Researcher: Unequal Opportunities to Advance Equality?

Researcher: Unequal Opportunities to Advance Equality? Gender and Racial/Ethnic Civil Society in Comparative Context 

Project description

The position is linked to the ongoing VR- funded project: “Unequal Opportunities to Advance Equality? Gender and Racial/Ethnic Civil Society in Comparative Context.”  Civil society organisations (CSOs) are key to advancing equality, particularly in their ability to influence and scrutinize government policy. However, we know very little of a) the comparative influence of CSOs representing gender and/or racial/ethnic equality on elected representatives, and b) how this varies across Western democracies with varying equalities architectures (mechanisms for ensuring equalities in policy and spending). This is important because improvements in gender equality have not been made to the same extent for racial inequality, and the siloing of these policy areas perpetuates the intersectional marginalisation of groups such as ethnic minority women. Meanwhile, cutting edge feminist scholarship on representation has begun to advocate for increased focus on the institutional mechanisms by which elected representatives are persuaded to engage with and respond to CSOs representing equalities interests. There has however been no empirical work addressing this cross-nationally and from an intersectional perspective. This project therefore fills a key knowledge gap which will not only enhance the strategies of CSOs representing marginalised groups, but will also contribute to the design of more equitable equalities architectures which are better equipped to tackle inequalities beyond gender, as well as intersectional inequalities. Our comparative approach and innovative dissemination strategy fosters cross-country and policy sector learning.

About the position

The researcher will focus on Swedish civil society organizations and the Swedish state equality architecture.

As part of that objective, the researcher is expected to be involved in interviews, and document analysis research to be used for the analysis. In addition, the researcher is expected to assist with the expansion of the data infrastructure. 

Qualifications

• PhD degree in Political Science or related discipline such as womens/gender studies
• Relevant research skills and academic merits
• Excellent command of spoken and written Swedish
• The ability to conduct independent research and contribute to the Unequal Equalities research project  are significant considerations. 

Specific qualifications for the position:

Specifically, we are looking for candidates with a research profile that includes an academic track record in the study of intersectionality, equality organizations, as well as experiences from qualitative interviewing, elite interviews and document analysis. 

Desirable personal qualities include taking responsibility, good teamwork skills, and the ability to work independently.

Terms of employment

The position is a full-time, fixed-term employment of minimum 5 months, maximum 10 months. The starting date is September 1, 2025 or as per agreement.

Lund University is a public authority, which means that employees get particular benefits, generous annual leave and an advantageous occupational pension scheme. Read more on the University website about being a Lund University employee: Work at Lund University.

Application

Apply for the position through Lund University's recruitment system Varbi. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

Please include the following documents with your application:

• Cover letter
• CV – degrees and other completed courses, work experience and a list of publications
• Copy of PhD diploma. 

We look forward to receiving your application!