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PhD position: Recording in social interaction

  • VU Hoofdgebouw
  • Amsterdam
  • 1 / 1
  • Faculty of Humanities
  • PhD
  • LL.M
  • Closes on
    01-03-2025
  • Publishing date
    28-01-2025
Apply
Are you looking for a PhD position in the field of communication? Do you have a background in conversation analysis, interactional-, or sociolinguistics? Are you fascinated by the impact of smartphones on social interactions? Join our team!

Your function

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is offering a fully funded, four-year PhD-position, led by Dr. Elliott M. Hoey at the Faculty of Humanities within the Language and Communication group. The earliest start date of the position is May, 2025.

Project description

Modern societies since the turn of the century have been increasingly suffused with video recording devices. This change has come along with the amplification of observability, blurring the boundaries between local and external situations, and between private and public spheres. Body-worn cameras and bystander video, for instance, have transformed policing into a ‘high visibility’ occupation; unmanned drones and AI facial recognition are rapidly becoming embedded in the surveillance state; and, of course, smartphone cameras have created en masse a population of amateur videographers. This PhD project trains its focus on the ad hoc everyday usage of personal recording devices in actual social interactions.

Consider how wielding a smartphone constitutes a meaningful action, one which was not possible before the commercial availability of such portable technologies. To aim your smartphone camera on some scene suggests to observers that the scene is worth recording and invites them to inspect it for whatever interest is to be found there. This act of recording takes on heightened significance when brought into social interaction. Consider an on-duty police officer who decides to activate his body-worn camera, or a customer who begins recording while making a complaint at a restaurant. In these situations, the camera and the act of recording become foregrounded as integral components of the participants’ interaction.

Despite its mundane recognizability and its key place in debates about ‘cancel culture’, ‘Karens’, and our censorious mediatized age, this phenomenon—the action of recording others in social interaction—has received insufficient attention. The aim of this PhD project is therefore to arrive at an empirically-grounded account of how participants in different everyday settings use the camera as an object for action in interaction.

This project will be supervised by Dr. Elliott Hoey, Prof. Dr. Hedwig te Molder and Prof. Don Weenink.

Your duties

  • Conduct research in line with the topic of the project, resulting in a PhD dissertation and scientific publications
  • Participate in the research activities of the Department of Language, Literature and Communication, the Language and Communication chair group, and in (inter)national scientific meetings
  • Contribute to the educational operations of the Language and Communication chair group (maximum 10% of your time)
  • Participate in the VU PhD training program and the training program of a relevant national research school (e.g., LOT)

Your profile

  • you have (or will soon complete) a Master’s degree in a relevant field (linguistics, communication and information studies, communication science, social psychology, sociology)
  • demonstrated training and experience in using Conversation Analytic methods
  • excellent writing and communication skills in spoken/written English (C1-C2); Dutch fluency is a plus
  • outstanding research skills as evidence by strong BA/MA transcripts
  • based in the Netherlands or, if not, willing to relocate for the duration of your PhD
  • willing to travel abroad for scientific meetings during the PhD

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. In return for your efforts we offer you:

  • a salary of € 2.901,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.707,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
  • an employment contract of initially 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of 4 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
  • a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

About us

Faculty of Humanities
At the Faculty of Humanities we explore the world around us through the study of language, history and philosophy. Three multidisciplinary departments make up the faculty: Language, Literature and Communication; Art & Culture, History and Antiquity; and Philosophy. We call this Humanities+.The plus stands for being open to new ideas, transcending disciplinary boundaries, searching for innovative teaching methods and small-scale personalised classroom environments.

We tackle complex social problems that demand a broad transdisciplinary approach. An approach that inspires us to learn from each other by moving across academic boundaries. Together we enrich our knowledge and creativity. Together we can find solutions that make a positive contribution to society.

Are you interested in joining Humanities? You will be joining an inspiring and personal working environment. Together with your 340 colleagues you will help provide top quality teaching and research.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Your application should include the following:

  • Your updated CV, which should include your educational background, relevant work or research experience, language proficiency, full contact details, and any grants/honors, presentations, or publications
  • Letter of motivation (maximum 1000 words) detailing your reasons for applying and how you fit the PhD profile and project description
  • BA and MA transcripts
  • Writing sample
  • Names and contact information of two references who are familiar with your academic work (thesis supervisor, for example).

Interviews are planned for 2 April 2025. The PhD candidate must be available to start the position no later than September 1, 2025.

Questions about the position and application can be sent to dr. Elliott Hoey ([email protected]). 

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Your function

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is offering a fully funded, four-year PhD-position, led by Dr. Elliott M. Hoey at the Faculty of Humanities within the Language and Communication group. The earliest start date of the position is May, 2025.

