SNSF Doctoral Researcher in Political Sociology

Introduction

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Presentation

As part of the research project “SPECTRE – Spatialized Ethnography of Crowds Through Reconstructed Ecologies”, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF, Division I), the Institute of Political Studies at the University of Lausanne invites applications for the following position:

SNSF Doctoral Researcher in Political Sociology

The successful candidate will contribute to the project “SPECTRE – Spatialized Ethnography of Crowds Through Reconstructed Ecologies” and will complete a doctoral dissertation within this framework.

They will work under the supervision of Professor Olivier Fillieule (University of Lausanne – SSP) and in collaboration with Sélim Smaoui (University of Lausanne – SSP), Senior Researcher on the project.

The doctoral thesis is expected to be conducted as a joint supervision with a specialist in forensic architecture and/or visual analysis.

Below is a summary of the project:

This project aims to establish the protesting crowd as an object of knowledge in its own right within the social and political sciences. It posits, on the one hand, that crowds constitute a sui generis social space, generating their own constraints, behavioural norms and affects, and are not merely an aggregate of individuals. These dynamics express situated forms of political participation, through which ways of being together and self-organising emerge to challenge or contest the political order. On the other hand, it posits that the social morphology of a crowd is equally produced by power relations; crowds constitute spaces of political participation that are continuously regulated by mechanisms seeking to control their visibility, frame their forms and define their legitimacy. Crowds are thus both producers of their own logics of participation and simultaneously shaped by these mechanisms. As such, they appear as a key analytical lens on the situated relations between the governing and the governed.

Approaching crowds as an analytical lens for studying power relations requires a method capable of making visible both the specific dynamics they generate and the mechanisms that frame them. This is why the project advocates a multi-level approach attentive to situated interactions (micro), collective assemblages (meso) and institutional frameworks (macro). To implement this approach, it will develop the Spectre-Tool, a visualisation device designed for ethnography. Inspired by visual methods developed in forensic architecture, the Spectre-Tool will adapt spatial visualisation techniques to the production of ethnographic evidence. It will exploit the abundance of contemporary images (citizen videos, drone footage, surveillance cameras and media) in order to reconstruct the multi-scalar dynamics of crowds, including situated interactions, spatial configurations and institutional mechanisms as they unfold in context.

Based on a series of case studies, the project aims to analyse the governance of crowds in situ. More broadly, it seeks to go beyond the current state of the art by integrating fragmented approaches into a cumulative theoretical framework, while developing a transferable methodological instrument for visual ethnography. It will make a double contribution: producing original empirical data for the analysis of the governance of crowds, and equipping the social sciences with a tool that is both shareable and adaptable to other research contexts.

Job information

• Start date: August 1, 2026 (or upon agreement)


• Contract duration: 4 years (1 year, renewable, up to a maximum of 4 years)


• Workload: 100%


• Place of work: Lausanne-Dorigny, Géopolis building


• Remuneration:  Salary scale

Your responsibilities

In this position, you will:

For 80% of the workload :

• Write a PhD thesis in political sociology as part of the SPECTRE project under the supervision of Olivier Fillieule and within the framework of a joint supervision arrangement to be determined


• Contribute to the project’s research activities, including collaborative analysis, participation in team meetings, and the dissemination of research findings; collect, manage, and analyze visual data;


• Work in coordination with the external service provider ( Index ), including contributing to the formulation of technical requests and overseeing the production and processing of visual reconstructions;


• Present research findings at international conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals;


• Participate in the activities of the Centre for Research on Political Action at the University of Lausanne (CRAPUL);


• Take part in the Doctoral Program in Political Science (PDSPO).


• Provide teaching support in political sociology (facilitating and supervising seminars, assisting with lectures, invigilation, oral examinations, and marking examinations, etc.).

For 20% of the workload:

• Other institutional duties may also be assigned, such as:


• Job description: Terms of reference 

Your qualifications

We are seeking to recruit a candidate with the following profile in order to complement the research team:

• A Master’s degree in the social sciences (anthropology, sociology, political science), with training in visual studies and/or visual methods;


• And/or a Master’s degree in a field related to visual investigative methods as used in Forensic Architecture (e.g. research architecture, visual cultures, spatial practices, design, data visualization, or an equivalent qualification). Advanced training in this area, or training enabling the rapid acquisition of the relevant skills, will be given priority consideration by the selection committee.

The candidate is expected to demonstrate:

• Strong command of qualitative research methods in the social sciences (observation, interviews, document analysis), including ethnography and visual analysis;


• Solid proficiency in, or strong familiarity with, investigative methods used in forensic architecture (OSINT, visual analysis, 3D visual reconstruction, Blender);


• Sound foundational knowledge of the sociology of social movements, policing, public order management, and coercive practices;


• Proficiency in French, with very good command of English.

What the position offers you

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diverse and dynamic academic environment. Opportunities for professional training, a lot of activities and other benefits to discover.

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Contact for further information

Professor Olivier Fillieule,

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Researcher Sélim Smaoui

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Your application

Application deadline: May 30, 2026

Applicants are requested to submit the following documents:

• A cover letter;


• A detailed academic CV, including copies of university degrees and transcripts;


• A short research proposal (1–2 pages) related to the project’s theme;


• The Master’s thesis and, where applicable, a scientific article or book chapter.

Pre-selection results will be communicated on June 9, 2026.
Interviews will take place between June 17 and June 26.

Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance;
•    supporting early career researchers.

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