PhD Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology

The Faculty Social Sciences & Solvay Business School, Department Sociologie, is looking for a PhD-student with a doctoral grant. 

More concretely your work package, for the preparation of a doctorate, contains: 

• You mainly conduct research with a view to obtaining a doctorate or dissertation.

Research theme: this vacancy is situated at the intersection of sociology of youth, sociology of culture and political sociology. You will be part of a research team within the Research Group TOR that focuses on research into the relationship between (ethnic-cultural) diversity and socio-political attitudes. Among other things, the TOR research group participates in the JOP-Monitor, a large-scale survey of young people in Flanders and the major cities of Antwerp, Brussels and Ghent (see https://www.jeugdonderzoeksplatform.be/nl). This research provides a wealth of information about young people and their living environment and answers questions such as: How do young people look at society? What keeps them awake? What activities do they do? Diversity in ethnic-cultural identities among young people is also an important research theme.

You will investigate the way in which diversity is relevant to different social views. Of particular (but not exclusive) interest is the relationship between aspects of religiosity and socio-political views among different ethnic-cultural groups. Within this context, many relevant research questions arise that may shape future doctoral research. Which aspects of religiosity are relevant? Does this relevance vary in a systematic way according to other characteristics (e.g. gender, social class, ethnic-cultural group). Also the potential role that the context (e.g. school) in which young people live and engage plays in all this needs to be further explored. Socio-political attitudes have a very broad interpretation. It can involve attitudes towards other groups, redistribution, politics, etc.

The selected candidate is expected to outline a PhD theme and a research task package together with the supervisor at the start of the appointment. The research should be connected to the above-described theme, but can use different methodological approaches (quantitative research, possibly in combination with qualitative research). The candidate is expected to propose this theme to the Fund for Scientific Research to obtain a grant for 'Aspirant Fundamental Research'. The selected candidate will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Bram Spruyt and his research team.

The following references about the above described research domain can be consulted:

Van Droogenbroeck, F. & Spruyt, B. (2020) Social pressure for religious conformity and anti-gay sentiment among Muslim and Christian youth. Educational Psychology. 40(2): 227-248. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2019.1622651

Van Droogenbroeck, F. et al. (2016) Relationship Between Religiosity and Negative Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Young Muslims and Christians in Flanders. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 55(4): 787-799. https://doi.org/10.1111/jssr.12303Je 

• You will be involved in the teaching of the department and in particular in the supervision of the following course units:

         -Workshop Sociology and Science Methodology (Dutch language)

         -Sociology I (Dutch language)

          -Qualitative Methods (Dutch language)

• You will contribute to the daily functioning of the department and the sociology programme.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base.