Ph.D Fellowship in Social studies

Descrizione

Testo originale dell'annuncio (in inglese)

The University of Stavanger invites applicants for a PhD Fellowship in Social studies at the Faculty of Social Studies, Department of Social Studies. The position is vacant from January 1st, 2027. This is a trainee position that will give promising researchers an opportunity for academic development through a PhD education leading to a doctoral degree. The hired candidate will be admitted to the PhD program in Social Sciences, Research School in Social Work and Welfare, SWEL. The education includes relevant courses amounting to about six months of study, a dissertation based on independent research, participation in national and international research environments, relevant academic communication, a trial lecture and public defence. Read more about the PhD education at UiS on our website. The appointment is for three years with research duties exclusively, or four years with both research and other career-promoting work. This will be clarified in the recruitment process. A career plan will be prepared that specifies the competencies that the Research Fellow will acquire. Access to career guidance will be provided throughout the doctoral education. Research topic The position is focusing on the use of digital technology in child welfare services. Norwegian child welfare services face several challenges related to decision-making processes, systematic practice, the use of research-based knowledge, and technological support. The digitalization initiative “DigiBarnevern” is intended to help address these challenges through the development and implementation of digital tools for case management, communication, and collaboration with service users, as well as between services and administrative levels. Despite high expectations regarding improved quality and efficiency, research shows that digitalization may also have unintended consequences, such as increased administrative workload, the standardization of complex assessments, and reduced professional discretion. There is therefore a need for more research examining how digitalization unfolds in practice. The PhD project will explore how digital technologies are integrated into child welfare practice, and how the interaction between technology, child welfare workers, and service users shapes relationships, professional assessments, and work processes. It is particularly desirable that both service users and social workers participate in the study. Previous research has pointed out that service users are rarely included in research on digital social work and few studies investigate how digital technologies are actually adopted and used in child welfare practice. The project is therefore expected to help fill these knowledge gaps. It is desirable that the project employ qualitative methods such as observation, interviews, and institutional ethnography in one or more child welfare offices. The project will contribute new empirical and theoretical knowledge on digital social work, a research field that is still in an early stage of development both nationally and internationally. The PhD candidate will become part of strong research environments at the university and collaborative research networks including Østfold University College. The research project will be supervised by Associate Professor Ida Bruheim-Escobar (principal supervisor), Professor Ingunn Studsrød (co-supervisor), and Associate Professor Marina Snipsøyr Sletten (co-supervisor).