Department of Urban and Rural Development
The Department of Urban and Rural Development at SLU offers a strong social science research environment in the subjects of environmental communication, rural development, landscape architecture, political science and agrarian history. At the Division of Environmental Communication, we are now looking for a new colleague with solid experience in communication research – ideally related to sustainability issues – to contribute to both our research and education.
At the division, we primarily conduct qualitative social science research that examines the communicative aspects of environmental and sustainability issues, with themes such as legitimacy, participation, power, resistance, conflict and learning in decision-making and change processes. We consider communication as the joint construction of meaning, and our research spans a wide range of contexts such as nature conservation, forestry, food production, climate change, game management, mining and the built environment. In addition to our international, two-year Masters programme ”Environmental Communication and Management”, we are responsible for a number of other courses in collaboration with other departments at SLU and Uppsala University.
Read more about our benefits and what it is like to work at SLU at https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/work-at-slu/
Duties:
Tasks include both teaching (25-50%) and research (50-75%); proportions research will vary over time, depending on the division’s needs.
Teaching tasks are largely related to our Master programme in Environmental Communication and Management and include planning, implementation of different course activities, supervision and examination. You will be part of the division’s teaching team.
Research related to this post comprises three different subprojects in the upcoming second phase of our Mistra-funded research programme in environmental communication https://www.slu.se/en/subweb/mistra-ec/:
- Synthesis: How does environmental communication research relate and contribute to our understanding of communication?
- The influence of emotions in meaning making processes of environmental crises
- Governance, collaboration and resistance in environmental communication.
Work will also include active participation in academic activities at the division, to help build up environmental communication as a research field. Tasks will be developed together with the postholder, based on your qualifications and experience. Going forward, you are also expected to apply for new funding for the research part of your post.
Qualifications:
We are looking for a highly motivated, proactive and creative colleague with a PhD degree and a strong background in a relevant social science (such as communication and media studies, rhetorics, sociology, human geography or political sciences). Documented experience in theoretically grounded, qualitative empirical research with a focus on communication aspects of environmental or sustainability issues is essential. We expect the candidate to be strong in both written and spoken English. As much of the empirical work will take place in Sweden and some of the teaching might be in Swedish, Swedish language skills are desirable. Teaching and supervision experience is desirable, as is the proven ability to publish in international journals and to write research proposals. Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities such as the ability to work in teams as well as independently.
Place of work:
Uppsala