PhD opportunity funded by the ESRC

Published: 22 June 2022

The Making of a Fair Trade Nation: The Development of Fair Trade Business Ethics and Practice in Scotland, c.1980s-2013

Applications are invited for for the studentship ‘The Making of a Fair Trade Nation: The Development of Fair Trade Business Ethics and Practice in Scotland, c.1980s-2013’, funded by the ESRC through the SGSSS. We are looking for a potential PhD student interested in completing a thesis studying twentieth-century Scottish and British history. The candidate will demonstrate familiarity in working with primary sources using qualitative research methods. Whilst preferred, a postgraduate qualification is not required. The award includes funding for a 1+3 award (Master’s year and 3 years for the PhD) , meaning that students could receive postgraduate training on a funded basis with an annual stipend as part of their scholarship.

Fair Trade’s growing prominence in Scotland since the 1980s is an important example of how business and conceptions of social justice link with one another. This studentship will investigate the major questions about the ethics of consumption in capitalist societies which Fair Trade raises by linking concerns about conditions of production to just pricing and the exchange of products in global markets to varied localised settings across Scotland. We are seeking a candidate with relevant history or social science qualitative research expertise and a background in studying themes relating to social movements and activism, business and trade practices and/or twentieth century Scottish history. Experience with public engagement activities would be beneficial but is not required.

In this project, oral history interviews with important figures from the Scottish Fair Trade Forum and research using the Forum’s privately held archive and the collections of its members, will be combined with interviews with individuals from businesses, community and faith groups that the Forum engages with, and Fair Trade customer survey data. The outcomes are orientated towards public engagement, using the Forum’s history to inform discussions on what Fair Trade means in the context of continuing economic inequalities and mounting concerns over the role of international trade in climate change.

This studentship is for a PhD in Economic and Social History awarded by the School of Social and Political Sciences. The project will be supervised by Dr Ewan Gibbs of the Economic and Social History subject area within the School of Social and Political Sciences and Dr Catriona MacDonald of the History subject area within the School of Humanities.

Deadline for applications: 7 July 2022

Eligibility

  • An undergraduate degree at a first or upper second class level or equivalent qualification and experience, or a masters in history or a relevant social science discipline.
  • Knowledge of scholarship and academic debates in relevant subjects such as Fair Trade, business practices and activism, trade policymaking and contemporary Scottish history.
  • Relevant skills in either archival research or oral history interviewing.

Funding

As per guidance published by UKRI in October 2020, a maximum of 30% of all studentships awarded can be made to international students, with the remaining 70% going to home students.

Residential Criteria

To be classed as a home student, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a UK national (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have settled status, or
  • Have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or
  • Have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If you do not meet the criteria above, you will be classed as an international student. To establish if you would be classed as a home student, please see pages 4 and 5 of the UKRI eligibility guidance here.

Award details

The scholarship is available as a +3 (3 year PhD) or a 1+3 (Masters year and 3 year PhD) studentship depending on prior research training. This will be assessed as part of the recruitment process, however you can access guidance here to help you decide on which to apply for. The programme will commence in October 2022. The full ESRC studentship package includes, as advised by ESRC:

  • An annual maintenance grant (stipend)
  • Fees at the standard institutional home rate
  • Students can also draw on a pooled Research Training Support Grant (RTSG)

Other information

This PhD scholarship involves working in collaboration with the Scottish Fair Trade Forum. The student will be advised by Martin Rhodes, the Forum’s Chief Executive and be given use of the Forum’s facilities in Glasgow. They will also work with the Forum by using its own archival records and those held by its members in their research, using the Forum’s networks to recruit oral history participants and in developing a physical and online exhibition.

How to apply

  1. Applicants must register on SGSSS Apply, completing their Equal Opportunities data.
  2. Applicants must apply via SGSSS Apply, uploading the following documentation:
  • Application Form
  • Academic transcripts
  • Referee information (two references required)
  • CV

Selection panels will use the SGSSS Studentship Marking Framework (see Candidate Capabilities section) when assessing applications.

Please Note:

  • This is not an application to the relevant University, this is an application for SGSSS (ESRC) funding.
  • Students do not need a Masters/PhD offer from the relevant University before they can apply for funding, i.e. this studentship.
  • If successful in obtaining the SGSSS (ESRC) studentship, students can only start the funded studentship once they have an unconditional Masters/PhD degree offer from the relevant University. It is your responsibility to find out the University’s application process, including when you need to secure your offer, as SGSSS plays no role in this process.

First published: 22 June 2022

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