Postdoctoral positions in Sweden

Are you looking for a postdoctoral position that will offer new cultural experiences while allowing you to follow your interests and develop a programatic line of research? If your interests are in adolescent and young adult development at the intersection of psychology, political science, and media/communication, read on.

We have openings for postdoctoral researchers to work with longitudinal data from an interdisciplinary project on the development of civic and political interest and engagement in adolescence and young adulthood. The project was initiated by Håkan Stattin and Margaret Kerr (developmental psychology), Erik Amnå (political science), and Mats Ekström (media and communication). It was designed to allow for cutting edge research within and across these disciplines. Specifically, the study was designed to allow us to:

• conceptualize young people as active agents in their own development.
• integrate the different contexts of everyday life: family, peers, school/work, Internet.
• conceptualize political and civic participation broadly.
• focus on processes and mechanisms.
• disentangle civic socialization from more general socialization.
• develop new theoretical perspectives.
• understand various modes of engagement and disengagement.

This cohort-sequential study, which started in 2009, follows six cohorts of adolescents and young adults longitudinally over six years. In all, the overlapping cohorts will cover ages 13 to 30 years. Several thousand youth have participated. The longitudinal feature and data on experiences in different everyday settings—home, peer group, school, work, leisure and media—make the study unique for testing various developmental questions. A list of the constructs measured in the study can be found on our website: www.oru.se/yes. The motivation for the project is described in a pdf available on our web site (Amnå, Ekström, Kerr, & Stattin, 2009).

Political interest is in many respects a hub for understanding political development. The core of studies in the project during the years to come will focus on political interest both as a dependent and an independent variable (what make young people interested in politics and society, and what do young people do with their political and societal interest), and the link between political interest and political participation (a current theoretical model that we have developed concerns the stand- by idea). The positions will extend over one year with the possibility of a second year, given adequate progress toward publications. The working language is English, the salary is competitive, the cost of living is low, health insurance is provided, and we can help you find housing.

Culturally, a postdoc in Sweden can offer many unforgettable experiences, including dancing around the midsummer pole; Santa Lucia, the festival of lights; skating on frozen lakes in the winter; the (almost) midnight daylight in the summer; and the Christmas smorgasbord.

The successful candidate should have excellent data analytic skills, excellent writing skills, and knowledge of the area. Only applicants with prior publications in international journals will be considered. Postdocs should be prepared to immerse themselves in the research at hand. The successful candidate will work with an interdisciplinary research unit of about 15 researchers in developmental psychology, political science, and media and communication. The group includes senior researchers, junior researchers, and doctoral students plus visiting researchers. We meet weekly to discuss papers in progress, research ideas, and other issues. The group is rich in theoretical and statistical expertise. The atmosphere is supportive and collegial, and possibilities for collaboration abound.

If you have a background in psychology, you will work mainly with Håkan Stattin, and if your background is in media or political science, you will work most closely with Erik Amnå and Mats Ekström. Feel free to contact any of us for more information: (Erik Amnå, erik.amna@oru.se; Mats Ekström, mats.ekstrom@gu.se, Håkan Stattin, hakan.stattin@oru.se).

The application is made online. Click the button “Apply” to begin the application procedure.

Applications should include: a letter describing your prior training, qualifications, and research interests; a CV with publication list; graduate school transcript; and letters of recommendation from three referees who can address your analytic and writing skills and potential for research productivity.

The deadline for receipt of applications is June 25.