the impact of globalisation on welfare states, the political mediation of social policy reform, local governance and institutional mechanisms to support social innovation, social inclusion and citizenship, gender and social welfare, commodification, conditionality and welfare to work policies.

Dr. Peter Murray Research and teaching interests include political mobilisation and the growth of the modern state, industry, work and technological change, health, illness and healing.

Prof. John O’Brennan Research interests include the process and politics of European Union enlargement, the EU's relationship with the western Balkans and prospective enlargement to South Eastern Europe; the dynamics of EU external relations; EU-Russian relations, constructivist theories of International Politics; and the identity dimension to European integration. I am also very interested in Ireland's experience of European integration, its relationship with the European Union and the Lisbon Treaty debate in Ireland.

Professor Seán Ó Riain Research interests are in the sociology of work, economic sociology, comparative and global political economy and social inequality.  Specific areas of interest include work organisation and workplace regimes; developmental states, the global knowledge economy, economic liberalism, changing European societies,

Dr. Paul Ryan Research interests include masculinities, gay and lesbian studies, social movements and qualitative research methods specifically the use of life history

Dr. Eamonn Slater Research interests include the structure of modernity, the heritage industry (including tourism), the social construction of landscape and the environment, visual sociology and historical sociology. All of these sociological areas are investigated with a special emphasis on Irish society.

For further details on the research specialisms within the Department please visit: https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sociology/our-people

Students acquire 30 credits in the first three years (60 in the case of postgraduates who do not already have an MA) through taking a combination of compulsory and optional courses oriented towards broadening theoretical perspectives, offering methodological expertise, and providing guidance on teaching at third level.

Research Third Level Teaching Government Policy Analysis Private, Community and Voluntary Sectors Media and New Technology Urban, Rural and Community Planning

Online application only www.pac.ie/maynoothuniversity

PAC Code MHY02  Full-time MHY03  Part-time The following information should be forwarded to PAC, 1 Courthouse Square, Galway or uploaded to your online application form:

Certified copies of all official transcripts of results for all non-Maynooth University qualifications listed MUST accompany the application. Failure to do so will delay your application being processed. Non-Maynooth University students are asked to provide two academic references and a copy of their birth certificate or valid passport.

You can register to do either an MLitt or a Phd in the Department of Sociology. If you are interested in pursuing a postgraduate research degree with us the first step is to contact a member of staff to discuss your research idea. They will gladly assist you to prepare your research proposal. For a list of staff research interests please see below. For further information on our department research interests, how to apply and doing a PhD please consult our Research Postgraduate Handbook.

All applicants must submit a proposal  https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/sociology/postgraduates

If you decide to do postgraduate studies with us the second step is to complete an application form and pay an application fee through the online PAC system. You will need to provide a brief personal statement in the application form and this should focus on your reasons for pursuing a postgraduate degree at MU. Please note, when filling out the application form, that the fullest possible information should be provided.

The Research Proposal

The research proposal should be typed, double spaced and approximately 7–10 pages long. It should indicate:

- The central research topic that you wish to investigate - The central debates in the sociological and/or social science literature that the research will address - The main data that will be collected and/or analysed and the methods that will be used to do so - The significance of the proposed research for sociological work in the relevant field - Any other critical issues regarding the research topic, approach and significance

It is not expected that the student will stick blindly to this proposal should they be admitted as a research postgraduate student but it will provide a useful guide for students and the department in assessing the application and in developing the research. Applicants may be called for interview by departmental staff before a decision is made regarding admission.

Deadlines You may apply at any time to the department to start a PhD but the deadline for applications is the 30th of June if you wish to start in September of the same year.

Department of Sociology

Study sociology or demography with us

Puffar utbildning.

Here you can find more information if you are going to start one of our master's programme autumn 2024.

What does a sociologist do? Our alumnus Ackson Mwale, now a lecturer at the University of Zambia, studied the Master's Programme in Sociology at Stockholm University.

Sociology is the scientific study of the origin, development, organization, and functions of human societies. The subject helps you understand how individual lives are affected by gender, social background and ethnicity.

Here you will find information on how you can influence your education, apply for study breaks and other things you need to know during your education.

The international student exchange with Erasmus+ in Europe gives you the opportunity to spend a part of your training at one of Stockholm University’s many partner universities in Europe.

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About the department

We offer a lively and collaborative research environment and a strong international research profile.

The Demography unit

Our research

We conduct sociological and demographic research of a high international standard and are ranked among the top 50 Sociology departments in the world.

Puffar research

The age of the youngest child impacts parental mortality, with a significant survival advantage observed for parents of newborns due to both selection and behavioral changes, while controlling for parental age.

In contrast to earlier research, a new doctoral thesis demonstrates that region of origin has a greater bearing than religion on ideal number of children, fertility intentions and achieved number of children.

