iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"The housing shortage in the United States not only drives up rents, it is also a significant driver of poverty." The New York Times summarizes my collaboration Pew, which quantifies how high housing costs lead to higher poverty rates for 10 U.S. states. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/r...

nytimes.com

Where High Rents Drive People Into Poverty

A new study identified 10 locations where higher-than-average housing costs have impacted poverty the most.

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morellisal.bsky.social @morellisal.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Are inequality researchers too concerned with the ultra-rich? Proud to take part in the Atkinson Conference at Nuffield College (Oxford). On Sep 10, I’ll discuss with Mike Brewer moderated by Juliana de Castro Galvao. Info: atkinsonconference.github.io

atkinsonconference.github.io

The Atkinson Conference on Economic and Social Inequality

A two-day interdisciplinary conference on economic and social inequality at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. 10–11 September 2026.

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Just under 2 weeks til the closing date for the Assoc Prof in Law, Politics and Computational Social Science at Nuffield College and the University of Oxford. This is an amazing opportunity to be part of the Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods. Join us! www.politics.ox.ac.uk/opportunity/...

politics.ox.ac.uk

Associate Professorship of Law, Politics and Computational Social Science (APNTF)

In association with Nuffield CollegePermanent upon completion of a successful review. The review isconducted during the first 5 years.

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Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) and LIS Data Center are hiring a 3-year postdoc for work on public policy, welfare and socio-economic inequality. Open to economics, sociology, pol sci and related disciplines. Apply by Sep 15th: jobs.liser.lu/job/Esch-sur...

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Pat Hastings @ophastings.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

How well can we predict which children will end up poor adults or rich adults? Or how much education they'll earn? In a new working paper, @zparolin.bsky.social and I show the predictability of life outcomes depends on the country and outcome. www.inet.ox.ac.uk/publications... Highlights below! 🧵👇

Title: Rags or Riches? Predicting Life Outcomes from the Birth Lottery Across Five High-Income Countries

Authors: Orestes P. Hastings and Zach Parolin

Abstract: The stratification of life outcomes is a central concern of sociology, but to what extent can adult outcomes be predicted from childhood circumstances? Although decades of research have identified important family and socioeconomic factors associated with mobility and attainment, these models explain only a modest share of individual variation in outcomes. Using harmonized longitudinal data from the Cross-National Equivalent Files (CNEF) and an ensemble of machine-learning models, we estimate the predictability of adult outcomes in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and South Korea. Predictability varies substantially across outcomes and national contexts: educational attainment is more predictable than economic outcomes, poverty is far more predictable in the U.S., and income mobility is substantially less predictable than overall attainment outcomes. Additional U.S. analyses show that adding race, wealth, parental incarceration, and other variables improves predictions only slightly. We further show that predictability captures a distinct dimension of stratification not fully captured in other traditional measures of mobility, inequality, and opportunity. Together, these findings provide new insights into where and how the birth lottery most strongly shapes life chances.

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Great piece, thanks to you and Diane for writing this.

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Lauren Bauer @laurenhlb.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

New analysis from me & Diane Schanzenbach, possibly my favorite piece ever: We study the SNAP payment error rate and explain why tying how much a state will have to contribute toward SNAP payments to its PER is inherently empirically unstable. Remand. www.hamiltonproject.org/publication/...

A policy that could cause states to drop out of the SNAP program due to chance should not be left to chance. SNAP should be fully federally funded.

Figure 3 shows confidence intervals around the point estimates for a states SNAP payment error rate in FY2023. The confidence intervals are larger than the bins.

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Rense Nieuwenhuis @rnieuwenhuis.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

No child poverty in Sweden? Think again! We found big differences in poverty rates, poverty gaps and poverty buffers between children of Swedish-born and foreign-born parents. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... With @siddarthaaradhya.bsky.social and @rafgrotti.bsky.social

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Very very upset at the University of Cambridge higher ups. I don’t think their remaining in situ given this week - in court and with Arday - is remotely tenable.

