The University of Potsdam, Faculty of Arts, Slavic Department, Chair for Slavic Literary and Cultural Studies (with focus on Polish studies) is seeking to fill the following position within the joint research project »Adjustment and Radicalization. Dynamics in Popular Culture(s) in Pre-War Eastern Europe« preferably by May 1, 2023:
Academic Staff Member Postdoc
The salary is determined by the collective bargaining agreement for public employees in Germany (TV-L 13 Ost). The position is for 40 hours per week (100% of a full-time contract). This is a temporary position limited to a term of 36 months in accordance with Section 2 subsection 1 of the Academic Fixed-Term Contract Law (WissZeitVG).
The joint project is funded by Leibniz Association and investigates the development of popular culture(s) in East Central and Eastern Europe since the 1980s from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. Together with the Leibniz Center for Literary and Cultural Studies in Berlin (ZfL), the Leibniz Institute for History and Culture of Eastern Europe in Leipzig (GWZO), and the Leibniz Center for Contemporary History in Potsdam (ZZF), different phenomena and genres of popular culture are being researched in a series of case studies. Russia’s attack on Ukraine poses new challenges to research on Eastern Europe. The joint project examines the dynamics of popular culture in Belarus, Poland, Russia, Ukraine and Hungary in order to find out how populist and nationalist world views and resentments spread, enabling political radicalization processes that are not only limited to Russia. In this context, processes of adaptation and protest, as well as the instrumentalization of seemingly non-political cultural practices and products ‒ including those in the field of alternative public spheres ‒ by state and non-state actors, require analysis.
Within this framework, the sub-project (post-doc) based at the University of Potsdam will examine the entanglement between popular cultural developments (also including Catholic-conservative folk culture and nationalist-patriotic discourses and rituals) and right-wing populist mobilization in Poland. The research will center on the question of addressing the ‘people’ in popular culture and right-wing populist (cultural) politics. The focus lies on mutual reinforcement effects as well as on possible contradictions and fissures in practices and discourses of the right-wing conservative alliance of popular culture and populism ‒ also in a broader East Central European context.
Your tasks:
- Developing and conducting a research project on the dynamics of popular culture in the context of right-wing populism, with a special focus on Poland
- Own publications
- Committed participation in research activities of the joint project
- Collaboration in the planning and organization of public and scientific events within the project framework
- There is the possibility for scientific qualification through work on the research project (monography and/or Habilitation).
Requirements:
- Master’s and Doctoral (PhD) in literary, media or cultural studies with a recognizable regional expertise (Poland/East Central Europe)
- Research competence and research interests in the field of popular culture(s) in Eastern Europe
- Language skills: German and/or English, Polish; additional East European languages are welcome
- Willingness to conduct interdisciplinary research in a transregional joint project
- Experience in project coordination and event organization
- Willingness to participate in research with the departmental chair, in addition to project work
We offer varied and challenging tasks in a dynamic team as well as attractive working conditions. Find out more about the wide range of offers and benefits for our employees on the internet at https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/arbeiten-an-der-up/. For further insights into the University of Potsdam, please visit our homepage at https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/. Professor Magdalena Marszałek will be happy to provide you with further information regarding the job advertisement via e-mail [magdalena.marszalek@uni-potsdam.de].
The University of Potsdam aims to increase the proportion of women in research and teaching and therefore invites qualified applicants to apply. The University of Potsdam values the diversity of its members and pursues the goals of equal opportunities regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion/belief, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity. In the case of equal suitability, women within the meaning of Section 7 (4) BbgHG and severely disabled people will be given preferential consideration. Applications from abroad and from persons with a migration background are expressly welcome.
Your application should include the following documents: Cover letter including letter of motivation, Curriculum vitae, copies of certificates, list of publications, Two significant publications (essays, book chapters or chapters of the dissertation), Outline of a possible research project (3 to 5 pages)
Applicants should send their application with all documents in one single pdf file (zip) by February 28, 2023 at the latest, via email, to Prof. Dr. Magdalena Marszałek (magdalena.marszalek@uni-potsdam.de)
Original announcement: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/fileadmin/projects/verwaltung/docs/Dezernat3/Ausschreibungen/2_akadPersonal/301_2023_Slavic_Polish_Studies_eng.pdf