[Commlist] One doctoral studentship in Media and Communication Studies

*Call for applications:*

*One doctoral studentship in Media and Communication Studies as part of 
the /The Digital Welfare State /research project funded by the Knut and 
Alice Wallenberg Foundation*

Södertörn University welcomes proposals for doctoral theses in *Media 
and Communication Studies*, to be conducted within the research project: 
“The Digital Welfare State” 
<https://www.sh.se/forskning/var-forskning/forskningsdatabas/forskningsprojekt/the-digital-welfare-state>. 
This project investigates the extensive implementation of automated 
decision-making in the welfare sector across Europe, and is one of the 
first to systematically link automation to questions of falling trust, 
declining civic participation and, by extension, challenges for 
democracy. Data-based infrastructures for public administration are 
shaping not only welfare provision, but also state-citizen relations and 
issues relating to ethics and accountability, human agency in relation 
to complex socio-technical systems, and biases and inequalities.

The project is premised on three major developments: 1) the major shift 
towards datafication and digitalisation of large parts of society 2) 
major changes in the organisation of the welfare state 3) declining 
trust in democracy. It foregrounds the perspective of citizens in terms 
of both the introduction process and its democratic implications. 
Combining extensive mapping, surveys, in-depth interviews and expert 
interviews, the project engages with the practices and experiences, as 
well as the attitudes and implications of automated decision-making in 
the welfare sector. These areas will be explored in Sweden with links to 
the European context. The project provides an in-depth and cutting-edge 
understanding of the process of automating welfare from a citizen 
perspective, producing highly relevant insights into how automated 
decision-making can support but also harm democracy.

**

*Media and Communication Studies***at Södertörn University is one of 
Sweden’s leading environments for media research and education. Research 
and education are focused on the contemporary digitised media landscape, 
founded on a historically informed understanding in which new 
communication technologies and their contexts are related to their 
predecessors.The research environment currently comprises around 20 
researchers/teachers including six full professors, six associate 
professors (docents), and nine doctoral students. All our doctoral 
students have an international profile, and the working language of the 
doctoral programme is English. For more information, please click here 
<https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/research/our-research/media-and-communication-studies?query=media%20and%20communication%20studies>. 
For a Swedish version click here <https://www.sh.se/mkv>.

Doctoral studies at the Department of Media and Communication Studies is 
part of the research area of *Critical Cultural Theory*, which is an 
interdisciplinary research environment which consists of seven subjects 
in the humanities. Research focuses on critically motivated studies of 
cultural artifacts and human practices.For more information, please 
click here 
<https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/research/doctoral-level-education/critical-and-cultural-theory?query=critical%20cultural%20theory>. 
For a Swedish version click here 
<https://www.sh.se/forskning/forskarutbildning/kritisk-kulturteori?query=kritisk%20kultur%20teori>. 


*Description of the doctoral position *The PhD project should be linked 
to critical research on the digitalisation of welfare in the broadest 
sense. This may include studies of how citizens experience automation in 
the welfare sector, as well as the material and cultural conditions of 
digitalisation, datafication and automation, e.g. the technological 
infrastructures and social practices that are the underlying 
preconditions. The project should be situated within critical data 
studies as well as critical studies of digitalisation and related 
fields. The doctoral student will be part of an international and 
interdisciplinary research team.The successful applicant will write the 
thesis as part of the The Digital Welfare State research project.For 
more information about The Digital Welfare State, please contact the 
project manager (see below).

**

*Entry requirements*

/The general entry requirements are:/
1. a second-cycle qualification,
2. fulfilled requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits, 
of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second-cycle, or
3. substantially equivalent knowledge acquired in some other way in 
Sweden or abroad. **

The Faculty Board may permit an exemption from the general entry 
requirements for an individual applicant, if there are special grounds. 
(Ordinance 2010:1064)

/Specific entry requirements/

The specific entry requirements are fulfilled by a student who has 
passed courses worth at least 90 credits in Media and Communication 
Studies, including a degree project worth at least 15 credits, or who 
has acquired the equivalent knowledge. The ability to assimilate 
academic material in English and a command of the language necessary for 
work on the thesis are prerequisites for admission to the degree programme.

**

*Admission and employment *

This position includes admission to third-cycle education, i.e. research 
level, and employment on a doctoral studentship at the School of Culture 
and Education at Södertörn University. The intended outcome for admitted 
students is a PhD. The programme covers 240 credits, which is the 
equivalent of four years of full-time study. The position may be 
extended by a maximum of one year due to the inclusion of departmental 
duties, i.e. education, research and/or administration (equivalent to no 
more than 20% of full-time). Other grounds for extension could be leave 
of absence because of illness or for service in the defence forces, an 
elected position in a trade union/student organisation, or parental 
leave.  Provisions relating to employment on a doctoral studentship are 
in the Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 5, Sections 1-7.

*Date of employment:*1 September 2023

**

*General Syllabus for third-cycle programmes in Media and Communication 
Studies*: English 
version<https://www.sh.se/download/18.7d9f1b25167c61c5af3956f8/1551181735681/General%20syllabus%20in%20Media%20and%20Communication%20Studies.pdf>or 
Swedish 
version<https://www.sh.se/download/18.7d9f1b25167c61c5af367ec7/1549980519389/ASP%20MKV%20160610.pdf>

*Information about admission regulations*including selection criteria, 
and third-cycle education at Södertörn University: English 
version<https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/research/doctoral-level-education/governing-documents-for-doctoral-studies>or 
Swedish 
version<https://www.sh.se/forskning/forskarutbildning/styrdokument-for-forskarutbildningar>

*Application procedure*

For more details, see this website under 
FAQ<https://www.sh.se/english/sodertorn-university/research/doctoral-level-education/interested-in-doctoral-studies>.Please 
use Södertörn University´s web-based recruitment system “ReachMee”. 
Click on the link "ansök" (apply) at the bottom of the announcement.

Your application may be written in English or Swedish/Norwegian/Danish 
and must include:

- an application letter

- curriculum vitae

- degree certificate and certificates that demonstrate eligibility to 
apply for the position (if not written in English or 
Swedish/Norwegian/Danish, you must enclose translated versions)

- Bachelor’s essay and Master’s dissertation in the field in accordance 
with the entry requirements (if not written in Swedish, Norwegian, 
Danish or English, you must enclose a summary of 5-6 pages, approx. 
14,000 characters, to the copy of the dissertation).

- a research plan (project plan) of between 1000 and 1500 words. The 
project’s relevance to *Media and Communication Studies*, *Critical and 
Cultural Theory*, and the research project *The Digital Welfare State* 
must be clear.

- two references, with contact details, and a short note on their 
relationship to the applicant (for example supervisor).

If available, a maximum of three publications may also be attached.

Incomplete applications will not be processed.

*Application deadline: *13 February 2023at 23:59

*Further information *

Anne Kaun, Media and Communication Studies, project manager, 
(anne.kaun /at/ sh.se) <mailto:(anne.kaun /at/ sh.se)>

Göran Bolin, Director of Studies (third cycle), (goran.bolin /at/ sh.se) 
<mailto:(goran.bolin /at/ sh.se)>

Mirjam Bargello Lindberg, Human Resources Officer, School of Culture and 
Education, (mirjam.bargello.lindberg /at/ sh.se) 
<mailto:(mirjam.bargello.lindberg /at/ sh.se)>**


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