International Research Network – “Physical Violence and State Legitimacy in Late Socialism” –

Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam – The Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam –

4 Fellowships (PhD)

Type: scholarships and research grants, fellowships, study allowance, projects

The Centre for Contemporary History Potsdam (ZZF Potsdam) is pleased to invite applications for four fellowships (PhD) to provide graduate students with the opportunity to accomplish a doctoral thesis within the thematic field of the international research network “Physical Violence and State Legitimacy in Late Socialism”. The duration of each fellowship will be limited to three years. The designated start of the fellowships will be April 1, 2011. The international research network “Physical Violence and State Legitimacy in Late Socialism” includes Postdoc-Research Fellows from various countries in East Central and South Eastern Europe and is generously funded by the Wissenschaftsgemeinschaft Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (WGL) in Germany.

It will be coordinated by the ZZF Potsdam together with the Institute for South East European Studies in Regensburg (Prof. Ulf Brunnbauer), the Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for European History and Public Spheres in Vienna (Prof. Thomas Lindenberger) and the Chair of Comparative and Transnational History at the European University Institute in Florence (Prof. Pavel Kolář). The research agenda of the network is concerned with the relationship between physical violence and the societal desintegration in East Central and South Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union during the post-Stalinist period of communism. Prospective research should be directed to the following questions: How did the state control of violence and the ways of its political legitimation change after the demise of Stalinism in the 1950s? To what extent had physical violence itself disappeared from the political sphere and was rather incorporated within the post-Stalinist societies and their everyday life? How did this transformation in turn question both the legitimacy claims of the late socialist regimes and its acceptance by the population in general thus contributing to the long-term decline of communism?

The project’s main objective is to establish an international research network of scholars (PhDstudents and Postdoc-Research Fellows) who contribute with their research to a rising awareness of the historical complexity of late socialism and its interdependency with the overall ambiguities of late industrialist societies in general. The network will therefore strengthen international cooperation and support comparative and transnational research in the field of communist studies. Individual projects by PhD candidates should address one of the following thematic fields:

– Spheres with state monopoly of physical violence — Physical violence in everyday life — Collective physical violence as a social and political phenomenon — Physical violence and state legitimacy in political thought — Media representations of physical violence

The grants are directed to young international scholars who have obtained their M.A. in history or any other discipline in the humanities or social sciences with great honour. The candidates should have a good working knowledge of English and another relevant language depending on their research area.

A basic knowledge of German is appreciated.

The fellowship carries a monthly stipend of 1.200 € for three years. In addition to the monthly stipend it includes funding for research trips and conferences. Academic supervision of the dissertations will be coordinated with the partner institutions in Regensburg, Florence and Vienna. The ZZF and its partner institutions will provide fully equipped office space and other relevant facilities.

The Centre for Contemporary History and its partner institutions aim to increase the number of women in the field of research and therefore explicitly encourage the application of female PhD-candidates.

The application deadline is January 24, 2011. Interviews will be held in Mid-February 2011.

All applications must include:

1. A letter of interest;

2. A curriculum vitae;

3. A project proposal (1,500 words);

4. A letter of recommendation.

You can send your application by mail or email. The letter of recommendation should be sent under separate cover. No applications or recommendations by fax will be accepted. Please direct any further inquiries and your application to:

Dr. Jens Gieseke Head of Department “Communism and Society” Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung

Am Neuen Markt 1

14467 Potsdam

Germany

gieseke@zzf-pdm.de

Source: http://www.zzfpdm.de/Portals/_Rainbow/images/news/2011_04_Fellowship_Physical_violence.pdf

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