Application for 8 PhD Positions starting from December 1st 2012

Within the PhD research group (DFG-Graduiertenkolleg)

 “FRIENDS, PATRONS, CLIENTS. The practice and semantics of friendship and patronage in comparative historical and anthropological perspective.”

of the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg

8 PhD Positions (TV-L E 13, 60 %) are available from December 1st 2012

These positions are initially available for eighteen months. Subject to evidence of satisfactory progress at the end of this period, these positions can be further extended up to a maximum total duration of three years.

The Phd Research Group is comprised of the following disciplines: History (from antiquity to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including the history of Eastern Europe and China); Philosophy; Sociology; Political Science; Ethnology.

Candidates are expected to have a Masters degree or equivalent with above average results.

Your application should be send to michael.strauss@geschichte.uni.freiburg.de and should include all of the items listed below (as a PDF, rtf or Word document); the total file size should not exceed 3 MB (complete application)

1. Completed application form, available here.
2. Outline of proposed research project (5-6 pages)
3. Outline of proposed work schedule with time plan (2 pages)
4. CV (in tabular form)
5. Scan of university diplomas/certificates
6. Scan of school leaving certificates/qualifications
7. Bibliography (if required)

In addition, two letters of recommendation from university teachers are required. These can either be send directly by your referees to the eMail-address given above or in a sealed envelope to the following address:

Universität Freiburg

Graduiertenkollegg 1288

c/o Historisches Seminar

Rempartstr. 15

79085 Freiburg

Germany

Applications close September 14^th 2012.

In its work so far the Graduiertenkolleg has concentrated to a considerable extent on interpersonal ties between two persons, although with a special focus on relations which had a perceptible impact within a wider political and social context, such as networks which were based on a variety of interpersonal face-to-face-relations. This emphasis on dyadic ties has been particularly strong with regard to the subject of friendship, though less so for patronage relations which have so far had a less prominent place in our work than ties of friendship. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that before the late 18^th century friendship and patronage often overlap and are not all that easy to distinguish. Nevertheless, strongly institutionalised forms of friendship were analysed in some individual Ph. D. projects. In the planned second phase of the Kolleg, associations of friends in their various forms – which of course frequently also created patronage relationships – will become more central for our work. Examples for such associations would be – in the Middle Ages in particular – brotherhoods and spiritual communities but also  – in particular since the 18^th century – secular societies, clubs and fraternities specifically created to promote friendship among their members. Next to friendship itself fraternity as a sort of artificial kinship constituted by friendship will be one of the problems we expect to focus on. This will also have some relevance for debates in present day politics, political science and philosophy, as we consider the extent to which the ideas of fraternity and civic friendship can be integrated into the political framework of a modern democracy. Moreover, fraternities – or their equivalent among women – and associations play an important role in defining the personal and sexual identity of the men and women involved in them. One might even say that they offer a crucial framework for constructing and negotiating such identities. This function of friendship as a relationship which defines the identity of the persons involved in it will be a further focus of our work in the next phase. Furthermore, periods of transition and transformation between different models of friendship and patronage, such as late antiquity, the Renaissance or the so called “Sattelzeit” 1750-1850, will figure even more prominently in our work than hitherto. Finally the comparison between European and non-European representations and practices of friendship will continue to be a Leitmotif of our discussions.

Further information about the PhD Research Group is available at www.grk-freundschaft.uni-freiburg.de

If you have further questions contact the coordinator of the Research Group Michal Strauß (michael.strauss@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de) or the chair of the PhD Research Group Ronald Asch ( ronald.g.asch@geschichte.uni-freiburg.de).