PhD student sought for a research project on social mobility and family narratives

Do you have an interest in social mobility and inequality, narratives, family dynamics, social classes and gender? Then you may be the one we are looking for in our research project, which aims to develop theoretical and practical knowledge about how inequality in Denmark is shaped and develops across generations.

The position is a fully funded three-year PhD scholarship starting February 2027.

Job description, project description and research field

Denmark is one of the world’s most equal societies. Despite a welfare state with progressive taxation, free health services and education, as well as a strong social safety net, some people still have fewer opportunities than others to reach the top in society.

In the research project Social mobility in Denmark , funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF), we examine how both the living conditions and family relations of previous generations and living family members shape the life chances of future generations. The project comprises a quantitative and a qualitative part, where the PhD project is integrated as an integral part of the qualitative study.

The qualitative part of the project is based on data collection in which the PhD student together with the other project participants conducts family interviews with at least two generations of members from the same families. The interviews should provide insight into the life courses and experiences of family members.

They will among other things cover the family’s history and lineage, family members’ relationships to other family members, upbringing, education, work and family life, and experiences of societal changes across generations. By recruiting families from different positions in society, the aim is to generate new knowledge about how social mobility is experienced in families and how the family history and relationships across generations, social classes and gender enter into individual life courses.

Although the PhD project is part of a larger research collaboration, it will constitute an independent research project, where you as a PhD student will have the opportunity to influence the project’s direction through your own research interests within the framework of the overall project.

The PhD stipend is funded by the Danish Council for Independent Research (DFF) and VIVE - The National Research and Analysis Centre for Welfare with enrollment at the PhD School at Aalborg University (AAU), Institute for Social Sciences and Policy (SOCIETY). The place of employment will be at VIVE.

A more detailed project description can be downloaded here or by contacting project leader Stefan Bastholm Andrade, [email protected].

What do we expect?

We expect the right candidate to have the following qualifications

• Completed master’s degree in sociology, social work, anthropology, public health science or similar - or expect to have a master’s degree by the end of December 2026
• Strong motivation and good scientific skills
• Good communication skills, both oral and written
• Good Danish language skills (oral and written), as fieldwork will be conducted in Denmark
• Good English language skills (oral and written), as seminars, conference presentations and the PhD thesis will be in English.

We prefer a candidate with the following qualifications

• Experience with qualitative methods and ethnographic fieldwork, preferably with families
• Experience with engaging in interdisciplinary collaboration, and an interest in the methodological and theoretical possibilities in this
• Experience with or strong interest in writing international scientific articles, as the dissertation is to be article-based
• Knowledge of and interest in family research, social classes and gender as well as qualitative methods
• Desire to investigate inequality in families and develop a more theoretical understanding of the significance of kinship, social class and gender in collaboration with the other researchers.

What do we offer?

VIVE - The National Research and Analysis Centre for Welfare offers a qualitative research environment in growth with, among others, strong sociological, organizational and anthropological competencies. Internally, VIVE focuses on creating networks for professional sparring with skilled colleagues across different departments, including a network for qualitative methods and child research. There are thus good opportunities for ongoing professional development and scientific merit.

Externally, VIVE has many partners both in research environments and among welfare state institutions, including ministries, agencies, regions and municipalities. As a state-funded research and analysis center engaged in both basic and applied research, VIVE provides a solid foundation for your research to make a difference for policy development and practical work in the public sector.

As part of a larger research project, you will be part of a sociological research team consisting of, among others, Stefan Bastholm Andrade (VIVE), Annick Prieur (AAU) and our national and international research network. The PhD program includes a research stay at a foreign university. The project’s funds ensure the financing of this stay.

The PhD education

You will be enrolled at the PhD School “The Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Humanities” at Aalborg University under the Institute for Social Sciences and Policy (SOCIETY).

The institute conducts research, teaching and knowledge collaboration in close relation to the surrounding society. It is organized into a number of research groups focusing on, among other things, social differentiation, everyday life, social norms and social problems. The institute is physically located both at the Aalborg Campus and the Sydhavnen Campus in Copenhagen.

The PhD education is a research training at the highest international level and during the PhD program you are expected to actively participate in research environments at both VIVE and AAU, as well as abroad. You will thereby gain extensive professional knowledge. There may possibly be an agreement to gain teaching experience at AAU. You are expected to show commitment and visibility with regard to the project and to contribute actively to VIVE’s working environment, daily life and ongoing operations.