Read the new report for The Expert Group on Public Economics (ESO) by Gunnar Andersson, Andrea Monti and Martin Kolk, researchers at Stockholm University Demography Unit.

Here you will find a list of our ongoing research projects at the Department of Sociology.

Over the past 30 years, Swedish hip-hop has emerged and taken over the nation’s charts, writes PhD student in Sociology Sjors Joosten, in a new article in The Conversation.

Here you will find our recent publications in peer-reviewed journals and books by the Department of Sociology.

Three researchers are cited in an article in the newspaper The Straits Times

It's an article about falling fertility rates in Europe. The researhers are from the Demography unit at the Department of Sociology and they are Sofi Ohlsson Wijk, Martin Kolk and Livia Olah.

Sociology at Stockholm University among the top 50 in the world

Sociology at Stockholm University is number 38 on the top 100 list in the world and number one between the Nordic countries.

Linda Kridahl appointed Docent in Demography

"An invaluable driving force", that is how Linda Kridahl is described in the expert statements on which the promotion is based upon.

Flexible parental leave among immigrant mothers can promote integration

Mothers who took parental leave part-time or for shorter periods were more likely to engage in income-generating activities or pursue education. A new study uncovers surprising patterns in parental leave usage among newly arrived migrant women in Sweden, specifically focusing on their integration into the labor market.

Shut up and read! Shut up and write! at the Stockholm University Library

Do you have reading or writing to do and are you having trouble staying focused? Join the Academic Writing Service for a Shut up and read! Shut up and write! session on campus at the Stockholm University Library or online.

The Qualitative Methods Working Group

Save the date! Topic is to be announced.

Stockholm University Computational Sociology

Thesis defence

Dissertation Sjors Joosten

Sjors Joosten, PhD student at the Department of Sociology defends his thesis "100% Swedish, working for recognition through Hip-Hop from the suburbs of Stockholm”

Selected links

Best Universities for Sociology in Europe

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Europe ranked based on their research performance in Sociology. A graph of 99.2M citations received by 4.46M academic papers made by 1,410 universities in Europe was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Oxford

For Sociology

2. University College London

3. University of Cambridge

4. University of Manchester

5. University of Edinburgh

6. King's College London

7. University of Amsterdam

8. Karolinska Institute

9. University of Bristol

10. London School of Economics and Political Science

11. University of Helsinki

12. University of Copenhagen

13. University of Sheffield

14. Lund University

15. Catholic University of Leuven

16. Imperial College London

17. University of Birmingham

18. University of Glasgow

19. University of Nottingham

20. Utrecht University

21. University of Leeds

22. University of Warwick

23. University of Oslo

24. University of London

25. Uppsala University

26. University of Groningen

27. University of Southampton

28. Aarhus University

29. University of Gothenburg

30. Erasmus University Rotterdam

31. Radboud University

32. University of Liverpool

33. University of Sussex

34. Newcastle University

35. Stockholm University

36. University of Zurich

37. Lancaster University

38. University of York

39. Cardiff University

40. Leiden University

41. University of Exeter

42. University of Leicester

43. Durham University

44. Maastricht University

45. Umea University

46. Free University Amsterdam

47. Pierre and Marie Curie University

48. Heidelberg University - Germany

49. Ghent University

50. University of Aberdeen

51. University of East Anglia

52. Queen Mary University of London

53. University of Barcelona

54. University of Bergen

55. Sapienza University of Rome

56. University of Vienna

57. Loughborough University

58. University of Bologna

59. Wageningen University

60. Autonomous University of Barcelona

61. University of Munich

62. University of the West of England

63. University of Milan

64. University of Hamburg

65. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

66. University of Liege

67. University of Bern

68. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

69. University of Padua

70. Queen's University Belfast

71. University of Tampere

72. University of Surrey

73. University of Essex

74. University of Reading

75. University of St Andrews

76. University of Lausanne

77. Tilburg University

78. University College Dublin

79. University of Kent

80. University of Geneva

81. University of Turku

82. University of Southern Denmark

83. Aalborg University

84. University of Bath

85. University of Oulu

86. Linkoping University

87. University of Wales

88. Delft University of Technology

89. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

90. Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

91. Ulster University

92. Complutense University of Madrid

93. University of Strathclyde

94. Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin

95. University of Stirling

96. University of Lisbon

97. University of Turin

98. Free University of Berlin

99. University of Granada

100. University of Porto

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Europe

Department of Political and Social Sciences

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• Master of Arts "Sociology – European Societies"

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• Institute of Sociology

The Master’s program “Sociology – European Societies” aims at qualifying students for positions in academic and scientific professions. It equips graduates for work within academic and political fields, for example, for positions in social science and research centers, international and particularly European organizations, NGOs and governmental institutions. Additionally, the program enables graduates to teach at universities and other higher education institutions.

