M/F Ph.D. Candidate in Economics – Pastoralism and coexistence with wolves in the Alps

Job Description

Thesis Subject

This PhD thesis project meets two main topics of the LEST research department: the regional agricultural dynamics and the forms of labour that may contribute to an agroecological transition. It aims to make a significant contribution to understanding the interactions between agricultural stakeholders and the other local stakeholders in a context characterized by the return of wolves in French mountain pastureland.
Keywords: pastoralism, wolf, civic engagement, labour sustainability, sensitive approach.
Context
The presence of wolves in French mountain pastureland since 1992 has deeply disrupted pastoral practices. The multifunctional nature of these areas means that many activities occur in proximity, which implies mutual adaptations to ensure their coexistence. This coexistence is a key source of emotional responses that interact with other decision-making factors and influence the adoption of practices. Within this context, this thesis project aims to evaluate the impacts of volunteer programs for herd guardianship. The interdisciplinary approach, centred on institutional economics, combines a data collection tool co-developed with artists to capture emotions, and data from ecological research to contrast subjective feelings with objective measurements. The thesis is part of the CAASECOU project, which aims to move beyond monetary approaches to understand the work of herders in all its relational complexity.
Research Question
Adaptation to the presence of this large predator has involved the adoption of multi-level measures (Vincent and Meuret, 2010; MTECT, 2024). Livestock farmers and shepherds use guard dogs, set up fences, and keep herds near shepherds' huts. In addition, public policies have evolved to support them through the implementation of guarding subsidies, the organization of culling programs, and compensation payments in the event of attacks on herds.
However, adaptations by both farmers/shepherds and wolves have led to behavioural changes that require a constant reassessment of the strategies adopted (Di Bernardi et al., 2025). For farmers and shepherds, this situation—which challenges ancestral practices whose benefits for mountain socio-ecosystems have long been recognized (Grosjean, 2020)—is a source of economic, social, and even cultural concerns (Meuret and Osty, 2016). In particular, it triggers numerous emotional reactions related to the coexistence of activities in these highly multifunctional mountain territories: maintaining livestock farming in areas inhabited by large predators, the use of guard dogs in areas that are often tourist destinations, and the questioning of a professional identity due to multiple and sometimes contradictory societal demands (Akimowicz et al., 2025; Ouvrier et al., 2025).
In this constantly evolving environment, citizen engagement initiatives have been launched to support farmers and shepherds (FERUS' Pastoraloup Program, WWF's Entre chien et loup Program). In the Southern Alps, the experience gained has notably highlighted the benefits associated with strengthening the bond thus reestablished between farmers/shepherds and the rest of society, which appears to be a key element for the sustainable maintenance of pastoral activities in these regions. In a context of predation that is causing a profound transformation of the profession, increasing the workload and psychological vulnerability of those working in the field, this thesis project explores volunteer support as a new form of local solidarity complementary to the wolf management national plan, capable of supporting the well-being of farmers and the sustainability of local food systems. The research question of the thesis is as follows:
To what extent does the integration of non-professional volunteers in the alpine pastures reshape the working conditions and well-being of those involved in extensive livestock farming in a context of wolf predation?
An Interdisciplinary Methodological Approach
Within a qualitative framework, the use of images as a research method will be used for bringing emotions to the surface during interviews. The definition of emotions and their place in sociology is directly linked to the social environment. Emotion is thus studied as the momentary expression of a disturbance that originates from a given environment (Bernard, 2022). Emotion must then be analysed in terms of its role in the construction of social interaction (Cerulo, 2021) with wildlife, peers, and other mountain users, as well as in the internalization of affect and its link to the mental health of pastoralism professionals (Heinich, 2010).
Two complementary research sites are being considered: the Northern Alps, where the wolf's arrival is more recent, and the Southern Alps, where the wolf's arrival is more long-standing. This comparison will allow us to account for the experience gained by stakeholders and to compare the effect of institutional environments on the value systems and beliefs of livestock farmers and shepherds. An international field site may help triangulate the results.

Your Work Environment

The Research Department of Labor Economics and Sociology (LEST) located in Aix-en-Provence is a joint research unit of the CNRS and Aix-Marseille University. Specializing in the analysis of labour, education, and organizations, LEST brings together approximately 100 researchers, faculty members, and doctoral students in the social sciences of labour (sociology, economics, management, political science, law, linguistics, and geography/urban planning). The doctoral student will have access to all resources that LEST makes available to its doctoral students (workspace, access to IT resources, participation in the laboratory's scientific activities, etc.).Workplace also located on the University of Gap campus.

Doctoral School: ED 372 at Aix-Marseille University, Economics and Management Sciences.
Required education and skills: Master's degree in economics, social geography, or economic anthropology. Good knowledge of the literature on the sociology of emotions and institutional change. Qualitative research using semi-structured individual interviews or focus groups, including interview coding. Ability to work independently while integrating into an interdisciplinary research team. A B-type driving license is mandatory to conduct interviews autonomously.
Useful links: http://lest.fr/fr/recherche/projets-recherche/anr-tdl

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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