Number of positions: 1 (one)
Location: Department of Sociology, South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi, India
Duration: 1 Year 10 months
Applications must be emailed to: labour000health@gmail.com
Deadline: 26 January 2024
Monthly salary: 80,000 all inclusive
The Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, South Asian University (SAU) invites applications for a fixed-term postdoctoral position to research health behaviour among the migrant workers in northern South Asia. The appointment begins on February 1, 2024 or as soon as possible thereafter.
South Asian University is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and nation. We welcome applications from all qualified applicants with expertise on the region and topic covered in this research project. Minority scholars are encouraged to apply.
Research context
This is a full-time research position and we are looking for a motivated scholar with expertise in sociology of South Asia preferably with a specialisation in medical anthropology and migrant labour or workplace anthropology.
The successful applicants will participate in project activities pertaining to the project AMR and Labour Migration Across Boundaries (AMR@LAB) (https://projects.au.dk/amrlab). This is a collaboration between Aarhus University (Denmark), University of Delhi’s Patel Chest Institute (VPCI) (India), BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) (Nepal) and of course South Asian University (Delhi).
The coronavirus pandemic was a stark reminder of the central role health plays in the lives of ordinary citizens but especially the marginalized people coming from peripheral spaces such as the migrant labour living across the health care boundaries. Even before the pandemic, research has widely documented how ordinary infections have been projected to become the most common cause of death by 2050 due to the increase globally of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The project AMR@LAB addresses the increasing global problem of AMR with a particular focus on the vulnerable category of labour migrants working in northern India and southern Nepal. The project documents and analyses what makes it possible to link individuals, pathogens, workplaces, medicines and service providers into a comprehensive multi-scalar analysis of the dynamics between these actors as drivers of or barriers to development and transmission of AMR. This approach creates a shared analytical platform across the disciplines of anthropology, microbiology, public health and pharmacology that otherwise tend to work independently. AMR@LAB furthermore questions dogmas in global health policies that tend to separate drug-resistant tuberculosis (DRTB) from AMR more broadly; public from private healthcare; and occupational health from risk of infection. These are explored through a focus on mobility across boundaries that define healthcare delivery. Workplace ethnography will comprise a core part of field research for this project.
The position
The successful applicant is expected to conduct fieldwork in one workplace with a high density of migrant workers (six months at the site) located in different provinces on the Nepal-India border districts spanning Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The work requires strong command over ethnographic data collection under potentially challenging conditions and proven mastery of sociological/anthropological analysis; ability to conduct (or learn to conduct) mapping, survey and network analysis; and facilitation of biological sampling. Candidates familiar with workplace ethnography may highlight their knowledge and experience.
While working independently and under supervision in the field, approaches must be coordinated and aligned across all field sites where simultaneous data collection takes place.
Applicants are asked to submit:
a concise statement of motivation for applying for the position (max. 1000 words)
a maximum of five publications
a CV stating experiences and qualifications of relevance to the position (max. 2 page)
Applicants, who are shortlisted, will be interviewed subsequently, based on which a decision will be arrived at.
The successful applicant will be expected to:
develop their research within the framework provided by the project and under supervision of the concerned PI
engage systematically and thoroughly with the literature of medical sociology/anthropology, migration studies, sociology/anthropology of labour including workplace ethnography as well as other topics of importance to the project
contribute to the development of theory of central interest to the project
present their research at international symposiums and collaboratively publish results in peer-reviewed, international scientific journals and in other forms, which is a requirement within the project
contribute to the organisation of research workshops and international conferences hosted by the project
engage in necessary travel for project meetings in India and Nepal, and abroad, as per project needs
work in an interdisciplinary team and be interested to contribute and learn beyond own disciplinary background
assist the PI@SAU in managing this project
Knowledge exchange
The successful applicant(s) will be expected to exchange knowledge with various sectors of society and to contribute actively to public debate in areas related to the position, including in India and Nepal.
Qualifications
Applicants for this position must hold a PhD degree in sociology or a related field, or document by way of a signed statement by the main supervisor that a PhD thesis has been or will be submitted no later than 1st December 2022 with an expectation of a successful outcome.
Applicants must document:
doctoral-level experience of ethnographic fieldwork in one or more of the fields of sociology/anthropology of medicine, migration or labour including workplace ethnography, preferably in India or South Asia
an interest in the sociology/anthropology of infectious diseases and migrant health
knowledge of relevant software (Nvivo, SPSS, Gephi)
an international research profile
fluency in written and spoken Hindi and English are required. Knowledge of regional languages in the fieldwork areas will be desired.
Assessment
*The research activities will be evaluated in relation to the actual research time. We therefore encourage applicants to specify any periods of leave they may have had without research activities (e.g. maternity/paternity leave), so we can subtract these periods from the span of their academic career when evaluating their productivity.
*Please upload a maximum of five publications alongside your application.
*Only submitted publications will be assessed; a list of publications is not sufficient. As a result, applications without submitted publications will not be assessed.
*Professional references or recommendations should not be included. Applicants who are selected for an interview may be asked to provide professional references.
*The application must be submitted in English.
For further information about the position, contact Dr Mallika Shakya, mallika@sau.ac.in.
The work environment
South Asian University (SAU) is an international public university established by the eight countries in the region viz. Afghanistan, Bangladsh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The Department of Sociology, FSS is unique for its South Asian outlook and engagement both theoretically and in practice. Our teaching and research seeks to overcome methodological nationalism and generates scholarly engagement across the borders of South Asia.
Read more on South Asian University: http://sau.ac.in
Applications are invited for the position of Research Associate in the Faculty of Economics for the project “Innovation, Market Power, and Efficiency of Automobile Firms in India and China”.
Minimum eligibility:
Interested candidates should submit their biodata via email to skumar@econ.sau.ac.in before 20th January 2024.
The minimum eligibility for the position is an MA in Economics/Statistics;
Note: Candidates having prior research experience or having a Ph.D. degree will be given priority.
· Candidate must know STATA well enough.
· The appointment is for a maximum duration of 6 months, starting tentatively from January 2023.
· A lump sum amount of Rs. 20,000/- will be paid to the selected candidate with no HRA.
· The contract shall stand cancelled if the performance is not found to be satisfactory.
Please submit your CV with a covering letter at amit@sau.int by 15 December 2023
