Junior research scientist in sociology of migrations and social morphology in rural areas

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INRAE presentation

INRAE, the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and Environment, is a public research organization bringing together 12,000 employees across 272 units in 18 centers across France. As the world’s leading institute specializing in agriculture, food, and the environment, INRAE plays a key role in supporting the necessary transitions to address global challenges.

Faced with population growth, food security challenges, climate change, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss, INRAE is committed to developing scientific solutions and supporting the evolution of agricultural, food, and environmental practices.

INRAE is recruiting researchers by open competition and offering permanent position.

Work environment, missions and activities

CESAER (Centre d'Economie et de Sociologie appliquées à l'Agriculture et aux Espaces Ruraux) is an INRAE and Institut Agro de Dijon joint research unit, dedicated to the analysis of economic and social transformations in rural areas and agriculture. The unit is made up of 39 permanent scientists and hosts some thirty doctoral and post-doctoral students. It is organized into two research divisions. The work carried out within the DETR “Dynamics of rural territories and social groups” cluster, which you will be joining, aims to gain a better understanding of the determinants of the attractiveness of territories, in particular rural and peri-urban areas, and to analyze the structuring of the social groups living there.
You'll be looking at how the increase in inter- and intra-national migratory movements restructures, in contrasting ways, the social morphology of the countryside according to the specific features of the areas and groups concerned - labor migrations, displaced populations, modest households excluded from metropolises or affluent households attracted by rural amenities... This analysis of new arrivals will be linked to work on social allegiances and their links with the residential history of groups, households and individuals. One of the main questions is how to understand interactions between social groups in the light of migratory phenomena and their different forms in different local contexts.
Using localized or multi-sited surveys, you will seek to grasp the diversity and general principles of migration patterns in rural areas. The challenge will be to renew a rural sociology often based on the study of the most deeply-rooted populations, and to reverse the focus towards the most recently arrived groups: we need to understand both what population movements do to local social space, and what arriving in the countryside implies for migrants. This dialogue between the sociology of rural worlds and the sociology of immigration should make a wider contribution to the study of the reproduction of inequalities and relations of domination between social groups and between individuals.
To carry out this program, you will benefit from the integration of CESAER and its researchers in various national and international networks, from the group activities and regular scientific exchanges that take place within the unit, and from administrative support to respond to large-scale calls for projects.

Training and skills

Competition is open to candidates with a PhD (or equivalent).
You will be able to draw on your skills in the sociology of migration, with a research capability in rural areas, and an appetite for interdisciplinarity in the social sciences.
Fluency in English is desirable, as is long-term international experience: successful candidates who have not already had such experience will be required to spend a year abroad at the end of the probationary year.

INRAE's life quality

By joining our teams, you benefit from:

- 30 days of annual leave + 15 days "Reduction of Working Time" (for a full time);
- parenting support: CESU childcare, leisure services;
- skills development systems: training, career advise;
- social support: advice and listening, social assistance and loans;
- holiday and leisure services: holiday vouchers, accommodation at preferential rates;
- sports and cultural activities;
- collective catering.

For international scientists: please visit your guide to facilitate your arrival and stay at INRAE. 

How to apply

1. I download the applicant guide Application guidelines CRCN 2025 pdf - 3.93 MB
2. I write down the profile number CR-2025-ECOSOCIO-1
3. I apply GO