Fachbereich Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften - Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut Global HistoryResearch Associate (praedoc) (m/f/d) with 65%part-time job limited to 4 years Salary terms of 13 TV-L FU in the German public sector Reference code: DEMFAM_2024_UK Bewerbungsende: 15.04.2024

The Friedrich Meinecke Institute of the Freie Universität Berlin, Research Area of Global History (https://www.gseschkult.fu-berlin.de/e/fmi/bereiche/global_history ) seeks to fill the position of a Praedoc Research Assistant (65% part-time employment, fixed-term up to 4 years, salary group 13 TV-L) at the earliest possible date. The early career researcher will be part of the research project ‘Democratization of the Family? Gender equality, parental rights, and child welfare after 1945’ (DEMFAM), which is funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant (https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101087820 ).
Through the lens of ‘shared and equal parenting’, DEMFAM studies the transformation of gender and the family in contemporary global history. It develops a social history of law reform on different political scales to understand global dynamics of divergence and convergence in the transformation of parental, gender, and care relations. It combines the comparative study of family change in Europe – the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany/German Democratic Republic, and Poland (or Hungary) – and South Asia (India) with the analysis of international institutions, and transnational knowledge circulation. Integrating research on different ‘worlds of welfare capitalism’, on post-colonial legal pluralism, and on (post-)socialist gender and family politics, DEMFAM opens new horizons for global gender history.

Job description:
The selected early career researcher will study family law reform processes in the United Kingdom from 1945 to the present, with a special focus on child custody regulations (for heterosexual married couples, non-heterosexual couples, and separated co-parents) and the institutionalisation of children’s rights. This includes the analysis of legal documents, court cases, and public contestations over changing parental rights. Important aspects are the study of current debates on ‘shared parenting’ (joint legal custody, joint physical custody) for divorced or separately living parents, and the analysis of gender and family politics in the context of cultural and religious diversity, and the pluralisation of care and reproductive relations.
The main task of the selected candidate is her/his own research activity. In addition, he/she will contribute information for a joint project database and take part in event organization and public outreach activities.

Requirements:
- Completed MA-level university degree (Master/Magister/Diploma) in Modern History, Sociology, or a related discipline by the time of employment

Desirable:

- Fluency in English

- Excellent academic record and the ambition to conduct a doctoral project
- Experience with archival research and historical source analysis
- Verifiable interest in one or more of the following research areas: British history; social history; legal history; gender history; sociology of gender and the family
- Verifiable interest in digital humanities, working with databases, and/or historical network analysis
- Ability to work in a team

For further information, please contact Ms. Susanne Ebermann ([email protected] / +49 30 838 75034).

Applications should be sent by e-mail, together with significant documents (including a letter of motivation, CV, and two writing samples, and the names of two referees) in German or English indicating the reference code, in PDF format (preferably as one document) to Dr. Jana Tschurenev: [email protected] or postal to

Freie Universität Berlin

Fachbereich Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften

Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut

Global History

Frau Dr. Jana Tschurenev

Koserstr. 20

14195 Berlin (Dahlem)

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