PhD Studentship in Politics and International Relations: DIVIDED: Inequality and Polarization Prevention

Supervisors:  Dr Miriam Sorace

Project Overview: The Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Reading welcomes applications for a full-time, 4-years PhD position for the UKRI-funded project ‘DIVIDED: Inequality and Polarization Prevention’ (PI: Dr. Miriam Sorace). The project will tackle head on the alarming rates of income inequality and political polarization, currently at levels unseen since the beginning of the XXth century. We know that economic inequality increases political polarization, and that inequality and polarization self-reinforce each other, triggering a democratically toxic vicious cycle. What we do not know is how they are related, what is the mechanism, the micro-foundation linking them. Studying these microfoundations is central to devise appropriate policies to depolarize and reduce inequality. The programme of research will unlock a new understanding of how citizens polarize, which marries sociological and rational-choice based approaches.

DIVIDED will be an in-depth study of the relationship between economic inequality and political polarization, requiring extensive data collection and experimental/simulation work. Partners of the project include the social media company Meta (and its computational social science team), Opinium, the London School of Economics (LSE) Data Science Institute (DSI), the European Election Studies and the UK Labour’s Party Data and Targeting team. There are currently 4 secondment opportunities built into the programme, two at the LSE DSI, one at Opinium and one in the data and targeting team of UK Labour Party HQ, with plans to extend further secondment/consultancy calls to governmental units and other political organisations.

Eligibility: 

• Applicants should ideally hold or expect to gain a master’s degree in political science but other social science disciplines (e.g. economics, psychology etc) will also be considered.
• Completion of quantitative methods/statistics modules with at least a 2:1 level, preference will be given to applicants with strong quantitative training.
• Due to the nature of the funding this studentship is only open to UK applicants.

Funding Details:   

• Starts 1st January 2025
• 4-year award
• Funding covers full UK tuition fees plus UKRI stipend (£19,237 for 2024/25) 

How to apply:  

Please click 'Apply’ to be redirected to our website, where you can create your account, and use the link sent by email to start the application process. During the application process please select the PhD in Politics.

*Important notes*

1. Please quote the reference ‘DRC24-112’ in the ‘Scholarships applied for’box which appears within the Funding Section of your on-line application. 
2. If the application system prompts you to submit a research proposal, please paste in the project title and move on to the next step in the application.
3. Please upload a personal statement/covering letter (1 page maximum), expressing how your research interests and experience fit the topic and the requirements of the position. 

Application Deadline:  31 October 2024 

Further Enquiries:  

Please note that, where a candidate is successful in being awarded funding, this will be confirmed via a formal studentship award letter; this will be provided separately from any Offer of Admission and will be subject to standard checks for eligibility and other criteria.  

For further information please contact Dr Miriam Sorace m.sorace@reading.ac.uk.

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