3 PhD Positions in Anthropology in The Social Life of Sexuality

Are you curious about how the idea of ‘sexuality’ as we know it now has taken root in the last century? Are you interested in exploring this empirically by studying how people engage in both same-sex and cross-sex practices and how this is culturally understood across generations? Do you have affinity, interest, or experience with ethnographic research on erotic practice? Are you familiar with or curious about anthropology; gender, sexuality and queer studies; and decolonial theory? And importantly, do you enjoy working in a team of spirited researchers? If so, this vacancy might be for you!

PhD candidate

The Department of Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam is currently seeking three PhD candidates for the project The Social Life of Sexuality: Erotic Practices, Cultural Formations, and the Unruliness of Sexuality, led by Prof Rachel Spronk.

The project is an ethnographic study of sexual practices and the continuum of same-sex and cross-sex sexual behaviour in four distinct sociocultural contexts (Ghana, Kenya, the Netherlands, Poland). In recent decades, sexuality has often been studied as identity (categories), in relation to rights, and vis-à-vis power. Departing from this well-established area of research, this project examines how sexual practices are shaped by and understood in a larger cultural (and changing) context where ‘sexuality’ has gained a particular meaning. It will particularly focus on people who do not neatly remain within the categorisations scholars or their society usually rely on, as well as the resulting paradoxes. A few studies have shown how, when people do not recognise themselves in terms of LGBT+ or heterosexuality, the existence of queer possibilities and affordances within the supposed iron law of heteronormativity goes unnoticed. This project will study what may be called the ‘unruliness’ of sexuality. This knowledge will lay the groundwork for innovative analyses in the field of gender and sexuality studies.

What are you going to do

• Your main task as PhD candidate will be to develop your own PhD within the framework of the overall project.
• Next to working on and managing your own research, you will contribute to collaborative aspects of the project. This will include collecting data for jointly written publication(s) and lending respective expertise to team members.
• You are expected to conduct 10 to 12-months ethnographic fieldwork in Ghana, Kenya or Poland (the postdoc position for the Netherlands will be recruited later.
• You are expected to live in the Amsterdam area and take active part in team meetings and the research environment at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research (AISSR).
• Teaching (up to 10% of your time) and organisational support for the project leader will be part of your job responsibilities. These tasks will allow you to gain valuable professional experience next to working towards your PhD.

What do you have to offer

You have:

• a master’s degree or equivalent with a relevant specialization within the social sciences or humanities. Gender and sexuality studies and social and cultural anthropology are preferred academic backgrounds. The degree must have been obtained before the employment starting date;
• excellent oral and written communication skills in English;
• affinity with Ghana, Kenya or Poland;
• good command of ethnographic research methods and the ability and willingness to conduct challenging fieldwork on a sensitive topic;
• independent thinking and critical analytical skills;
• good collaboration skills and the ability to join interdisciplinary academic communities;
• the skills needed to finish the PhD thesis in four years; i.e., independent and pro-active work attitude, good planning and academic writing skills.

You preferably have:

• previous ethnographic research experiences, ideally with ethnography on gender and sexuality;
• affinity with the field of gender and sexuality studies, queer theory, postcolonial, decolonial and/or postsocialist theory;
• affinity with topics of erotics, gender, sexuality, life story telling;
• good oral communication skills in the country where you will conduct fieldwork (Twi, Kiswahili or Polish) or a willingness to learn the language quickly.

This is what we offer you

The position concerns temporary employment of 38 hours per week for a maximum term of four years. Initial employment is for one year and will start on 15 August 2026. Following a positive assessment and barring altered circumstances, this term will be extended by a maximum of three years, which should result in the conferral of a doctorate.

For this position the University Job Classification profile “Promovendus” applies

Your salary will be €3.059 gross per month in the first year and will increase to €3.881 in the final year, based on full-time employment of 38 hours per week and in keeping with the Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities. We additionally offer an extensive package of secondary benefits, including 8% holiday allowance and a year-end bonus of 8.3%.

We will put together a curriculum which will also include the opportunity to attend training courses and both national and international events. The UvA offers excellent possibilities for further professional development and education.

What else do we offer you

• a position in which initiative and input are highly valued;
• an enthusiastic and warm team that is open to new colleagues;
• an inspiring academic and international community in the heart of Amsterdam.

Interested in applying?

For more information on these PhD projects, please see the UvA’s website here. The deadline to apply is March 9th, 2026.