Postdoctoral Fellow

Organisation/Company University of Antwerp Research Field Language sciences » Languages Literature » Other Sociology » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 10 Aug 2026 - 21:59 (UTC) Country Belgium Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description Let’s shape the future - University of Antwerp The University of Antwerp is a dynamic, forward-thinking, European university. We offer an innovative academic education to more than 20,000 students, conduct dynamic scientific research and play an important service-providing role in society. We are one of the largest, most international and most innovative employers in the region. With more than 6000 employees from 100 different countries, we are helping to build tomorrow's world every day. Through top scientific research, we push back boundaries and set a course for the future – a future that you can help to shape. The Department of Literature in the Faculty of Arts is looking for a full-time (100%) doctoral scholarship holder in the field of children’s literature studies. Position You will work actively on the preparation and defence of a PhD dissertation on "Scenes of friendship in German and English children’s literature." Friendship is a central theme in children’s literature, with many famous friends populating both classics and contemporary titles. Despite its omnipresence, a systematic exploration of friendship in children’s books is currently lacking. Starting in sociology, friendship studies has only recently emerged as a vibrant field in cultural studies, with key publications by historian Barbara Caine (2009), philosopher Alexander Nehamas (2010) and literary scholar Andree Michaelis-König (2023). In times of polarization, the abilities to foster meaningful and reciprocal connections with other human beings, to overcome differences and resolve conflicts get particular pedagogical weight. This doctoral project draws on the field of friendship studies to analyse how friendship is practiced in a selection of English and German children’s books. Using narrative analysis, close reading and discourse analysis as its main methods, it seeks answers to the following research questions: How is friendship practiced in children’s literature? Who becomes friends with whom? What is the impact of age, gender, race, class and religion on how friendships are practiced? How are differences between friends negotiated and conflicts resolved? What contextual factors (space, role of adults, historical time period, national context, genre, age range, etc.) influence how fictional friendships are framed and practiced? What function does friendship have for the characters, the plot and the implied reader? The project’s focus on “scenes of friendship” responds to a broader need today to attend more closely to “notions of entanglement, co-dependency, and living networks” (Fuchs & Cosgrove 2024). In doing so, it answers a call to pay more attention to relationality in philosophy, education and literary studies. You will publish peer-reviewed articles and deliver conference papers related to the research project. You will carry out a limited number of teaching and research support tasks for the Department of Literature in the areas of English and German Literature. Profile You hold a Master's degree in German and/or English Literature or an adjacent field relevant to the project, or you will have obtained it by the time you start work. Preferably, you can demonstrate experience in studying children’s literature. Your teaching competences are in line with the University of Antwerp’s educational vision . You act with attention to quality, integrity, creativity and cooperation. You can read, write and speak English and German with high proficiency. You work effectively in a team and can balance independent and collaborative work. What we offer We offer a doctoral scholarship for a period of two years. Following a positive evaluation, the scholarship can be renewed once for another two-year period. The planned start date is 1 October 2026, or as soon possible after that date. Your monthly scholarship amount is calculated according to the scholarship amounts for doctoral scholarship holders. You will receive ecocheques, Internet-connectivity allowance, and bicycle allowance or a full reimbursement of public transport costs for commuting. As a doctoral researcher, you will have access to a wide and varied range of courses and an educational credit through the Antwerp Doctoral School . You will be based at University of Antwerp’s city campus (Stadscampus) in a dynamic and stimulating working environment. Find out more about working at the University of Antwerp here . The University of Antwerp received the European Commission’s HR Excellence in Research Award for its HR policy. We are a sustainable, family-friendly organisation which invests in its employees’ growth. We encourage diversity and attach great importance to an inclusive working environment and equal opportunities, regardless of gender identity, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or belief, sexual orientation or age. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse characteristics to apply. #J-18808-Ljbffr