PhD student in Sociology

The Department of Sociology, founded 1954, offers a lively and collaborative research environment with a strong international research profile. The department is especially competitive in the areas of demography, ethnic relations and migration, gender, family sociology, political sociology, social policy regimes, social networks and social stratification. Masters and doctoral programs offered at the department are taught in English and attract applicants from all over Europe. At present members of the department include doctoral students, post-docs and faculty from at least 15 different countries.

The department also include the Stockholm University Demography Unit (SUDA), established in 1983, an international group of scholars and doctoral students, working on many facets of population dynamics. SUDA offers the only comprehensive demographic training in Sweden, and the unit is well connected with research schools throughout the world. As an acknowledgement of SUDA’s success, demography has officially been appointed a leading research area at Stockholm University.

The Department of Sociology at Stockholm University announces a doctoral studentship in Sociology with qualitative focus wth start date 01/01/2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

More information about us, please visit: the Department of Sociology.

Subject area

Sociology

Project description

The PhD position is part of the 5-year project “Sexual and Reproductive Outcomes of Violent Crime (SeRO)” funded by a European Research Council 2025 Starting Grant. Dr. Signe Svallfors leads the project as its Principal Investigator (PI). The project uses mixed methods to investigate how local violent crime affects sexual and reproductive health outcomes in Mexico. The project will recruit two PhD candidates who will contribute to quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods components of the research.

The PhD student with qualitative focus will conduct stakeholder interviews with Mexican healthcare providers, policymakers, and community members to understand their perspectives on how local violent crime affects sexual and reproductive health. This role requires Spanish language competence and will include travel for data collection fieldwork in Mexico during the project.

The PhD candidate will have opportunities to focus their dissertation research on specific aspects of the SeRO project, such as analyzing particular health outcomes, examining specific population subgroups, or investigating adaptation strategies. The candidate is welcome to engage in mixed-methods research in the two branches of the project.

The PhD student will work closely together with the PI, a PhD candidate with qualitative focus, and two research assistants. There is also an international advisory board with experts who will be involved sporadically in supportive roles. The project includes opportunities for international conference travel, research visits to other universities, and additional training beyond the doctoral program (such as summer courses).

Qualification requirements

In order to be admitted to postgraduate education, the applicant must have the general and specific entry requirements. The qualification requirements must be met by the deadline for applications.

You meet general entry requirements if you have completed a second-cycle degree, or completed courses equivalent to at least 240 higher education credits, of which 60 credits must be in the second cycle, or have otherwise acquired equivalent knowledge in Sweden or elsewhere.

Selection

The selection among the eligible candidates will be based on their capacity to benefit from the training. The following criteria will be used to assess this capacity:

• Relevant MA education in population/public health, sociology, gender studies, anthropology, or related fields
• Prior independent research work in sociology or a related subject documented in an essay or other written work
• Written and oral proficiency in English
• Written and oral proficiency in Spanish and ability to travel to Mexico to conduct field interviews
• Prior qualitative methods training
• Fit between the research plan and the SeRO project objectives
• Other professional qualities, including capacity for analytical thinking, ability to collaborate across disciplines, and sensitivity to research ethics.

Admission Regulations for Doctoral Studies at Stockholm University.

About the employment

We offer a fixed-term employment as a doctoral student according to Chapter 5 of the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100). The period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for four years. As a doctoral student, you should primarily devote yourself to your own doctoral education, but the employment may include work with education, research and administration to a limited extent (maximum 20 %).

A new employment as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, the employment is then renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Stockholm University strives to be a workplace free from discrimination and with equal opportunities for all.

Contact

For more information, please contact PI Dr. Signe Svallfors, signe.svallfors@sociology.su.se.

For more information about the doctoral program, please contact the Director of Doctoral Studies, Professor Stefanie Möllborn, studierektorF@sociology.su.se

Application

Apply for the PhD student position at Stockholm University's recruitment system. Attach a personal letter and CV as well as the attachments requested in the application form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the job advertisement, and that it is submitted before the deadline.

The instructions for applicants are available at: How to apply for a position.