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Ewa Batyra @ewabatyra.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Job alert! 📣 I’m recruiting a 3-year postdoc for my ERC Stg project DIVREP, which examines within-country variation in reproductive behaviour and its determinants across the globe. 🗓️ Deadline: 16 September 2026 www.sociology.ox.ac.uk/events/postd... Please share and apply!

sociology.ox.ac.uk

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Demography

Closing Date: 12.00pm Wednesday 16th September 2026

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Pat Hastings @ophastings.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Feeling deprived of academic talks over the summer? This Thursday I'm presenting new work with @zparolin.bsky.social for the Oxford Metrics & Models seminar. Online talk and all are welcome! 2pm Oxford time, 7am Colorado time. Happy to share the MS Teams link with you. metrics-and-models.github.io

Talk Title: Rags or Riches? Predicting Life Outcomes from the Birth Lottery Across Five High-Income Countries

Abstract: Stratification in life outcomes is a central concern of sociology, but to what extent can adult outcomes be predicted from childhood circumstances? Although decades of research have identified important family and socioeconomic factors associated with mobility and attainment, these models explain only a modest share of individual variation in outcomes. Using harmonized longitudinal data from the Cross-National Equivalent Files (CNEF) and an ensemble of machine-learning models applied to a common set of childhood characteristics, we estimate the predictability of adult outcomes in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, and South Korea. Predictability varies substantially across outcomes and national contexts: educational attainment is the most predictable in general, poverty is far more predictable in the U.S. than other countries, and income mobility is substantially less predictable than overall attainment outcomes. In additional analyses with the U.S., adding more variables including race, wealth, and parental incarceration improves predictions only slightly. We further show that predictability captures a distinct dimension of stratification that is not fully captured in other traditional measures of mobility, inequality, and opportunity. Together, these findings provide new insights into where and how the birth lottery most strongly shapes life chances.

Bio: Pat Hastings is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Colorado State University. He studies parenting, childhood, inequality, and social mobility with quantitative and computational methods.

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Lukas Lehner @lukaslehner.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

#Walmart #Supercenter openings are associated with a 2.2 percentage point (18%) rise in #poverty, and the increase persists for at least a decade. Our article is now published in #LabourEconomics, with @zparolin.bsky.social, Clemente Pignatti & Rafael Pintro-Schmitt.

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Nuffield College Library @nuffieldlibrary.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Power and poverty: The distributional consequences of Walmart Supercenter openings doi.org/10.1016/j.la... Paper in Labour Economics by Lukas Lehner, @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social Fellow @zparolin.bsky.social, Clemente Pignatti and Rafael Pintro Schmitt

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

With @joshuachoper.bsky.social & @lukaslehner.bsky.social in the American Sociological Review, we ask: What happens to organized labor when Walmart Supercenters enter a local labor market? Broadly, how do worker power and buyer power interact to shape inequality? journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

TODAY! ▶️"The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy: A Discussion with the European Commission and an Expert Panel." 2pm UK / 3pm CEST via Zoom as part of the INET Oxford Inequality Working Group. Join us to to discuss the Commission's new strategy to reduce poverty in the EU. www.inet.ox.ac.uk/events/the-e...

inet.ox.ac.uk

The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy: A Discussion with the European…

Afterward, two experts in European social policy – Bea Cantillon and Amílcar Moreira – will join Vila Nuñez for a discussion of the strategy. He…

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Selçuk Bedük @sbeduk.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

Last week to apply! It's shaping up to be an exciting event on inequality, bringing together perspectives across disciplines and beyond academia. Researchers, policy experts, civil servants and others working on inequality are all welcome.

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

The Atkinson Conference on Economic and Social Inequality will take place on 10-11 September at Nuffield College (Oxford). ▶️Plenaries: Philippe Aghion, Janet Gornick & roundable moderated by FT's Sarah O'Connor. 🚩CfP Deadline: 22 May. Join us in Oxford! Details here: atkinsonconference.github.io

atkinsonconference.github.io

The Atkinson Conference on Economic and Social Inequality

A two-day interdisciplinary conference on economic and social inequality at Nuffield College, University of Oxford. 10–11 September 2026.

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Per Engzell @pengzell.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

A postdoc position is now available in my project Markets and Mobility: How Employers Structure Economic Opportunity. Start date flexible within the next 12 months, apply by 9 May. www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/...

ucl.ac.uk

UCL – University College London

UCL is consistently ranked as one of the top ten universities in the world (QS World University Rankings 2010-2022) and is No.2 in the UK for research power (Research Excellence Framework 2021).

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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

📣 New job at Oxford's Centre for Advanced Social Science Methods (CASSM)! 📣 The Departments of Politics & IR (DPIR) and Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI) are hiring an Associate Professor of Causal and Experimental Methods. Come work with me and amazing Oxford peeps! Deadline NOON April 27th.

politics.ox.ac.uk

Associate Professorship of Causal and Experimental Methods in Politics and Social Policy

University salary from £58,265 - £77,645 per annum which is inclusive of an Oxford University Weighting of £1,730 p.aPermanent upon completion of a successful review. The review is conducted during th...

