Researcher in "Conservative Climate Justice for a Sustainable Transformation"

Description of the workplace

The six-month position as a researcher in the project Conservative Climate Justice for a Sustainable Transformation will be based at the Division of Human Rights Studies, Department of History, Lund University. The department offers education at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. Human Rights is also one of Lund University's five profile areas, bringing together researchers from across the university.

We offer

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 for us | Lund University.

 
Work duties and areas of responsibility

You will conduct research within the interdisciplinary research project Conservative Climate Justice for a Sustainable Transformation. The project investigates the relationship between conservative ideology and a just and effective transition to a low-carbon society, drawing on methods and perspectives from philosophy, political science, and psychology.

You will:

• Work closely with Eric Brandstedt at Lund University on the project’s fourth sub-project, which examines how conservatism functions as an ideology and identity in resistance to climate policy.
• Your research will focus particularly on the role of conservative ideas, values, identities, and ideological commitments in opposition to climate policies and other forms of climate action. A central part of your work will be to apply methods of ideology analysis and ideology critique to contemporary conservatism. 
• Have particular responsibility for collecting and analysing relevant empirical material and for developing theoretically informed analyses of the selected cases. You will be expected to conduct research independently while working closely with Brandstedt on the conceptual and theoretical development of the sub-project. 

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• A PhD in Human Rights Studies or another subject of relevance to the position, or an international degree deemed equivalent.
• Knowledge of and experience with methods for the analysis of political ideologies and/or political discourse.
• Ability to conduct qualitative empirical analysis of media material and other forms of public or political discourse.
• Sufficient proficiency in Swedish to independently collect and analyse Swedish-language media material and official or administrative documents.

Desired qualifications:

The following qualifications are considered particularly meritorious:

• Documented research of direct relevance to the research project, particularly research on political ideology, the ethical or ideological dimensions of the green transition, and/or resistance to climate and environmental policy.
• Research experience relating ideology, political values, or normative questions to agriculture, animal husbandry, or food production.
• Experience of combining empirical research with normative, ethical, or political-theoretical analysis.
• Knowledge of justice-related aspects of climate and energy policy, particularly in a Swedish context.
• Very good oral and written proficiency in English and Swedish.

Further information

The position is a fixed-term, part-time position (50%), starting on 1 November 2026 or as agreed. The maximum duration of the employment is six months.

How to apply

The position is applied for through Lund University’s recruitment system. Your application should include a cover letter explaining your interest in the position and how your qualifications and experience match the requirements of the position. The application should also include a CV, degree certificates or equivalent documentation, and any other documents you wish to submit in support of your application (such as copies of academic transcripts, contact details for references, or letters of recommendation).