Phd Student Position - Leipzig, Deutschland - Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Geprüftes Unternehmen

Leipzig, Deutschland

vor 2 Wochen

Geschrieben von:

Lena Wagner

beBee Recruiter

Beschreibung

PhD Student Position (M/F/d) | Dynamics of Multilingualism in Vanuatu

WISSENSCHAFTLICHER NACHWUCHS
***
LEIPZIG
***- Entwicklungs
- und Evolutionsbiologie & Genetik Verhaltensbiologie KognitionsforschungAusschreibungsnummer: FT

Stellenangebot vom 23. Februar 2023

Dr Heidi Colleran is seeking qualified applicants for a fully-funded three-year doctoral project on "The Social, Demographic and Strategic Dynamics of Multilingualism in Vanuatu".

This PhD project is a case study within the ERC-funded project _"Multilingual worlds - neglected histories.

Uncovering their emergence, continuity and loss in past and present societies"_ (MULTILING-HIST), led by Principal Investigator Prof Justyna Olko at the University of Warsaw.

The position is based at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, in the Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture.

Background

The Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology unites scientists in the natural sciences and humanities to investigate the history of humankind from an interdisciplinary perspective, with the help of comparative analyses of genes, cultures, cognitive abilities, languages and social systems of past and present human populations as well as those of primates closely related to human beings.

The MULTILING-HIST project explores multi-level dimensions of historical and contemporary multilingualism: (1) the presence of individual multilingualism in local and regional settings; (2) the characteristics and dynamics of such multilingual settings, in other words, societal multilingualism.

The fundamental aim of the project is to reconstruct, explain and better understand the mechanisms and causality of the processes behind the emergence, continuity, reduction and loss (as well as possible re-emergence) of multilingualism in differing historical, geographical, social, political and cultural contexts.

The project will embrace historical and contemporary multilingual milieux from four regions relevant for understanding the causal frameworks underlying multilingual trajectories:
selected historical multilingual hotspots from Central-Eastern Europe, Mesoamerica, South Africa and the Archipelago of Vanuatu. The case studies also offer a novel possibility to study the 'invisibility' of multilingualism and uncover its neglected history(ies).

A multidisciplinary approach will combine historical and present data, qualitative, quantitative and experimental methods, as well as mathematical modeling, data-driven mapping and GIS mapping.

Aims

The main aim of this sub-project is to collect empirical data on the dynamics of contemporary multilingualism in Vanuatu, as well as understanding local attitudes, aspirations and ideologies regarding multilingualism

The project includes:

The collection of primary data in Vanuatu using mixedmethodologies related to social, demographic, historical and economic factors relevant to multilingualism; language attitudes, behaviors, identities and ideologies; experience of and (strategic) use of multiple languages
The collation of archival and historical source material in Vanuatu and elsewhere
Statistical analysis of newlycollected and existing demographic and anthropological Data, including experimental data
Preparation of single and coauthored publications resulting from the research
Collaboration with other team members in an international and multidisciplinary project

The project should make use of interdisciplinary methods and approaches, best practices in Open Science, and community-based research.

Requirements:

Essential:

M.A. or M.Sc. in a relevant field at the start of position

- experience collecting quantitative / qualitative data in a non-university setting
- experience using quantitative analysis methods
- excellent communication skills and ability to work with an international team
- willingness to travel to and participate in rural community life, learn new languages
- demonstrated ability to learn new skills

Desirable:

- experience collecting primary data in Melanesia and / or the Pacific region
- knowledge of methods relevant to documentation of multilingualism and/or documentation and study of Indigenous languages
- knowledge of literature in social demography and/or anthropological demography
- basic or advanced statistical skills
- experience with ni

Vanuatu languages, cultures and history

- willingness to participate in open science practices
- interest in public and community outreach and collaboration

Funding

Applications

Applications should include:

- _ Cover letter_ describing how you meet the essential and/or desired requirements, including details of past research projects and relevant experience (not more than 2 pages).
- _ Curriculum vitae_, including the names of three professional references