Postdoctoral position « A Musical History of Feminisms »

General framework of the project: 

This postdoctoral contract is part of the project Une archéologie des féminismes en musique (An Archaeology of Feminisms in Music), supported by the Institut universitaire de France (IUF). The recruited candidate will contribute to initiating research on the musical history of feminisms, aiming to establish connections between historical and contemporary periods. The objective is to demonstrate how music has historically served as a tool for political action and how it has supported feminist struggles as well as the battles and debates that preceded them. The project encompasses both individual and collective dimensions and is structured around three main themes:

1: Music and the defense of women and their rights

2: Exemplarity of women musicians

3: Music in struggle

Main activities: 

• Archival research; source analysis; fieldwork; bibliographic monitoring
• Personal research project related to the musical history of feminisms
• Contribution to the creation of a digital music edition
• Contribution to an edited book with Catherine Deutsch

Associated Activities:

• Active presence in the host laboratory and regular participation in its activities (attending the two annual general assemblies; potentially attending certain conferences, etc.)
• Participating in external communication (e-mails; contributing to the development of the website and/or research blog)
• Assisting with the organization of scientific events related to the project
• Editing academic texts

Skills:     

• Required : PhD in musicology; good knowledge of the history of feminisms and/or the conceptual framework of gender studies; excellent writing skills in the native language; C1 proficiency in both French and English
• Desired: Initial research experience (publications in academic books and/or peer-reviewed journals); familiarity with the challenges of digital humanities

Personal Attributes:    

• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, including research, writing, and communication
• Strong organizational and communication skills

Collaborators:              

• The postdoc supervisor: close collaboration with the postdoctoral researcher through regular monitoring
• The project’s scientific committee

Job Specifics and Constraints: 

• On-site presence required from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.; two days of teleworking per week are possible (office located in the Musicology Department, Saulcy Campus)
• Availability to be away from the main residence for archival research and fieldwork (particularly in Angers and Paris)
• Compliance with the schedule established by the project leader 

Deadline for application submission:

February 28, 2025

Planned interview date:

Mid-march, 2025

Start date:

April 3, 2025

Applicants should send the following documents to Catherine Deutsch (catherine.deutsch@univ-lorraine.fr):

• A CV
• A cover letter, including a draft of a personal research project related to the postdoc topic
• The “rapport de thèse” PhD dissertation defense report (for dissertations defended in France only)
• A significant publication (either in press or already published)

Contract duration: 24 months