The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis currently has a vacant Postdoc researcher position as part of the broader field Humane AI. Within this field the focus is on data and platforms for social, cultural and economic innovation. The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis (ASCA) is one of the five Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research.

What are you going to do

The postdoc position in the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis lies in the area of 'platform (sub)cultures', which refers to both public-facing, mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, and anonymous ones such as Reddit and 4chan. The study of platform culture often revolves around the notion of 'platform vernaculars' which are variously defined as the specific 'participatory culture', 'discursive creativity', 'new media literacy' and other practices and expressions of online belonging and in-grouping. Platform 'subcultures' range from fan cultures to forms of 'dark participation', especially by the alternative right. One of the more active areas of study is meme culture, known as a special 'internet phenomenon', where creative expression as well as political engagement take place through image macros, one- and two-liners of text overlaid upon an image. Memes are among the most engaged-with content in social media and media forms (such as online news) are continually 'memefying' their stories. Another active area of study concerns platform analytics and how they drive attention and platform stickiness. Friend, like and other counts drive online dynamics and symbolic power and also lead to their fakery, such as the purchasing of fake followers. Other areas of study include influencer culture as well as digital nomads. Staging oneself into being (on Instagram, for example) is studied both in terms of 'visibility labour' (how to look) but also as 'relational labour' (how to relate). Labouring to build and maintain a fan base is studied with reference to platform affordances as well as aesthetics.

We are looking for a postdoc working on any of the identified aspects of platform (sub)cultures, whose research is oriented towards identifying how platform (sub)cultures offer opportunities for social, cultural and/or economic innovation.

Your tasks and responsibilities:

• conducting research, presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences, and publishing at least two peer reviewed articles;
• participating in activities of the research school, department and relevant research priority area (Humane AI: https://humane-ai.nl/ and/or Global Digital Cultures: https://globaldigitalcultures.uva.nl/);
• co-organising knowledge dissemination activities;
• optional: contributing to teaching courses.

Your experience and profile:

• a PhD in media studies or a related area in the humanities or social sciences where the study of digital culture is central;
• excellent research skills demonstrated by a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals and/or with leading presses or a demonstrable capacity to develop such a record;
• a strong cooperative attitude and willingness to engage in collaborative, interdisciplinary research;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• excellent command of English.

The Postdoc researcher will be appointed at the Department of Media Studies of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Amsterdam and will conduct research in ASCA. The employment contract will be for one year. Contingent on a positive performance evaluation the contract will be extended with one year. The employment contract is for 30,4-38 hours a week. Preferred starting date is 01 October 2022.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and relevant experience, ranges between € 3,974 to € 5,439. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. A favourable tax agreement, the '30% ruling', may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education, including participation in a dedicated Research Training group;
• an enthusiastic, inspiring and professional academic team;
• the opportunity to collaborate with leading researchers at research institutes that - partly as a result of their interdisciplinary approach - are world renowned.

Faculty of Humanities

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.