PhD Position - Structural Injustice and Social Cohesion

VU Hoofdgebouw

Amsterdam

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Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

PhD

MSc

Closes on

01-04-2026

Publishing date

02-03-2026

Apply

Are you eager to pursue a PhD in philosophy in an interdisciplinary context? Do you want to explore how societies can address structural injustice without deepening polarization? Join SOCION project Repairing Injustice Without Breaking Bonds!

Your function

This PhD project Repairing Injustice Without Breaking Bonds: Structural Injustice and Social Cohesion examines how societies should address structural injustice without damaging the social relations required for collective action. Building on philosophical theories of structural injustice and moral responsibility, it investigates who ought to bear forward-looking responsibilities for unjust social structures and how accountability for meeting such responsibilities can be exercised without generating backlash or fragmentation. Empirical work plays a supporting role, using experimental studies to test how different responsibility assignments affect cooperation under conditions of inequality. The project develops a justice-centred framework that contributes to SOCION’s research on social cohesion.

This project integrates philosophical theories of responsibility with sociological and economic analyses of social structure. Structural injustice theorists, such as Iris Marion Young and Sally Haslanger, argue that injustices arise not from identifiable wrongdoing but from systems of norms, rules and resource distributions that systematically expose certain groups to domination and deprivation. These structural injustices shape social relationships, trust and solidarity, often fracturing social cohesion. At the same time, recognizing structural injustice can also foster cross-group solidarity and collective action.

The project aims to develop an interdisciplinary framework for:

1) identifying who bears forward-looking responsibilities for addressing structural injustices,
2) determining how to hold individuals accountable in ways that do not erode social cohesion and
3) empirically examining how different responsibility assignments affect cooperation within unequal social networks.

Through primarily normative analyses, which are supplemented by experimental methods, the project will produce a conceptual and empirical foundation for designing responsibility practices that help repair injustice without breaking social bonds.

The supervisors of the PhD will be:
dr. Philip Robichaud Philosophy, VU Amsterdam (First supervisor)
dr. Daniel Redhead Sociology, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (Second supervisor)

Your duties

gaining in-depth knowledge of the philosophical literature on structural injustice, moral responsibility and social cohesion
developing, together with your supervisors, key components of the project, including normative analyses, experimental designs and research papers
participating in the Ethics group at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
contributing to the interdisciplinary integration of philosophical and sociological perspectives within SOCION
designing and conducting experimental studies on responsibility attribution and cooperation under conditions of inequality
presenting your research at academic conferences and interdisciplinary workshops
publishing in international peer-reviewed journals and completing a PhD thesis
actively participating in SOCION’s research meetings, training activities and collaborative events
taking relevant courses within the Graduate School to meet the requirements for obtaining a PhD
contributing to teaching in the ethics group (max 10% of your time)

Your profile

MA/MSc degree in Philosophy or a related field; interest in, and ideally some familiarity with Sociology
Interest in the topic of social cohesion and in collaborating in a broad research consortium with academic and non-academic stakeholders
Strong interest in interdisciplinary research, including analytic and theoretical dimensions
Professional competence of English
Eagerness to integrate theories and research findings from two fields (Ethics/Political Philosophy and Sociology) in the research project
Strong academic record in contemporary analytic Ethics, Political Philosophy or Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) as evidenced by grade transcripts and relevant coursework
Affinity with and/or training in the field of Sociology and/or quantitative/formal methods is considered a bonus
We look for team players who want to play an active role in an inter- and transdisciplinary research community and training programme

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

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. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

a salary of € 3.059,00 (PhD) and maximum € 3.881,00 (PhD) gross per month in the fourth year, for a full-time employment
an employment contract of initially 1 year. If there is sufficient perspective, this will be extended to a total of 4 years. Your dissertation at the end of the fourth year forms the end of your employment contract.

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
contribution to commuting expenses
a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge
good growth opportunities

About us

This PhD project is part of the SOCION consortium. SOCION addresses a pressing challenge of our time: fragmentation in societies. Social cohesion is society’s fabric and is key to sustainable societies and citizens’ well-being. However, it is increasingly undermined by erosion and polarization between communities, factions, and groups. In this project, psychologists, social historians, demographers, philosophers, and sociologists collaborate with civic organizations to generate and integrate insights into how connections between individuals, groups, and institutions contribute to new pathways to and forms of social cohesion.

Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
A better understanding of ourselves and social communities, values and meaning, through social sciences and humanities. That is the aim of The Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. No single discipline can do this alone. The SSH disciplines are characterised by an open way of thinking and the natural urge to seek coherence and connection.

The faculty consists of nine academic departments within three schools: School of Religion & Theology (SRT), School of Social Sciences (SSc) and School of Humanities (SH).

Are you interested in joining Social Sciences and Humanities? You become part of a dynamic academic community with approximately 900 staff members, over 5,000 regular students and more than 5,000 course participants. In an inspiring and collegial environment, we work together on education and research with impact.

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.

We require:

an academic CV
a motivation letter (which also includes contact details for two references)
a writing sample, for instance a chapter of your Master's thesis
course and grade list from Bachelor's and Master's study

The first round of interviews will take place online on 10 April 2026, followed by a second interview on 17 April 2026. The intended start date is 1 September 2026.

Submitting a diploma and a reference check are part of the application process.

Applications received by e-mail will not be considered.

Acquisition in response to this advertisement is not appreciated.