Postdoctoral Position; FTE): Social Norms of Immigrant Integration

Your function

This postdoctoral position with a duration of 6 months is part of the research project “The Normative Integration Regime:
How Differential Expectations Shape Immigrant Societies”, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO) and led by Dr. Philipp Lutz.

Project Description

Beyond formal immigration policies, societies hold unwritten expectations about how immigrants should behave, but we currently lack systematic evidence on these informal rules. This project investigates the social norms in Dutch society towards immigrants and examines the extent to which those norms differ from expectations held toward native citizens. Specifically, the study addresses critical questions:
Do people expect more from immigrants than from others? And do they think society is stricter than it actually is? To map these expectations across everyday behaviors (such as civic participation, cultural practices, and social interactions) this research surveys 2,500 Dutch residents. By comparing what people personally believe with what they think others expect, and examining whether identical behaviors are judged differently depending on who performs them, the study aims to reveal how informal expectations shape integration debates and policy preferences in diverse societies.

Role and Responsibilities

The postdoctoral researcher will contribute to an emerging research agenda on integration norms in immigrant societies and develop the study design jointly with the principal investigator. This involves both literature review as well as survey design and implementation. In addition, you will have the opportunity to develop and pursue your own research ideas within the broader topic of the project.

We are looking for a postdoctoral researcher who:

• has obtained, or is close to obtaining, a PhD in political science, sociology, social psychology, or another relevant discipline;
• has a publication record appropriate to their career stage, demonstrating the ability to conduct research and publish in internationally recognized journals;
• has skills in designing, implementing, and analysing quantitative empirical research, particularly survey experiment;
• is familiar with migration studies;
• is interested in the study of social norms;
• is communicative, autonomous, and responsible, taking ownership of research projects while being diligent and conscientious in advancing research and publications;
• is fluent in English (C1-level) and ideally Dutch.

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

We offer a challenging and rewarding postdoctoral position within a vibrant, ambitious, and socially engaged Department of Political Science and Public Administration. At the VU, you are embedded in an interdisciplinary research environment that fosters substantial academic and professional development. You gain the opportunity to co-author the research articles resulting from the project.

In return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a classification in salary scale 10 minimum € 3.546,00 (Scale 10.0) and maximum € 4.412,00 (Scale 10.5) gross per month, on a full-time basis. Depending on the candidate’s knowledge and experience and due to the nature and funding of the role, the starting salary will generally be set up to approximately this midpoint of the scale 10. This is based on UFO profile Researcher 4.
• a research position for 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract is for a fixed duration of 6 months with flexibility on the starting date.
• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package
• a wide range of sports facilities which staff may use at a modest charge