The Department of History and Art History seeks to appoint a PhD candidate for the project “Race to the bottom? Family labour, household livelihood and consumption in the relocation of global cotton manufacturing, ca. 1750-1990”, funded by means of an ERC Consolidator Grant awarded to Prof. dr. Elise van Nederveen Meerkerk. 

The PhD candidate will be working on the following sub project:

PhD project 1: Industrialization and household textile production in the UK and China: a diachronic comparison, 1750-1990

One of the most intriguing questions in global economic history is why western European industries quickly embarked on a capital-intensive mode of production, whereas in other parts of the world, a more labour-intensive route has been taken. The comparison of England and China regularly features in this debate. Recent research has suggested that to solve this question, “it is necessary first to understand the nature of the household economy and its relationship to commercial markets and merchant capital” (Cliver 2010, 107). This project aims to make such an analysis, by making a comparison between the early stages of textile production in the United Kingdom in the 18th and early 19th centuries, and China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During the early stages of British industrialization, household production of textiles remained important next to factory production, but at a certain point in time this disappeared. Conversely, in China small-scale production integrated with large-scale industrialized production and has remained so up to the present. This project aims to make a diachronic (i.e. at different points in time) comparison between both regions of the world.

A successful PhD candidate should preferably have:

• a (Research) Master's Degree in History, Economics or another relevant discipline, and a demonstrable affinity with the scope of the project;
• an outstanding record of undergraduate and master's degree work;
• excellent command of English, both written and orally.
• experience with archival research;
• strong writing skills;
• capacity to work both as a creative and independent researcher and as part of a team.

We offer a position (1.0 FTE), start date from 1 October 2018 onwards. The appointment is for an initial period of 18 months which after a satisfactory evaluation will be extended by another 30 months (4 years in total). The gross salary for a full-time employment starts at €2,222  in the first year, ending at €2,840 in the fourth year (P-scale of the Collective Labour Agreement Dutch Universities). Salaries are supplemented with a holiday bonus of 8 % and a year-end bonus of 8.3 % per year. We offer a pension scheme, (partly paid) parental leave, collective insurance schemes and flexible employment conditions (multiple choice model). More information is available at: working at Utrecht University.

A better future for everyone. That is the ambition that motivates our scholars in their top research and their inspiring teaching. The various disciplines within Utrecht University collaborate closely on important social themes. Our focus is on Dynamics of Youth, Institutions for Open Societies, Life Sciences and Sustainability.

The Faculty of Humanities has approximately 900 employees and 7,000 students. The Faculty covers four areas of knowledge: Philosophy and Religious Studies, History and Art History, Media and Cultural Studies, and Languages, Literature and Communication.

Through education and research in these areas the Faculty aims to contribute to a better understanding of the Netherlands and Europe within an ever changing social and cultural context. Our enthusiastic and committed colleagues and the excellent facilities in Utrecht’s historic centre, where the Faculty has its home, make for an inspiring working climate.