Call for Applications PhD Stipend - Project Socialization - Deadline 31.01.2025
PhD scholarship in the research group Socialization in Theory and Practice: Democratizing Access to Land and Energy in the sub-project Socialization of Energy
The research group Socialization in Theory and Practice: Democratizing Access to Land and Energy is seeking a doctoral fellow to start as soon as possible. The project, led by Dr. Rabea Berfelde and Dr. Jacob Blumenfeld, is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation for three years.
Project description
Socialization is a social transformation strategy that aims to democratize access to basic goods and infrastructure. Building on the multidimensional concept of socialization, the research project will develop a social theory that sheds light on the conflicts and crises of the present.
In collaboration with two civil society partner organizations – the junge Arbeitsgemeinschaft bäuerliche Landwirtschaft (jAbL) and the think tank communia, which develops perspectives for democratic property relations in various economic sectors – the research project will analyze socialization processes in two different fields (the agricultural sector and the energy industry) and also examine the normative foundations of historical and current socialization demands.
The research project is based at the Centre for Social Critique at Humboldt University of Berlin for a period of three years.
The doctoral scholarship is to be awarded in the sub-project Socialization of Energy. The sub-project builds on research that analyzes energy infrastructures not only as a technical problem, but also in their connection to the organization of the economy and society. In the course of the energy transition, an increasing decentralization of energy production can be observed – a development that has been discussed in many ways as a democratization of the energy industry. However, this promise of democratization disregards essential parts of the energy industry, such as markets and network infrastructures. The subproject takes the complexity of the energy sector into account and analyzes it against the background of the history of privatization and unbundling of the energy sector. It develops perspectives for a democratic and ecological energy production that is oriented towards the common good through the concept of socialization.
Your tasks
- Implementation of the sub-project by developing and conducting your own dissertation project within the framework of the sub-project
- Active participation in the research project in close coordination with the project leaders, including empirical field research, theoretical work and publications, e.g. for international peer-reviewed journals, collaboration with civil society partner organizations
- Participation in the organization of events
- Presenting the research group's (interim) results at scientific conferences and workshops
Your profile
- A very good master's degree in philosophy / political science (especially political theory) / sociology or another subject relevant to the project
- Relevant previous knowledge and an interest in the research topic of the group and the sub-project
- Very good language skills in German and English
- independence and interest in interdisciplinary, collaborative research
Our offer
- 36-month doctoral scholarship in the amount of €1920
- funding for conference trips within the scope of the project funds
- affiliation with the Centre for Social Critique, Humboldt University Berlin
- intensive support in developing the doctoral project
Please send your application (CV, letter of motivation (max. 2 pages in German or English), MA certificate summarized in one PDF) by 31.01.2025, quoting the subject line **Application Socialization**, to rabea.berfelde@hu-berlin.de. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions in advance.