Postdoctoral researcher MAKEBELIEF: Imagineering Religion and Religious Heritage in China - Meertens

The ERC project MAKEBELIEF: The Religious Politics of Theme Parks investigates how in the 21st century, immersive media are mobilized to ‘imagineer’ religion, heritage and national identity. In order to do so, the project provides a comparative analysis of religious theme parks in the Netherlands, China, Turkey and the United States (see www.makebelief.nl). The Meertens Institute offers a position within this project for a

Postdoctoral Reseacher (0.7 fte, three years)

What you will be doing

You will work as postdoctoral researcher in an interdisciplinary team of researchers. Your research will focus on the use of immersive media to imagineer religion, heritage and national identity in China. You will engage a combination of methods, including historical analysis, (remote) digital ethnography and potentially ethnographic fieldwork. You will also participate in collaborative and interdisciplinary endeavors with other MAKEBELIEF team members. You will develop the case study as outlined in the project proposal, develop your own case studies and assist in management tasks in the project.

What you will be contributing

• You will participate in a research team that engages in ethnographic fieldwork in theme parks across the globe;
• You will do research within the scope of the project MAKEBELIEF, focussing on religion, heritage and national identity and the use of immersive media in China. One of the case studies mentioned in the proposal is the Oriental Buddha Park in Leshan, you are invited to add case studies or sites to your research;
• You have a PhD in Religious Studies, Anthropology, Media Studies, Cultural Studies or another relevant discipline;
• You have a working proficiency in Dutch and/or English and preferably, though not mandatory, Mandarin or Cantonese;
• The project is based in Amsterdam, at the start and during the full length of the contract you reside in The Netherlands.

What we are offering

You will be working the Meertens Institute, a research institute of the Humanities Cluster of the Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences. The Meertens Institute studies how collective identities are constructed, and how these processes are shaped through embodiment and cognition. In both societal and academic debates on these topics the Meertens Institute aims to play a leading role.

During the project you will be able to further develop your research interests and receive further training in working in interdisciplinary research teams. You will consolidate your expertise in contemporary challenges involving religion, heritage and polarisation as well as the importance of media.

Application procedure

Please submit a CV, cover letter that includes a motivation on why you want to work on this project and a 1-page research statement in which you outline how you foresee your contribution to the project, both in terms of our own research as well as how your research and expertise would contribute to the project in its entirety.

Your workplace

Our offices are located in a historical building in downtown Amsterdam. Researchers work together in projects and a shared office space and can choose to work part of their time at home.

For more information

Please contact: prof. Dr. Ernst van den Hemel, principal investigator of MAKEBELIEF.

About Meertens
The Meertens Institute, together with the International Institute of Social History and the Huygens ING, is part of the KNAW Humanities Cluster. This is a partnership in which research in the humanities (history, ethnology, literature, linguistics) is carried out using advanced methods, in which computer science plays an important role.

The Meertens Institute is a national institute for research and documentation of the Dutch language and culture, and language and culture in the Netherlands. It consists of the research groups Ethnology and Variational Linguistics, both of which hold leading positions in international research on everyday language and culture.

Terms of employment
Depending on education and experience the minimum salary is 4.728 and the maximum salary is 6.433 gross per month for a full-time appointment (scale 11 cao Nederlandse Universiteiten/KNAW). This is exclusive of 8% vacation allowance, 8.3% year-end bonus, travel allowance, internet allowance, home working allowance and pension accrual with ABP.

The KNAW offers its staff an excellent package of secondary benefits. A package that meets the different needs of employees depending on their stage of life, lifestyle or career ambitions. For example, by working an extra two hours a week, it is possible to increase the number of days off from 29 to 41 days a year (with full-time employment). 

For a complete overview of the terms of employment, please refer to the web page: werken bij de KNAW.

Applying for a Certificate of Good Conduct can be part of the employment procedure.

Diversity & Inclusion
The KNAW considers a working environment in which everyone feels welcome and appreciated of great importance. A working environment in which attention is paid to individual quality and where development opportunities are paramount. Together we strive for an inclusive culture in which we embrace differences. We would therefore like to invite candidates who want to contribute to this through their background and experience. In the event of equal suitability, preference will be given to the candidate who thus enhances diversity within the Academy.

We will not respond to any supplier enquiries based on this job advertisement.