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Lukas Lehner @lukaslehner.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Join us today online for Alexandra Roulet's talk on "Making Labor Markets Work for Workers and Businesses", hosted by @zparolin.bsky.social @inetoxford.bsky.social @oxmartinschool.bsky.social. I'll be moderating the event and look forward to a vibrant discussion. www.inet.ox.ac.uk/events/makin...

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Dirk Witteveen @dirkwitteveen.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

📢 In this Social Forces article, I introduce occupational elitism as a novel measure of social closure: the share of upper-class background workers within an occupation. Its consequences for earnings stratification can be examined using a social closure theory lens. 🔓 doi.org/10.1093/sf/s...

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

On Feb 17, our @inetoxford.bsky.social team will launch the INET Oxford Inequality Working Group, an online seminar series that invites discussion on inequality and public policy. Our first speaker: @drodrik.bsky.social presents his new book. Details & registration: www.inet.ox.ac.uk/events/share...

inet.ox.ac.uk

Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World

Dani Rodrik of Harvard University will present his new book, "Shared Prosperity in a Fractured World: A New Economics for the Middle Class, the Global…

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Pepper Culpepper @pculpepper.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Billionaire Backlash is published today! (If you are in the US, this is a teaser -- out March 17 there). I had a fantastic conversation about the book with @hugorifkind.bsky.social from Times Radio yesterday. Link below (interview starts at about 50:30). Or join us for the launch in Oxford tonight.

thetimes.com

Hugo Rifkind | Times Radio | The Times and the Sunday Times

Listen to Times Radio live for the latest breaking news, expert analysis and well-informed discussion covering the biggest stories of the day.

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Joshua Choper @joshuachoper.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

My new article, now online @sfjournal.bsky.social, examines trends in Black-White inequality by gender in earnings losses among displaced workers. Lost earnings premia, disadvantageous re-sorting, and statistical discrimination play distinct roles in shaping inequality. doi.org/10.1093/sf/s...

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

I'm hiring a post-doctoral researcher to join us at the University of Oxford and our @inetoxford.bsky.social Inequality team. Ideal candidate has experience in the fields of inequality, social mobility, and/or public policy. We can sponsor visas for non-UK applicants. www.inet.ox.ac.uk/vacancies

inet.ox.ac.uk

Vacancies

Jobs and Vacancies at INET Oxford, The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

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davidbroska.bsky.social @davidbroska.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

First day of my research visit at Oxford! Many thanks to @zparolin.bsky.social for the generous invitation. I’ll be presenting on simulating human behavior with LLMs on Jan 28 at the @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social Sociology Seminar. If you’ll be around Oxford, feel free to reach out!

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Julian Garritzmann @garritzmannj.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

we have 5 positions open at @goetheuni.bsky.social in Frankfurt - a 4,5 year postdoc in my @erc.europa.eu project on the educational cleavage - 2 postdoc & 2 PhD positions, 4 years, in a research group on Reconfiguration & Internalization of Social Structure www.uni-frankfurt.de/48794784/FB0...

uni-frankfurt.de

Goethe-Universität — FB03 - Gesellschaftswissenschaften

Die Goethe-Universität ist eine forschungsstarke Hochschule in der europäischen Finanzmetropole Frankfurt. Lebendig, urban und weltoffen besitzt sie als Stiftungsuniversität ein einzigartiges Maß an E...

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Sociology at Oxford @sociologyoxford.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

🚨 JOB ALERT! 🚨 We're hiring an Associate Professor in Sociology in association with @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social! We welcome applicants with a wide range of empirical specialisations and regional focuses 🌍 Apply now ➡️ my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

We're hiring: Associate Professorship in Sociology. Deadline: 5 January 2026

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Ariane Ophir @arianeophir.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

🚨 #Hiring! 3yr #postdoc w/survey methodology experience to join the ERC-project SINGLE for its next stage of designing & launching a comparative multidisciplinary singlehood #survey in EU. Research area is open! Application deadline: 12-Jan-2026 (12PM CET). Barcelona-based. 👉🏻 shorturl.at/CmY0F

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 11/11/2025

If you’ll be at APPAM, consider joining for the Kershaw Award Lecture on Thurs at 3:30pm. I’ll discuss new research on the intergenerational persistence of poverty: How does it compare to other measures of mobility? How it has evolved in the US? Which policies are effective in reducing it? & more.

