Research Assistant/Research Fellow, Geosciences (GEO465R)

This post is part of an externally funded project to investigate both how meanings of terms such as wild and rewilding have changed.

Job Description

An increasing number of initiatives aim to rewild parts of Scotland, from small patches of land to entire glens. One of the central ideas of these projects is often to restore nature to a more ‘wild’ and undisturbed state, to foster biodiversity and ecosystem services. However, these projects have led to scepticism and rejection from certain stakeholders, including local communities who are concerned about projects that exclude people from accessing and using landscapes imbued with cultural meanings. We argue that these current debates about rewilding in Scotland are rooted in the history of the terms ‘wild’ and ‘wilderness’, and their changing understanding and associated meanings over time. In this project, we therefore propose to analyse the changing meanings of a set of terms and expressions related to ‘wild’, ‘wilderness’ and ‘rewilding’ since the 18th century, and in different contexts, by analysing large corpora of text documents from both historical and contemporary sources. We will use novel hybrid methodologies that combine manual ‘close’ and qualitative text analysis with state-of-the-art computational quantitative analysis and natural language processing. The aim of this project is to unpack the changing nature-society relations in the Scottish Highlands by tracing changes associated to a culturally constructed concept such as wilderness based on text sources. The findings from this project will improve our understanding of changing human-nature relations from past to present, and inform the use of such terminologies in future policies and projects.

For those who hold a PhD, salary will be at Grade 6, £37,099 per annum, pro rata, actual rate £12,984.65 per annum for 0.35 full-time equivalent (FTE). For those who hold an MSc, salary will be at Grade 5, £31,396 per annum, pro rata, actual rate £10,988.60 per annum for 0.35FTE. For those who hold a degree salary will be at Grade 4, £25,742 per annum, pro rata, actual rate £9,009.70 per annum for 0.35FTE.

Informal enquiries should be made to Dr Flurina Wartmann, Senior Lecturer in Human Geography, e-mail: flurina.wartmann@abdn.ac.uk

This post does not meet the minimum requirements for visa sponsorship under the Skilled Worker Route. We are therefore unable to consider applicants for this post that require sponsorship to work in the UK.

To apply online for this position visit www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs

Job Reference Number: GEO465R

The closing date for the receipt of applications is 18 September 2024

The School of Geosciences embraces a diverse working environment and recognises the many benefits this can bring. Applications from individuals from across all of the equality protected characteristics are encouraged.

Please Note

If you are unable to complete an application online, please contact the Recruitment Team (HRRecruitment@abdn.ac.uk) to make alternative arrangements for submitting your application within plenty of time before the advertised post closes.