Bergen, Norway

Position Title: Postdoctoral Research Position

Organization: Chr. Michelsen Institute (CMI)

Location: Bergen Norway

Organization Overview: Conservation Labor, A New frontier in Labor Theory and Conservation Science (CONLAB), is an interdisciplinary and comparative research project that advances frontiers of labor theory and conservation science by examining how biodiversity conservation policies, initiatives and projects shape labor dynamics in affected communities. Theoretically, CMI conceptualizes conservation as a mode of production that requires and generates value from different forms of paid and unpaid work. CMI situates conservation labor and theorizes it in the broader context of an international conservation labor regime. This labor regime is underpinned by a particular division of labor and labor dynamics in capitalist societies and postcolonial contexts that are characterized by entrenched social hierarchies cutting across gender, class, caste, race and ethnicity. From this vantage point, CONLAB examines the division of labor and labor dynamics i) within and outside of the conservation sector, ii) across social identities of gender, class, caste, and race, and iii) across hierarchies of paid, underpaid and unpaid work for conservation.

To study these processes empirically, this project will be implemented in a comparative manner across several sites in South Asia and East and Southern Africa where team members have long term engagements, alongside developing a global survey to assess the status of labor in conservation. CONLAB asks the following overarching question: How do biodiversity conservation initiatives shape labor dynamics (i) within and outside of the conservation sector, (ii) across axes of social difference (including gender, age, class, caste, and race), (iii) across hierarchies of wage labor (including full-time, part-time, formal, informal, casual and voluntary work)?

CONLAB’s engagement and impact will go beyond academia through dialogues with practitioners and policymakers at different scales to advise and shape local and global policy making processes pertaining to biodiversity conservation, social protection, well-being and poverty alleviation.

Position Overview: There is currently one vacancy as part of the Young Research Talent grant from the Norwegian Research Council [Forskerprosjekt for unge talenter, Forskningsrådet] on a Project titled Conservation Labor: A New frontier in Labor Theory and Conservation Science (CONLAB). The project is looking for a Postdoctoral researcher with a PhD in the social sciences and with interest and experience engaging with issues related to biodiversity conservation policy and practice in the Global South. This researcher will be included in the Climate and Natural Resources research group.

This researcher will be responsible for leading a work package to examine trends in conservation labour dynamics in the Global South. To this end, the primary task of, the researcher will be to design, develop, and implement a large-scale online survey. This will include designing the methodology and specific survey questions to understand the shifting dynamics of working in conservation contexts across different sites, localities, and geographies. The researcher will be expected to identify appropriate survey participants, disseminate the survey, collect the data and analyze it. With support from the project team, the researcher will conduct relevant and appropriate analysis of the survey to support the development of peer-reviewed journal articles and other outputs. Given the nature of the research, experience in developing and conducting quantitative surveys is necessary, as is experience and ability to statistically analyze the data.

Drawing on this work package, the postdoctoral researcher will collaborate with other team members in analyzing through mixed methods conservation labour dynamics across case study sites in Eastern and Southern Africa and South Asia.

This position is a two-year position, however there is a possibility of a third year if the candidate is successful in securing a mobility grant from the Norwegian Research Council.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Human Geography, Political Ecology, Environmental, Social Sciences, Environmental Anthropology, Conservation Social Science, Development Studies, or related discipline.
• Expertise in conducting large surveys, including online surveys.
• Expertise in statistical data analysis.
• Excellent quantitative research methods skills and qualitative and mixed methods research experience is desirable.
• Expertise in working on issues around social, political and justice dimensions of biodiversity conservation / natural resource management.
• Experience of engagement and communication at the research-policy interface.
• A growing record of publication in relevant disciplinary and interdisciplinary journals.
• Experience in generating and/or curating multimedia outputs (e.g., webinars, podcasts, blog posts) is highly desirable.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work cross-culturally.
• Willingness to take initiative and lead publications.
• Willingness to apply for a competitive mobility grant to the Norwegian Research Council (to move outside of Norway) for the extension of the position by one year (see : Research Stays Abroad grant).

Start Date: January 2nd, 2024

Application Deadline: September 15th

How to Apply: Apply via the JobbNorge recruitment platform. The application must include: