PhD research fellow in Sociology / STS: Knowledge, Democracy and Community in a Digital Age

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Testo originale dell'annuncio (in inglese)

This is NTNU NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim. At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world. You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here. -- The rapid expansion of data centres has sparked public debate about energy use, local democracy, and the role of global tech companies. This PhD position invites you to study how such developments are understood, contested, and governed. About the position The Department of Sociology and Political Science (ISS) has a vacancy for a PhD research fellow in sociology. This position is suited for candidates interested in critical and interpretive approaches to the study of knowledge, power and technology in society, and in exploring how these shape democratic processes and social life through the case of data centre developments in Norway. In this position, you will conduct research as part of the project “UNDER THE CLOUD – Knowledge, democracy, and community rights in Norway’s data centre landscape,” while achieving your doctorate degree. In this manner, you will gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education, research and other sectors requiring analytic skills, both within and outside academia. The position is situated within NTNU’s strategic research area “Community” and affiliated with the interdisciplinary research team “ Knowledge for Democracy and Citizenship .” You will also become part of the research group “ Technology and social change ” at ISS, ISS’ junior scholar seminars, and the national research school on “ Digitalization, Culture and Society .” Thus, the position offers excellent opportunities for academic development, research collaboration, conference participation, international publication, and engagement with societal actors. The position is for three years. Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department. About the project UNDER THE CLOUD – Knowledge, democracy, and community rights in Norway’s data centre landscape The PhD position is the core of the ‘NTNU Community’-funded, interdisciplinary project “UNDER THE CLOUD” combining sociology, STS, political science, history, and energy systems perspectives. The project addresses the ongoing and often contentious public debate about data centre developments in Norway and explores them as sites where questions of democracy, knowledge and community are negotiated. The number of data centres is steadily increasing worldwide, also in Norway where this expansion is putting pressure on energy supplies, land use, and local authorities who have formal responsibility to handle the development. Data centres have become contested objects, raising questions of collective control, environmental impact, power, security and ownership. UNDER THE CLOUD investigates how different actors understand, justify, or contest data centre development with a focus on the knowledge practices of authorities, industry actors, and citizens. The scientific aim of the project is to advance knowledge on conditions of democratic governance in highly digitalized societies. As project team, we will together conduct interviews with authorities and stakeholders, as well as policy document analysis. The PhD position has the main responsibility for exploring local communities’ perspectives (how data centres affect citizens’ life worlds, what a data centre means for a local community, and how those affected by data centres experience decision-making in relation to data centres). To this end, we suggest ethnographic approaches, understood in broad ways, and a focus on selected sites (that you can select). Applicants are expected to develop a proposal that explains what you consider the societal relevance of this topic, as well as how you plan to contribute to the project’s agenda, suggesting rel