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.

The Research Group ‘Integration and Conflict along the Upper Guinea Coast (West Africa)’ headed by Jacqueline Knörr is recruiting:

2 PhD Candidates, 1 Research Fellow (Postdoc)

starting 1st of April 2016 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

The Research Group started its work in 2005 and is part of the Department ‘Integration and Conflict.’ It is currently the only group world-wide engaged in long-term comparative research on this particular region of Africa. We look at integration and conflict as interrelated dimensions of social interaction, taking into account the impact and repercussions of specific historical experiences on the societies we study. In this region, as elsewhere in the world, the construction of social relationships involves practices of inclusion and exclusion, which must be studied in relation to people’s own constructions of identity and difference. Our goal is to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamic processes that affect integration and conflict at the local, regional, and (trans)national levels.

Further information can be found on our website: http://www.eth.mpg.de

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The group is open to research (a) in all countries along the Upper Guinea Coast of West Africa (i.e. Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast) and (b) concerning transnational/global connections and interactions involving Upper Guinea Coast societies and people.

The group will work together in Halle/Saale (except when undertaking field or archival research elsewhere, the costs of which will be covered).

Your Profile
Good field research skills (Research Fellow), preparedness to conduct one year of fieldwork (PhD Candidates), the ability to work in a team, communication skills, high proficiency in written and spoken English. Non-German-speaking researchers are encouraged to learn German, especially if there is relevant German literature on their particular research topic. Field research is carried out in the local language. The MPI aims at assisting in language learning.

The Research Fellow will also be expected to assist in the organisational work of the research group.

Our offer
PhD positions are generally awarded for 3 years, with the possibility of two six-month extensions.
The Research Fellow position will be available for 3 years.

The Max Planck Society strives to employ more persons with disabilities and explicitly encourages applications. Furthermore, the Max Planck Society is committed to raising the proportion of women in underrepresented fields; we thus explicitly encourage applications by women.

 
Contact
There is no application form, but applications should include the following standard documentation:

- Cover letter
- CV, including a list of publications
- Project proposal (two to four pages only)
- Photocopies of university degrees
- Names of 2-3 referees, who may be contacted for confidential references

Please submit your application electronically by 1st of February 2016 following the link for vacancies on our homepage.

Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Nadine Wagenbrett
wagenbrett@eth.mpg.de

Informal inquiries may be directed to Jacqueline Knörr: knoerr@eth.mpg.de

We look forward to receiving your completed online application under: http://www.eth.mpg.de/en/vacancies_external.html?url=/Vacancies/279/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