After the completion of the Master’s program, Berlin offers a variety of interesting possibilities for doctoral studies. In particular there are several graduate schools in the field of social and political science (scroll down for a list).

Accordingly, some of our graduates started as Ph.D. students at institutions like the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) or the Berlin Graduate School of Social Science (BGSS) at Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. Others work in research projects at the Leuphana Universität Lüneburg, the University of Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW) or in private corporations, for example SEnerCon GmbH. Here some of our alumni talk about their experiences with the Master's program and give an insight into their current positions.

At the end of the document, you will find some advices on  how to make a PhD (in Germany) .

Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences ( BGSS )

The BGSS serves as the platform for international graduate training at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin’s Department of Social Sciences. The graduate school´s mission is to train and promote doctoral researchers from Germany and abroad/the world for both scientific and professional careers. Doctoral researchers who participate in the training structure of the BGSS International Doctoral Program complete their doctoral degrees in either Sociology or Political Sciences. The degree is awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities III of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Since 2007 the BGSS is funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments via the German Research Association.

Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies ( BTS )

The Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies (BTS) is a joint endeavour of the Freie Universität Berlin, the Hertie School of Governance, and the Social Science Research Center Berlin. It offers a rigorous and dynamic English-language PhD programme for exceptionally-talented graduate students in the field of transnational and international relations, defined as an interdisciplinary field of research encompassing political science, history, economics, law and related disciplines.

DIW Berlin Graduate Center

The DIW Graduate Center offers a 4-year program of in-depth training in economics and policy consultancy leading to a PhD from one of Berlin's universities. It follows a dual training approach. During the first year a high-level coursework curriculum is provided, following on-the-job training in DIW Berlin research projects during years 2 to 4. Students' financing is ensured via scholarships and research positions.

The European PhD in Socio-Economic and Statistical Studies

The European PhD in Socio-Economic and Statistical Studies is an international, interdisciplinary graduate programme in which nine partner universities are cooperating. After the completion of the programme the doctoral degree Doctor Europaeus is awarded.

European Doctoral Programme in the Social Sciences (EDP III)

EDP III is a joint doctorate run by the Berlin Graduate School of Social Sciences, the Istituto Italiano di Scienze Umane in Florence and the Central European University in Budapest. It explores the question of how the political, economic and cultural construction of "Europe" has been shaped by and has shaped its global context.

Doctoral Programme in Governance at Hertie School of Governance

The Doctoral Programme in Governance is a three-year, English language programme with a focus on governance and public policy. The programme offers rigorous academic training in research design and familiarises students with cutting-edge theories, methods and concepts in the field of governance. The programme is targeted at PhD candidates with a strong foundation in economics, law, political science, sociology, public administration, management or related fields. It offers a stimulating academic environment for students seeking to explore modern governance in an interdisciplinary and international context.

Graduate School of Global Politics ( GSGP )

As a pioneer in German-Chinese academic cooperation, the Graduate School of Global Politics (GSGP) enters a new stage of academic dialogue between the two countries. The first joint doctoral program between China and Germany in the Social Sciences invites students to pursue their PhD in a three-year program. GSGP is offered by Freie Universität Berlin (FUB) in cooperation with its four renowned Chinese partners Fudan University, Jinan University, Renmin University (RUC) and the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS). Soon its collaboration with the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) will start as well.

Graduate School of North American Studies ( GSNAS )

The Graduate School of North American Studies has been funded by the German Research Foundation since 2006. The School's program is dedicated to a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of the social, economic and cultural changes facing North America at the beginning of the 21st century. Special attention is given to the crisis-like transformation running through American society today, apparent in both domestic and foreign policy and economic development, as well as in the media, the arts, culture, and religion. The study program has been organized into nine interdisciplinary research areas.

Doctoral Program at the Institute for Latin American Studies

The doctoral program is largely concerned with the states, cultures and societies of Latin America and gives young researchers the opportunity to complete their doctorate in an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented curriculum and research program. During the course of the program and the research process, different perspectives are brought together and expanded on with interdisciplinary and regional knowledge. The normal degree program requires six semesters. The goal of the doctoral program is to train highly qualified researchers and provide them with the necessary support for carrying out exceptional research in their chosen areas of specialization (Cultural and Social Anthropology, Gender Studies, History, Literature and Cultures of Latin American, Economics, Political Science and Sociology).

Graduate School of East Asian Studies ( GEAS )

The research program of GEAS is based on the systematic and comparative study of East Asia in its wider global context. GEAS focuses on institutions: rules, norms, and practices, both those that are globally general and regionally specific. The research program aims at developing a theoretically informed and empirically grounded understanding of the origins, effects, and interdependence of institutions in East Asia, both contemporary and historical. The research approach combines regional expertise with a strong social science focus in a relevant discipline.

Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies ( BGSMCS )

The Berlin Graduate School Muslim Cultures and Societies (BGSMCS) investigates the plurality, changeability, and global connectedness of Muslim cultures and societies. The area of study includes Muslim societies in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, as well as Muslim communities in Europe and North America. The Graduate School examines, in a systematic and comparative way, concepts, practices, and institutions variously understood as Islamic. Special attention is given to relations between Muslims and non-Muslims, as well as forms of inter- and intra-cultural communication.

International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course ( LIFE )

The International Max Planck Research School on the Life Course (LIFE) is a joint international PhD Program of the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, the Freie Universität Berlin, the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and the University of Zurich. The goal of the Research School is the study of the systematic changes in human behavior over evolutionary and ontogenetic time. The general approach is aimed at advancing the behavioral and social science of human development. LIFE takes an integrative and interdisciplinary approach to understanding human development in a changing world, connecting evolutionary, ontogenetic, historical, and institutional perspectives. The focus is on the evolution and interaction of individual and institutional development. The curriculum combines psychology, educational science, neuroscience, and biology, focussing especially on the dynamics of human behavior on different time scales.

International Max Planck Research School for Moral Economies of Modern Societies

The International Max Planck Research School for Moral Economies of Modern Societies offers an international, English-language PhD program in History, jointly run by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Technische Universität Berlin. Six doctoral stipends are annually granted to applicants with outstanding academic records and a background in history or related fields such as cultural studies, anthropology, sociology, political science.

International Max Planck Research School UNCERTAINTY

The International Max Planck Research School "Adapting Behavior in a Fundamentally Uncertain World (Uncertainty School)" is a Joint international doctorate program of Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Berlin), Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods (Bonn), Max Planck Institute of Economics (Jena), Friedrich-Schiller University (Jena), Indiana University (Bloomington), Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Trento. The goal of the Uncertainty School is to study cognitive, social, and organizational adaptations in uncertain and changing situations that involve individuals, groups, and institutions. The program combines a strong theoretical focus with practical applications. For example, theoretical models of how people make decisions in game- theoretic contexts are first developed and then applied for designing institutional responses. The Curriculum combines economics, law, and cognitive and social psychology, focusing on human behavior in uncertain and changing situations, involving individuals, groups, and institutions.

How to Make a PhD in Sociology in Germany – Some Advices

Finding a topic.

At first, you have to find a topic for your thesis. Love your subject. You have to work on it for four or five years on average. Write a proposal.[1] The topic of your thesis co-decides which institutional affiliation is best for you.

Finding a supervisor

The supervisor should be an expert in the field you are working in. German professors get dozens of supervision requests every week. Therefore, you should invest some time and provide an application referring to his/her research and – if possible – make an appointment during his/her office hours. Supervising a thesis takes time. That’s why your thesis should offer a kind of additional benefit for the professor.

Finding an institutional affiliation

Finding a funding for individual graduation

Information about how to get a scholarship can be found here: www.daad.de/deutschland/stipendium/en . Normally you can only apply for a scholarship after you were accepted for a doctorate.

[1] www.findaphd.com/advice/finding/writing-phd-research-proposal.aspx

[2] e.g. www.soziologie.de/stellenmarkt/stellenangebote

[3] You earn about 1.200 Euro/month (netto).

[4] e.g. www.soziologie.de/stellenmarkt/stellenangebote

[5] You earn about 1.500 Euro/month (netto).

[6] www.soziologie.de/stellenmarkt/stellenangebote

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Blinn College graduate pursues human resources career with sociology degree

Tyann Luedke will continue her education at the University of Texas at Austin this fall

May 28, 2024

For as long as she can remember, Bellville native Tyann Luedke, 18, has been fascinated by what makes people tick.

“As a little girl, I loved observing people and that brought my focus into sociology,” she said. “It’s just been a blast ever since I’ve gotten into it. Sociology can branch into so many different things, which is something that really drew me in.”

After completing her high school education at 16, Luedke wasn’t ready to begin her college career at a large university. With its proximity to her family, small classes sizes, supportive faculty, and robust club offerings, the Blinn-College Brenham Campus felt like the perfect place for her to continue her education before transferring to a four-year institution.

“I love everything about Blinn and the Sociology Program,” she said. “My mom actually went to Blinn and it was the perfect choice for me since its close to home and I wasn’t ready to go to a big university after graduating high school at such a young age.”

In addition to her academics, Luedke connected with several on-campus clubs, including the Blinn College Lions Club and Beta Alpha Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society. She held leadership positions for both clubs.

“I wanted to get involved with organizations that would impact me as a college student and the community around me,” Luedke said. “Blinn offers so many clubs that there’s something for everyone and these organizations help you connect with your peers doing activities you enjoy.”

