The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology is one of the world’s leading centres for research in social anthropology. Common to all research projects at the Max Planck Institute is the comparative analysis of social change; it is primarily in this domain that its researchers contribute to anthropological theory, though many programmes also have applied significance and political topicality.

Department ‘Resilience and Transformation in Eurasia’ of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology is recruiting

A new Research Group ‘REALEURASIA’

Positions include:

- 2 Postdoctoral positions (starting July 1st, 2014 or as soon as possible thereafter)
- 5 PhD positions (starting October 1st, 2014)
- Possible additional PhD scholarships

Background to the project
REALEURASIA (Realising Eurasia: Civilisation and Moral Economy in the 21st Century) is a multidisciplinary comparative project rooted in economic anthropology which will take a fresh look at classical contributions to historical sociology on the basis of ethnographic fieldwork. It draws together the large literatures on moral economy (Thompson) and economic ethic (Weber), and applies these concepts at multiple levels within the framework of civilizational analysis (Arnason). In towns selected to ensure structural comparability, doctoral students will investigate a spectrum of family-controlled firms and the domestic group per se. The overall hypothesis is that, alongside civilisational pluralism, the long-term evolution of Eurasia has established a substantial degree of unity across the landmass.

This project is supported by the European Research Council and its parameters are largely given. A brief
summary is available at: http://www.eth.mpg.de/cms/de/news/news_130927_1.html

Your Profile
Good field research skills, the ability to work in a team, and communication skills with good written and spoken English are required. The dissertation will be written in English. Acquisition of the German language is encouraged, especially if there is relevant literature on the research topic in German. Field Research is carried out in the local language. The Max Planck Institute aims at assisting in language learning.

Our Offer
Five positions are offered for doctoral work in social anthropology, one each for Russia, Turkey, India, Burma and China. Additional scholarship support may be available to support associated projects in other civilizational traditions, for example in Central and Western Europe, or in Japan. In addition to a Masters qualification in anthropology or a related discipline, some previous field experience and relevant linguistic skills are a prerequisite.

In addition, two positions are advertised at the postdoctoral level. One is earmarked for a sociologist familiar with the Weberian paradigm and contemporary debates over multiple modernities. The other will be filled by an anthropologist or economic sociologist who has addressed issues pertaining to moral economy, embeddedness and/or value theory. Postdoctoral research for REALEURASIA may or may not include a fieldwork component.

The Max Planck Society strives to employ more persons with disabilities and explicitly encourages
applications.

Contact
Applicants are not asked to submit a research proposal, but they should explain in a short covering letter what attracts them to this project and what qualifies them for work in this team. Applications at either level should be accompanied by one writing sample (e.g. a published work, or a chapter from a PhD, or a Masters dissertation).
Please submit your application electronically by 31st of March 2014 following the link for vacancies on our
homepage.

Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Personnel Administration
Robert Gille
gille@eth.mpg.de

Informal enquiries concerning the positions may be directed to Prof. Dr. Hann. (hann@eth.mpg.de).

We look forward to receiving your completed online application under http://www.eth.mpg.de/cms/de/vacancies/vacancies_external.html?url=/Vacancies/218/Application/New/2%3Flang=eng.

Further information on the research agenda of the Max Planck Institute is available
on our website: http://www.eth.mpg.de