Postdoctoral Position in Sociology

University of Gothenburg

Reference Number: PAR 2025/639
Institution: University of Gothenburg, Department of Sociology and Work Science
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Start Date: January 2026
Application Deadline: November 3, 2025

About the University and Department

The University of Gothenburg tackles society’s challenges with diverse knowledge. With 56,000 students and 6,600 employees, the university is a large and inspiring place to work and study. Strong research and attractive study programs attract researchers and students from around the world.

Sociology focuses on social interactions between individuals as well as societal patterns and structures. The Department of Sociology and Work Science employs approximately 120 staff, including teachers, researchers, and doctoral students. Research spans labor markets, working life, social deviance, digitalization, emotions, gender, migration, environmental issues, social movements, governance, technology, science, and welfare. Educational programs include sociology, work science, human resource management, criminology, and social psychology. The department collaborates extensively with private and public partners, including the Centre for Global Human Resource Management (CGHRM).

This doctoral position is funded by the Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanity and Society (WASP-HS), a national research program in Sweden focused on AI and autonomous systems in the humanities and social sciences.

General information about doctoral studies at the University of Gothenburg can be found here: Doctoral Studies at GU

Duties

The Department seeks a doctoral student in sociology to work on sustainability and AI, affiliated with the WASP-HS Graduate School and the project “In the Eye of the Storm: Climate Adaptation in Times of Increasing Polarization and Disinformation”, under Professor Martin Hultman and Associate Professor Anton Törnberg.

Research Focus:

  • Investigate how sociotechnical imaginaries of AI and environmental sustainability are shaped, disseminated, and contested.

  • Examine AI as a catalyst for ecological sustainability versus its environmental costs and potential greenwashing.

  • Analyze the production, legitimation, and circulation of sustainability claims by tech companies, policymakers, AI developers, and media.

  • Study the geopolitical distribution of AI sustainability imaginaries and their integration in governance, funding, and corporate agendas.

Methods may include:

  • Discourse, narrative, and argument analysis of public statements, reports, media, and policy documents

  • Interviews with key actors shaping AI sustainability agendas

  • Mapping of international frameworks for AI governance and sustainability

  • Quantitative text analysis using NLP and Large Language Models (LLMs)

The doctoral student is expected to design a concrete study plan in consultation with supervisors.

Affiliation: WASP-HS Graduate School, with interdisciplinary courses, workshops, and intellectual network access.

Doctoral Studies: Four years of full-time study, leading to a doctoral degree. Up to 20% of employment may be departmental duties (teaching, research, administration).

Eligibility

General Requirements:

  • Completion of a second-cycle degree (Master’s) or equivalent (240 credits, including 60 second-cycle credits)

Specific Requirements for Sociology Doctoral Studies:

  • Master’s degree in sociology or equivalent

  • Proficiency in English (CEFR level B2 or equivalent)

Desirable Experience:

  • Research on AI, environmental issues, digital platforms, or disinformation

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on:

  • Ability to assimilate doctoral studies

  • Quality and relevance of submitted theses, independent projects, or scientific publications (maximum 3 texts)

  • Scientific problem formulation, methodology, analysis, integration of theory, interpretation, and language

  • Project proposal (max 2,000 words) outlining research interests, relevant literature, methods, and feasibility

  • Motivation, independence, and collaborative skills

References to previous supervisors or employers must be included. Letters of recommendation will not be considered.

Admission and Employment

  • Admitted students will be employed as doctoral students under ordinance SFS 1993:100.

  • Initial employment: up to 1 year, renewable for up to 2 years at a time

  • Maximum employment: 8 years, corresponding to full-time doctoral education for 4 years

  • Physical presence required at the Department of Sociology and Work Science

  • Residence permit required for international applicants before the start of studies

  • Salaries are set individually according to local agreements

Selection Process

  • Applications will be reviewed, ranked, and top candidates invited for interviews

Application Requirements

Applications must include:

  1. CV including a complete list of publications

  2. Degree certificates/transcripts

  3. Theses, independent projects, or scientific publications (max 3)

  4. Project proposal (max 2,000 words) describing research focus and methods

  5. References with contact details (at least one thesis supervisor)

Applications are submitted via the University of Gothenburg recruitment portal.

Contact Information

Union Representatives: University of Gothenburg Unions

Information for International Applicants

The University values diversity and equal working conditions. Application documents will be archived for 2 years in accordance with Swedish National Archives regulations.

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