Postdoc In Reproductive Governance And Family Formations Among Minority Communities

Postdoc In Reproductive Governance And Family Formations Among Minority Communities

The position is based at the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies. The postdoctoral researcher will also be affiliated with the Birgit Rausing Centre for Medical Humanities and the Lund Social Science Method Centre at Lund University as well as to the project RELI-GENE: Governing Health, Family and Religion: The Biopolitics of Genetic Counselling and Religious Family Formations | SOAS. The project is funded by a Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council and is led by the Principal Investigator Yafa Shanneik, Professor of Islam and Society at SOAS, University of London.

The project examines how state-led genetic healthcare policies intersect with religious and cultural practices in close-knit religious minority communities across Europe and the Middle East. A particular focus is on how consanguinity and endogamy are framed within political, legal and medical discourses, often targeting minority communities and raising concerns about stigmatisation and social exclusion. The project aims to examine how personalised medicine can be made more inclusive by recognising family structures, belief systems and lived experiences.

As the holder of this position, you are expected to actively contribute to the research environment at CTR, as well as to seminars and research activities at the other two centres associated with this position. Your work will be carried out in close collaboration with the RELI-GENE team, including participation in regular team meetings and engagement in joint research and collaborative activities, such as publications, conferences, and workshops.

The position is a career development post, and its purpose is to act as an initial step on a career path by providing the opportunity to to deepen and broaden your research expertise. The position also includes some pedagogical training. Teaching, supervision and other teaching-related duties may also be included in the duties, but up to a maximum of one-fifth of the working time.

As a Postdoc you are provided an opportunity to develop your independence as a researcher with the support of senior colleagues. The appointment is limited to three years and is full time in accordance with the Agreement regarding fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral fellow. International employees are supported in their move to Sweden. If you have a family, they will find new contacts and support through Lund's International Citizen Hub.

Lund University is a government agency, which means that you get special benefits, generous holidays and a favourable occupational pension. Find out more on the University website about working with us Work at Lund University | Lund University.

The assessment will primarily be based on your research merits and your potential as a researcher. Particular emphasis will be placed on research competence within the subject area.

Qualification requirements:

• Doctoral degree or equivalent international degree within a field of study relevant to the research project, including but not limited to (medical) anthropology, public policy, law, or the religious studies. This requirement must be fulfilled no later than the date on which the employment decision is made, and as an applicant, you are responsible for supplementing your application with documentation that confirms the completed doctoral degree.
• Good ability to develop and carry out high-quality research.
• Teaching skills.
• You have not previously been employed as a postdoc researcher under the existing agreement on fixed-term postdoc employment for more than one year in the same or a related subject area with Lund University.
• Excellent proficiency in at least one Scandinavian language.
• Documented ability to conduct qualitative research, including document analysis and fieldwork.
• Specialist knowledge or research experience in fieldwork with at least one religious and/or indigenous minority in Scandinavian and Nordic contexts.
• Strong academic skills in writing, presenting, and communicating in English, demonstrated through research outputs in English relevant to the RELI-GENE project.

Desired qualifications:

• Completed doctoral degree no more than three years prior to the application deadline. If there are special circumstances such as leave of absence because of illness, parental leave, position as elected representative in trade union organisations, military service or service/assignments relevant to the subject area, this time can be deducted from the time elapsed since the doctoral degree was completed.
• Proficiency in minority languages spoken by, but not limited to, Sámi, Arabic, or Romani communities relevant to the project.
• Experience in organizing academic conferences.
• Experience in engaging in public outreach activities.
• Experience working within interdisciplinary and/or international research collaborations

The appointment is limited to three years and is full time in accordance with the Agreement regarding fixed-term employment as a postdoctoral fellow.

Your application should be written in English. As part of your application, you are to attach:

• A copy of the PhD certificate.
• A CV, including a list of publications.
• A research proposal demonstrating its relevance and contribution to the RELI-GENE project.

The Research Proposal:

You apply for the position with a proposed research project that clearly contributes to the RELI-GENE project's overarching investigation of biopolitical governance, religious and ethical frameworks, and kinship practices. The proposed project should combine discourse analysis with ethnographic fieldwork in at least two of the following countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. The aim of the proposed project should be to examine how healthcare and health policies shape and regulate family formation and reproductive practices among cultural, religious, and indigenous minority communities, including (but not limited to) Muslim and Christian minorities, Mandaeans, Jewish groups, Sámi, and Roma communities, whose family and reproductive practices are often in conflict with national healthcare policies and legal frameworks. The project should contribute to strengthening dialogue between medical professionals and minority communities, and support the development of more equitable and culturally responsive practices within healthcare and social care in multicultural societies.

The proposal should not exceed 2,000 words, excluding bibliography and references, and should include:

• Research questions, aims and objectives.
• Review of the relevant state of the art.
• Theoretical and methodological approach.
• Timeline.
• Evidence of the applicant's competence to conduct the proposed research.