The Hamburg Institute for Social Research is now accepting applications for four scholarships to be awarded to doctoral candidates who will together form a newly established group at the institute focusing on Social Exclusion and Political Democracy in Europe. Successful candidates will cooperate in empirical and theoretical research on emerging constellations of social and political participation in Europe, in a period in which origins no longer necessarily determine the future. These new configurations are relevant with respect to social cohesion, political unity, and historical renewal. How are processes of social disaffiliation and processes of political inclusion interlinked? What does “raising one’s voice and being heard” mean? Who takes responsibility for what?
Scholarships will be awarded for a period of two years beginning 1 March 2010 with a possibility of extension. All members of the post-graduate research group are expected to reside and work in Hamburg. Workshops for members of the group on theoretical and methodological topics will be conducted in cooperation with a similar group at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut, Essen) focusing on Climate and Democracy.

We are accepting applications from students of all nationalities with appropriate degrees (M.A., Magister, Diplom or equivalents) from universities in Germany or abroad. Working language in the research group will be German.

Applications can be submitted in German, English, or French and should include the following: curriculum vitae, copies of university transcripts and degrees, a copy of the candidate’s thesis [Magister, Diplom or Masters), one academic letter of reference, and an outline of the proposed research project (three to five pages maximum).