16 Jun Post-doc position: Islam, Class and Citizenship in Indonesia

Post-doc position: Islam, Class, and Citizenship in Democratizing Indonesia

Job description

Background
Citizenship in Indonesia is developing in interaction with evolving religious attitudes. Fuelled by a growing popularity of religious discourse calling for a more literal interpretation of religious injunctions, Islamic movements have successfully demanded a bigger role for the state in upholding morality. The widespread adoption of religious bylaws that restrict alcohol, gambling, female attire, and other social practices is not just due to political dynamics but also to growing popular support for Islamic conservatism.

This project aims to study the growth of such conservatism from the perspective of evolving class relations. While similar studies frequently focus on either security or civil society, there is little research on how it might be related to economic change. How do religious outlooks differ across social classes and in different spatial settings? To what extent does growing religious conservatism reflect ‘the exclusion of the excluders by the excluded’ (Manuel Castells)?

Tasks
To address these questions, the researcher will engage in ethnographic fieldwork on the evolution of religious attitudes among lower middle class groups within two selected provincial towns. Debates surrounding sharia bylaws will be a particular focus. Fieldwork will be complemented with analysis of available survey material on values and religious attitudes across social classes in Indonesia.

This project is a part of the joint Dutch-Indonesian research program ‘From Clients to Citizens? Emerging Citizenship in Democratizing Indonesia’. The researcher is expected to interact with, and support the PhD projects under the umbrella of this program. He/she is also expected to help organize a conference on citizenship in Indonesia, and contribute to academic life at KITLV and Leiden University.

Qualifications
The postdoctoral researcher should have:
– A PhD in Social Science of Southeast Asia
– Fluency in Indonesian
– A research and publication record related to Islam and Citizenship in Indonesia
– Experience in combining qualitative and quantitive research methods
– Experience in organizing academic seminars/conferences

Working conditions
The position is financed for 24 months full-time, or longer if taken part-time. The researcher should be prepared to start before the end of 2015. The salary will depend on training and work experience and will be in scale 10 (max. € 3,449 gross per month on a full time basis) under the Collective Agreement for Dutch
Universities (CAO-Nederlandse Universiteiten); 8% holiday payment and a 8,3% year-end bonus apply. We offer an extensive package of fringe benefits. Adequate funding for field research in Indonesia is available.

Organisation
The position is located at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV), on the campus of Leiden University, the Netherlands (www.kitlv.nl). KITLV coordinates the SPIN research cluster ‘Governance, Markets and Citizenship’. KITLV is an institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), and is affiliated with the area studies community at Leiden University. Leiden is a pleasant, historical town not far from Amsterdam and The Hague.

Additional Information
Additional information about the research project, including a more detailed description of the content and context of the research, can be obtained from Dr. Ward Berenschot by email: [email protected].

Applications
Please send a motivation letter, research proposal (maximum 2 pages), cv, one publication, and the names of 3 academic referees to Prof.dr. Henk Schulte Nordholt, director of research KITLV, by 5 August 2015: [email protected].

Other links
https://www.academictransfer.com/employer/KNAW/vacancy/28437/lang/en/