Two PhD Positions: Protest Music and Polarisation

1. Introduction

Do you want to examine how music shapes affective polarisation in protest movements? How does it influence emotions, deepen divides, or foster solidarity? By connecting popular music, politics and social movements, you will explore the role of music in public discourse, civic engagement and collective identity amidst political polarisation.

2. Job description

The Department of Modern Languages and Cultures (Faculty of Arts) and specifically the Arts and Culture Expertise Unit at Radboud University in Nijmegen is looking for two highly motivated and talented PhD candidates to join the interdisciplinary research project ’Tuning into Tensions: Music and Affective Polarisation in Protest Movements’ led by principal investigator Prof. Dr Melanie Schiller. 

This project is funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and it is organised around the premise that democracies around the world are under increasing pressure, with affective polarisation posing a challenge to social cohesion. The project asks how music contributes to polarisation processes in contemporary protest movements relating to climate change in the Netherlands. The project aims to bring together the fields of culture and politics and will specifically conduct a comparative analysis of the music associated with Extinction Rebellion Nederland and the Dutch farmers’ protests, representing two opposing sides of the political spectrum.

As a PhD candidate, you will conduct theoretical and empirical research on protest, music and polarisation, focused on either the Dutch Farmers Movement or the Dutch branch of Extinction Rebellion. You and the other PhD candidate will have independent projects but will also collaborate and conduct comparative analyses. Familiarity and ideally experience with theoretical analytical and qualitative empirical methods in the humanities is expected (e.g. textual analysis, fieldwork, interviews). While not mandatory, a background in popular music studies would be preferred. Formal music analysis skills are not strictly necessary. Since the project is interdisciplinary by design, openness to work across the fields of (popular) music and political science as well as related fields is expected.   

Your tasks and responsibilities include:

• Submission of a PhD thesis within the period of appointment.
• Participating in meetings of the project research group and workshops with project partners.
• Publishing one single-authored, peer-reviewed article.
• Writing one single-authored and one co-authored chapter for a project publication.
• Presenting intermediate research results at international workshops and conferences.
• Organising knowledge dissemination activities.
• Participation in the Graduate School for the Humanities (GSH)and one of the national research schools in the Humanities, for instance the Netherlands Institute for Cultural Analysis (NICA).
• Active participation in the Media, Popular Culture and Social Change Research Group.
• Teaching and co-teaching courses at the BA level and academic service.

Your research will be embedded in the Radboud Institute for Culture & History (RICH), and you will participate in the Graduate School for the Humanities (GSH). You will devote 75% of your time to the research for and writing of your PhD thesis. The remaining 25% will be spent on training, teaching and academic service to the Faculty of Arts. For additional information, please read the short summary of the project below the vacancy text.

Would you like to learn more about what it’s like to pursue a PhD at Radboud University? Visit the page about working as a PhD candidate. 

3. Profile

• You hold a completed Master's degree in cultural studies, media and culture, cultural sociology, musicology, International Relations, political science or any other relevant field. If you have not yet completed your Master's degree, you may only apply if you provide a signed letter from your supervisor stating that you will graduate before 1 September 2025.
• You have an affinity with (Dutch) music culture and  how it relates to political questions. You are enthusiastic about communicating academic research to non-academic audiences and collaborating with societal partners.
• You have strong organisational and social skills.
• You embrace teamwork and are willing to engage in collaborative research across disciplines, but can also work independently.
• You have an excellent command of English and Dutch: You will write your PhD thesis in English, but a very good command of Dutch is essential as you will conduct research and fieldwork on Dutch music culture. 

4. We are

The Arts and Culture Studies team at Radboud University is a dynamic, interdisciplinary group of around 30 scholars and 10 PhDs exploring the role of arts, culture, and media in society from both Western and non-Western perspectives. Our expertise spans literary studies, visual culture, tourism, media, and popular music, amongst others. Our teaching combines historical depth with contemporary relevance, offering students hands-on experience through cultural institutions and professional collaborations. With an emphasis on critical thinking and societal engagement, we equip students with the skills to analyze, navigate, and actively participate in contemporary cultural and social debates. From different disciplinary perspectives, we are interested in the arts and cultural transformations, heritage, creative industries, and the politics of culture. We foster a collaborative environment built on collegiality, active participation, and a commitment to addressing socially relevant issues.

The “Music and Affective Polarisation in Protest Movements” research team, led by Prof. Melanie Schiller, will consist of the principal investigator, two PhD researchers, a postdoctoral researcher, and a research assistant. We aim to create a collaborative and supportive research environment that encourages intellectual exchange and critical engagement. Our work is guided by an ethics of care and a commitment to high-quality, internationally oriented research.

5. We offer

• We will give you a temporary employment contract (0.8 FTE 5- year contract - 1.0 FTE 4- year contract) of 1.5 years, after which your performance will be evaluated. If the evaluation is positive, your contract will be extended by 2.5 years (4-year contract) or 3.5 years (5-year contract).
• You will receive a starting salary of €2,901 gross per month based on a 38-hour working week, which will increase to €€3,707 from the fourth year onwards (salary scale P).
• You will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8,3% end-of-year bonus. 
• We offer Dual Career Coaching. The Dual Career Coaching assists your partner via support, tools, and resources to improve their chances of independently finding employment in the Netherlands. 
• You will receive extra days off. With full-time employment, you can choose between 30 or 41 days of annual leave instead of the statutory 20. 

6. Practical information and applying

You can apply only via the button below. Address your letter of application to Melanie Schiller. In the application form, you will find which documents you need to include with your application.

The first interviews will take place on Tuesday 13 May. Any second interview will take place on Tuesday 27 May. There may be an additional round of interviews or an extra date for the first two rounds. You will preferably start your employment on 1 September 2025.

We can imagine you're curious about our application procedure. It describes what you can expect during the application procedure and how we handle your personal data and internal and external candidates.