PhD Position: Fatherhood, Emotions and Masculinity in Migration

This PhD position offers a unique opportunity to explore an innovative and socially relevant research topic at the intersection of migration, fatherhood, masculinity, emotions, and family-making. You will be joining a dynamic academic environment at Radboud University, where interdisciplinary collaboration and societal impact are strongly valued.

The project contributes to filling a significant gap in migration and gender research by focusing on the emotional, affective and cultural dimensions of migrant masculinity and fatherhood, areas that have remained underexplored in both academic and policy discourse. Your work will not only enrich academic debates but also have practical implications for understanding the complex realities of transnational family life in multicultural societies.

As a PhD candidate, you will investigate how migrant men in the Netherlands navigate their roles as fathers across transnational and intercultural family contexts. The project examines the emotional, memory-based, gendered, and cultural dimensions of fatherhood and masculinity, grounded in a theoretical framework that includes the sociology of emotions, memory studies, migration theory, role theory, and gender studies – with a central focus on intersectionality. The research will analyse how masculinity is shaped, expressed and redefined within migrant fatherhood, and how this affects broader processes of family-making.

The primary methodology is qualitative and based on in-depth interviews and participant observation, supported by document analysis (e.g. letters, diaries, digital communication). A potential quantitative component using existing survey data (such as the LISS panel) is possible, offering the candidate the opportunity to apply mixed methods if suited to their research interests and expertise.

You will be responsible for developing and executing your research plan, publishing peer-reviewed articles, presenting at international conferences, and writing a dissertation based on your findings. Throughout your doctoral journey, you will receive tailored academic support, mentorship, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration within the Radboud Social Cultural Research Institute (RSCR).

Teaching is an essential part of this appointment and will make up approximately 10% of your time. You will contribute to undergraduate or graduate level courses related to sociology, gender studies or migration studies. These tasks are designed to support your academic development and prepare you for a future career in research or teaching.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate.

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (1.0 FTE) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €3,707 in the fourth year (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus.
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands.
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20.

Work and science require good employment practices. This is reflected in Radboud University's primary and secondary employment conditions. You can make arrangements for the best possible work-life balance with flexible working hours, various leave arrangements and working from home. You are also able to compose part of your employment conditions yourself, for example, exchange income for extra leave days and receive a reimbursement for your sports subscription. And of course, we offer a good pension plan. You are given plenty of room and responsibility to develop your talents and realise your ambitions. Therefore, we provide various training and development schemes.

The research in this position will align with the research programme of the Radboud Social Cultural Research (RSCR) institute. RSCR is a research institute at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Researchers make up three research groups: Sociology; Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies; and Gender and Diversity Studies. The overall aim of RSCR is to improve our understanding of the processes leading to inequalities in various societies by investigating the societal phenomena of social inequality and inclusion. Our team values diversity and inclusion, fostering a collaborative environment where scholars from different backgrounds contribute to innovative research. You will be supervised by Dr Francesco Cerchiaro and Dr Klara Raiber.

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Francesco Cerchiaro. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application. At this moment, it is not yet necessary to upload a research proposal. A cover letter and resume are sufficient.

The first interviews will take place from 16-18 June. You will preferably start your employment on 1 October 2025.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates. If you wish to apply for a non-scientific position with a non-EU nationality, please take notice of the following information.