The Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology is one of the world’s leading centres for research in social anthropology. Common to all research projects at the Max Planck Institute is the comparative analysis of social change; it is primarily in this domain that its researchers contribute to anthropological theory, though many programmes also have applied significance and political topicality.
The new Research Group ‘Buddhist Temple Economies in Urban Asia’ within the Department ‘Resilience and Transformation in Eurasia’ is recruiting:
2 PhD positions/grants (starting as soon as possible)
Employing the methods of urban anthropology, this group will explore present-day Buddhist temples/monasteries in their wider social and political settings. Studies of Buddhism often mirror the otherworldly tendencies of this religion by treating the mundane matters of managing monks, nuns and temples as a secondary concern. Yet like any institution, Buddhist temples have to confront economic issues in order to sustain themselves. Researchers will conduct ethnographic fieldwork at one or more Buddhist temples placing them in local and translocal contexts, paying particular attention to the financial and material flows between the temple and the laity, social networks around the temple, and the justifications for economic reasoning in a world-renouncers' religion. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve research both inside and outside temples and on both clergy and laypeople.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
The group is open to research in all Asian countries and all traditions of Buddhism. Field experience and linguistic skills within the proposed research areas are expected. The group will work together in Halle/Saale (except when undertaking field or archival research elsewhere, the costs of which will be covered).
Your Profile
Good field research skills, the ability to work in a team, and communication skills with good written and spoken English are required. The dissertation will be written in English. Acquisition of the German language is encouraged, especially if there is relevant literature on the research topic in German. Field Research is carried out in the local language. The Max Planck Institute aims at assisting in language learning.
Our Offer
PhD positions/grants are generally awarded for 3 years. We expect our PhD students to complete a one year period of fieldwork as part of their studies.
The Max Planck Society strives to employ more persons with disabilities and explicitly encourages applications.
Contact
Please submit your application electronically by following the link for vacancies on our homepage. The job announcement will be published until the positions/grants are filled.
Applicants should send the following documentation:
- cover letter
- CV, including list of publications
- short (no more than two pages) summary of the research proposal
- a writing sample (publication or thesis chapter)
- photocopies of university degrees
- names of two referees whom we may contact
Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology
Personnel Administration
Robert Gille
gille@eth.mpg.de
Informal enquiries concerning the positions may be directed to Prof. Dr. Christoph Brumann
(brumann@eth.mpg.de).