Ph.d. position in the research project: AUTHENTIC (EM)POWER(MENT): EXPLORING AUTHENTICITY AS THE NEW CAPITAL OF PSYCHIATRY
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Ph.d. position in the research project: AUTHENTIC (EM)POWER(MENT): EXPLORING AUTHENTICITY AS THE NEW CAPITAL OF PSYCHIATRY
The Department of People and Technology (IMT), Roskilde University, invites applications for a position as PhD of Social Psychology: The PhD is to explore how user involvement is enacted between psychiatric service users and staff in social-psychiatric settings, with an emphasis on the formation and negotiation of ‘self’ and on (in)equity in psychiatric treatment. The candidate will begin 1/10 – 2026 or as soon as possible thereafter. The position as a PhD student is limited to a period of 3 years.
Description of the PhD project
The PhD project is part of a larger project, funded by the Velux Fondation: ‘Authentic (em)power(ment): exploring authenticity as the new capital of psychiatry’ (2026-2030). The project will explore how user involvement has become a key concept in the healthcare system, including the field of psychiatry, urging users to engage not only in their own recovery processes, but also as stakeholders in organizational work, and as co-producers of knowledge. User involvement not only changes the healthcare system, but also ideas about what and who users are (or become), and what they represent. On the one hand they represent a unique voice that exists outside of what is viewed as professional and institutional framing. On the other hand, their voices and experiences are co-produced by the very same settings. In this project, we bring the philosophical ideas of authenticity to the field of user involvement to investigate how authenticity is co-produced and how it is involved in processes of user (em)power(ment). The aim of the project is to theorize authenticity as a form of capital in the psychiatric system, drawing on, but not limited to, the notions of capital (Bourdieu 1986; Wacquant 1993) subjectified subjectivity (Pedersen & Bang 2016a), and patient norms (Holen 2011).
The PhD project shall – as one of the work packages in the project – explore how the 'authentic self' is created, negotiated, and transformed within social-psychiatric work with (younger) adults with severe psychiatric diagnoses. Here the transformation of the 'self' becomes the shared work-object of both the professional and the psychiatric service user, in an effort towards recovery. The becoming of an authentic user-subject is thus explored in the intersection (and possible tension) of subjective agency and institutional agendas with a focus on self-understanding, action possibilities, and inequity. The project is theoretically situated in dialectical notions of self.
The primary supervisor of the PhD project is Associate Professor Sofie Pedersen, and co-supervisor is Professor Mari Holen (both at IMT, Roskilde University).
As a PhD student, you are expected to attend national and international conferences and write scientific papers to be published in the international literature as well as write and defend a PhD thesis based on the research project. During the project there is at least one research stay abroad with our collaborative partners at either London Southbank University (Paula Reavey) or Nottingham Trent University (Steven Brown).
Section of Psychology and Education and the Doctoral School of People and Technology You will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of People and Technology, and you can read more about the doctoral school here. https://ruc.dk/en/doctoral-school-people-and-technology.
You will be based at the Section of Psychology and Education and affiliated with the research group of Social Psychology of Everyday Life (formerly STP; subject, technology and social practice). The research group focuses on analyzing the experiences and activities across various contexts of human subjects, with an emphasis on concrete problems of their everyday life, contributing to the further development of social psychological theory. Through the study of the social organization of human practices (e.g. in a workplace, a childcare center, or a mental health care practice), the research aims to analyze relations between the challenges of everyday life, subjective perspectives, and technologies.
As the Velux project is an interdisciplinary research project, it is based in the intersection of the sections of Psychology and Education and Health and Society. Health and Society covers highly dynamic and interdisciplinary health research across methods and disciplines. As a PhD student, you will become a part of a strong interdisciplinary research environment and you will encounter a highly engaged team of researchers, across sections, who are open to new theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches.
The Department of People and Technology
The Department of People and Technology encompasses human, social, health and IT sciences as well as planning, intervention and design-oriented disciplines. In round figures, the institute employs 150 academic staff, 40 TAP, 50 PhD students (internal and external) and 80 external lecturers. In addition, a varying number of research assistants and student assistants are employed. The Department is orientated towards developing interdisciplinary and sustainable solutions to important societal challenges. Research and development work is carried out in close collaboration with public, private and civil organizations. The department utilizes a wide range of innovative and experimental research approaches that support human agency and active engagement in everyday life.
Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receive constructive feedback in the PhD program in order to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of course work and gain experience of teaching activities. You are also required to have a research environmental change (3-6 months) during your PhD enrollment. The environment change can take place at foreign or local universities or research institutions. The PhD position is an educational position, and the main tasks are in accordance with chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Program at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/engelsk-ph-d-bekendtgorelse.pdf),
Qualifications
You must hold a master’s degree or equivalent within the field of psychology, health science, or related fields. You should have documented skills in qualitative methods. Qualifications within the following areas are required:
We also emphasize the following qualifications:
You are required to be enterprising and to possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across different sections at the IMT department.
Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment, consideration will be given to:
In the assessment regarding enrollment, consideration will also be given to the following criteria:
Questions
For further information about the position or project, please contact Associate Professor Sofie Pedersen, sofieped@ruc.dk Phone: +45-4674 3625
Terms of employment
The employment is full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to Peter Kjær, Head of Department.
The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Documentation of education including grades from Master’s programme or equivalent
4. Your description of the PhD project
5. Your time schedule of the PhD project
6. If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience or publications.
Please submit your application no later than 16-04-2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.
Description of the PhD project
The PhD project is part of a larger project, funded by the Velux Fondation: ‘Authentic (em)power(ment): exploring authenticity as the new capital of psychiatry’ (2026-2030). The project will explore how user involvement has become a key concept in the healthcare system, including the field of psychiatry, urging users to engage not only in their own recovery processes, but also as stakeholders in organizational work, and as co-producers of knowledge. User involvement not only changes the healthcare system, but also ideas about what and who users are (or become), and what they represent. On the one hand they represent a unique voice that exists outside of what is viewed as professional and institutional framing. On the other hand, their voices and experiences are co-produced by the very same settings. In this project, we bring the philosophical ideas of authenticity to the field of user involvement to investigate how authenticity is co-produced and how it is involved in processes of user (em)power(ment). The aim of the project is to theorize authenticity as a form of capital in the psychiatric system, drawing on, but not limited to, the notions of capital (Bourdieu 1986; Wacquant 1993) subjectified subjectivity (Pedersen & Bang 2016a), and patient norms (Holen 2011).
The PhD project shall – as one of the work packages in the project – explore how the 'authentic self' is created, negotiated, and transformed within social-psychiatric work with (younger) adults with severe psychiatric diagnoses. Here the transformation of the 'self' becomes the shared work-object of both the professional and the psychiatric service user, in an effort towards recovery. The becoming of an authentic user-subject is thus explored in the intersection (and possible tension) of subjective agency and institutional agendas with a focus on self-understanding, action possibilities, and inequity. The project is theoretically situated in dialectical notions of self.
The primary supervisor of the PhD project is Associate Professor Sofie Pedersen, and co-supervisor is Professor Mari Holen (both at IMT, Roskilde University).
As a PhD student, you are expected to attend national and international conferences and write scientific papers to be published in the international literature as well as write and defend a PhD thesis based on the research project. During the project there is at least one research stay abroad with our collaborative partners at either London Southbank University (Paula Reavey) or Nottingham Trent University (Steven Brown).
Section of Psychology and Education and the Doctoral School of People and Technology You will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of People and Technology, and you can read more about the doctoral school here. https://ruc.dk/en/doctoral-school-people-and-technology.
You will be based at the Section of Psychology and Education and affiliated with the research group of Social Psychology of Everyday Life (formerly STP; subject, technology and social practice). The research group focuses on analyzing the experiences and activities across various contexts of human subjects, with an emphasis on concrete problems of their everyday life, contributing to the further development of social psychological theory. Through the study of the social organization of human practices (e.g. in a workplace, a childcare center, or a mental health care practice), the research aims to analyze relations between the challenges of everyday life, subjective perspectives, and technologies.
As the Velux project is an interdisciplinary research project, it is based in the intersection of the sections of Psychology and Education and Health and Society. Health and Society covers highly dynamic and interdisciplinary health research across methods and disciplines. As a PhD student, you will become a part of a strong interdisciplinary research environment and you will encounter a highly engaged team of researchers, across sections, who are open to new theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches.
