CONSPIRATIONS project is based on the premise that increasingly conspiracy theories are becoming important not only to the people who propagate or endorse contested truths, but also to those who fear their consequences and design initiatives to push back against the ‘post-truth’ era. Significantly, and perhaps paradoxically, both 'truthers' who endorse conspiracy theories and 'truth defenders' who propagate them express strong convictions that their views and actions are an attempt to defend democracy and protect democratic values. Across Europe, many NGOs are dedicated to preventing and combating conspiracy theories (e.g., the EU’s DisinfoLab, Poland’s Demagog.org, or Estonia’s Propastop). Yet, at the same time, both sides have been accused of spreading moral panic. This specific tension suggests that there is an urgent need to open a new chapter in the study of conspiracy theories and ask why these conflicts are happening right now. Why are conspiracy theories and the label ‘conspiracy theory’ increasingly weaponised in socio-political disagreements? In Conflicts Over Conspiracy Theories (CONSPIRATIONS) the growing tension over conspiracy theories in Europe will be studied.

The PhD candidate will join a growing team of researchers who will study conflicts over conspiracy theories in Sweden, Poland, Belgium, Estonia, Bulgaria and EU institutions. The PhD candidate will be responsible for conducting research on Germany.

The position is based in the Department of Arts, Division of Ethnology at Lund University. It will require travel for fieldwork to Germany. Good German and English language skills are essential.

Information regarding salary levels in Sweden can be found here https://www.saco.se/studieval/yrken-a-o/larareforskare-vid-universitet-och-hogskola/

Information about employment of PhD students at Lund University is avaialable here: https://www.svet.lu.se/en/internal/employment-0/employees-doctoral-students#salary