Postdoctoral Position in Social Sciences

Position Overview

Department: Department of Sociology of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lund University

Project: WASP-HS – "Vulnerability in the Swedish welfare state"

Employment Type: Temporary Position

Contract Type: Full Time

Start Date: Senast 2027-01-01

Location: Lund, Skåne län, Sweden

Reference Number: PA2026/2189

About Lund University

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world’s top universities. The University has around 46,000 students and 8,500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

Position

We invite applications for a two-year postdoctoral position at the Department of Sociology of Law at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Lund in the context of the WASP-HS project “Vulnerability in the Swedish welfare state”, co-led by Associate Professor Jannice Käll and Guest Professor Sofia Ranchordas. The position should ideally start by no later than January 1, 2027.

Project Focus

Across Scandinavia, welfare states have become increasingly digitalized and automated over the past decades. This shift has led to significant improvements in public services, streamlined administrative decision-making processes, and enhanced the majority of government-citizen interactions. However, the digitalization and automation of welfare systems have also excluded thousands of citizens who lack the capacity to engage critically with digital technology. Moreover, digital tools have not been employed to address longstanding structural problems and inequalities. A substantial body of critical scholarship has highlighted the risks of algorithmic bias, the digital exclusion of individuals who already face barriers to accessing welfare rights, and the erosion of accountability resulting from reliance on opaque algorithmic processes. Yet, many aspects remain underexplored.

This postdoctoral project aims to investigate, from an empirical and interdisciplinary perspective, how digital technology both reflects and exacerbates underlying structural and systemic inequalities, shapes the politics and moral dimensions of the welfare state, and influences how Swedish public authorities perceive welfare recipients. In collaboration with other members of the project team, it will also explore—and potentially help develop—novel approaches by which Swedish public authorities seek to address these challenges, enhance citizen engagement, mitigate structural vulnerabilities, and empower individuals to navigate an increasingly automated welfare system.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct empirical research (qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods) on how Swedish public authorities engage with citizens in the governance of welfare automation.
• Analyze how citizen participation initiatives address vulnerability, exclusion, and empowerment in the automated welfare state.
• Examine the legal and governance frameworks shaping the use of AI and ADM in welfare provision.
• Publish research in leading academic journals and contribute to the dissemination of findings within and beyond academia.
• Collaborate with an interdisciplinary research team working on law, vulnerability, socio-legal studies, and public administration.

Required Qualifications

• A PhD (completed or near completion) in sociology of law, law, STS, political science, public administration, sociology, or related fields.
• Strong and demonstrated expertise in empirical research methods (e.g., interviews, ethnography, surveys, case study research).
• Demonstrated interest in vulnerability, welfare state governance, digitalisation, and citizen rights.
• Excellent verbal and written proficiency in Swedish (C1/C2) and English.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to an international, collaborative research environment.

We Offer

• A stimulating interdisciplinary research environment with opportunities to shape an emerging field of inquiry.
• The possibility to engage in the wide WASP-HS community and its interdisciplinary events.
• Funding for fieldwork in Sweden and participation in international conferences.
• Mentorship, publication support, and career development opportunities.
• Salary and employment conditions in accordance with university regulations.

Application Documents

Please submit the following documents as a single PDF:

• Cover letter (max. 2 pages) outlining your motivation, research interests, and fit for the project.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of publications.
• A writing sample (e.g., article, dissertation chapter).
• A research plan for your project (5 pages).
• Contact details of two academic referees.

About the Department

The Faculty of Social Sciences at Lund University is one of the leading education and research institutions in Sweden and operates both in Lund and Helsingborg.

Sociology of law at Lund University is a subject within Social sciences focusing on the relationship between law and society, such as the tension between the formal legislation of the government and the informal emergence of norms in civil society, among other contexts. Research is conducted in fields such as gender and discrimination, AI and machine learning, children's rights, welfare, legal cultures, corruption, migration, financial security and crime. The department offers courses at all levels. The department also runs the bachelor's program in criminology in collaboration with the Department of Sociology. The Sociology of Law Department is keen to engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration and has good contacts with professionals and public authorities.

We kindly decline all sales and marketing contacts.

Employment Information

Type of Employment: Temporary position

Contract Type: Full time

Salary: Månadslön

Number of Positions: 1

Full-time Equivalent: 100%

City: Lund

County: Skåne län

Country: Sweden

Reference Number: PA2026/2189

Contact

Anna Melin
HR Partner

Email: anna.melin@sam.lu.se

Union Representatives

• SEKO: Seko Civil — 046-2229366 — sekocivil@seko.lu.se
• OFR/ST: Fackförbundet ST:s kansli — 046-2229362 — st@st.lu.se
• SACO: Saco-s-rådet vid Lunds universitet — 046-2220000 — kansli@saco-s.lu.se

Important Dates

Published: 07.Jul.2026

Last Application Date: 06.Sep.2026

In your application, please refer to Professorpositions.com