Salary: Spine Point 24 £17.03 per hour plus 12.07% in lieu of holiday
Start date: 4th March 2024
Anticipated hours: 8 hours per week
Details of the post:
We are seeking three research assistants to support the ongoing community history project ‘A Muslim History of Oxford’. The roles are supported by a partnership between the Everyday Muslim Heritage and Archive Initiative (EMHAI) and the University of Oxford’s Faculty of History.
In November 2020, the History Faculty began the work of growing a new ‘community history’ initiative: to strengthen the Faculty’s relationships with local historians and community groups throughout Oxford and Oxfordshire, and to enhance its work in the field of local and community history. The new initiative is grounded in an ethos of putting ethical, equitable working relationships at the heart of these endeavours to engage more deeply with community history research and public engagement, and particularly to create more space for local historians and community groups to set these ongoing agendas.
‘A Muslim History of Oxford’ aims to create an archive collection of oral history interviews and other materials. The collection will reflect the long history of Muslims in Oxford, from the earliest members who arrived as students and scholars in the 19th century, to growing communities in places like East Oxford, where labourers from the Commonwealth often settled from the mid-20th century onward. The collection will also represent the varying facets of Oxford’s Muslim history, including notable individuals, organisations, important buildings and key events. This collection will then be used to create academic and public engagement outputs, such as a Muslim history trail in Oxford which is currently being developed. The Research Assistants will be an integral part of the project team, and their input will be crucial in shaping the project’s outputs. They will collect and document the experiences of the Muslim community in Oxford, past and present. This will primarily be achieved through the collection and analysis of archival research and oral history interviews. They will also support the planning and execution of focus groups with Oxford’s Muslim community, as well as a workshop on community history and oral history methodology. This is with a view of widening our network within the community, as well as exploring and engaging with the diversity of Oxford’s Muslim community.
How to apply:
Please send the following documents to casual.admin@history.ox.ac.uk by noon on Friday 16th February 2024:
- A brief statement of interest (no longer than 400 words) giving your reasons why you want to be part of the research team and what relevant skills, interests, and knowledge you may be able to bring to the project.
- Please also include a CV indicating any academic and other appropriate qualifications and relevant experience (of no more than 2 pages in length).
Informal discussions will take place over Microsoft Teams between 20th -23rd February 2024, with prior arrangement.
