PHD Position Extremist identity creation and meaning-making at the nexus between online and offline environments (within the Vortex dctoral program)

Offer Description

Position available within the research project entitled Horizon Europe MSCA 101073440 ‘Coping with Varieties of Radicalization into Terrorism and Extremism’ (VORTEX).

VORTEX’s overarching aim is to develop new evidence-based innovative strategies to countering and preventing ideological and behavioural radicalization. The project, which is divided into 10 individual research projects, one for each doctoral student, includes Malmö University (Sweden), Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (Germany), the University of Marburg (Germany), the University of Helsinki (Finland), the University of Turin (Italy), the Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), the University of Oslo (Norway), and Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania). The general project coordinator is Dr Kristian Steiner, Malmö University. The general project coordinator at Babeș-Bolyai University is Prof. Sergiu Mișcoiu.

The doctoral student is expected to formulate and conduct an independent and individual research project addressing the topic Extremist identity creation and meaning-making at the nexus between online and offline environments. This work package of Vortex focus on the online-offline nexus in extremist identity creation and meaning-making. It has four main goals:

The first one is to draw on and update the analysis framework of “Internet Politics” Resnick (1998) linked to “Politics Within the Net” and “Political Uses of the Net”. The idea here is, using extensive online ethnography of Islamists’ and extreme-right social network pages, to uncover group belonging and emotional communities online radical groups intend to constitute. The second goal is to explore the narratives and imaginaries used by radical online communities in order to frame and embody the identity of the group they intend to represent – this includes the hitherto neglected gender dimension in these narrative framing processes. The third goal is, using qualitative semistructured interviews with members of radical online groups, to analyse what kind of consequences those narratives and imaginaries have in their social life. The last goal of this WP will be to explore the legal and ethical constraints surrounding academic research on online radicalization.

Although the doctoral student will be working on an individual research project, he or she will also be connected to the European doctoral network described above and will work in close collaboration with other doctoral students and senior researchers. The doctoral student is expected to spend time at universities and organizations in the project, in this case in particular with the University of Turin (UNITO under the supervision of Massimo Leone) and CUTA (https://cuta.belgium.be/) that will both host the doctoral student for a secondment.

The ESR will work under the supervision of Prof. Corinne Torrekens and be integrated to the Group for research on Ethnic Relations, Migration and Equality (GERME) at Université libre de Bruxelles (https://germe.centresphisoc.ulb.be/fr/accueil-germe).

Responsibilities include:

• Development and implementation of a PhD project on a topic in the above subject area;
• Being an active part in the research and educational environment of GERME;
• Being an active part in the European doctoral network attending events organized by VORTEX, spend time at universities and organizations in the project and to contribute to papers, report and textbooks.

The applicant should fulfill the following requirements:

• a very good university degree qualifying for a doctorate at ULB in Political Science/Sociology.
• the methodological and scholarly maturity suitable for implementing a doctoral project within the fellowship’s duration; and the documented experience of practicing, studying and/or researching any of the themes described in the doctoral project above;
• the willingness to conduct research in an interdisciplinary team and to communicate research results to stakeholders in politics and the broader public;
• the ability to express oneself in written and spoken English (abilities in French and/or Arabic are an asset);
• according to the project funder’s regulations, the applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date;
• according to the project funder’s regulations, the applicants must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;

You can expect:

• Family-friendly working hours and the possibility for mobile working;
• A dynamic and motivated work environment at GERME as well as within the European doctoral network VORTEX;
• Internal and external training opportunities

Application:

Candidates must send an application documents (cover letter, CV without photo, certificates including your Master’s certificate) and an outline of the doctoral project of no more than five pages to corinne.torrekens@ulb.be by 15^th of March, 2023, complied as a single PDF document. The doctoral project must include a research question, a theoretical framework, a methodological strategy, and a justification for the suggested empirical choices.

Unfortunately, application expenses cannot be reimbursed.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the eligibility criteria and the following criteria for the scientific evaluation:

Educational track records

Scientific quality of the CV

Draft project

Expected individual impact and benefit to the researcher and to the project

Previous experiences in the subject areas relevant to the VORTEX research program.

First round of evaluation between 15-24^th of March. In person/online interview between 17-28th of April. The Université libre de Bruxelles is an equal opportunities employer, committed to promoting equality, diversity and fairness irrespective of age, disability, gender, pregnancy or marital status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Offer Description

Position available within the research project entitled Horizon Europe MSCA 101073440 ‘Coping with Varieties of Radicalization into Terrorism and Extremism’ (VORTEX).

