Please advertise to interested students. Thanks, Lorraine.
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Applications are invited for a full-time, three-year PhD studentship to undertake a research project entitled: Policing street children in Sao Paulo, Brazil: Relations of Violence and Exclusion in the City.
The studentship is supervised by Lorraine van Blerk (Reader, Human Geography) and Fernando Fernandes (Senior Lecturer, Centre for Inequalities) and the collaborating partner ABC Trust (Action for Brazil's Children, who are based in London). The studentship provides home/EU tuition fees and a maintenance grant paid at standard Research Council rates <http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/media/news/2012news/Pages/121218.aspx> . Unfortunately, the award is not open to applicants who are liable to pay tuition fees at the international fee rate. The starting date for the PhD is Autumn 2013 and the deadline for receipt of applications is Friday 10th May.
The project:
Thirty years after street children's rights were first debated internationally, the injustices faced by many children are still prevalent. Police violence is one issue that has received little academic attention despite forming the crux of a 2012 UN debate on street children's rights. Further children have previously been positioned as alone on the street, which when coupled with theoretical ideas celebrating children's agency, has resulted in research focusing on the minutiae of street life sometimes to the detriment of understanding how street children are positioned within wider social, economic and political contexts. Therefore this project takes a relational perspective to understanding street children's lives. It aims to explore the complex social, spatial and temporal nature of "policing" street children through examining their relational encounters and investigating ways in which their connections are shaped by power and violence in the contexts of urban governance, social exclusion and children's rights.
The research will take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, due to the high level of violence towards street children reported informally. Participatory ethnography will be employed using Bemak's street researcher concept. Fieldwork will comprise of intense street ethnography complimented by participatory activities including auto-photography; active focus groups; policing encounter maps; and city walking interviews as well as interviews with NGOs, government officials and police officers. Fieldwork will be facilitated through one of ABC Trust's local partners. Knowledge exchange with policy makers and practitioners in Brazil and the UK will formulate policy recommendations and practical strategies for reducing violence towards street children.
Eligibility:
Candidates must have a first class or upper second class Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in Human Geography or related social science discipline. It is expected that applicants will also hold (or will be completing) a relevant Masters degree. Applicants should have experience of undertaking qualitative research while the following skills/abilities are also strongly desirable:
Portuguese language skills (or a keen willingness to learn)
Experience of working with children/youth
Practical experience of working overseas, preferably in Latin America.
How to apply:
Please send a full cv and covering letter outlining your qualifications, skills and motivations for undertaking this project. Two academic references are also required. The deadline for applications is Friday 10th May 2013, with interviews held in late May/early June.
Contact: Lorraine Van Blerk <[log in to unmask]> (Human Geography, Dundee)
Collaborating Partner: Action for Brazil's Children (ABC) Trust
Further information can be found on the Scottish DTC website at: http://www.socsciscotland.ac.uk/studentships/the_collaborative_award_competition
Informal enquires can also be made to Lorraine van Blerk [log in to unmask]
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