Postdoctoral fellowship - Discrepancies and tensions between general health standards and specific conditions experienced by local populations working in the mines

Nancy, France

2025-11-08 (Europe/Paris)

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DESCRIPTION of the research Unit

The Henri Poincaré Archives (Philosophy and Research in Science and Technology, AHP-PReST) is a joint research unit of the CNRS, the University of Lorraine and the University of Strasbourg (UMR 7117). The team aims to develop a transdisciplinary model that brings together scientists interested in the history and epistemology of their discipline, as well as philosophers, sociologists and historians who are willing to engage with scientific content and contribute to the historical and philosophical work of scientists. The laboratory houses the archives of Henri Poincaré, including his extensive correspondence. These archives, along with many others (notably those of the Bourbaki mathematical collective), demonstrate the importance of historical studies in the general orientation of the researchers hosted at the AHP. The work carried out at the AHP extends beyond archival studies. For instance, the AHP serves as the research center for the philosophy department at the University of Lorraine. It also welcomes researchers who teach in the mathematics, engineering and economics departments at the Universities of Lorraine and Strasbourg. Since 2022, the laboratory has developed a new area of research focused on health and diseases.

Position description

The Saint-Avold site in Moselle has an archive center with an extremely rich and little-explored collection on mining and coal mining (https://www.archives57.com/index.php/infos-pratiques).

The archives cover the period from the late 19th century to the late 20th century.

As part of the Lorraine University of Excellence IMPACT TRAPPS project, the team leading the health and mining project is recruiting a researcher for an 18-month postdoctoral fellowship. The aim is to explore this archive collection from the perspective of occupational health and exposure to toxic substances.

One of the TRAPPS project's scientific objectives is to examine discrepancies and tensions between general health standards and local conditions (i.e. the specific conditions experienced by local populations working in the mines).

In this regard, several avenues of research may be explored:

We will seek to understand how exposure to toxic substances was perceived, experienced and measured from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. We will analyse the role of various stakeholders, including occupational medicine, workers, employers, unions and national public health institutions, in the perception of this public health problem.

What role did images, posters and billboards play in prevention and health promotion activities and discourse? The research could examine the communication and propaganda issues contained within the extensive image collection held in the archives.

More broadly, we will consider how ignorance of exposure to toxic substances may have led to mistrust of occupational medicine among miners, and how this history can inform the development of public health policies and occupational risk prevention strategies.

What is specific in practicing medicine in an industrial context where workers are exposed to significant risks and develop serious occupational diseases such as silicosis, pneumoconiosis, asthma and cancer, as well as experiencing workplace accidents? How are doctors confronted with conflicting imperatives and the difficulty of combatting the dangers inherent in mining work? How did the issue of compensation for workers and their families (recognition of occupational diseases) arise, and how does it arise today?

We will retrospectively assess the health status of mining populations based on medical records extracted from archives. We will analyse clinical exams performed in relation to known potential pathologies of prescribers or patients.

We will seek to understand how knowledge about the link between these pathologies and toxic environments was developed.

We will also examine the epistemological and socio-economic obstacles that have hindered the development of this knowledge. To what extent is this legacy significant in the epistemic construction of the concept of environmental health, taking into account factors such as air pollution, dust, noise and psychological harassment?

We will pay attention to the relationship between prevention and health promotion (prophylaxis). Alongside occupational medicine, sport - promoted by mining companies from the 1920s onwards- became part of a broader social health policy. The Saint-Avold archives contain a large collection of documents and magazines (*Mineurs de France*) relating to sporting activities. Did local employers promote physical and sporting activities in order to further the interests of their companies? While this aspect of working life in the Moselle mines has largely been overlooked, understanding the role of sport in relation to the harmful effects of toxin exposure is an important historiographical challenge.

Our research will include interviews with occupational physicians responsible for worker compensation, former trade unionists, workers, and their families, as well as community organisations.

Main tasks:

• Visit the Saint Avold Archives site to explore the collection.
• Define and explore the issues outlined in the job description.
• Conduct interviews with occupational physicians, former miners, trade unionists and associations.
• Communicate about research related to scientific activities carried out in the mining field as part of the IMPACT TRAPPS project.
• Write scientific articles in French and English on the subject.
• Scan and/or photograph documents relevant to the project. Extract data from the collection for promotion and dissemination.

Related activities:

• Participate in scientific activities related to the TRAPPS project (team meetings – Nancy or Strasbourg, workshops, conferences, seminars).
• Participate in the health-related activities of the Archives Henri-Poincaré (Nancy).

Skills

• Knowledge of archiving
• History and/or philosophy of medical sciences.
• Archival research.
• Digitization and promotion of archival work.
• Proficiency in IT tools, including digital humanities.
• Teamwork skills
• Communication skills
• Attention to medical confidentiality and health research ethics

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Hold a doctoral degree.
• Have experience of working in archives.
• Be able to propose a research project related to occupational and environmental health.
• Have an interest in archival digitisation and an aptitude for interdisciplinary work.
• Have skills in conducting interviews and field surveys.
• Applicants should be able to speak and write French. They should also be able to communicate in English. Speaking and writing French currently. English should also be practiced.
• Specific requirements: Driving Licence

TERMS, LOCATION, DATES

This 18 month position will be based at the Archives Henri-Poincaré, 91 avenue de la Libération, Nancy.

The target start date for the position January the first, with some flexibility on the exact start date.

HOW TO APPLY

Deadline for application is November the 8th. Applicants will be interviewed by an Ad Hoc Commission by December the 8th (afternoon).

Applications are only accepted through email (pdf). All document must be sent to claire.crignon@univ-lorraine.fr

JOB LOCATION

Nancy, Lorraine, France

St Avold (Moselle)

REQUIREMENTS / documents

Applicants are requested to submit the following materials:

• A cover letter for the position
• Statement of research (max 6 pages times 12 single spaced) including a bibliography
• Full CV and list of publications
• Two letters of recommendation
• An abstract or chapter of the PhD, and one published paper.
• Academic transcripts (unofficial versions are fine).