Post-doctoral Research Associate
Anthropology
Salary: £29,704-£30,594 per annum
Grade: Grade 7
Contract: Fixed-term, Full-time
Hours: Nominally 35 hours per week
The Department of Anthropology seeks to appoint a one year postdoctoral research
associate to undertake a project ‘Revealing Alcohol Narratives: qualitative study of
young people’s relationship with alcohol in County Durham and Darlington’. The
project, in collaboration with the charity ‘Just4Youth’ and County Durham and
Darlington PCT aims to use ethnography to reveal the ‘alcohol narratives’ of young
people below the legal drinking age exhibiting extreme alcohol consumption patterns
with a view to informing PCT objectives in this area. Funding is available to
commence in January 2010.
Faculty of Social Sciences and Health
The Faculty has over 4500 undergraduates and an expanding cohort of some 3100
postgraduate and research students. The Faculty comprises over 430 academic staff in
9 departments and schools (Department of Anthropology; the School of Applied
Social Sciences; the Department of Archaeology; the Durham Business School; the
School of Education; the Department of Geography; the School of Government and
International Affairs; the School for Health; and the Department of Law), making it
one of the larger faculties of Social Science in the UK.
The individual successes of our departments continue to play a major part in
sustaining Durham's world class reputation. RAE ratings have an increasingly
important influence on global reputation and a direct impact on our ability to attract
staff, students and research income. In RAE 2008, departments and schools across the
Faculty scored well. Ranked on the basis of grade point average, two departments
(Archaeology and Geography) were ranked first nationally, a further three
departments (Law, Education and School of Government and International Affairs)
were ranked in the top ten, and Durham Business School, Social Work, the School of
Applied Social Sciences, the School of Medicine and Health and Anthropology within
the top 20. At least a half of the research in the Faculty was considered to be
internationally important in every one of our schools and departments and in many of
our units of assessment the quality of the research environment was noted.
Our research centres also play an important role in developing key research and
enterprise activities both within departments and across the Faculty. Current research
centres include: the Centre for Iranian Studies (CIS); the Centre for the History of
Political Thought; the Centre for Contemporary Chinese Studies; the International
Landslide Centre; the Centre for the Study of Cities and Regions; the Centre for Past
Peoples and Palaeoenvironments (CP3); the Centre for Roman Culture; the Centre for
Public Policy and Health; the Centre for Medical Humanities; the Centre for
Integrated Health Care Research; the Durham Human Rights Centre; the Centre for
Criminal Law and Criminal Justice (CCLCJ), the Durham European Law Institute
(DELI); and the Institute of commercial and corporate law (ICCL). The Faculty also
plays a key leadership role in a number of University Research Institutes including the
Institute of Advanced Study, the Institute of Hazard and Risk Research and the
Durham Energy Institute.
Finally, the Durham Business School is one of only eleven Schools in the UK to carry
all three quality kitemarks from AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS.
The Faculty is committed to further developing our research support and investing in
our infrastructure, notably high quality library, IT, laboratory and other facilities. For
example, in 2008 we saw the completion of a £5.6M extension to Geography to house
the new Institute of Hazard and Risk Research and a £3.5M refurbishment of the
Dawson Building to co-locate the Departments of Archaeology and Anthropology,
and Law will move into a new purpose-built landmark building in 2012.
The post is subject to standard probationary terms. Further information will be issued
in the contract of employment.
Pension: Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)
Holidays: 30 working days' holiday plus statutory holidays, and 4 'customary'
holidays, normally allocated to the Christmas break
Contact for informal enquiries:
Dr Andrew Russell
0191-334-3312
A.J.Russell@durham.ac.uk
Alternative Contact:
Dr Sue Lewis
0191-334-0688
Sue.Lewis@durham.ac.uk
Application Process:
We prefer to receive applications on-line. The webpage is:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/hr/recruitment/applicants/.
Please attach your CV and a covering letter, giving details of how you match the
person specification. The job description and person specification (vacancy
number 3581) can be found by following the links from the left-hand menu of the
webpage. We can post a vacancy details pack (including application form) to you, if
you telephone our answering service on 0191 3346499 or e-mail
recruitment.team@durham.ac.uk
Closing Date for Applications: 07/12/2009
Shortlisting to take place: 10/12/2009
Interview Date: 14/12/2009
Job Description
Responsible to: Dr Andrew Russell; Project steering committee consisting of
members drawn from the funding organisation (charity: Just4Youth), Co Durham &
Darlington PCT, local authority, Balance (the regional alcohol office)
Job Summary and Purpose:
The Department of Anthropology seeks to appoint a full-time Postdoctoral Researcher
to this one year research project funded by Just4Youth, starting in October 2009. The
appointee will contribute to the research profile of the department and to contribute to
the growth and development of its Medical Anthropology Research Group (MARG).