The club leadership positions and knowledge she gained through her sociology courses have motivated Luedke to pursue a career in human resources.

“I accomplished the goals I set for myself as an incoming freshman. I joined clubs, experienced college, and made a difference,” she said.

Blinn’s Associate of Arts in Sociology prepares students to pursue a four-year degree with a curriculum that studies people and groups and the importance each contributes to human society. Through the program, students learn to address real-world problems by developing realistic and equitable solutions by using critical thinking, data analysis and interpretation, and collaboration skills.

Blinn professor Brent Ur believes the dynamic nature of sociology makes coursework adaptable and beneficial to any field.

“An associate degree in sociology can get you into things like teaching and research. Sociology can get you into areas like demography, criminology, and any criminal justice program at the local, state, and federal level,” Ur said.

“Sociology is literally everywhere you go and in everything you do. The definition is the study of human behavior in a society. Taking a step back and asking why do people do what they do isn’t just beneficial academically, it can help you all throughout your life.”

Earning a degree in sociology prepares students for careers in numerous fields that require analytical, research, and communications skills, including social worker, human resource specialist, policy analyst, health services manager, criminologist, nonprofit manager, and positions in education. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics , sociologists earn a median salary of $101,770 per year.

Now a Blinn graduate, Luedke is excited to continue her academic journey at the University of Texas at Austin, where she plans to complete her bachelor’s degree in sociology.

“My long-term goal is to achieve my master’s in sociology and begin my career,” Luedke said. “Sociology is forever changing, which means I will always be learning something new and different. I am excited to use everything I have learned in sociology to eventually become a manager in the human resources field.”

For more information about Blinn’s Sociology Program, visit www.blinn.edu/sociology .

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Ready to learn how Blinn College can help you meet your educational goals? Visit our Future Students or Admissions to learn more, or contact a prospective student advisor who can guide you through your next steps at [email protected] .

The Blinn College District is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. The Blinn College District also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of the Blinn College District may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC's website (www.sacscoc.org) .

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PhD alum Sara Bubenik named ACLS postdoctoral fellow at United Way of MA

• By: Matthew Dineen
• May 29, 2024

Sara Bubenik has been named an American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) postdoctoral fellow at  United Way of Massachusetts Bay (UWMB). Bubenik has been appointed as UWMB Research Communications Director where, among other responsibilities, she will collaborate with colleagues and research partners to disseminate findings from ongoing research efforts to a broad audience.

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HUM-PIPF-2024-02 Two MSCA-Funded PhD positions within the project Dryland Agriculture and Land Use; Past, Present and Future Resilience (AGRI-DRY)

Job Information

Offer description, description.

Two MSCA-Funded PhD positions within the project  Dryland Agriculture and Land Use; Past, Present and Future Resilience (AGRI-DRY)

1)     Changing Land Use over the Holocene: Mediterranean and North Africa;

2)     Resilience of traditional and ancient agricultural landscape.

We invite applications for two fully funded, full-time, 3-year PhD positions in the context of an MSCA-DN (101120560) project titled:  Dryland Agriculture and Land Use; Past, Present and Future Resilience ( AGRI-DRY ) . The students will be enrolled at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona, Spain) and will receive a PhD degree in History.

The successful candidates will be based at the Department of Humanities at Universitat Pompeu Fabra. The projects will be carried out within the Culture and Socio-Ecological Dynamics research group ( CASEs ), led by Marco Madella. CASEs research group approaches the study of the human past by developing research beyond disciplinary boundaries and combining visions from both archaeology and the natural sciences. The doctoral students will be integrated into the research group and exposed to a lively, international, and productive research environment.

1. Further details about the PhD topics

AGRI-DRY  (Dryland Agriculture and Land Use; Past, Present and Future Resilience) aims to develop an interdisciplinary approach to traditional crop cultivation through the recognition of the complementary value of cultural heritage and sustainable living. Human cultural development is inextricably linked with the development of agriculture, and the key role of traditional knowledge of indigenous people and local communities for ecosystem management and sustainable use of resources is now recognized, in light of climate change.

Our international network project AGRI-DRY will train 10 doctoral candidates in new interdisciplinary approaches to examine three interlinked research questions: how and why have agricultural systems emerged; what were the impacts of these systems; what can be learnt from these ancient and traditional agricultural systems. Our emphasis is on drylands, using the Mediterranean Basin, North Africa and the Sahara, and Southern Africa as our main geographic focus.

AGRI-DRY aims to bring about a significant reorientation of European and African doctoral training in traditional agriculture. The change will involve both substance and approach. The substance is the strong focus on rigorous techniques for interdisciplinary research. The approach is the emphasis on both research and applicative work, through the participation of both academic and advocacy and policy-making institutions. AGRI-DRY represents a unique opportunity for European young researchers to enjoy a wide array of training opportunities that will be competitive with the best programmes offered outside Europe.

