Two Postdoctoral Positions in the Anthropology of Migrant Health (Nepal)

The Department of Anthropology, School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for two 2.5 years fixed-term postdoctoral positions in the anthropology of migrant health, Nepal.

The appointments begin on 1 October 2022 or as soon as possible thereafter.

The successful applicants will be based at the School of Culture and Society, Department of Anthropology, Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg.

The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.  

Research context 

We are looking for innovative scholars with a background in anthropology of Nepal preferably with a specialisation in medical anthropology and migrant or workplace anthropology.

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 develops a biosocial network analysis that 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. 

The position 

The successful applicants are expected to conduct fieldwork in two workplaces with a high density of migrant workers (six months at each site) located in different southern provinces of Nepal. The work requires mastery of ethnographic (qualitative) data collection under potentially challenging conditions and proven mastery of anthropological analysis; ability to conduct (or learn to conduct) mapping, survey and network analysis; and facilitation of biological sampling. 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.

The successful applicants will be based at the Department and are expected to participate in project activities pertaining to the project “AMR and Labour Migration Across Boundaries” (AMR@LAB) (https://projects.au.dk/amrlab ), and in departmental activities.   

Deadline

06 June 2022