Postdoctoral Fellow (m/f/d) in Political Violence

A postdoctoral research fellow with relevant skills and interests is sought for a project aiming to understand when, why, and how violent orders co-exist with democracy. It is widely believed that democratic institutions and open economic structures reduce incentives for violent conflict. Yet many forms of political violence have remained surprisingly persistent in democracies, whether it is violent rent-seeking by criminal actors, violence against ethnic minorities, or violent party competition. Research encourages explorations of the relationship between political and economic institutions and political violence, the nature of this violence, and its consequences for political outcomes at various levels. The project relies on a multi-method approach, including quantitative analysis of news reporting on political violence, electoral and other administrative data, survey data, and qualitative data gathered from fieldwork and interviews.

• Conduct high-quality research within the framework of the project, including the design, collection and analysis of quantitative data;
• Write academic articles with other project members (including the director and associated researchers at the MPI and other institutions);
• Carry out fieldwork and interviews in research locations;
• Contribute to the recruitment of PhD students and junior researchers;
• Co-supervise, support, and mentor PhD students and junior researchers working on the project;
• Assist with administrative responsibilities related to the project, including organization of workshops, writing deliverables, data management, and dissemination of project findings in general audience venues;
• Be affiliated with and take active part in the research environment at the Department. Regular presence at the Institute is therefore required and researchers need to reside within commuting distance of Göttingen.