Uppsala University, Department of Sociology

Uppsala University invites applications for the position of Professor (Chair) in Sociology, especially the sociology of work, economic sociology and organizational sociology at the Department of Sociology.

The sociology department at Uppsala University is the oldest in Sweden, founded in 1947. The Department has an undergraduate as well as a graduate program in sociology. There are also undergraduate programs in social work and in work, organization and human relations. Courses are also offered in social psychology.

Description of the subject area: Sociology is a basic social science discipline. The discipline is characterized by methodological and theoretical diversity. Work, economy and organization were central research topics in sociology in the works of Marx, Durkheim and Weber. Within these fields, issues of work, working life and its conditions are studied.

Research is also conducted on organizations, on what happens between them and between individuals and also, for example, on markets and in networks. Organization is, in other words, an overarching theme.

Principal duties: The principal duties include: general responsibility for research and education (Ph.D. level) within the field in question and responsibility for developing it further; teaching and tutoring at all levels; planning, conducting and managing own research projects; supplying information about research and development in the research field to actors outside of academia as well as administrative assignments and management functions. The faculty's aim is that about half of the hours of work for professors should consist of research time. In addition, there are opportunities for a paid sabbatical semester after a number of years of employment.

Qualifications required: The eligibility criteria for employment as professor are research as well as teaching expertise (Higher Education Ordinance Ch 4 Sec 3). According to the regulations, research expertise should be demonstrated through independent research and the research expertise should be demonstrated through research activities of high international and national quality. Experience in planning, developing and managing research projects are of importance, including experience attracting external research grants and documented experience in the supervision of Ph.D. students. A general eligibility requirement is that the applicant must have the personal characteristics required to perform the duties of the post well.

Teaching expertise must be demonstrated through qualifications in education and teaching. In addition, applicants must be able to demonstrate a well-documented ability in supervision at all levels, as well as fulfilling the criteria stated in the Uppsala University's appointment regulations (§ 33) and the Faculty of Social Sciences’ complementary guidelines (§ 2b).

Ability to teach in English is a requirement. An appointee that is only proficient in English is expected to be able to communicate in Swedish within two years.

Candidates must meet the requirement for a full professorship of sociology, and must have a research track record in any of the three fields listed: the sociology of work, economic sociology or organizational sociology.

Assessment: Assessment for the appointment of the professor shall be based on the degree of the skills required for the appointment.

For this position, the ranking will be based primarily on the research and teaching expertise of the applicants, with special emphasis on research expertise. This order of priorities of the different ranking criteria is not absolute. A combined consideration of all bases of assessment could result, for instance, in an applicant vastly superior in teaching expertise being ranked higher than a candidate with superior research expertise (who is considered less qualified pedagogically).

When scientific research competence of an applicant is assessed, the quality achieved is of prime importance. The extent of the applicant’s research, in terms both of width and depth is also essential to consider. Included in our notion of scientific skills is also international publication in refereed journals as well as documented independent experience of initiating and developing research projects. Furthermore, consideration must be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead and develop research and education in the third cycle, the ability to acquire funding for research in competition, as well as the demonstrated capacity to interact with others within academia.

In addition to a strong and broad sociology profile, candidates for this position will be evaluated based on publications within the three fields: sociology of work, economic sociology, or organizational sociology. Organizational sociology will be given extra weight in the evaluation.

Teaching expertise will be assessed as carefully as research expertise.

In assessing teaching expertise teaching quality must be the prime consideration. The scope of teaching experience, in terms of both breadth and depth, must also be afforded consideration. Furthermore, consideration will be given to the capacity to plan, initiate, lead, and develop teaching and instruction, as well as the ability to connect research to teaching in respect to research in the subject at hand, subject didactics, as well as teaching and learning in higher education. The ability to interact concerning issues of teaching and learning in higher education with actors inside and outside the University is also included in teaching expertise. See Faculty of Social Sciences’ complementary guidelines (§ 2b).

Administrative skills are important in filling this position and will be given significant weight, the same goes for other merits of importance to the position. Attention will also be given to applicants' ability to: co-operate, develop and supervise activities and staff, interact with the surrounding community and to inform the public about research and developmental work.

Uppsala University will in this recruitment firstly consider the applicant that in the overall assessment of competence and expertise is judged to have the best potential to carry out and develop the relevant duties within the position and contribute to a positive development of the department.

Merits must be documented in a manner that makes it possible to assess both quality and scope.

The Recruitment Committee may in this recruitment come to use interviews, trial-lectures and referees. The applicant should therefore turn in a list of referees with insight into the applicant's professional skill as well as personal qualities that may be of relevance for the position, e.g. ability to cooperate, ability to lead and working methods.

Personal circumstances (such as full or part-time parental leave, trade union appointments, military service, or other) that may benefit the applicants in the assessment of qualifications should be included in the list of qualifications and experience (Curriculum Vitae).

Uppsala University strives to attain a more balanced gender distribution among its teachers. Since most full professors in the Faculty of Social Sciences are men, the university especially welcomes women to apply for this position.

How to apply: A complete application should be submitted to Uppsala University’s on-line recruitment portal. It should comprise:

  • Letter of application
  • List of appendices
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Account of academic qualifications
  • List of publications
  • Account of teaching qualifications
  • Account of other qualifications
  • Academic works and any educational works being brought to bear
  • List of referees
  • In addition, the Department wishes that a policy statement from the applicant is appended

Instructions on how to prepare your application are available on the Faculty’s website:

Instructions to applicants for appointment as professor

Note! Applications and appendices must be submitted digitally on the recruitment portal Varbi. Any cited publications that are not in digital format must be sent in three copies to the Faculty of Social Sciences, Uppsala University, Box 256, 751 05 Uppsala. Please clearly mark the envelope/package with the reference number UFV-PA 2018/214.

For more information, please see:

Appointment regulations for Uppsala University and the Faculty’s complementary guidelines

For additional information on the position, please contact the Head of Department Ilkka Henrik Mäkinen tel +46 (0)18-471 1484,e-mail Ilkka_henrik.makinen@soc.uu.se

We look forward to receiving your application no later than September 1st 2018, UFV-PA 2018/214.

In the event of any disagreement between the English and the Swedish versions of this announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

Type of employment Permanent position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment As agreed
Salary Fixed salary
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100 %
City Uppsala
County Uppsala län
Country Sweden
Reference number UFV-PA 2018/214
Union representative
  • Per Sundman, Saco-rådet, 018-471 1485
  • Ellena Papaioannou, Seko, 018-471 3315
  • Suzanne Borén Andersson, TCO/ST, 018-471 6251
Published 24.May.2018
Last application date 28.Sep.2018 11:59 PM CEST

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