1.1. PhD project  Changing Land Use over the Holocene: Mediterranean and North Africa

The objectives of the PhD project  Changing Land Use over the Holocene: Mediterranean and North Africa  are: State of the art land use modelling. To collate dated and undated archaeological sites across space/time using existing databases and published information. To quantify land transformed by agriculture and other land use, calculate overall per capita land use values. To calculate loss of CO 2  from land usage over time and compared with modelled land data.

This specific PhD project will provide (i) an assessment of prehistoric and historic land use change over time and comparison with the HYDE model; (ii) estimate of CO 2  loss from prehistoric and historic land use change. As part of the PhD programme, two secondments will be considered, one at University of Pennsylvania (United States) to learn about land use classification and quantification systems, and one at the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) to learn about how traditional practices and landscape modifications impact land use change and agricultural productivity.

The student will gain training in land use classification and quantification systems, synthesising and modelling of land use data, traditional practices and landscape modifications, impact of land use change and agricultural productivity. The main supervisor of the PhD project will be Stefano Biagetti.

1.2. PhD Project  Resilience of traditional and ancient agricultural landscapes

The objectives of the PhD project  Resilience of traditional and ancient agricultural landscapes  are: State of the art resilience theory and application. Developing estimates of resilience of agricultural systems in drylands. To understand the human-environment dynamics of ancient/traditional agricultural landscapes.

This specific project will provide (i) identification of resilience attributes for past (pre- and historical) agriculture in drylands; (ii) assessment of resilience for agricultural land use in drylands; (iii) incorporation of deep history resilience thinking in policy making. As part of the PhD programme, two secondments will be considered, one at the Botswana Society (Botswana) to learn mechanisms through which traditional societies create resilient agricultural systems, and one at University of Aarhus (Denmark) to create models to test resilience theoretical framework.

The student will be trained in developing theoretical models and testing such models with data and ABMs. The main supervisor of the PhD project will be Marco Madella.

2. Key responsibilities

The successful candidates will be expected to:

●      Participate in geo-ethnoarchaeological fieldwork in remote areas, requiring a high capacity for adaptation.

●      Complete a successful PhD thesis within the project.

●      Attend the training workshops, seminars and conferences organized within the framework of the AGRI-DRY project.

●      Publish in high-impact journals.

●      Present their research in relevant academic conferences.

3. Profile of candidates

Candidates must have:

• A Master’s degree in one of the following fields: Archaeology, Geography, History, Earth Sciences.
• Excellent oral and written English.

Desirable skills (preferred but not required):

• Proficiency in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) software.
• Experience in coding, particularly in languages such as R and Python.
• Familiarity with geostatistics.

The  selected candidates  will be required to enroll at UPF’s  PhD School , and must fulfill the pertinent admission requirements at the time of enrollment.

 In addition, candidates must comply the specific MSCA requirements: 

• Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the recruiting beneficiary (host institution) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date.
• Applicants must be doctoral candidates, i.e. not already in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment.

Applicants of all nationalities are welcome to apply. We specifically encourage women and minority candidates, as well as researchers with family obligations and/or special needs, to apply.

  4. Terms and Conditions

The selected candidates will be employed under a fixed-term, full-time contract at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, with a gross monthly value of approximately €2.862 (for candidates without family obligations) or €3.372 (for candidates with family obligations). The estimated gross salary is calculated based on European Union requirements and adjusted according to specific country factors. Final salary adjustments are subject to the policies of the local institution. The successful candidates will also have access to funding for conference participation.

A good command of English is mandatory. While knowledge of Spanish and Catalan is not a requirement, the successful candidate will be encouraged to acquire at least minimal competence in one of these languages to participate in locally organized events.

The successful candidate will have a working space at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, in the Mercè Rodoreda building, Campus de la Ciutadella, in a shared office with other members of the group.

Starting date: October 1st, 2024.

5. Applications

Applicants must submit:

• Photocopy of ID card/Passport/NIE.
• Copy of academic qualifications.
• An academic  curriculum vitae.
• A statement of interest.
• A transcript of the grades obtained in the Master’s degree.
• The names and email addresses of two academic referees.

Applicants must apply at:  http://apply.interfolio.com/146994

6. Deadline for applications

June 24th, 2024, 23.59h. (CEST)

7. Selection process

The selection process will be divided in two phases.

1. The first phase will consist of an evaluation of the merits of each candidate, an evaluation for which his/her presence will not be necessary.

The evaluation of the various applications will be based on the following criteria (out of a total of 25 points):

- Demonstrable experience in geo-ethnoarchaeological research (1-5).

- Participation in international projects (1-5).

- Relevant scientific publications (1-5).

