Profile
Interests: You are creative, motivated and passionate about research in social sciences. You can work independently as well as in a team. You are interested in pursuing research in a four-year project exploring the dilemma faced by political elites when they consider changing their stance on policy issues. Updating one's position on pressing policy issues might be seen as necessary in some circumstances, but it may also lead to credibility loss as voters might perceive their elites as inconsistent. The project aims to understand (A) how political elites change their positions on policy issues, (B) how the media reports these changes, and (C) how the public perceives these shifts. You will mainly contribute to areas (A) and (B) of the research project.
Skills: Ideally, you are proficient in basic quantitative methods of data gathering and data analysis commonly applied in social sciences, especially quantitative content analysis. Knowledge of R or Python and/or experimental methods is an additional asset.
Education: You will have obtained a Master’s degree in communication or closely related field.
Languages: You are proficient in English; good knowledge of French and/or German is considered an additional asset.
PhD position (SNF) / Université de Fribourg
September 1st, 2024, or to be agreed / 4 years (1 year; renewable 3 years)