PhD in the study of religion and slavery in the context of Dutch colonialism and its afterlives

PhD in the study of religion and slavery in the context of Dutch colonialism and its afterlives

Job description

What you will be doing

Developing a project on the basis of their own research idea, the candidate will investigate the relationship between Dutch colonial slavery and religion and/or spirituality in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and/or the ‘international’ Netherlands (including colonial and postcolonial connections between the Netherlands and South Asia, South Africa, West Africa, and Brazil).

This position has been created in response to the report Dutch Colonial Slavery and Its Afterlives: Research Agenda 2025-2035 (Allen et al. 2024). One of the recommendations offered in this report is to pay more attention to the ways in which Dutch colonial slavery has impacted the making and transformation of religious and spiritual beliefs, practices, and communities. This implicates a bottom-up approach which privileges the experiences and perspectives of the enslaved.

We invite proposals that engage with one or more of the following themes:

• The formation of religious communities among enslaved and the interactions between these communities and Christianity and/or Islam and colonial hegemony;
• The resilience and transformation of religious and/or spiritual traditions (oral as well as textual traditions) in the context of slavery, colonial violence, and/or (forced) conversion;
• The role of religion in the narratives, memory and/or material cultures, and strategies of coping and healing among communities of descendents of enslaved, either in the past or in the present.

We welcome applications from candidates with training in history, anthropology, religious studies, area studies, or related fields. Research proposals should focus on the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and/or the ‘international’ Netherlands, but are encouraged to explore global and/or interregional connections. A demonstrated interest in interdisciplinary and/or intersectional approaches, studying connections between religion and race, gender, or age, will be considered an advantage.

The candidate will engage with and contribute to ongoing research at KITLV, exploring the connections with and between the institute’s three research lines, Mobility and Belonging; State, Violence, and Citizenship; and Climate Governance, as tailored to their individual background and research focus.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct research, including field research.
• Publish on the basis of this research, culminating in at least two international peer-reviewed journal articles and a PhD dissertation completed in the allotted time (four years at 1.0 fte; five years at 0.8 fte);
• Take part in the PhD program of the KITLV and relevant affiliated institutes;
• Participate in academic conferences, workshops, and other scholarly and outreach activities.

What we are offering
The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) is offering a four-year PhD position at the KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies.

Requirements

What you will be contributing

The candidate should:

• Hold a recent MA or Mphil in the social sciences or humanities;
• Have a proven academic track record, as shown in the transcripts and CV, and show a strong interest in fundamental research;
• Have a solid written and spoken command of English;
• Have an advanced level in one of the local languages in the area/region of focus.
• Be highly motivated and able to work independently;
• Have excellent social and organizational skills.