Postdoc for a project on sex workers' legal protections

VIVE seeks a qualitative postdoc for the research project ’Sex Work on Trial: The Intersection of Victimization, Stigmatization, and Marginalization in Access to Justice (SWIM)’, which based on sex workers’ encounters with the justice system focuses on the rule of law for people in marginalized positions. The PI of the project is senior researcher at VIVE Theresa Dyrvig Henriksen, and associate professor Louise Victoria Johansen from the Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen is CO-PI. SWIM is funded by Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond.

The position is intended to be filled at the beginning of January 2027.

About the project

How do we ensure equal access to justice for people in vulnerable and marginalized positions? Based on sex workers’ encounters with the justice system, this research project investigates how cases of violence against sex workers are handled in the Danish justice system – from police reports to court – and which factors influence sex workers’ legal security and recognition as victims. Previous research shows that sex workers are at elevated risk of violence but rarely report the violence to authorities.

The project sheds light on both the sex workers’ own experiences with the justice system and the assessments of legal actors – police, the prosecution service and the courts – of sex workers’ status as victims, thereby generating new knowledge about how victims are constructed in legal processes.

The project will be conducted in close collaboration with practitioners, including NGOs and legal actors, and aims to contribute practice-oriented knowledge that can strengthen the rule of law for a particularly vulnerable group and contribute to a broader debate on equal justice for citizens in marginalized positions.

About the position

As a postdoc you will contribute to uncovering sex workers’ experiences with the justice system in cases where they have been subjected to violence.

The project relies on qualitative interviews with sex workers who have experienced violence and who are in contact with the justice system. The interviews are supplemented by ethnographic observations of central legal meetings, including court proceedings, and by review of relevant case documents. The data should provide an in-depth understanding of how encounters with the justice system’s institutions affect sex workers’ willingness to report violence, their expectations of justice, and their experience of recognition, trust and credibility as victims.

As a postdoc you will be part of an interdisciplinary project team, which in addition to the project’s PI and CO-PI also includes another postdoc who will be affiliated with the Faculty of Law at the University of Copenhagen.

You will contribute, among other things, to the following

• Collection of in-depth qualitative interviews with violence-exposed sex workers about their experiences with the justice system
• Conducting ethnographic observations of central legal proceedings
• Review and analysis of relevant case documents
• Development of the project’s interdisciplinary analyses
• Participation in ongoing project meetings
• Drafting of scientific publications and contribution to practice-oriented dissemination of the project’s results.

Qualifications

We seek a candidate with a strong qualitative profile and a PhD in sociology, anthropology or a related field.

In addition, we value

• Solid experience with ethnographic fieldwork among citizens in marginalized positions, as we place high importance on methodological and ethical sensitivity
• Solid experience with analysis within the themes of the sociology/anthropology of law, sex work and legal security
• Strong scientific writing skills and experience with international journal publication
• Ability to work independently as well as in a multidisciplinary research environment.

Terms of employment

The postdoc position is a full-time position limited to 2.5 years. Salary and employment terms are in accordance with the agreement for academics in the state and the circular on the job structure for scientific personnel with research duties at sector research institutions from 2021. The current salary level and grade depend on your professional experience after completing your PhD. Depending on qualifications there will be the possibility of a salary negotiation.

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.

Application

You apply for the position via our electronic recruitment system and all attachments are uploaded together with the application. Find the link to the application form on vive.dk -> About VIVE -> Vacancies.

As attachments you must upload a CV, a complete publication list, degree certificates (both cand. and PhD) and the written works to be considered in the assessment. You may upload a maximum of 4 scientific works. Only scientific output uploaded with the application is considered in the assessment. If there are co-authors on the scientific works, a co-author declaration regarding your share of the work must accompany the submission.

Application deadline

You can apply for the position until Friday 15 November 2026, 23:59. Materials received after this time will not be considered.

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

Application deadline: 15 November 2026

Department: Herluf Trolles Gade 11 1052 Copenhagen K

Location: Herluf Trolles Gade 11, 1052 Copenhagen K