RHN 99/2024 | Opportunities
Project INFEST (“The Industrialization of Austrian Forests”), funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
Institute of Social Ecology Vienna (SEC), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Austria
Deadline for applications: 31 August 2024
Extent of employment: 30 hours per week
Duration of employment: 3 years, e.g. 01 October 2024 – 31 September 2027
Gross monthly salary and pay grade in terms of collective agreement for university staff (payable 14 times per year):
B1, € 2.684,10
Institute
The Institute of Social Ecology Vienna (SEC) is part of the Department of Economics and Social Sciences of the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). Research and teaching at the Institute of Social Ecology deals with the interrelations of social and natural systems in the context of a socio-ecological transformation. Researchers come from interdisciplinary backgrounds such as ecology, sociology, political science, and history. The methodological spectrum includes material and energy flow analysis (MEFA), geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing methods, qualitative social research, and historical analyses. SEC hosts the Doctoral School Social Ecology (DSSE), which the selected PhD candidates will be part of.
Topic
Prevailing public narratives on the history of forestry still tend to portray the emergence of scientific forestry in Europe as the birthplace of the idea of sustainability. However, recent research in environmental history has indicated that the adoption and mainstreaming of the principles of rational forestry adhered to a narrow economic understanding of sustainability and resulted in adverse outcomes for many local communities. In the project INFEST (“The Industrialization of Austrian Forests”) funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) and led by Assoc. Prof. Simone Gingrich, we investigate the industrialization of Austrian forests during 1766-1914. We hypothesize that this period, during which Austrian forests underwent a shift from forest depletion to recovery, also marked a regime shift from a multifunctional towards an industrialized forest regime, characterized by distinct changes in sociocultural and ecological forest characteristics. In an interdisciplinary project team, INFEST traces changes in cultural programs, social practices and biogeochemical fluxes of forest use during the industrialization of Austrian forests. The aim of the project is to develop a nuanced environmental history of Austrian forest change.
PhD project
We seek to fill a PhD position investigating the environmental history of Austrian forest regulations, 1766-1914. Specifically, the PhD researcher will trace the evolving “cultural programs” that shaped forest use in Austria during 1766-1914, manifested in legal regulations of forest use and management (e.g., provincial forest regulations 1766, forest act 1852 and later revisions), and the debates surrounding them. The PhD project explores how rationalized views on forest use gained dominance throughout the long 19th century. It elaborates the underlying political, scientific and economic rationales promoted by major actors, such as policy-makers, large forest owners and learned experts. Methodologically, the project relies on qualitative content analysis of historical sources, most of which are printed and available digitally and can thus be analyzed using digital history methods, such as coding or text mining.
Required skills and qualifications
-
Excellent MSc or equivalent degree, or advanced MA studies which are expected to finish soon, in history (environmental, social, political, or legal history, history of science, or other relevant specialization), interdisciplinary sustainability sciences (e.g., environment and bioresources management), political science (political ecology, political economy or other related specialization), or relevant related fields.
-
Experience in the application of relevant qualitative methods, e.g., historical source analysis, qualitative content analysis, discourse analysis, source critique, policy analysis.
-
Excellent language skills in German (reading) and English (reading, writing and speaking).
-
Readiness to engage in interdisciplinary team work.
Desirable skills and qualifications
-
Experience in archival research.
-
Experience in the application of quantitative methods of sustainability accounting or GIS.
-
Knowledge of 19th century forest and agricultural history in Central Europe.
-
Basic knowledge of forest ecology.
Applications can be submitted until: 31st of August, 2024
Please send your job application including
-
Motivation letter (max. 1 page)
-
Short research proposal for PhD project, including references to relevant literature (max. 2 pages)
-
Full academic CV, including publications (if available)
-
Proof of eligibility, in particular details on education and Master’s studies / degree
-
Names and contact details of max. three references
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna seeks to increase the number of its female faculty and staff members. Therefore, qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. In case of equal qualification, female candidates will be given preference unless reasons specific to an individual male candidate tilt the balance in his favour.
We regret that we cannot reimburse applicants travel and lodging expenses incurred as part of the selection and hiring process.
Please direct any enquiries regarding the position to simone.gingrich@boku.ac.at
More information can be found here.