Professor – Sociology of Vulnerabilities

Euraxess research field: Inequalities; social policies; empirical sociology; social work intervention

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Expected skills:

Applicants must show a strong interest in teaching as well as a high-level scientific record in accordance with UGA’s ambitions. They must identify with UGA’s values, that is, being open to the world, emphasising ethics and scientific integrity, showing an interest in teamwork and being committed to the community. They should also have a sense of responsibility, in particular with regard to environmental and social issues.

Context and educational objectives:

The person recruited to the Social Careers Department of IUT2 - UGA will teach on the BUT Social Careers course, which combines the ‘Social Work’, ‘Social and Socio-Cultural Activities’ and ‘Specialised Education’ pathways. The department trains students for careers in social work in the public and private sectors. They will join a multidisciplinary teaching team of 18 permanent staff, including 11 teacher-researchers.

The subject area of the sociology of vulnerabilities may be addressed in teaching from the perspective of practices, institutions and organisations, systems, or public policies in the social and medico-social sector.

The successful candidate will be expected to adapt their teaching methods and content to the diverse audiences present in these courses. In addition, teaching the methodological tools specific to the social sciences and state diplomas in social work (territorial diagnostics, needs assessments) will represent a significant part of the teaching, as will activities aimed at professionalising students. The successful candidate will therefore need to demonstrate an interest in and experience of differentiated teaching practices (project-based learning, learning through play, flipped classrooms, etc.). They may be required to supervise students during their internships or work-study placements.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate an ability to integrate and collaborate actively within the teaching team, particularly with regard to setting up and participating in BUT learning and assessment situations, as well as preparing for the certification exams for the State Diplomas in Special Education and Social Services.

The successful candidate will be expected to take on collective teaching or supervisory responsibilities in the short term, so previous experience demonstrating a commitment to collective teaching and/or team supervision responsibilities will be appreciated.

The successful candidate will also be expected to drive momentum within the department around the training offer in order to better understand the expectations of the new standards in preparation for the BUT and State Diplomas. Finally, the successful candidate will be expected to contribute to projects undertaken at IUT2 level in the areas of educational transformation and raising student awareness of societal issues, inclusion and the use of generative artificial intelligence.

Research project and scientific impact:

The successful candidate will have conducted sociological research on vulnerabilities arising from socio-economic or socio-climatic transitions and on the social dynamics at work in the production of these vulnerabilities (individualisation, social disaffiliation, middle-classification/impoverishment, discrimination, social disqualification).

These vulnerabilities will be addressed from the perspective of the public, actors, care systems and institutions, and social and/or political regulation. The successful candidate will study these vulnerabilities from their field of specialisation, whether it be work, exclusion, delinquency, extreme poverty, housing, food, health or age. These themes may be combined in order to understand vulnerabilities in their plurality and spatial dimensions. The successful candidate is expected to develop an empirical sociology based on field surveys. An interest in socio-spatial approaches will be appreciated, as well as an ability to engage with research from other disciplines that examine the relationships between space, territory and the accumulation of vulnerabilities.

The future colleague will join the Pacte social sciences laboratory, either as part of the ‘Social Justice’ research team or the ‘Regulations’ research team. Within their chosen team, the successful candidate will be able to contribute to ongoing research on the themes of vulnerability and resilience, and develop new research in collaboration with other members of the laboratory. Furthermore, regardless of the team chosen, their work must be able to engage in dialogue with that of other Pacte teams and contribute to inter-team reflection. Similarly, while no particular theoretical orientation is expected, methodological reflexivity, regardless of the methods used (qualitative, quantitative or a combination), will be appreciated, in line with the dynamics of the Pacte laboratory.

The ability to practise interdisciplinarity is essential when joining a laboratory such as Pacte; it can be applied within the social sciences and/or with the natural sciences, physical sciences, medical sciences or engineering sciences. The successful candidate must demonstrate their ability to conduct innovative research, published in the best French and international social science journals and publications, and linked to research networks in the field. Fluency in English is essential in order to publish in this language and to engage in international collaborations.

Thesis supervision: the successful candidate will be required to supervise doctoral theses on topics related to their areas of expertise.

Information for candidates :

• Université Grenoble Alpes recruits on the basis of skills and makes use of all talents. It encourages applicants with disabilities to apply for teaching and research positions.
• Senior lecturers and professors are required to reside at the place where they perform their duties (Art. 5 of Decree No. 84-431 of June 6, 1984).
• HRS4R certified and committed to an OTM-R (Open, Transparent, and Merit-based Recruitment) approach, the University of Grenoble Alpes recruits on the merits of candidates and in accordance with a transparent procedure.

Job details

Title
Professor – Sociology of Vulnerabilities

Employer
Université Grenoble Alpes

Location
621 avenue Centrale Grenoble, France

Published
2026-03-16

Application deadline
2026-04-02 16:00 (Europe/Paris)

Job type
Professor

Field
Sociology, Social Research, Social Work, Public Policy, Social Stratification