Position Summary
Why does migrant women’s employment vary so sharply by religion? In South Asia, female employment remains low across religious groups, yet international migration often coincides with substantial divergence. Hindu and Sikh women in the diaspora typically work at high rates, while many Muslim women remain outside the labor force. This project investigates how religious communities change after migration, and why some families come to regard female employment as respectable while others continue to idealize seclusion. The successful candidate will conduct extended qualitative fieldwork, analyze findings, and contribute to scholarly and public-facing outputs.
This position is a one year fixed term with possibility of renewal. It will be 100% remote in Texas.
Doing this work could involve:
- Undertaking 8 months qualitative research, then an additional four for literature review and writing up fieldwork, including life history interviews, with the South Asian diaspora in Texas. This research will be explicitly comparative, exploring why some communities continue to idealize seclusion while others place higher value on female employment.
- Designing interview protocols, recruitment strategies, and fieldwork plans in consultation with the PI.
- Organizing project logistics, including scheduling and fieldwork documentation.
- Independently recruiting participants, conducting interviews, and maintaining detailed field notes.
- Exercising sound judgment, adapting research procedures as circumstances change, while maintaining ethical standards, confidentiality, and IRB compliance.
- Transcribing, organizing, synthesizing, and interpreting qualitative data; produce analytic memos comparing patterns across religious communities.
- Collaboratively analyzing fieldwork findings with the team.
- Contributing to academic manuscripts, research briefs, and public-facing writing.
Core Duties:
Assist in designing experiments, exercising independent initiative and judgment gained from completing a variety of high level assignments, including activities such as defining variables, formulating hypotheses, and selecting subjects, sources of information, or planning and coordinating experimental protocols.
Adapt or work out the details of new, nonstandard procedures, with the supervisor providing general guidance and suggestions.
Interpret, synthesize, and analyze data using scientific or statistical techniques.
Solve problems, and make decisions that affect the direction of the research and result in independent contributions to the overall project.
Select and apply standard calculations and formulas independently to compile data or process documents; often serve as a resource for research methods and numerical analyses.
Co-author sections of research publications and regulatory reports as needed.
Complete project-related administrative and budgetary responsibilities of a limited scope as needed.
Supervise staff or students as needed, including oversight and instruction on techniques, as well as consultation on project work.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor of Arts degree in an applicable social science related field and two years applicable experience, or combination of education and relevant experience in an applicable social science.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Comprehensive understanding of scientific theory and methods.
General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
Strong analytical skills and excellent judgment.
Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to complete detailed work accurately.
Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.
Ability to work with human study participants.
Developing supervisory skills.