VORTEX’s overarching aim is to develop new evidence-based innovative strategies to countering and preventing ideological and behavioural radicalization. The project, which is divided into 10 individual research projects, one for each doctoral student, includes Malmö University (Sweden), Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (Germany), the University of Marburg (Germany), the University of Helsinki (Finland), the University of Turin (Italy), the Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), the University of Oslo (Norway), and Babeș-Bolyai University (Romania). The general project coordinator is Dr Kristian Steiner, Malmö University. The general project coordinator at Babeș-Bolyai University is Prof. Sergiu Mișcoiu.

The doctoral student is expected to formulate and conduct an independent and individual research project addressing the topic Extremist identity creation and meaning-making at the nexus between online and offline environments. This work package of Vortex focus on the online-offline nexus in extremist identity creation and meaning-making. It has four main goals:

The first one is to draw on and update the analysis framework of “Internet Politics” Resnick (1998) linked to “Politics Within the Net” and “Political Uses of the Net”. The idea here is, using extensive online ethnography of Islamists’ and extreme-right social network pages, to uncover group belonging and emotional communities online radical groups intend to constitute. The second goal is to explore the narratives and imaginaries used by radical online communities in order to frame and embody the identity of the group they intend to represent – this includes the hitherto neglected gender dimension in these narrative framing processes. The third goal is, using qualitative semistructured interviews with members of radical online groups, to analyse what kind of consequences those narratives and imaginaries have in their social life. The last goal of this WP will be to explore the legal and ethical constraints surrounding academic research on online radicalization.

Although the doctoral student will be working on an individual research project, he or she will also be connected to the European doctoral network described above and will work in close collaboration with other doctoral students and senior researchers. The doctoral student is expected to spend time at universities and organizations in the project, in this case in particular with the University of Turin (UNITO under the supervision of Massimo Leone) and CUTA (https://cuta.belgium.be/) that will both host the doctoral student for a secondment.

The ESR will work under the supervision of Prof. Corinne Torrekens and be integrated to the Group for research on Ethnic Relations, Migration and Equality (GERME) at Université libre de Bruxelles (https://germe.centresphisoc.ulb.be/fr/accueil-germe).

Responsibilities include:

• Development and implementation of a PhD project on a topic in the above subject area;
• Being an active part in the research and educational environment of GERME;
• Being an active part in the European doctoral network attending events organized by VORTEX, spend time at universities and organizations in the project and to contribute to papers, report and textbooks.

The applicant should fulfill the following requirements:

• a very good university degree qualifying for a doctorate at ULB in Political Science/Sociology.
• the methodological and scholarly maturity suitable for implementing a doctoral project within the fellowship’s duration; and the documented experience of practicing, studying and/or researching any of the themes described in the doctoral project above;
• the willingness to conduct research in an interdisciplinary team and to communicate research results to stakeholders in politics and the broader public;
• the ability to express oneself in written and spoken English (abilities in French and/or Arabic are an asset);
• according to the project funder’s regulations, the applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Belgium for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before their recruitment date;
• according to the project funder’s regulations, the applicants must not already be in possession of a doctoral degree at the date of the recruitment;

You can expect:

• Family-friendly working hours and the possibility for mobile working;
• A dynamic and motivated work environment at GERME as well as within the European doctoral network VORTEX;
• Internal and external training opportunities

Application:

Candidates must send an application documents (cover letter, CV without photo, certificates including your Master’s certificate) and an outline of the doctoral project of no more than five pages to corinne.torrekens@ulb.be by 15^th of March, 2023, complied as a single PDF document. The doctoral project must include a research question, a theoretical framework, a methodological strategy, and a justification for the suggested empirical choices.

Unfortunately, application expenses cannot be reimbursed.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the eligibility criteria and the following criteria for the scientific evaluation:

Educational track records

Scientific quality of the CV

Draft project

Expected individual impact and benefit to the researcher and to the project

Previous experiences in the subject areas relevant to the VORTEX research program.

First round of evaluation between 15-24^th of March. In person/online interview between 17-28th of April. The Université libre de Bruxelles is an equal opportunities employer, committed to promoting equality, diversity and fairness irrespective of age, disability, gender, pregnancy or marital status, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.