- Excellent command of English (1-5).

- Knowledge of GIS, coding, and geostatistical techniques and ability to apply them (1-5).

2. Candidates who scored at least 15 points in the first phase will participate in the second phase, which will consist of a personal interview and will be scored on a total of 20 points.

The minimum score for passing the selection process is: 30.

The results of each phase will be posted on the Universitat Pompeu Fabra website:  https://www.upf.edu/web/humanitats/convocatories-obertes .

8. Information

For academic questions about the project and the position, please do not hesitate to contact Marco Madella ( [email protected] ) or Stefano Biagetti ( [email protected] ). For practical information about the position and the application process, please contact  [email protected] .

9. Data processing activity

Data controller : Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Purpose : Management of candidate selection processes for teaching and research staff (PDI).

Rights : Access your data, request their rectification, deletion and their portability; object a processing or apply for its limitation.

Further information

Requirements

Additional information, work location(s), where to apply.

Alumni Spotlight: Benjamin Bradlow ’20 Ph.D. Sociology, Graduate Program in Development

Benjamin Bradlow, an alumnus of Watson's Graduate Program in Development (GPD), was recently awarded a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Azrieli Global Scholars fellowship. Now an assistant professor at Princeton, his research focuses on the politics of urban inequality and the perils of the transition to a “green” economy in the Global South.

Benjamin Bradlow ’20 Ph.D. Sociology/GPD. Photo Credit: Azurae Cruz

Benjamin Bradlow, a 2020 alumnus of the Graduate Program in Development (GPD) with a Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology , was one of ten early career interdisciplinary faculty across the globe selected for the prestigious Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Azrieli Global Scholars fellowship in the research program on " Humanity's Urban Future ." Bradlow credited the GPD with teaching him to work across traditional disciplinary boundaries, "This award is part of my research trajectory that was enabled by my experience at Watson's GPD. From the very beginning of my doctoral studies, being part of the GPD enabled me to think about the work and methodologies of my discipline in relationship to a broader interdisciplinary approach." 

Bradlow returned to Brown in early April to speak at the Africa Initiative's conference, "Three Decades of South African Democracy: Promises, Perils, Potential." Currently an assistant sociology and international affairs professor at Princeton University, Bradlow was impressed by the event. "I don't know of any similar convenings with such varied reflections on South African democracy that have occurred in American academia in recent years," he said, "This was a quintessential Watson Institute event."

At the conference, Bradlow discussed findings from his forthcoming book that compares the politics of urban inequality in Johannesburg and São Paulo after transitions to democracy in South Africa and Brazil. Due to be released in late October by Princeton University Press, " Urban Power: Democracy and Inequality in São Paulo and Johannesburg " is based on his dissertation and compares how the two cities govern housing and land use, sanitation, and collective transportation after each transitioned to democracy, and explains why democracy and local government both matter. 

According to Bradlow, urban social movements were at the heart of South Africa and Brazil's respective struggles for democracy. Through over a year of fieldwork in each country's largest city, Bradlow investigated how the interaction of local government bureaucrats, politicians, movements, and private sector actors shaped the differing trajectories of Johannesburg and São Paulo in reducing inequalities in the built environment over the past three decades.

In the book, Bradlow addresses long-standing questions about the relationship of local governments and governance with urban movements. He also reinforces an emerging call to examine cases in the Global South more seriously to develop a more global urban sociology.

Initially uncertain about what discipline he wanted to study as a doctoral candidate, Bradlow did know that he wanted to embrace development issues from a global perspective. Ultimately, the Watson Institute's Graduate Program in Development (GPD) inspired Bradlow to pursue a doctorate in sociology at Brown. 

"Brown University's sociology program has occupied a very distinct niche among departments in the United States in emphasizing questions of development and researching issues affecting other parts of the world, particularly in the Global South. It has long been concerned with comparison as a way to study social problems, and comparison has been central to the history of sociological methodologies," said Bradlow.

The way [GPD faculty] engaged with other faculty and graduate students helped me understand what building an intellectual community in and across the social sciences means. They helped me build my intellectual identity as an interdisciplinary social scientist and not only as a sociologist.

While at Brown, Bradlow was deeply impressed by GPD seminars that brought faculty from across the social science disciplines to discuss their empirical research. "The GPD exposed me to leaders in interdisciplinary social science work on development and what intellectual engagement with this kind of work looks like," said Bradlow. "The way Nitsan Chorev and Patrick Heller engaged with other faculty and graduate students helped me understand what building an intellectual community in and across the social sciences means. They helped me build my intellectual identity as an interdisciplinary social scientist and not only as a sociologist." 

