PhD Position within the project Governing Health, Family and Religion: The Biopolitics of Genetic Counselling and Religious Family Formations (RELI GENE)

Project Description

We are seeking a PhD student to join the project Governing Health, Family and Religion: The Biopolitics of Genetic Counselling and Religious Family Formations (RELI GENE), funded by a Consolidator Grant of the European Research Council. The project examines how state led genetic healthcare policies intersect with religious and cultural practices in close-knit religious minority communities across Europe and the Middle East. It investigates how consanguinity and endogamy are framed within political, legal and medical discourses, often targeting minority communities and raising concerns about stigmatisation and social exclusion.

The PhD student will focus on the governmentality of genetic counselling with a primary focus on Germany. The German case is embedded within a broader European context characterised by increasing state intervention in the regulation of marriage, as reflected in recent legislative developments and public debates across Europe. These developments point to a growing use of genetic counselling, legal frameworks and public discourse to govern intimate and family practices, in particular of minority communities, often with a migrant background.

Over a period of three years, the doctoral researcher will combine discourse analysis with qualitative fieldwork to examine how political discourses in Germany shape healthcare and reproductive policy-making, healthcare practice and community responses.

The PhD student will be supervised by the project’s principal investigator, Professor Yafa Shanneik.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree in Social Policy, Political Science, Law, Anthropology or a related discipline.
• Strong proficiency in German and excellent academic writing skills in English are required.
• Knowledge of languages of relevant minority communities.
• Interest in qualitative research methods, particularly document analysis and interview-based research, with willingness to develop further methodological skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary research environment.

The application must include

• A cover letter outlining the applicant’s suitability for the position.
• CV and the names of two referees.
• Academic transcripts from undergraduate and postgraduate studies.
• Any scholarly publications.
• Project plan (1500 max excluding reference).

The successful applicant will benefit from:

• A funded three-year PhD studentship, covering tuition and an annual stipend of up to £10,000
• Supervision and guidance from leading experts in the field
• Structured research training at SOAS.
• Access to workspace
• and resources to attend and present at national and international conferences.
• Being part of an interdisciplinary research team engaged in innovative and cutting-edge research on the governmentality of marriage and reproductive practices.
• An intellectually stimulating and supportive research environment at SOAS.

To apply, please send the required documents to: reli-gene-phd@soas.ac.uk

The deadline for the application is April 10, 2026. Interviews will be conducted beginning May.

Contact for enquiries

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Prof Yafa Shanneik (ys32@soas.ac.uk).

For more information:

RELI-GENE: Governing Health, Family and Religion: The Biopolitics of Genetic Counselling and Religious Family Formations | SOAS

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