PhD position in the anthropology of religion and Islam: funerary practices in a super diverse society.

The Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology conducts state of the art anthropological research on questions as varied as urbanity, superdiversity, religion, mobility etc. The different research projects are organized around three thematic clusters: "making", "living" and "moving" around the world. Our department is also committed to long-term ethnographic research in order to gain an in-depth understanding of how individuals and groups organize their lives, relate to pasts and prefigure futures.
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Project

Funeral preferences in secularised and superdiverse Western European societies, like Belgium, have become more individualised and diversified as compared to 50 years ago when most people were buried in a coffin following Catholic rituals. Most of the Western European population still adheres to the traditional funeral with a burial or cremation, having their funeral preferences supported by the current legal frameworks in their countries. However, in Europe and beyond, there is an undeniable diversification in funeral preferences amongst substantial minorities that is relatively understudied, with their needs hence much less accommodated by the law. Deathcare is a Strategic Fundamental (SBO) interdisciplinary and interuniversity research project funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) gathering the University of Antwerp, the Institute of Tropical Medicine and KU Leuven. It aims to cultivate a better and more comprehensive understanding of these challenges in superdiverse societies to assist the development of a legally supported and sustainable funeral industry in Belgium. This PhD project is part of this larger SBO project that attends to the legal, environmental, cultural and medical aspects of these different challenges. 

In this PhD project, the candidate will examine the funerary needs and socio-cultural practices of bereavement in a culturally superdiverse society. More specifically, this study examines the needs and socio-cultural practices of Muslim communities and professionals of the Islamic funerary sector in Belgium. As Belgium’s second largest religious community and largest religious minority, Muslims have recently faced a series of unprecedented challenges, as demand for Islamic cemeteries have grown significantly, especially after Covid-19, and are expected to grow in the years to come. Significantly, the traditionally largely transnational funerary practices have transitioned into local demands for Islamic funerals. This transition occurs in a highly charged context, given the practical barriers regarding Islamic cemeteries as well as the political and public controversies around this question. As such, cemeteries and funerals figure as an important symbolic site to examine how notions of belonging become renegotiated and reconfigured. While we focus on Muslim funerals specifically, this research project also seeks to examine, more broadly, how cemeteries can serve as public spaces of belonging. This PhD project is one of the four doctoral projects associated with this larger interdisciplinary project. 

You will conduct anthropological research and write an ethnography on funerary practices among Muslim communities in Belgium in addition to academic and policy papers on the funerary needs in a superdiverse society. This research will involve qualitative interviews with professionals and stakeholders from the Islamic funerary sector, participant observation in cemeteries and ethnographic collaboration with concerned families, with the possibility of travelling abroad to examine transnational funerary practices. You will also work closely with the other PhD researchers and postdoctoral researcher of the consortium. 

Profile

We seek a motivated and skilled candidate with a master’s degree in anthropology, sociology, religious studies or a related discipline and with the following qualitites: 

-A strong experience in qualitative and ethnographic methods and anthropology or sociology of religion. 

-Familiarity with death and/or Islamic studies as is demonstrated through their degrees, master thesis or courses followed at the undergraduate and (post)graduate level. 

-Good familiarity with the Muslim community in North-Western Europe.

-High motivation and commitment to enrol in additional training (islamic ethics, methodology etc.)  

-Fluency in Dutch and French is a requirement for the fieldwork. Knowledge of one of the community languages is a plus (e.g. Arabic, Amazigh, Turkish). 

-Strong writing and communication skills in English and a strong academic performance at the BSc and MSc (min. cum laude). 

-Capacity and willingness to work in close conjunction with other PhD and postdoctoral researchers of the consoritium and to participate to regular meetings at the University of Antwerp (twice a month). 

Offer

We offer a full-time doctoral position, initially for one year, which can be prolonged to up to four years in total after a positive evaluation by the doctoral committee after nine months. In addition to your research, you will assist in teaching courses or other administrative requirements in the department of Social and Cultural Anthropology (10% of your time).

The start date for this position is around 1 November 2024 but will depend on the candidate’s availability and HR workflows. Minor changes to this start date can be discussed.

This is a PhD position in anthropology and you will be primarily based in the Department of Social and Cultural Anthropology working with prof. Nadia Fadil (nadia.fadil@kuleuven.be). Additionally, you will also be co-supervised by prof. Chaima Ahaddour (theology and religious studies, chaima.ahaddour@kuleuven.be) and dr. Imane Kostet (sociology, University of Antwerp, Imane.Kostet@uantwerpen.be). You will be given support to participate in international academic conferences and publish your work in scientific journals. You will be provided with career guidance and encouraged to develop research-oriented skills through courses via the Doctoral School.

https://soc.kuleuven.be/anthropology

Interested?

For more information, please contact prof. dr. Nadia Fadil (nadia.fadil@kuleuven.be). You can apply for this position until September 6th 2024 via the KU Leuven online tool. Your application consists of 

-       A CV with detailled information on your academic track, 

-       A cover letter (2 pages) that explains your fit with the project 

-       A writing sample (chapter from your MA thesis or paper) 

-       The name and contact of two references

A written selection will be made on this basis and candidates will be invited for an interview in the last week of September. Shortlisted candidates for the interview will receive notice within the week and will be asked to write a short research proposal on this research project of max 1000 words (2-3 pages), to be submitted two days before the interview. 

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. 

For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

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Do you have a question about the online application system? Please consult our FAQ or email us at apply@kuleuven.be

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.