About the Project

Coventry University (CU) is inviting applications from suitably-qualified graduates for a fully-funded PhD studentship examining anti-Semitism in the radical Left. Candidates will be based in the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations – a research centre in the Institute for Peace and Security.

Despite its historical connections to Nazism and the far-right, Anti-Semitism has become prolific and continues to thrive in left-wing and left-radical protest and social movements. Whether in the UK Labour Party during Corbyn’s reign, in conflicts over Zionism throughout French protest culture since the 1970s, or the infamous conflicts between ‘Anti-Germans’ and ‘Anti-imperialists’ in the German radical left, the curious case of left-wing Anti-Semitism plagues groups that would normally be expected to stand for anti-racism and inclusivity.

This PhD project will investigate the evolution, persistence and contestation of anti-Semitism within the radical left since the 1970s, using one or two national case studies of the candidate’s choosing. The candidate will apply a qualitative multi-methods approach, potentially utilizing sources such as: interviews and oral histories with historical and contemporary participants, archival documents from movement publications, and/or ethnographic observation.

The studentship findings will produce the first English-language study of the topic, and shed light on the pressing and very-contemporary phenomena that persists and in fact continues to escalate alongside contemporary growing ‘anti-system politics’ (Hopkin 2020) in increasingly ‘illiberal democracies’ (Zakaria 1997).

This extremely timely topic addresses one of the most perplexing and challenging issues in modern radical politics, and will allow the candidate to explore an issue scarcely understood in political, societal, or scholarly realms.

Entry criteria for applicants to PhD

- a bachelor’s (honours) degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum classification of 2:1 and a minimum mark of 60 percent in the project element (or equivalent), or an equivalent award from an overseas institution.
- a Master’s degree in a relevant field (history, politics, sociology, religious studies, etc)

PLUS:

- the potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within 3.5 years
- an adequate proficiency in English must be demonstrated by applicants whose first language is not English. The general requirement is a minimum overall IELTS Academic score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each of the four sections, or the TOEFL iBT test with a minimum overall score of 95 with a minimum of 21 in each of the four sections.

All applications require full supporting documentation, and a covering letter – plus:

An up-to 3000-word research proposal is required, and should detail the candidate’s planned approach to the research topic, their proposed case study or studies, and their choice of research methods and/or sources. A brief explanation of how the applicant’s expertise and interests are relevant to the project should be included in the cover letter.