Postdoctoral researcher in project on RUT/ROT* families, work and health

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top 100 universities. The University has around 44 000 students and more than 8 000 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Lund University welcomes applicants with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We regard gender equality and diversity as a strength and an asset.

Working tasks

The position as postdoctoral researcher is located at the Department of Sociology, and is part of the research project “Changing gender and class relations in the wake of RUT and ROT usage*”, funded by Forte. The aim of the project is to generate theoretical and empirical knowledge about how gender and class relations change when household work is outsourced (i.e. RUT and ROT services purchased). More specifically, the project will investigate the following themes: a) paid and unpaid work, b) gender-equal parenting, c) intergenerational care arrangements, 4) wellbeing, and 5) family formation. Theoretically, the project will add to the discussions about paid and unpaid work and family sociology, from gender and class perspectives.

The project is designed as a mixed methods project. The specific position as a postdoctoral researcher concerns the part of the project that is based on quantitative methods. Quantitative data analysis will be based on register data from the longitudinal integrated database for health insurance and labour market studies (LISA), the Social Insurance Agency, the National Patient Register, and yearly RUT/ROT tax records from the Swedish Tax Agency.

To further deepen the understanding of how families, couples and individuals attach meaning to, negotiate and arrange non-outsourced household work, including child and elderly care arrangements, the project has a qualitative component. The project teams consists of scholars from the Department of Economics and the Department of Sociology at Lund University.

The postdoctoral researcher is expected to:

• Undertake data management and analysis of register data
• Develop research questions and analyses based on the empirical data and the aim of the project
• Participate in project meetings on a regular basis and have close collaboration with the project leader and the other project members
• Produce single- and/or co-authored articles for publication during the period of employment as agreed upon in advance

Working tasks include conducting research within the project at 80% of full time. There are good chances to teach at all levels for up to 20% of a full time equivalent. If you want to know more about the project, please contact the project leader Lisa Eklund, lisa.eklund@soc.lu.se.

The applicant needs to demonstrate strong analytical skills, creativity, initiative and determination, pursuance, flexibility and ability to collaborate with others.

* In Sweden, outsourcing housework has become increasingly common during the past decade. This is evidenced by a rapid increase in so called RUT and ROT services, which – since 2007 and 2009 respectively – allow tax deductions for outsourced household work (cleaning, maintenance, laundry etc. for RUT) and maintenance work (building, painting, plumbing etc. for ROT). In 2020, there were 1 million RUT users, deducting taxes at a cost of SEK 6.1 billion, and about as many ROT users, deducting taxes at a cost of SEK 10.9 billion.

Qualifications and assessment

For employment as a postdoctoral researcher it is required to have a PhD degree in a social science discipline, or the equivalent. The PhD degree must have been completed within three years at the time of the application deadline (exceptions can be made under certain circumstances, such as parental leave).

The assessment is based on scientific skills and the ability to develop and carry out research of high quality within the current position. The applicant needs to demonstrate scientific skills though their publications.

The application is assessed based on the following criteria:

• Quality of scientific publications, including the relation to the current research project’s focus and/or methods.
• Experience of research based on quantitative data analysis is a requirement. Experience with research based on register data is a strong merit.
• Advanced knowledge of deploying causal methods, especially difference-in-difference methods, as well as other statistical methods, such as matching methods (amongst others propensity score matching)
• Merits which support the applicant’s ability to implement complex research tasks, including publishing research results.
• Merits which support the applicant’s ability to work well as a team member and/or in various research collaborations.
• Basic knowledge of Swedish is a plus.

Application

The application can be submitted in Swedish or in English, and must include the following:

• A letter of application where the applicant describes their motivation and interest in the position, and presents experiences and skills relevant to the position (max 2 pages)
• A CV including publication list and copies of degree diplomas
• Copy of PhD dissertaion, as well as one to three (1-3) scientific publications. For co-authored papers, please submit author agreements.
• Contact info to three (3) reference persons

Applications missing any of the above will not be considered.

Conditions

The position as a postdoctoral research fellow is a qualifying appointment for two years, and serves as a step in advancing an academic career.

About us

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University is one of the leading education and research institutions in Sweden and operates both in Lund and Helsingborg.

The Department of Sociology is home to two disciplines, social anthropology and sociology. Common for these is that they try to understand and explain the individual and society in their social, cultural and historical contexts. Research in the department spans from empirical studies of contemporary social issues to critical social analysis, and the development of social science theory and methods.

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