Postdoctoral Position in Anthropology

The Department of Anthropology at the School of Culture and Society, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus University invites applications for a full time (37h/w) 2-year fixed-term postdoctoral position in the Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond/Independent Research Fund Denmark (DFF) research project “Beyond the Hoof: How Cattle Production shaped landscapes and anthropological knowledge of the Kalahari Desert.”

The appointment begins on January 1, 2027 or as soon as possible thereafter. The place of work is Aarhus University, Moesgaard Allé 20, 8270 Højbjerg.

The university is keen for its staff to reflect the diversity of society and thus welcomes applications from all qualified applicants regardless of their personal background.

Research context

The “Beyond the Hoof” project seeks an innovative postdoctoral scholar in anthropology to lead a research package about the social and ecological impacts of cattle and cattle infrastructures in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Africa. The position is part of the Sapere-Aude: DFF Research Leaders project, led by associate professor Pierre du Plessis, that investigates how Botswana’s commercial cattle industry has reshaped landscapes beyond the immediate sites of production, and how the changes they induced influenced anthropological study of the Kalahari. Focusing on infrastructures such as veterinary fences and boreholes, the study traces ripple effects “beyond the hoof”—fragmented wildlife migrations, altered vegetation, and disrupted San hunter-gatherer territories—that not only shaped and continue to shape Kalahari landscapes, but also the very conditions of anthropological observation and theory about human-environmental relations.

The candidate will be responsible for a work package that investigates contemporary processes of cattle expansion in an historical hunting and gathering territory, the implications for both cultural and natural heritage in this area, and how communities experience and perceive these transformations. The position thus involves significant periods of field research between cattle-grazing and wildlife management areas, conducting interviews, community-based mapping activities, gathering oral histories, and participation in ecological surveys. The ideal candidate will have an existing research profile that uses ethnographic methods to explore questions relevant to the social and ecological effects of livestock and agricultural infrastructures on landscapes as well as a keen interest in the history of anthropology (particularly as it relates to the Kalahari and southern African). The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to contribute to the theoretical and methodological analysis of how landscape change influenced the historical development of environmental anthropology in the Kalahari and should be prepared to work in a collaborative research team with the PI and project affiliates, including interdisciplinary research bridging social and natural science.

Deadline
6 Oct 23:59 CEST

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