Offer Description
In quest of abundant energy, humans are turning the planet inside out, digging vast quantities of materials out of the ground, transforming and redistributing them across land, water, and air. The mass of everything ever made now exceeds that of all living things on Earth. Waste in every form—solids, liquids, gases, microparticles—accounts for mounting proportions of this anthropogenic mass. Yet with the prominent exception of carbon dioxide, energy transition discourses too often ignore the eyepopping quantities of discarded matter generated by contemporary energy systems, fossil and renewable alike. IOE advances the concept of the energy/waste nexus in order to challenge facile energy transition narratives and simplistic solutions, and to help enact a more just planetary future.
How can we respond to our planetary crisis in ways that respect local priorities for energy and environmental justice? To research this question, IOE examines how scientists, communities, activists, and policymakers have grappled with distinct facets of the energy/waste nexus in South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, and Chile. Methods include archival research and multimodal ethnography. The research team includes historians, anthropologists, artists, community researchers, microbiologists, physical chemists, and more.
IOE’s innovations are not just empirical but methodological. The project develops, deepens, and deploys an interscalar approach for linking local sites to multi-layered, multi-level governance and policy, as well as to planetary sciences. It turns participatory visual ethnography into a powerful tool for STS research. And it demonstrates how social and human science projects can productively incorporate natural scientists. Project products, ranging from scholarship to collaborative art exhibits, will address a wide range of audiences. The team’s contacts with policymakers will bring our results to officials capacitated to make change.
MAIN ACTIVITIES AND DUTIES:
• The postdoctoral fellow will focus primarily on the Chilean portion of IOE. This includes spending extended time in Chile to conduct independent ethnographic research and producing academic outputs based on the main goals of the IOE project. While the fellow will be free to develop their own research program, this must fit within IOE parameters and include working with IOE partners.
The fellow will contribute to the organization of project events, as well as to its book and exhibits.
• The fellow will contribute to the design and development of research methodologies.
• The fellow will be based in Marseille and should expect to learn French if they don’t already have the language. They will work in close partnership with the PI and artistic director and join some of the research missions to the other two sites.
• The fellow will have time to publish academic work based on their doctoral research.
EXPECTED RESULTS
• The fellow will produce 3 single- or first- author articles based on their Chilean research. They will also publish collaboratively with other project members.
• The fellow will provide commentary and collaborative feedback on other academic outputs resulting from the IOE project, in accordance with the PI’s guidance.
• The fellow will present preliminary results of their research in academic conferences in Europe, the US, and Latin America.
• The fellow will participate on and present their research on various amUsponsored colloquia throughout their contract.
Where to apply
E-mail: Gabrielle.hecht@univ-amu.fr
Skills/Qualifications
The successful candidate will have extensive experience conducting ethnographic research with natural scientists in South America. They should demonstrate comfort working with biologists, particularly with those specializing in microbial ecology. Experience working directly with communities – whether during doctoral research or at another time – is greatly preferred. Substantial knowledge of the region’s recent history is required.
Candidates should demonstrate experience working in research teams as well as individually. Fluency in Spanish and English is required.
PhD in anthropology, with specialization in STS.
Additional Information
Benefits
The project is housed at the Laboratoire Population-Environnement-Développement (LPED) at AixMarseille Université, campus Saint-Charles (Marseille). The LPED is a vibrant, interdisciplinary space with an active commitment to constructive collaboration and inclusive working conditions. Its members conduct research in Africa, Asia, and South America, as well as in local sites. The postdoctoral fellow will have office space at the LPED. They will benefit from—and contribute to—the life of the laboratory by attending seminars and engaging in other collective activities. LPED is part of the Institut de Recherche et Developpement (IRD) and Aix-Marseille Université (AMU) and will benefit from the associated facilities.
Selection process
Please send the following documents: CV, lettre 2 pages, writing sample max 12,000 words, 2 letters of recommendation
