Description du sujet de thèse

Grounded into qualitative social sciences' empirically-based approaches, the project aims at overcoming the common politicization or simplification of analyses on Ethiopian contemporary politics. Provisionally entitled “Civil war and nationalism in contemporary rural Tigray”, this work examines the rural roots of nationalism from the perspective of a case study conducted in Tigray.
The project investigates the rural and agrarian roots of nationalism in contemporary Tigray, a region where the localized experience of conflict and of ethnic-targeted violence have recently fueled nationalist feelings amongst working classes and not mainly elite groups - as commonly restitute by the literature (John Young (1994), Alemseged Abay (1998); Aregawi Berhe, (2008), contributed seminal works to historicize Tigrayan nationalism and nationalist movements during the civil war and liberation struggle period (1970's/80's). Yet, these works predominantly focused on studying the visions, discourses and practices of Tigrayan nationalism as articulated and promoted by various (armed) liberation forces and political parties, which is elitist and partisan approach. The works also extensively navigated the evolution of peasants' responses to mobilizations by and affiliations to the armed forces and political parties and showed the peasant agency of the time but mainly on the class content of the liberation struggle. Peasants' agency in (re-) negotiating and (re-) shaping the vision, discourses and practice of Tigrayan nationalism was not emphasized. This project intends to shift the focus and examine peasant agency in contemporary Tigrayan nationalism by borrowing Chalmers Johnson's concept of 'Peasant nationalism' (1964) which treats peasants not as 'simple', 'innocent', 'passive', and 'unresisting' actors in nationalist struggles as most scholars often present them but as actors with capacity to (re-) shape the content and form of nationalism and the course of nationalist movements.
The project observes how the civil war– and its popular readings - has rooted nationalism into masses. Firstly, it historicizes the representation of the Tigrayan peasantry in the discourses on Tigrayan nationalism in the extended history of civil wars and (armed) liberation struggles, which are often defined and perceived as peasant struggles. Then, it relocates the rise of ethno-national discourses and representations into past experiences of ethno-federal developmental policies, and observes, in addition to individual agencies, various structural constraints that has contributed to the popularization of nationalism.
Borrowing from critical theories and approaches to politics from below it details :1) the evolution of the Tigrayan peasantry's response to discourses on Tigrayan nationalism during the civil war and liberation struggle period in a pluralist armed groups setting (e.g. responses to TPLF's, EPRP's EDU's, TLF's, Dergue's discourses) and in contemporary Tigray in a pluralist political party setting (e.g. responses to TPLF's, Independence parties', Arena's, PP's discourses) 2) it observes the Tigrayan peasantry's dominant discourse on contemporary Tigrayan nationalism. By focusing on both subjective and collective representations, the enquiry scrutinizes the variety of ways through which farmers have (re)-discovered their Tigrayannes; and the precise meanings they attribute to this shared identity. The thesis aims at documenting farmer's discourses on nationalism, paying a detailed attention to their wordings. It identifies cultural practices (Cantalupo, 2009); propaganda and other political borrows; individual and community stances; historical and more recent representations to identify peasant experiences and shaping of nationalism.
By doing so, the project moves away from looking into parti politics framing of nationalism discourses in Ethiopia and rather looks into the grass root capacity of the peasantry to negotiate its 'politicization', 'de-politization' and 're-politicization', in accessing State resource for example.

This research requires meticulous qualitative fieldwork. Sensitive to a recollection of memories, the research pays detailed attention to self-narrations of the war experiences. It also offers, in a farming environment, a survey of political sociology usually reserved, in Ethiopia, for urban and elite environments. Alongside observations on mundane life and conversation; encounters with local authorities (from church leaders to civil servants), the research will employ open-ended interview survey focusing on life trajectories and micro-historical approaches. Candidate will develop a detailed knowledge of their field and use qualitative approaches and will conduct long-term fieldworks, borrowing to ethnography. Prior knowledge of Ethiopia, and particularly Tigray, is necessary (including its language, culture and history).

Contexte de travail

The PhD candidate will be attached to IMAF (Institut des Mondes Africains) in Paris. Based in Paris and Aix en Provence, the institute brings together scholars with an interest in Africa who are affiliated with the CNRS, IRD, EHESS, EPHE, the University of Paris 1, and Aix Marseille University (http://imaf.cnrs.fr/). In Paris, the institute's facilities are located at the Campus Condorcet, Bâtiment de Recherche Sud, 5 cours des Humanités, 93322 Aubervilliers cedex. The selected candidate will join the Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne University Ph. D Program, ED 119
Funding will be provided for extensive research in Ethiopia. A double affiliation with the CFEE (Centre Français des Études Ethiopiennes, https://cfee.cnrs.fr/) in Addis-Ababa will be organised. The selected candidate will join the CFEE project “State reforms and entrenchments in Abiy Ahmed's Ethiopia: tensions over land, ethnic mobilisations, administrative practices and economic liberalisation” and the COPE project, “Conflict and politics in Ethiopia.

Contraintes et risques

The successful candidate will be allowed to write his/her doctoral dissertation either in French or English. He or she will be enrolled at Paris 1 Sorbonne University ED 119. A co-supervision is expected with IRD, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement.
The successful candidate's residence in Paris or its surroundings areas will be appreciated. However, months-stays are expected in Tigray (Ethiopia), where the selected candidate will spend approximately half of the year. Fieldwork will be conducted out of the capital city, only in rural areas
Access to fieldwork is based on official approval (CNRS and Paris 1 FSD and Embassy)

Informations complémentaires

The candidate must have obtained a MA or an equivalent degree in a relevant field of social sciences (geography, sociology, political science, or anthropology).
The candidate is expected to demonstrate sufficient skills in English and in French to a lesser extend so as to adapt quickly to the working and research environment in Paris and in Ethiopia. Additional skills in Tigrayan language is requested.
Selection will involve a two-stage process, starting with the consideration of submitted application, and followed by interviews with selected candidates (on Sept 5th 2025).

Applications must include
- A detailed CV
- A one-page cover letter
- A 2-page phD proposal.
- One or two referees (that may be contacted if needed by the committee)
- Diploma and Grades for Master.
-In the case of applicants with academic degrees from outside the French system or with non-standard evaluation, the requested items hereby stipulated may be adapted to equivalent demands within the French system.
The closing date for sending applications is August 15th, 2025.