There are significant problems with alcohol use and abuse among young people below
the legal drinking age in Co. Durham and Darlington PCT. Risks to current and future
health are high, and the impact on other areas of public health concern (e.g. sexual
health) are also significant. Current services are not sufficiently well informed about
the beliefs and behaviours of this target group to be able to design appropriate and
effective preventive and rehabilitative interventions. This project, funded through the
charity Just4Youth, aims to use ethnography to reveal the “alcohol narratives” of
members of this complex, risk-taking ‘sub-culture’, in order to inform PCT objectives
in this area. Funding for the post is available to commence in January 2009.
- Dr Russell (Anthropology) and Dr Sue Lewis (School of Medicine and Health) were
commissioned directly by Co Durham PCT/Just4Youth to develop this research
project.
- Its purpose is to conduct an ethnographic study of young people’s use and misuse of
alcohol, to inform priority public health work, and to work with the funders
(Just4Youth), Co Durham PCT and research participants in developing suggestions
for more effective interventions with young people whose misuse of alcohol is likely
to harm their health.
Key Responsibilities:
- Research-informed recommendations, developed using ‘participatory research’
techniques, on service provision and media messages
- International conference presentation (to be developed and presented by the postholder)
- Collaborative academic paper(s), developed under the guidance of and with the PI
(and other academic colleagues)
- Organisation and conduct all aspects of the ethnographic research as outlined in the
protocol (Note: post-holder will be responsible for conducting interviews of a highly
personal and sensitive nature)
- Adherence to ethical conduct of research.
- Management and analysis of the research data.
- Day-to-day maintenance of the relationship between the researchers, research
participants, funders and PCT liaison.
- Regular reporting to (a) PI, (b) Steering Committee, on research progress.
- Using initiative to resolve and/or advising the PI and/or Steering Committee of any
barriers to research progress/completion.
- Appropriate dissemination of results (in collaboration with PI and colleagues), to
both academic and lay audiences.
- Making decisions about the research in the absence of the PI and/or taking
responsibility to discuss with appointed PCT liaison.
- Accountable to the Steering Committee (in addition to internal university
accountability).

Scope
- No responsibility for the project budget
- Areas of influence likely to include (a) part responsibility for delivery of
research project, (b) shape and scope of project outputs and outcomes, (c)
direction of intervention development, (d) identification/co-development of
future research projects and/or new participatory research methods, (e)
maintenance of relationships with PCT and other regional partners.
Relationships and Contacts:
- Staff of Co Durham and Darlington PCT (including the nominated liaison).
- The funding organisation (Just4Youth), which is also conducting complementary
research.
- Members/member organisations of the Steering Committee
- Will be expected to be a proactive member of the Medical Anthropology Research
Group, Dept of Anthropology.
- Also to be mentored by Dr Sue Lewis (RDS, School for Medicine & Health)
Person Specification
Qualification
A PhD (or pending) in anthropology or a related
discipline.
Experience
Demonstrable ability to write material of
publishable quality and to specified deadlines
Experience of participatory research with young
people in difficult circumstances
Experience of developing research-informed
interventions with the aim of effecting behaviour
change
Special Knowledge
Working knowledge of other appropriate methods
for collecting, analysing and interpreting
qualitative data through work with young people.
Crit
App
docs
Int
E
Y
Y
E
Y
Y
D
Y
Y
D
Y
Y
E
Y
Y
Skills And Competencies
Excellent interpersonal, organizational and IT
skills
Ability to work independently with guidance from
a multidisciplinary steering committee
Any Additional Requirements
A willingness to spend considerable amounts of
time engaged in fieldwork in various locations in
the north-east of England.
Interest in medical anthropology, health promotion
and public health policy.
Access to own transport whenever required.
Crit
App
docs
Int
E
Y
Y
E
Y
Y
E
Y
Y
D
Y
Y
D
Y
Y
Key to table
Crit - (E)ssential or (D)esirable criteria.
App Docs - CV, application form, covering letter or additional document.
Int - Interview.
It is essential that in your written application you give evidence of examples of proven
experience in the selection criteria to be assessed from your application documents.
These responses will be further developed and discussed with those candidates invited
for interview, together with the other criteria in the table.