In describing the conceptualization of his comparative analysis of São Paulo and Johannesburg, Bradlow said, "Watson encouraged me to be unconventional and ambitious. My experience was very unwieldy for a long time, but my faculty mentors were willing to support my journey to investigate cases in very different parts of the world." This included learning to speak Portuguese in order to do field research in Brazil. While Bradlow has long-standing family and professional ties to South Africa, he credits Professor of History and Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and former Director of Watson's Brazil Initiative James Green, whose conferences and seminars on Brazilian politics, history and culture instilled Bradlow's appreciation for and understanding of Brazil. 

Bradlow’s latest research, supported by Brown's Climate Social Science Network , is focused on the challenges of transitioning to "green" industry and manufacturing in middle-income countries in the Global South. "South Africa and Brazil have virtually no domestic demand for electric vehicles,” Bradlow explained. “Their internal combustion engine car manufacturing sectors, with significant global exports, have historically been critical drivers of economic development. Now, wealthy nations in the Global North are planning to transition to all-electric vehicles.” According to Bradlow, this represents a potentially existential crisis for each country's economy and for many workers and communities in the Global South. "This kind of transition problem is one of the thorniest issues in global climate politics and sociology. Do you prioritize development or climate? To what extent can they be pursued together? To what degree do they conflict? Who wins, and who loses?" he said.

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Congratulations to our PhD recipients

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

The department is immensely proud to congratulate two Slavic students for successfully defending their dissertations and earning their doctoral degrees!

Ani Abrahamyan defended her dissertation entitled “Ethnographies of Transgression: Outlawed Communities in Imperial Russia (1856-1882)” on May 20, 2024. Congratulations to her and kudos to her lead advisor Elizabeth Geballe.

Five days earlier on May 15, Rebecca Cravens defended her dissertation “In Various Planes of Time: Connections Between Time Travel and Narrative Framing in Russian Modernism”. Congratulations to Rebecca, whose advisor was Jacob Emery. 

We rejoice in the success of our two students, now our junior colleagues, and we wish them every bit of success in pursuing careers in our field, which they both richly deserve.

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Professor Matt Hunt and PhD Alum Chase Billingham recently pubished

Professor Matt Hunt and Associate Professor Chase Billingham , a Northeastern PhD Sociology alum, recently published “More About the Neighborhood Than the School”: Leveraging “Don’t Know” Survey Responses to Probe Parental Evaluations of School Safety – Chase M. Billingham, Shelley M. Kimelberg, Matthew O. Hunt, 2024 (sagepub.com) .

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Phd candidate miranda dotson recently published as sole author, tiffany joseph recently published.

Sasha Sabherwal recently published

History PhD Alum, John Eicher releases 10-part Lecture Series

John P. R. Eicher, Associate Professor of European History at Penn State University and a 2023-24 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellow, has released a ten-part YouTube lecture series titled, "Western Civilization (1500-Present): From Dawn, to Decadence, to Disillusionment." 

The series argues that the growth of bureaucratic thinking in "the West '' created a world where [a]bstractions eclipse reality, which grants [b]ureaucracies [c]ontrol of the modern world. Along the way, the series examines the fate of nineteenth-century Western "Progress" and its implications for our postmodern, twenty-first-century world. The series follows a 500-year narrative "arc," but each 40-50 minute lecture may be viewed as a "stand alone" presentation, complete with its own set of arguments. Delivered in a warm but lively style, the lectures are interactive, engaging, and media-rich. They are aimed at a general audience but they may also be useful in the classroom as a video "textbook" of modern Western civilization or modern European history.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXIDNsry_OMooCULA1rakCA

Promotional Music Video (500 images of 500 years in under 5 minutes!):

" (Music: Handsome Furs, "Repatriated." Video: John Eicher.)

1) " The ABCs of Modern Western Civilization: Abstraction, Bureaucracy, Control "

2) " What Physics Do You Believe In? Renaissance, Reformation, and the Rise of the Scientific Worldview "

3) " What Goes Up Must Come Down: From the Rise of the Enlightenment to the Fall of Napoleon "

4) " Nationalism: An "Invented Tradition" of "Imagined Communities "

5) " The 19th Century Industrial Revolutions: A Vast, Uncontrolled and Unscientific Experiment or The Reason Why you Brush Your Teeth, Know the Time, and Don't Know Who Made Everything You Own "

6) " Nineteenth-Century Imperialism: The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire Because the Lights Are Always on at the Foreign Office "

6.5) " Interlude: Modernism: The Greater the Circle of Understanding, the Greater the Circumference of Ignorance "

7) " The First World War (1914-18) & The Interwar Period (1918-39): The Beginning. Of the End. Of History. "

8) " WWII, the Holocaust, and the A-Bomb: Everything not Forbidden is Compulsory... and Postwar 'Progress' "

9) " C:\Postmodernism (A History of Now): A Unified World, Divided. A Divided World, Managed. A Managed World, Unified. C:\Continue. "