PRR Project

Summary

Rationale for the ICS-ULisboa Strategic Planning : Interdisciplinary research intersecting political science, communication and media, is essential to understanding contemporary modalities of citizenship and the quality of democracy. In the 21st century, the relationship between politics, the media and the citizens is fast changing in light of the advances of communication technologies and the growth of social media.  Contemporary societies are heading towards more pluralistic and fragmented media environments and this affects citizens’ behavior, attitudes and beliefs, and the overall quality of democracy.   By combining political science, communication and media studies, as well as pluralistic methodologies the Researcher will cast light on these topics, and advance research conducted within the RGs SPARC and RIGOP on the TLs Citizenship and I nclusion & Vulnerabilities. Topical research questions include how political actors use the media to achieve their goals, how do they frame their messages, what are the effects of different types of media / and media systems across diverse political systems and in what way is citizenship currently being transformed. Negative Impacts include ideological and affective polarisation, as well as the spread of disinformation. Indeed, an emerging theme in this field of studies relates to how phenomena such as hate speech and fake news are generating misinformation instead of contributing to a more informed civic arena that is essential to democracy. Positive impacts are also present, namely the new accessibility social media provides to groups, which have been previously excluded. Recent years have shown the emergence of new forms of activism and citizenship that take place in the digital sphere.Therefore, this specific researcher should aim to bring together different disciplines, namely political science, mass communication research, as well as social psychology to research the new media phenomenon. Broader media and communication studies, as well as journalism studies are also potential sources of theoretical and methodological tools for addressing the challenges posed. The recruited PhD Researcher will be a key contributor to the development of a growth research area within ICS-ULisboa – on media, politics and citizenship – and raise the international profile of ICS-ULisboa in this area. Required Scientific Profile : In addition to a demonstrated interest in the topic, the PhD researcher to be recruited should have: a) a PhD in Political Science, or Political Sociology; b) a relevant CV in the field of communication, political science and media studies, with particular emphasis on internationalization (e.g. international collaborations, a repertoire of publications in top quality journals and or book publications, participation in research networks, experience in project-based research and outreach activities); c) solid methodological training, in both quantitative and qualitative methods; d) proven experience in initiating innovative, cutting-edge, research strands and topics; e) proven experience in coordinating and teaching post-graduate courses; f) a track record in highly competitive funding, both at an international and national levels; (vii) experience in coordinating teams, and research units; and (viii) preferable experience in the outline and co-development of recommendations to decision-makers in both private and public sectors.??????? Tasks to be assigned : The Principal Research to be recruited will carry out activities in the field of political communication. These activities include a) submitting projects to highly competitive calls; b) coordinating projects and research teams; c) organizing training activities on the themes and methods related to politics, communication and the media; d) supervising master’s and PhD students; e) developing outreach activities and f) contributing to academic management at the ICS-ULisboa.The Principal Researcher is expected to contribute mainly to the TLs Citizenship and Inclusion , and the RGs SPARC and RIGOP; which cluster projects focusing on a wide set of themes – electoral behavior, attitudes towards democracy, corruption, inter-group relations, social inclusion and discrimination (funding: ERC, Horizon 2020, and FCT etc.); the PASSDA infrastructure that collects, analyses and archives data on political attitudes and social behavior; PhD programs (e.g. Doctorate in Comparative Politics), and several training (advanced courses on methods) and outreach activities.