PhD in the History of Democracy in the 1970s

Deadline: 2026-10-22. Published: 2026-09-21.

Job description

We offer a four-year, full-time PhD position as part of an NWO-funded VIDI project investigating the transformation of democracy in the final quarter of the twentieth century through the lens of media governance. We are looking for a curious, creative, and collaborative researcher with strong training in historical research methods to investigate the contestation of the public media model from below in the long 1970s.

The Project

Across Western Europe, democracy underwent profound changes during the final decades of the twentieth century. The postwar model of democracy, characterized by institutional trust, social cohesion, and political consensus, came under pressure, giving way to a more fragmented, polarized and contested democratic order.

The postwar democratic order was closely linked to a particular model of media governance, with the public service broadcasting monopoly at its core. But in subsequent decades, debates about the role, organization, and regulation of media became a key arena in which democratic ideals and institutions were contested and (re-)formed. The NWO-funded VIDI project Democracy and the (de-)regulation of the media examines democracy’s contestation and transformation in the final quarter of the twentieth century through the lens of media governance.

Through a comparative Western European perspective, the project investigates how social movements, interest organisations, regulators and policy makers and their conceptions and practices of democracy shaped media governance reform from the 1970s to the 2000s. This enables us to understand the foundations of the liberalized and pluralized media model of the final quarter of the twentieth century and of the regulation of digital media which stand at the heart of concerns about democracy’s crisis today.

Your Role

As a PhD-researcher, you will study the first and crucial phase of the challenge to the postwar model of democracy. You will investigate how social movements, alternative media initiatives, intellectuals and cultural pioneers challenged the institutional and normative foundations of public service broadcasting. These actors offered a stark critique of government control over media based on cultural cohesion, sociopolitical consensus and popular education; and articulated new democratic ideals centring on participation, pluralism, autonomy, and freedom of expression. This contributed to broader transformations in democratic culture and governance – and to subsequent debates on media reform in political and policy circles.

Focusing on the long 1970s, a period marked by contestation of established democratic norms and hierarchies, your research project will analyse how alternative visions of the relationship between media and democracy emerged from below and challenged the public media monopoly. You will trace how and why dominant conceptions and practices of media regulation came under pressure and assess how ideas and practices from below reshaped and influenced public and political debates on media policy.

Through a comparative study of Western Europe, you will investigate interactions between social movements, ideas, and political change from a historical perspective. Your research will be based on extensive archival research and the critical analysis and contextualisation of primary sources from social movements, alternative media organisations, intellectuals and other relevant actors. You will examine how democratic concepts and forms of media governance evolved over time, paying particular attention to the circulation of ideas, actors and practices across national borders.

As a PhD-researcher, you will be part of the project team with a Postdoc and the Project Leader. The daily supervisor of the PhD-project is Pepijn Corduwener, the Project Leader; co-promotors are Professor Liesbeth van de Grift (International History) and Professor José van Dijck (Media Studies). You will be a member of the section of Political History, at the Department of History and Art History at Utrecht University.

Requirements

We are looking for a collaborative and curious researcher who wants to play an active role in our research community and who meets the following requirements:

• an (R)MA degree in History, or in a related discipline combined with demonstrable advanced training and experience in historical research;
• demonstrable experience with historical research methods, including archival research and the critical analysis and contextualisation of primary sources;
• a strong interest in the modern and contemporary history of democracy in Europe;
• professional competence in English and at least one other European language;
• an interest in working with diverse academic and non-academic stakeholders in a collaborative research environment.

We particularly welcome candidates who have:

• experience with comparative or transnational historical research;
• worked on topics related to the history of democracy, social movements, media history and/or media governance;
• additional European language skills.

Conditions of employment

• a fulltime temporary position for 18 months, with an extension to a total of four years upon a successful assessment in the first year, and with the specific intent that it results in a doctorate within this period;
• a working week of 36 - 40 hours;
• a gross monthly salary of € 3.204 and €4.051 in the case of full-time employment (salary scale P, job profile PhD candidate (promovendus in Dutch) of the University Job Classification (UFO), under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO NU));
• 8% holiday pay and 8.3% year-end bonus;
• a pension scheme, partially paid parental leave and flexible terms of employment based on the CAO NU.

In addition to the terms of employment laid down in the CAO NU, Utrecht University also offers a range of its own schemes for employees. This includes arrangements for professional development, various types of leave, and options for sports and cultural activities. You can also tailor your employment conditions through our Terms of Employment Options Model. In this way, we encourage you to keep investing in your personal and professional development. For more information, please visit Working at Utrecht University.

Employer

Universiteit Utrecht

A better future for everyone. This ambition motivates our scientists in executing their leading research and inspiring teaching. At Utrecht University, the various disciplines collaborate intensively towards major strategic themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Pathways to Sustainability. Sharing science, shaping tomorrow.

The Faculty of Humanities has around 7,000 students and 1,100 staff members. It comprises four knowledge domains: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Culture Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication. With its research and education in these fields, the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe in a rapidly changing social and cultural context. The enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent amenities in the historical city centre of Utrecht, where the faculty is located, contribute to an inspiring working environment.

The faculty strives for diversity among its employees and students and is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone, as can be read in Utrecht University's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy.

The core values of the faculty for Humanities are professionalism, transparency, responsibility, connectedness and safety. These values apply to everyone and we uphold these values in our work and in our communication with each other and with others.

Additional information

For more information about this position, please contact the project-leader of the VIDI-project, dr. Pepijn Corduwener at p.corduwener@uu.nl

Candidates for this vacancy will be recruited by Utrecht University.

Working at Utrecht University

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