The Erasmus School of History, Culture, and Communication (ESHCC) at Erasmus University Rotterdam is excited to offer a challenging and innovative PhD position in impact, resilience, reaction and empowerment of the audiences of toxic entertainment.

Join us in this exciting project that will focus on the effects of toxic entertainment (TE, e.g., TikTok’s glorifying unhealthy relations and pertaining anti-consumerism or dark humour). For long research has focused on celebratory participation (e.g., fandom, brand love); however, the so-called ‘dark participation’ has received far less attention. Nevertheless, the seemingly entertaining messages potentially have toxic effects (e.g., reduced individual or relational wellbeing, brand/influence cancelling). We will study how different target audiences engage and react to TE, and how the creation of anti-TE empowers vulnerable persons. In addition, factors that protect or enhance those effects (e.g., fandom and loneliness) and contribute to building up resilience will be investigated.

Using a mixed methodological approach, the research project aims to focus on this TE and the hidden persuasive influence on attitudes and hate. By enhancing counter acts (e.g., anti-hate memes) the project aims to analyse whether, and how resilience against the impact of TE can be created.

Job description
The successful candidate will be based at the Department of Media and Communication of the ESHCC and will carry out the following tasks:

Research (0.85 fte)

• Conducting PhD research.
• Publishing and presenting research results in the form of articles in international peer reviewed journals and papers at international conferences.
• Writing a dissertation within the appointment duration of four years.
• Taking part in seminars, workshops etc. that are organized by the Erasmus Research Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS) as well as the Department of Media and Communication.

Teaching (0.15 fte)
Performing junior teaching tasks in the BA degree programmes in the field Media and Communication provided by ESHCC, primarily through tutorial group teaching in the International Bachelor of Communication and Media (IBCoM).

Service
Contributing to small management tasks of the department.

To be eligible, a candidate must have:

• A (research) master’s degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences or humanities (such as but not limited to Communication, Media Studies, Psychology, Pedagogics, Marketing, Business). A research master’s degree is preferred;
• Familiarity with and keen interest in mixed-methods research methods;
• Independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• Good collaboration skills and an ability to join interdisciplinary and intercultural academic communities;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English (CEFR C1) and good oral and written communication skills in Dutch is preferred;
• Motivation to carry out high level research and publish in renowned peer reviewed international journals.

We offer you an internationally oriented and varied job in an enthusiastic team, with excellent working conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).

The start date of this position is 1 September 2024 and you will be based at the Department of Media and Communication in Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). This position is for 1 fte. The salary ranges from a minimum of € 2.770 to a maximum of € 3.539 gross per month Scale PhD on a fulltime basis (38 hours), in accordance with the CAO-NU. We offer a 1,5-year position which will be extended to 4 years based on performance.

Everything else we offer you, you can find below!

• Everything you need for a good work-life balance: the option to work from home in consultation with your manager, 41 days of paid leave with a 40 hour contract, 8% holiday pay and an 8.3% end-of-year bonus, and a significant discount on a subscription for our on-campus sports centre!
• Sustainable, inclusive and diverse work environment with an open culture, where you can be yourself and we pay attention to each other and to the world around us. Make the most of our bicycle budget, or join networks such as Young@EUR, FAME or QuEUR.
• Time and space for your development in the broadest sense: development days and a personal career budget, foreign exchange opportunities with most costs paid by EUR, and free access to our university library.
• Good pension with ABP that EUR contributes 2/3rds towards, discounts on various collective insurances with Zilveren Kruis Achmea, Loyalis, and Allianz, and compensation for travel, working from home and home internet use.
• Are you currently combining your job with parenthood, or do you want to do so in the future? EUR offers partially paid parental leave and fully paid additional birth leave for partners, and our campus features a daycare.
• Moving to the Netherlands for your job with EUR? Then you may be eligible for the 30%-ruling if you meet the requirements of the Belastingdienst (Dutch tax agency), and with our Dual Career Programme we will also help your partner find the right job for them.

Erasmus University Rotterdam

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) is an internationally oriented university with a strong social orientation in its education and research, as expressed in our mission ‘Creating positive societal impact’. EUR is home to 3.700 academics and professionals and almost 33.000 students from more than 140 countries. Everything we do, we do under the credo The Erasmian Way – Making Minds Matter. We’re global citizens, connecting, entrepreneurial, open-minded, and socially involved. These Erasmian Values function as our internal compass and create EUR’s distinctive and recognizable profile. From these values, with a broad perspective and with an eye for diversity, different backgrounds and opinions, our employees work closely together to solve societal challenges from the dynamic and cosmopolitan city of Rotterdam. Thanks to the high quality and positive societal impact of our research and education, EUR can compete with the top European universities. www.eur.nl.

Faculty / Institute / Central service
The Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) is part of Erasmus University Rotterdam. The school has three departments: History, Arts and Culture and Media & Communication. There are approximately 2500 students and 240 employees.

ESHCC offers high quality education, based on scientific research, at the intersection of the Humanities and Social Sciences. We teach our ambitious, Dutch and international students in a stimulating learning environment. After graduation, they will have acquired the knowledge, insight and skills to make an important and inspiring contribution to an increasingly international society in which diversity plays a major role.

The ESHCC also has an ambitious research agenda. We want to strengthen our involvement in multidisciplinary research, expand the share of external funding in our total research funding and increase our social impact. ESHCC recently launched their faculty-wide research institute, the Erasmus Institute for Media, Culture, History and Society (ERMeCHS).

The Media and Communication Department is a dynamic, internationally oriented department within the ESHCC. The department offers five international degree programmes: the International Bachelor’s programme in Communication and Media (IBCoM), four international Master’s programmes in Media Studies (Media & Business, Media & Creative Industries, Media, Culture & Society, Digitalisation, Surveillance & Society) and the Research master in the Sociology of Culture, Media and the Arts. The department has close ties with ERMeCHS.

About Erasmus University Rotterdam

About Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication

About the Department of Media and Communication

About ERMeCHS