Kershaw Award Lecture on Intergenerational Persistence of Poverty at 3:30pm on Thursday

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Kristian Bernt Karlson @kbkarlson.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

LAST CALL! #Sociology Professorships in Copenhagen, Denmark! We're hiring 2+ open-rank profs (Asst/Assoc/Full). Any area. Deadline: this Saturday, Nov 15! Join a leading European sociology department. Please repost! jobportal.ku.dk/videnskabeli...

jobportal.ku.dk

Call for two or more open-rank academic positions in Sociology

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LSE Inequalities @lseinequalities.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

📣 Vacancy alert: We are seeking to recruit a Research Officer (post-doctoral researcher) for a 24-month period to conduct original research on topics related to inequality, intergenerational mobility, and inequality of opportunity. Apply by 20 November ⬇️ buff.ly/M23KHL9

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Maria Vaalavuo @mariavaalavuo.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

🚨 Another interesting post doc opportunity at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), register-based analysis of child protection services, deadline for application 21 Oct.: valtiolle.fi/en/jobs/seni... #postdoc

valtiolle.fi

Senior Researcher (Postdoctoral Researcher, Child Protection) - National Institute for Health and Welfare

Open job: Senior Researcher (Postdoctoral Researcher, Child Protection), National Institute for Health and Welfare - Find all jobs in Valtiolle.fi

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

3/3 -- For the part-time RA positions: Great opportunity for PhD/DPhils or advanced masters students studying in the UK and/or from the UK to join our growing research team. See call for more specifics.

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

2/ Due to conditions of the particular grant used to hire here, candidates should already have eligibility to work in the UK (we'll hire without this condition in the future). Desired start date: Jan 2026 or as soon as possible afterward. Great post-doc opp for those currently in need of funding.

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Join us at INET Oxford (@inetoxford.bsky.social)! I'm hiring one post-doctoral researcher and three research assistants in the field of inequality, social policy, and social mobility to join our research team. Deadline: October 24. Read more and apply: www.inet.ox.ac.uk/vacancies

inet.ox.ac.uk

Vacancies

Jobs and Vacancies at INET Oxford, The Institute for New Economic Thinking at the Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Thanks, Melinda! With my hometown KC Royals out of the race, I'm fully on the Blue Jays bandwagon this postseason. It's a great year for a non-US team to win the World Series. ;)

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Thanks so much, Dave. I vividly recall the turning my point in my academic journey: year 2 of the PhD, sitting in Riverside, CA, at a Starbucks learning how to write a paper from David Brady. It's been an easier ride ever since. Thanks for your support. 🙏

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

I'm truly honored to receive this year's Kershaw Award. I came into the policy research world almost by accident after a failed stint in the Australian Baseball League. To have my work recognized like this is a testament to the wonderful mentors and colleagues I've learned from these past 10 years.

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

New WP: We study how minimum wage increases affect poverty and food hardship in the U.S from 1981-2019. Different from recent work, we study the Supplemental Poverty Measure + two measures of food hardship, factor in cost-of-living differences, and more. www.iza.org/publications...

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Institute for Research on Poverty @irpwisc.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

📖 📻 New IRP Book Talk is now available in your podcast feed: Jane Waldfogel on Child Benefits: A Smart Investment for America’s Future. She shares research on child benefits around the world and makes a case for implementing a similar program in the US. Listen now: www.irp.wisc.edu/resource/irp...

irp.wisc.edu

IRP Book Talk: Jane Waldfogel on Child Benefits: A Smart Investment for America’s Future

Research | Training | Policy | Practice

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Tom VanHeuvelen @tvanheuvelen.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Unionized careers boost up wealth. Very interesting article by Purdue's Alec Rhodes: academic.oup.com/sf/advance-a....

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Terrific news! Congrats, Nora!

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Zach Parolin @zparolin.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Probably another month of Under Review, then 2-3 weeks of Awaiting Decision, then an R&R with a thoughtful set of comments and guidance from editors. Worth the wait in our case, but never fun to sit on that Awaiting Decision for so long! Hope it works out in your favor.

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Courtney Boen @courtneyboen.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

🚨 Job! 🚨 Brown Sociology & the Watson School of International & Public Affairs are hiring a TT assistant professor whose research focuses on social policy (broadly conceived). Apply by 9/15: apply.interfolio.com/172655 Happy to chat about life at Brown, etc!

apply.interfolio.com

Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio

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Rense Corten 🟥 @rensec.bsky.social · 01/09/2025

WORK! The Sociology Department at Utrecht University is hiring a new assistant prof, with expertise on migration/integration/polarization/stratification. Come join us! www.uu.nl/organisatie/...

uu.nl

Universitair docent sociologie

Wil jij studenten inspireren en vernieuwend onderwijs geven? Versterk ons team als universitair docent met expertise in migratie en/of sociale stratificatie.

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Christiaan Monden @cmonden.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

Job alert! Join us at @nuffieldcollege.bsky.social as a postdoctoral fellow to work on your own research for three years. #sociology

nuffield.ox.ac.uk

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