The Department of People and Technology
The Department of People and Technology encompasses human, social, health and IT sciences as well as planning, intervention and design-oriented disciplines. In round figures, the institute employs 150 academic staff, 40 TAP, 50 PhD students (internal and external) and 80 external lecturers. In addition, a varying number of research assistants and student assistants are employed. The Department is orientated towards developing interdisciplinary and sustainable solutions to important societal challenges. Research and development work is carried out in close collaboration with public, private and civil organizations. The department utilizes a wide range of innovative and experimental research approaches that support human agency and active engagement in everyday life.
Responsibilities and tasks
As a PhD fellow you are trained at an international level to undertake research. You are responsible for carrying out independent research under supervision and receive constructive feedback in the PhD program in order to finish your PhD thesis. During your employment you are required to take 30 ECTS of course work and gain experience of teaching activities. You are also required to have a research environmental change (3-6 months) during your PhD enrollment. The environment change can take place at foreign or local universities or research institutions. The PhD position is an educational position, and the main tasks are in accordance with chapter 3, Ministerial Order on the PhD Program at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions (https://ufm.dk/en/legislation/prevailing-laws-and-regulations/education/files/engelsk-ph-d-bekendtgorelse.pdf),
Qualifications
You must hold a master’s degree or equivalent within the field of psychology, health science, or related fields. You should have documented skills in qualitative methods. Qualifications within the following areas are required:
- Speak and understand Danish, since the project includes Danish-language fieldwork
We also emphasize the following qualifications:
- Enthusiasm for investigating changes and dynamics for psychiatric service users in social-psychiatric settings
- Excellent communication skills in both written and oral English
- Motivated, creative, and capable of independent research work
- Enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research and collaboration
You are required to be enterprising and to possess good communication skills and to be a visible, involved participant in the department’s daily activities, in addition to being willing to engage in disciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration across different sections at the IMT department.
Assessment
In the assessment regarding employment, consideration will be given to:
- Relevant master’s degree or equivalent (according to Danish Qualifications Framework for Higher Education: https://ufm.dk/en/education/recognition-and-transparency/transparency-tools/qualifications-frameworks/other-qualifications-frameworks/danish-qf-for-higher-education?set_language=en&cl=en).
- Any additional academic requirements stated in the job advertisement.
In the assessment regarding enrollment, consideration will also be given to the following criteria:
- Educational skills and any further professional qualifications
- Grades at master’s program or equivalent
- Quality and relevance of the project description
- On the basis of the ambition of the overall project description, the PhD project description should account for how the project would empirically explore the becoming of an authentic user-subject in the intersection (and possible tension) of subjective agency and institutional agendas – and hence emphasize a motivated research question and an empirical design, suited for investigation in a social-psychiatric setting.
- Considerations regarding theoretical and methodological approaches
- Your project description shall be no more than 5 pages (excl. references)
- Quality and relevance of the methodical and theoretical choices
- Consistency and coherence between the problem and the choice of method and theory
- If the PhD project seems realistic and feasible
- Ability to complete the PhD project
- Relevance of the project to the profile of the Doctoral School
Questions
For further information about the position or project, please contact Associate Professor Sofie Pedersen, sofieped@ruc.dk Phone: +45-4674 3625
Terms of employment
The employment is full time, 37 hours per week and you will refer to Peter Kjær, Head of Department.
The position will be filled according to the Agreement between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC) and Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities.
Application procedure
After the deadline for applications the Dean will shortlist applicants for assessment with assistance from the recruitment committee including the chairperson of the assessment committee.
Shortly after the application deadline all applicants will be notified whether or not their application has been selected for assessment.
The shortlisted applicants will be informed about the composition of the assessment committee, and each applicant will be given the opportunity to comment on the composition of the committee and - later on - their assessment.
Once the recruitment process is completed, all applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application.
Application
To apply for the position go to www.ruc.dk/en/job/
Only applications in English are accepted.
Applications must include:
1. Cover letter
2. CV
3. Documentation of education including grades from Master’s programme or equivalent
4. Your description of the PhD project
5. Your time schedule of the PhD project
6. If applicable: Documentation for any research experience, work experience or publications.
Please submit your application no later than 16-04-2026.
Material received after this date will not be taken into consideration.
Roskilde University wishes to reflect the diversity of society and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of personal background.