"Postdoctoral position/data analysis and data visualization of small social media platforms (m/f/x)"

Institution Faculty for the Study of Culture - Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology

Remuneration group TV-L E13

Full-time / Part-time Full-time (100%)

Start date 2025-02-01 (for two years)

Application deadline 2024-08-31

About us:

For a newly funded European Research Council Consolidator Grant project, “Small Platforms: Contentious Speech Beyond the Big Tech” (2024-2029), the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology at the Faculty for the Study of Culture invites applications for the following fully funded postdoctoral positions.

We are looking for you:

Postdoctoral position/data analysis and data visualization of small social media platforms (m/f/x)

in Munich

Your tasks and responsibilities:

SMALLPLATFORMS will explore small platforms (beyond the big tech) in a cross-cultural context, examining whether and in what ways forms of contentious speech are associated with practices particular to such platforms. The study combines ethnography, content analysis, critical discourse analysis and computational methods (NLP and social network analysis). It will simultaneously engage in theoretical, empirical and policy discussions around small social media platform’s evolving role in extreme speech ecosystems.

Your qualifications:

Research expertise in quantitative methods and data sciences, with a focus on data visualization, social network analysis and NLP is required. Candidates with a background in computer sciences or computational social sciences are invited to apply.

Benefits:

You will be part of the ERC consolidator grant project, “SMALLPLATFORMS”, and will contribute to respective subprojects as well as co-authored team publications, project events, and project reporting. All positions are based in Munich but ethnographers on the team will carry out fieldwork in their respective fields for eight to nine months.

You will be part of the Center for Digital Dignity, a multidisciplinary research group, with opportunities to partner with the core research team based in Munich and a global network of collaborators.

Successful candidates are expected to join the team by February 2025.

LMU Munich offers a stimulating work atmosphere with opportunities for further education and growth. The university is centrally located in Munich and can be reached very easily by public transport. The university is an equal opportunity employer. The University of Munich is interested in increasing the number of female faculty members and encourages women to apply.

Also possible in a part-time capacity.

People with disabilities who are equally as qualified as other applicants will receive preferential treatment.

Contact:

Please send a

1. two-page letter of interest with a brief outline of research questions, methods and timeline

2. two-page CV

3. two writing samples

as a single pdf and

4. names of two referees by e-mail to ai4dignity@ethnologie.lmu.de with the subject line “Small platforms postdoctoral position” before 31 August 2024 (please name the files in the format: your second name_document name) or by post to

Prof. Dr. Sahana Udupa

Professor of Media Anthropology

Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology

Ludwig Maximilian University

Oettingenstr. 67

D-80538 Munich

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