Fellowship available for research

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Fellowship available for research into the History of Sexualities and Modernities

The South-South Exchange Programme for Research on the History of Development (SEPHIS) is currently running a research project on ‘Sexualities and Modernities’ sponsored by the FORD Foundation. The objective of this programme is to allow researchers to gain a deeper historical and comparative understanding of the complex interplay between cultural contexts and the politics of sex- and gender-based claims of identity. Dissemination to advocacy groups and into the public sphere is an essential part of this endeavor.

As part of this project SEPHIS has already offered several fellowships to candidates at the post-doctoral, PhD and MA level to research any area to do with the history of sexualities in the South. In addition to this four more scholarships will be offered from January 2009 onwards. Funding of up to $10, 000 is available to the successful applicant who will have 12 months (until December 2009) to complete a substantial written research report as well as an academic article of around 10.000 words. The latter will be published as part of a collection of articles. Contributions should be received by 1 December 2009. The successful applicant will be required to attend a week-long research workshop in March 2009, to be held at a venue in the South.

The applicant will be expected to present and discuss his or her progress with fellow researchers from other countries in the Global South, all to encourage the formation of a South-South network on the history of sexualities, and in keeping with the networking aims of SEPHIS. Throughout the project, the candidate will be expected to submit short, four-monthly reports on his or her progress.

Eligibility: Applicants should be based in the South and have a Masters degree preferably in History or the Social Sciences. Those who have already conducted research as part of the MSc/MA requirement or completed fieldwork for a PhD on relevant issues are especially encouraged to apply. Proposals based on any of the following crosscutting themes will be given special attention:

- Masculinity, Sexuality and Modernity

- Sexually Transmitted Diseases, the Social Construction of Illness and Identity Politics

- Youth, Sexual Health Education, and Constructions of Religiosity

- Sexuality, Nationalism/State Politics, and Gender Identity Constructions

- Constructions of ‘Heteronormativity’, Modernity and the Post-colonial Context

Applicants should fill up the attached application form (page 3) along with:

a) a letter of recommendation from a thesis supervisor

b) a sample of written work, attesting to the applicant’s ability to write and finish an assignment (this may be an essay or an article or the MA thesis)

The deadline for applications is 10 December 2008.

Applications should be emailed to:

Imtiaz Saikh

Coordinator Sexualities Programme

simtiaz00@gmail.com

SEPHIS

International Institute of Social History

Cruquiusweg 31

1019 AT Amsterdam

The Netherlands

www.sephis.org

APPLICATION FORM

SEPHIS Histories of Sexualities and Modernities Research Project

1. Name of the applicant

2. Educational qualification

3. Institutional affiliation

4. Title of the project

5. Give a brief description of your project (250 words)

6. The research question (1000 words in total)

a) Description of the field of study and the existing body of knowledge with reference to that: What we don’t know? What has been neglected? The central object of the proposal research (600 words)

b) The core question. Which central question would you like to answer with the research? How do you unfold the central question into a number of sub-questions, so that the joint answers will generate the answer to the central question?

Explanation per sub-question. (400 words for the questions, sub-questions and explanation)

7. The innovative character of the proposed project (130 words)

What is the significance of your thesis? Does it contain an original contribution to the field? Is it of specific social or theoretical relevance?

8. Theoretical consideration (900 words)

a) Sketch of the dominant theoretical approaches

b) Sketch of the dominant empirical and theoretical debates

9. Proposition, hypotheses and concepts.

a) What is the central proposition?

b) Which are the working hypotheses

10. What are the main theoretical concepts you intend to use

11. The data

a) Describe the empirical data, i.e. the sources, to be used for answering the research questions.

b) How do you intend to gather your data? Do you have whatever permission might be required? Have the necessary informants agreed to cooperate? Do you have access to the archives you need?

12. List your publications that are relevant to the project

13. What is the proposed time schedule for the activities you propose

14. If applicable: Which of the courses you have taken, what previous employment and other experience is relevant to an assessment of your ability to successfully complete the proposed project? Mention reference, if any.