Terms of employment

The position as a PhD stipend recipient is a 3-year fixed-term full-time educational position. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the state sector collective agreement for academics, including Appendix 5 protocol on PhD stipendiates. In addition to the base salary, a non-pensionable supplement is paid.

The employing authority and area is VIVE – The National Research and Analysis Centre for Welfare.

The workplace is VIVE Copenhagen (Herluf Trolles Gade 11, 1052 Copenhagen K). VIVE has offices in Copenhagen and Aarhus. Travel between VIVE locations may occur.

The PhD stipend recipient must complete the studies in accordance with the applicable rules for PhD education, currently the Executive Order no. 1124 of 19 September 2025 on PhD education at the universities and certain artistic educational institutions (PhD order). The PhD stipend recipient is obligated to perform tasks corresponding to 840 working hours distributed over 3 years according to VIVE’s instructions.

The position as a PhD stipend recipient at VIVE is contingent on you being approved for admission to the PhD program at Aalborg University – more information about qualification requirements can be found on the PhD School’s website. The start date at VIVE cannot precede the approval/admission date.

Further information

If you want to know more about the PhD stipend, the project description or VIVE, you are very welcome to contact senior researcher Stefan Bastholm Andrade, email: [email protected] or read our website vive.dk.

Application

You apply for the position via our electronic recruitment system and all attachments are uploaded together with the application. Uploaded files must be in Adobe PDF or Word format. Find the link to the application form on vive.dk -> About VIVE -> Vacant positions. We expect the following files:

• Motivated application (max 2 pages)
• Detailed CV + possibly publication list
• PhD project description in Danish or English* (max 12,500 characters including spaces and excluding bibliography)
• Degree certificates (Bachelor’s and Master’s certificates including transcripts with subjects and grades). To be enrolled at the PhD school, it is required that you have obtained a grade of 10 or higher in your Master’s thesis.
• Any publications – but a maximum of two (for Master’s theses only the problem statement and conclusion should be uploaded). Only scientific output uploaded together with the application is considered in the assessment. If there are co-authors on the scientific works, a co-author statement about your share of the work must accompany it.

*The project proposal is understood as a description of how you intend to carry out the PhD project within the framework set by the advertisement and the project description for the overall research project. The actual project proposal for the PhD project should include a proposed project title and a presentation of how you will design your part of the research. You should select the central aspects you want to focus on within the overall framework of the overall project description and argue for your choices.

Finally, you should include a provisional timeline addressing the project’s feasibility. It is also recommended that you consult VIVE’s and The Doctoral School of Social Sciences and Humanities’ websites and that the project proposal follows general scientific guidelines, including ethical considerations.

Applicants who wish to write the dissertation in English and who do not have English as their mother tongue or have not completed an English-language Master’s degree must provide documentation of a language test. Read more about how the language requirement can be met here: https://www.phd.aau.dk/ssh/become-a-phd-student#admission-requirementsk/

Application process

At the application deadline, a professional assessment will be conducted based on an overall evaluation of which applicants best match the project description and research area in relation to their qualifications.

The assessment will emphasize

• The motivated application
• The quality and feasibility of the project proposal
• The match of the candidate and project proposal with the overall research project and research group
• Research qualifications
• Professional knowledge and experience within sociology and social work or related disciplines
• Results (grades from higher education)

The evaluation committee consists of Stefan Bastholm Andrade (VIVE), Annick Prieur (AAU) and Kræn Blume Jensen (VIVE). With many applicants there may be short-listing. All applicants will be informed hereafter after the application deadline. Based on the professional assessment, a number of applicants will be selected for interviews.

VIVE seeks a staff composition that reflects the surrounding society. Therefore, we encourage all qualified applicants regardless of personal background to apply. You are also welcome to omit information about gender/gender identity, age, ethnicity, etc. in your application, CV and other attachments.

Application deadline: October 25, 2026 at 23:59.

Materials received after this time will not be considered.

Application deadline: Oct. 25, 2026

Department: Herluf Trolles Gade 11 1052 Copenhagen K

Location: Herluf Trolles Gade 11, 1052 Copenhagen K