Postdoctoral position at the Department of Anthropology, Aarhus University - Vacancy at Aarhus University

Research context

The “Beyond the Hoof” project seeks an innovative postdoctoral scholar in anthropology to lead a research package about the social and ecological impacts of cattle and cattle infrastructures in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, Africa. The position is part of the Sapere-Aude: DFF Research Leaders project, led by associate professor Pierre du Plessis, that investigates how Botswana’s commercial cattle industry has reshaped landscapes beyond the immediate sites of production, and how the changes they induced influenced anthropological study of the Kalahari. Focusing on infrastructures such as veterinary fences and boreholes, the study traces ripple effects “beyond the hoof”—fragmented wildlife migrations, altered vegetation, and disrupted San hunter-gatherer territories—that not only shaped and continue to shape Kalahari landscapes, but also the very conditions of anthropological observation and theory about human-environmental relations.

 

The candidate will be responsible for a work package that investigates contemporary processes of cattle expansion in an historical hunting and gathering territory, the implications for both cultural and natural heritage in this area, and how communities experience and perceive these transformations. The position thus involves significant periods of field research between cattle-grazing and wildlife management areas, conducting interviews, community-based mapping activities, gathering oral histories, and participation in ecological surveys. The ideal candidate will have an existing research profile that uses ethnographic methods to explore questions relevant to the social and ecological effects of livestock and agricultural infrastructures on landscapes as well as a keen interest in the history of anthropology (particularly as it relates to the Kalahari and southern African). The postdoctoral fellow will be expected to contribute to the theoretical and methodological analysis of how landscape change influenced the historical development of environmental anthropology in the Kalahari and should be prepared to work in a collaborative research team with the PI and project affiliates, including interdisciplinary research bridging social and natural science.

 

The successful applicant will be expected to:

• Both assist in ongoing research and conduct original ethnographic field research on the intersection of cattle and human-wildlife interactions, infrastructural expansion, and cultural and natural heritage of Kalahari landscapes in Botswana.
• Develop interdisciplinary collaborative research with the PI and project affiliates. 
• Conduct literature reviews about Kalahari Anthropology
• Publish sole-author and collaborative publications based on project research findings.
• Present findings at conferences, workshops, lectures, and stakeholder meetings.
• Participate in the theoretical and methodological development of the larger “Beyond the Hoof” project with the PI.
• Assist in coordinating and organizing project activities and outputs.
• Coordinate field research with the PI to be conducted annually in Botswana.
  • The successful candidate will be expected to conduct 3-4 months of field research in Botswana in both 2027 and 2028 (this will occur concurrently with the PI’s field research periods).
• The successful applicant will be required to reside in Denmark and maintain residence in the country (including during periods of field research).

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