PhD contract in Anthropology - Brazil (M/F)

Job Description

Thesis Subject

• Profile required:
- Experience of South America and Brazil.
- Fluency in Portuguese and basic knowledge of Spanish.
- Working knowledge of English (reading books, oral presentations, drafting documents, etc.).
- Ability to follow a teaching and training programme in French for the first year.
- Knowledge of Brazil's history.
- Appreciated knowledge of the history of slavery in South America and of the presence and cultural practices of Afro-descendants in South America.
- Master's degree or training: body anthropology, political anthropology, dance anthropology, health anthropology (somatic practices). Training in social psychology and Dance Movement Psychotherapy appreciated.
- Artistic experience in the performing arts, performance, theatre, dance, etc. related to political issues appreciated
- Candidates MUST also have previous experience of conscious movement and/or bodywork, and commit to training in the methodologies developed as part of the project.


• Scientific expectations for the contract:
- To write a monograph (doctoral thesis) on the themes addressed by the MOVING project, in particular: contemporary embodied memories of African slavery in daily life and diverse somatic registers.
- At the end of the 1st year: a 50-page report will be produced on the construction of the research subject by the doctoral student, which they will present at their first meeting with the Thesis Monitoring Committee (CST in French), before being able to go out into the field.
- Second year: Fieldwork year in Brazil. Departure for the research field is possible from the summer of Year 1 (after the CST meeting, and the annual Summer School). Minimum duration of fieldwork in the country: 12 months.
The doctoral contract is for a period of three years. It may be subject to an extension of six or twelve months.

• Research areas: the São Paulo region and/or the Salvador de Bahia region

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• Work Context:
-This recruitment is part of the ERC-2023-Advanced Grant research agreement entitled 'Moving Bodies and Memories of African Slavery in South America', “MOVING”, GA n°101142048, funded by the European Research Council (ERC). See: https://www.inshs.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/veronique-benei

- Véronique Beneï (Principal Investigator of the MOVING project) will supervise the thesis (with the possibility of co-supervision). PhD in Anthropology enrolled in the doctoral course in anthropology, ED286, at École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), Paris, France.*
- You will work in close collaboration with Véronique Beneï and the fifteen or so members of the project team -including two doctoral students based in Chile and Colombia- based in South America, Europe, and the USA.
- Multilingual working environment: French, English, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian)
- Participation in the Summer Schools is compulsory and may begin as early as the 2026 edition, which will take place from July 13 to 18. Other experimental and exploratory workshops may also be offered to doctoral students during their involvement in the project.
- Based on their experience and practice in the field, each doctoral student will take part in collaborations with local artists in the second phase of the project. They will also help to set up local "citizen science labs" during the third phase, by inviting residents from their research area who may be interested in taking part.

- Assignment to the LAP, Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Politique, located within the EHESS (École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales) at 54 boulevard Raspail, 75006 Paris. The candidate is expected to participate in the activities of the LAP, including its seminars and those of its research director. Physical presence is required (no online transmission).
- Dedicated workspace with access to the common facilities and services of the EHESS. Accessible to people with disabilities.
- Travel abroad expected.

Your Work Environment

• Further information:

The MOVING project aims to develop an ethnographic and interdisciplinary methodology for studying the traces and memories carried and transmitted through bodies, of African slavery in post-slavery and diasporic contexts. In line with new theoretical and methodological orientations, the project revisits the notion of embodiment and is interested in the movements of human bodies as bearers of memorial expressions and in the emotions and bodily sensations that accompany them. It is also interested in the potential for intimate and social transformation inherent in movement.
The MOVING project adopts a comparative approach in three South American countries: Brazil, Chile and Colombia. The design of the project is based on a methodology combining three types of research: classic academic, experimental and with an artistic creation approach; and action-oriented, involving the social participation of 'citizen scientists' and society as a whole.

• Application requirements:
- FIRST REGISTRATION in 2026-2027 for a doctorate in anthropology.
- NOT TO BE ENROLLED IN A DOCTORAL PROGRAMME at another French or foreign higher education institution.
- Hold a master's degree (or an equivalent diploma) or have a defence scheduled by June 2026.

• Modalities:
- All applications must be sent in French AND in English
- Please, apply through the CNRS dedicated gate AND send the documents required at: moving@ehess.fr
- Applications until June 19th September 2026, 11:59 PM (Paris time)
- Interviews will be held in the following two weeks.
- Expected start date of the contract: start of the 2026-2027 academic year. The call for application will be held open until the position is filled.

• Particulars:
*Please note: The signature of the doctoral contract and the payment of the associated remuneration will be conditional upon effective administrative registration for a doctorate at EHESS. To this end, candidates are asked to submit an application for admission on e-candidat at the same time as the present procedure. This step is a prerequisite for administrative registration.
See: https://www.ehess.fr/fr/doctorat-anthropologie-sociale-et-ethnologie

• Applications must include the following documents:
- a CV
- a cover letter + 2 letters of reference
- a research project on the aspects that the applicant would like to develop in one of the three countries (Brazil, Chile, Colombia) of the project for the duration of the contract plus an indicative bibliography. The project must include a title, context of the subject and state of the art, problem statement, objectives and proposed place(s) of investigation, methodology and timetable (max 30,000 characters including spaces). Candidates are encouraged to consider topics beyond the already well-documented sites of African presence (such as quilombos, capoeira, etc.).
- Copy of 'Masters 2' thesis (France) or Masters' thesis if from a foreign university.
- Copy of last degree obtained and transcript of records (for M1 & M2 if applicable).


• INTERESTED APPLICANTS ARE INVITED TO MAKE THEMSELVES KNOWN IN ADVANCE, in writing, at moving@ehess.fr.
This address may also be used for any questions regarding this call for applications.

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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