"Postdoc in Debating Political Secularism"

Job Summary

How do diverse voices in the competitive Iranian public political sphere justify secularism as a political ideal? What models of secularism are proposed, and how do they differ in terms of tolerance, neutrality, and civic inclusion? How is argumentation in favor of secularism (not) loaded with political theological meaning? To what extent do public debates (not) exhibit qualities of rational deliberation amid deep political divisions? This postdoc explores Iran's Secular Shift, examining how political secularism is debated on Iranian television, radio, and social media channels.

Responsibilities

• Examine recent and ongoing discussions among Iranian scholars, writers, and activists about the desirability and meaning of future political secularism in Iran.
• Contribute to understanding how ideals of political secularism are publicly justified and contested within authoritarian contexts.
• Engage theoretically with academic debates on political secularism, in particular normative political philosophy on deliberative democracy and political theology.
• Map and conduct a discourse analysis of transnational Iranian public political debates on political secularism on television, radio, and social media channels, as well as books, manifestos, charters, and opinion pieces.
• Evaluate the deliberative quality of public arguments made for political secularism in Iran, using both critical and constructive argumentation.
• Actively collaborate with other researchers of the Vidi project based at Utrecht University.
• Present at international academic conferences.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed publications.
• Share research results through academic and public engagement activities.

Qualifications and Requirements

• You are a motivated qualitative researcher eager to contribute to an interdisciplinary project and collaborate with colleagues working on quantitative (survey) and qualitative (visual culture) approaches.
• You have a strong interest in non-religion, atheism, and secularism, particularly in normative debates on political secularism and the philosophical quality of public political deliberation in Iran.
• Ideally, you have a PhD degree and expertise in a relevant field (including but not limited to Philosophy, Media Studies, Iranian Studies, and Secular Studies).
• You have experience in qualitative research methods, in particular digital media studies and analysis of television and/or radio.
• You have strong academic writing and analytical skills, demonstrated by publications.
• You have excellent proficiency in Persian and English, and possibly other relevant Iranian languages.
• Given the sensitivity of the research and associated security risks, candidates should be aware of significant personal safety concerns when travelling to Iran and must refrain from travelling there during and after the project.

What the Employer Offers

• A temporary position for 24 months.
• A working week of 38 hours and a gross monthly salary between €4,537 and €6,209 (salary scale 11 under the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).
• 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.
• Additional schemes and facilities for professional development, leave, sports, cultural activities, and discounts on software and other IT products.
• Access to employee benefits through the Terms of Employment Options Model.