Research Officer TAP Project - Exploring Practices of ‘Deep Equality’ in Social Activism

Location: Singleton Campus, Swansea

About The Role

This is a full-time, fixed term position until 01/09/2027

Valuable research has been undertaken on current social polarization, weaponization of difference and democratic backsliding. Less common are investigations into everyday navigation and negotiation of diversity in creating conditions for mutual understanding and social recognition. This project, “Repairing sociality, safeguarding democracy: Transatlantic North-South narratives and practices of deep equality” (RSSD), seeks to address this gap. RSSD is an interdisciplinary North-South comparative research project that, drawing on Lori Beaman’s concept of deep equality, focuses on daily practices, or “non-events,” through which people move beyond politics and the law to defy notions of “diversity as a problem” and find ways of “living together well” through, among others, recognition of similarity and making of community. The project is crafting a conceptual framework incorporative of both South and North epistemologies to enable mutual learnings about alternative practices that repair sociality towards greater trust and inclusion, despite the erosion of confidence in political representation and the legal system of producing justice. Uniquely, the investigation extends to digital practices to understand how digital and social media play a role in practices of deep equality particularly by exploring agency, community and sociality in online discourses related to each local context and through a separate case study which focuses specifically on social media activism in the UK. role Specifically, this role will primarily involve coordinating and managing the research for a digital-based case study looking at processes of social activism as part of a UKRI ESRC 3 year funded trans-Atlantic project examining practices of deep equality in combatting extremist narratives. In addition to this the RA will be providing support to the other partner universities on the project through analysis of relevant digital spaces in their countries identified through their ethnographic studies. Alongside all of this, the UK RA will design, create and manage the TAP project website on behalf of all countries/projects involved.

Welsh Language Skills

The Welsh language level required for this role is Level 1 - A little. The role holder will be able to pronounce Welsh words, answer the phone in Welsh (good morning/afternoon) and use very basic everyday words and phrases (thank you, please etc.). Level 1 can be reached by completing a 1 hour course.

The University is a proud bilingual institution, our Welsh Language Strategy outlines our aspiration to promote the language and enable our staff to engage with the language as an additional workplace skill and as a gateway to new cultural and social opportunities. Applications are welcome in Welsh and will not be treated less favourably than those submitted in English. Welsh speakers have the right to an interview in Welsh. Applicants for a role where Welsh skills are essential are expected to present their application in Welsh and will be interviewed in Welsh, if shortlisted.

Additional Information

Applications for this role will take the format of a CV submission and cover letter.

Closing Date: 24 February 2025

Interview Date: 7 March 2025

Informal Enquiries

• Dr Lella Nouri l.m.nouri@swansea.ac.uk
• Dr Gideon Calder g.l.calder@swansea.ac.uk

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