PhD Position on Linguistic Representation of Gender in Translated Children's Literature

The Amsterdam Center for Language and Communication (ACLC) currently has a vacant PhD position as part of the research project Tales and Tongues across Time: A Linguistic Exploration of a Century of Gender Representation in Children's Books in the Netherlands, led by principal investigator dr. Martje Wijers and funded through a Startersbeurs grant.

The ACLC is one of the six Research Schools within the Amsterdam Institute for Humanities Research (AIHR). Within the University of Amsterdam, the ACLC represents the thriving linguistics community, which has ranked highest in continental Europe on the QS World University Rankings by Subject for years (29th worldwide in 2024).

The vision of the ACLC is to solve scientific and societal problems in the broad field of language and communication through a focus on variability in language and the causes and constraints thereon.

To realise the vision, researchers in the ACLC investigate language within its cognitive, communicative and physiological contexts, and with due regard for the diversity of languages and modalities. An integrative and inclusive ethos guides the investigation, inviting collaboration across different and competing paradigms and methods. The ACLC prioritises diversity (taken in a holistic sense, e.g., ethnicity, social and/or linguistic background, gender, sexuality) and is committed to creating an inclusive research environment.

What are you going to do?

Children's literature plays a crucial role in shaping societal values and cultural norms. Stories serve as a significant means through which beliefs about sociocultural phenomena, such as gender are formed in children. The project Tales and Tongues across Time: A Linguistic Exploration of a Century of Gender Representation in Children's Books in the Netherlands aims to explore how gender representation in the language of children's books has evolved over the past century (1925-2025) in the Netherlands. This study will analyze original Dutch books and translations from English and Scandinavian languages, focusing on linguistic elements like pronouns, nouns, adjectives, and verbs to understand changes in gender portrayal over time and and in the process of translation and transcreation. Applying distant reading methods, the research aims to uncover how societal values reflected in language evolve and impact cultural norms.

As a PhD candidate, you will engage in the Tales and Tongues across Time project. You will have the freedom to apply your own interpretation of the research topic. You compile your own corpus and design your own studies within the scope of the project. A more extensive description of the research project is available upon request.

Tasks and responsibilities

• submission of a PhD thesis within the period of appointment;
• compiling a corpus of children's literature
• conducting computational linguistic analysis on a large corpus;
• participating in meetings of the research group Corpus based and/or Computational Approaches to Language and Literature (CCALL) and possibly other relevant research groups;
• publishing one single-authored, peer reviewed article;
• presenting intermediate research results at workshops and conferences;
• organising knowledge dissemination activities;
• (co-)teaching courses at BA-level in the second and third year of the appointment (maximum 0,2 fte per year);
• participation in the Research School and Faculty of Humanities PhD training programmes.

What do you have to offer?

You demonstrate a genuine interest and enthusiasm for the research topic. You actively seek out resources, tools, and knowledge to advance the research project and quickly adapt to new methodologies, tools, and research directions. You do not give up easily and you have a positive attitude in the face of setbacks or challenges. You use feedback constructively to improve and advance your research. You carefully and critically review data, analyses, and written work. You are able to present research findings at meetings, conferences, and in written publications in a clear way, making complex concepts accessible to both academic and general audiences. You can balance multiple tasks and deadlines.

Your experience and profile

Candidates need to have the following qualifications:

• a completed Master's degree in translation studies, linguistics, literary studies or a related field. You may apply if you have not yet completed your Master's degree only if you provide a signed letter from your university stating that you have met all requirements to obtain your master’s degree and will graduate before 30 November 2024;
• excellent research skills demonstrated by an outstanding Master's thesis and a demonstrable capacity to develop a track record of publishing in high-ranking journals and/or with leading presses;
• interest in and willingness to learn how to apply distant reading methods;
• ability to work independently and a strong cooperative attitude;
• enthusiasm for communicating academic research to non-academic audiences;
• good command of Dutch, English and at least one other language (preferably Swedish or another Scandinavian language).

Experience with computational research and/or digital humanities is an advantage.

Please note that if you already hold a doctorate/PhD or are working towards obtaining a similar degree elsewhere, you will not be admitted to a doctoral programme at the UvA.

What can we offer you?

We offer a temporary employment contract for the period of 48 months. The first contract will be for 16 months, with an extension for the following 32 months, contingent on a positive performance evaluation within the first 12 months. The employment contract is for 38 hours a week. The preferred starting date is 01 December 2024.

Your salary is in the first year of the employment contract € 2,872 and in the last year a maximum of € 3,670 gross per month on the basis of a full working week of 38 hours. This sum does not include the 8% holiday allowance and the 8,3% year-end allowance. Favourable tax agreements may apply to applicants moving from abroad. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

What else do we offer?

• PhD candidates receive a tuition fee waiver;
• PhD candidates have free access to courses offered by the Graduate School of Humanities and the Dutch National Research Schools;

• excellent possibilities for further professional development and education;
• an inspiring academic and international work environment in the heart of Amsterdam;
• an enthusiastic and professional academic team.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the largest university in the Netherlands, with the broadest spectrum of degree programmes. It is an intellectual hub with 42,000 students, 6,000 employees and 3,000 doctoral students who are all committed to a culture of inquiring minds.

The Faculty of Humanities provides education and conducts research with a strong international profile in a large number of disciplines in de field of language and culture. Located in the heart of Amsterdam, the faculty maintains close ties with many cultural institutes in the capital city. Research and teaching staff focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and are active in several teaching programmes.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the position or the department, please contact during office hours:

• Dr. Martje Wijers: M.Wijers@uva.nl
• Assistant professor/principal investigator
• +31 (0)6 16445078

Job application

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the link below. We will accept applications until 20 September 2024.

Your application should include the following information:

• a letter and full academic CV;
• a list of all Master-level modules you have taken, with an official transcript of grades;
• a research proposal of 800-1000 words, showing how you would approach the project;
• the names and email addresses of two references, including your advisor, who may be approached by the selection committee.

Please submit the required information in 1 pdf by uploading in the required field ‘CV’.

The first round of interviews will be held in the end of September.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritise diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please.