Project description

Modern societies since the turn of the century have been increasingly suffused with video recording devices. This change has come along with the amplification of observability, blurring the boundaries between local and external situations, and between private and public spheres. Body-worn cameras and bystander video, for instance, have transformed policing into a ‘high visibility’ occupation; unmanned drones and AI facial recognition are rapidly becoming embedded in the surveillance state; and, of course, smartphone cameras have created en masse a population of amateur videographers. This PhD project trains its focus on the ad hoc everyday usage of personal recording devices in actual social interactions.

Consider how wielding a smartphone constitutes a meaningful action, one which was not possible before the commercial availability of such portable technologies. To aim your smartphone camera on some scene suggests to observers that the scene is worth recording and invites them to inspect it for whatever interest is to be found there. This act of recording takes on heightened significance when brought into social interaction. Consider an on-duty police officer who decides to activate his body-worn camera, or a customer who begins recording while making a complaint at a restaurant. In these situations, the camera and the act of recording become foregrounded as integral components of the participants’ interaction.

Despite its mundane recognizability and its key place in debates about ‘cancel culture’, ‘Karens’, and our censorious mediatized age, this phenomenon—the action of recording others in social interaction—has received insufficient attention. The aim of this PhD project is therefore to arrive at an empirically-grounded account of how participants in different everyday settings use the camera as an object for action in interaction.

This project will be supervised by Dr. Elliott Hoey, Prof. Dr. Hedwig te Molder and Prof. Don Weenink.

Your duties

  • Conduct research in line with the topic of the project, resulting in a PhD dissertation and scientific publications
  • Participate in the research activities of the Department of Language, Literature and Communication, the Language and Communication chair group, and in (inter)national scientific meetings
  • Contribute to the educational operations of the Language and Communication chair group (maximum 10% of your time)
  • Participate in the VU PhD training program and the training program of a relevant national research school (e.g., LOT)

Your profile

  • you have (or will soon complete) a Master’s degree in a relevant field (linguistics, communication and information studies, communication science, social psychology, sociology)
  • demonstrated training and experience in using Conversation Analytic methods
  • excellent writing and communication skills in spoken/written English (C1-C2); Dutch fluency is a plus
  • outstanding research skills as evidence by strong BA/MA transcripts
  • based in the Netherlands or, if not, willing to relocate for the duration of your PhD
  • willing to travel abroad for scientific meetings during the PhD

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. In return for your efforts we offer you:

  • a salary of € 2.901,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.707,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
  • an employment contract of initially 1 year. After a satisfactory evaluation of the initial appointment, the contract will be extended for a total duration of 4 years.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and arrangements. Some examples:

  • A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
  • 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
  • solid pension scheme (ABP)
  • optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
  • a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge

About us

Faculty of Humanities
At the Faculty of Humanities we explore the world around us through the study of language, history and philosophy. Three multidisciplinary departments make up the faculty: Language, Literature and Communication; Art & Culture, History and Antiquity; and Philosophy. We call this Humanities+.The plus stands for being open to new ideas, transcending disciplinary boundaries, searching for innovative teaching methods and small-scale personalised classroom environments.

We tackle complex social problems that demand a broad transdisciplinary approach. An approach that inspires us to learn from each other by moving across academic boundaries. Together we enrich our knowledge and creativity. Together we can find solutions that make a positive contribution to society.

Are you interested in joining Humanities? You will be joining an inspiring and personal working environment. Together with your 340 colleagues you will help provide top quality teaching and research.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research. Learn more about our codes of conduct

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

Diversity
Diversity is the driving force of VU Amsterdam. VU wants to be accessible and receptive to diversity in disciplines, cultures, ideas, nationalities, beliefs, preferences and worldviews. We believe that trust, respect, interest and differences lead to new insights and innovation, to sharpness and clarity, to excellence and a broader understanding.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Questions about the vacancy?

Please contact

Elliott Hoey

Assistant Professor

Interested

Are you interested in this position and do you believe that your experience will contribute to the further development of our university? In that case, we encourage you to submit your application.

Your application should include the following:

  • Your updated CV, which should include your educational background, relevant work or research experience, language proficiency, full contact details, and any grants/honors, presentations, or publications
  • Letter of motivation (maximum 1000 words) detailing your reasons for applying and how you fit the PhD profile and project description
  • BA and MA transcripts
  • Writing sample
  • Names and contact information of two references who are familiar with your academic work (thesis supervisor, for example).

Interviews are planned for 2 April 2025. The PhD candidate must be available to start the position no later than September 1, 2025.

Questions about the position and application can be sent to dr. Elliott Hoey ([email protected]). 

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.

Questions about the vacancy?

Please contact

Elliott Hoey

Assistant Professor

Application procedure

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