Aarhus University, Department of Anthropology
Postdoctoral fellowship: "Digressions: A cross-disciplinary study of the indirectness of the human imagination" 796711
Institution Type: | College / University |
Location: | Denmark |
Position: | Post-Doctoral Fellow |
The research project “Digressions: A cross-disciplinary study of the indirectness of the human imagination” at the Department of Anthropology, School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral fellowship. The appointment begins on 1 September 2016 or as soon as possible thereafter.
The position
The position is affiliated with the AUFF NOVA research project “Digressions: A cross-disciplinary study of the indirectness of the human imagination”. Based on an understanding of digressions as a series of consecutive departures from an onward course of social life, the research project aims at testing two key hypotheses: (1) Social life involves ways of being and acting that are indirect and non-linear; life proceeds not along straight lines but by virtue of diversions; events occur by causal routes that are more tangential than direct. (2) It is through such diversions, indirectness and tangents, nevertheless, that social life maintains the appearance of being a linear phenomenon so that B appears to be following A ‘logically’.
Key to the project is a focus on the human imagination. This is understood not only as a primary vehicle for creativity and novelty, but also for the apparently non-imaginative practices of everyday life. Significantly, the habits that structure the mundane actually entail series of imaginative departures from apparently straightforward courses of action. Situated in always-shifting social environments, humans constantly recalibrate their perception by reacting to the imaginative possibilities afforded by what lies beyond the immediately given, which often resists total articulation. As such, the human imagination is a driving force that potentially transcends the phenomenologically given parameters of social life.
The concept of ‘digression’ has a long history spanning antique rhetoric to modern literary theory and narratology. With this project, however, it is argued that digression is a key aspect of human experience as well as being vital for understanding the process of social life. The objective is thus to document the capacities of digression to affect the habitude of daily life and to demonstrate that digressions are intrinsic to the indirectness of the human imagination. In particular, the project focuses on four genres of digression: fiction, mythology, fine art and comedy. Examining these in the context of daily life, as they are imaginatively put into practice, makes visible our deployment of (and even our dependence on) digression.
Research
We are looking for an innovative scholar with a background in anthropology, area studies, cultural studies, folklore studies, literary studies or related disciplines who can contribute to this project and who can demonstrate international commitment and ability to collaborate with key areas of national and international research within the research area of the project. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to participate in research-based project activities as well as lectures, seminars and workshops and also in supervising students.
The successful applicant will have an individual research project relevant for the AUFF NOVA research project. The postdoctoral fellow will also be expected to work collaboratively with the project team and engage actively in interdisciplinary team research. The application should contain a research proposal for the postdoctoral fellowship, highlighting how the project will complement the research agenda of the AUFF NOVA research project.
Education
The position will involve some teaching as agreed upon with the department head and the director of the AUFF NOVA research project.
Knowledge exchange
The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to exchange knowledge with various sectors of society and to contribute actively to the general public debate in areas related to the position.
For further information about the position, please contact associate professor Morten Nielsen, tel. +45 87 16 21 65, e-mail etnomn@cas.au.dk
Qualifications
Eligible applicants for this position should hold a PhD degree or equivalent qualifications in anthropology, area studies, cultural studies, folklore studies or allied fields.
The successful applicant must document extensive empirical research, preferably including ethnographic fieldwork and/or archival experience as well as an international research profile.
Applicants should be interested in collaborative, interdisciplinary work and must formulate a concise description of their proposed research project (up to 4 double-spaced A4 pages), a project whose completion should be feasible within the time frame of the position.
The application must be submitted in English.
If the successful applicant does not speak Danish, he/she will be expected to learn sufficient Danish to participate in the daily business of the department within two years.
For more information about the application, please contact HR supporter Marianne Birn, e-mail mbb@au.dk
Work environment
The research project “Digressions: A cross-disciplinary study of the indirectness of the human imagination” is funded by the Aarhus University Research Foundation NOVA and focuses on digression as something which is vital for understanding the human imagination. The project is headed by associate professor Morten Nielsen and runs from September 2016 to August 2018.
The School of Culture and Society
‘Digressions’ is an AUFF-funded research project in the School of Culture and Society at Aarhus University. The focus of the teaching and research activities of the school is the interplay between culture and society in time and space:
- from the traditional disciplines of the humanities and theology to applied social research
- from antiquity to the issues facing contemporary societies
- from familiar Danish cultural forms to other – and very different – worlds
- from local questions to global challenges.
For a more detailed description of the school, please visit this website: http://cas.au.dk/en/.
Qualification requirements
Applicants should hold a PhD or equivalent academic qualifications.
Formalities
- Faculty of Arts refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities (the Appointment Order).
- Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations.
- Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .
- Further information on the application and supplementary materials may be found in Applicant Guidelines.
- The application must outline the applicant's motivation for applying for the position, attaching a curriculum vitae, a teaching portfolio, a complete list of published works, copies of degree certificates and no more than five examples of academic production. Please upload this material electronically along with your application.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background.
Deadline
All applications must be made online and received by 2 February 2016
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts is one of four main academic areas at Aarhus University.
The faculty contributes to Aarhus University's research, talent development, knowledge exchange and degree programmes.
With its 500 academic staff members, 260 PhD students, 12,500 BA and MA students, and 2,500 students following continuing/further education programmes, the faculty constitutes a strong and diverse research and teaching environment.
The Faculty of Arts consists of the School of Communication and Culture, the School of Culture and Society, the Danish School of Education, and the Centre for Teaching Development and Digital Media. Each of these units has strong academic environments and forms the basis for interdisciplinary research and education.
The faculty's academic environments and degree programmes engage in international collaboration and share the common goal of contributing to the development of knowledge, welfare and culture in interaction with society.
Read more at arts.au.dk/en
Aarhus University is a modern, academically diverse and research-intensive university with a strong commitment to high-quality research and education and the development of society nationally and globally. The university offers an inspiring research and teaching environment to its 44,500 students and 11,500 employees, and has an annual budget of EUR 830 million. Over the course of the past decade, the university has consolidated its position in the top 100 on the most influential rankings of universities world-wide. Learn more at www.au.dk/en.
Contact: |
For a more detailed description of the school, please visit this website: http://cas.au.dk/en/. For more information about the application, please contact HR supporter Marianne Birn, e-mail mbb@au.dk
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Website: | http://arts.au.dk/en/ |
Primary Category: | Anthropology |
Secondary Categories: | Cultural History / Studies |
Posting Date: | 01/13/2016 |
Closing Date | 02/02/2016 |