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PhD ‘Rise of Oligarchic Tendencies in Western-European History’ (Utrecht University) – deadline 12 May 2025
Utrecht University’s economic and social history group has a PhD position open on the topic ‘Rise of Oligarchic Tendencies in Western-European History’. The PhD will explore the role of associations throughout Western European history, focusing on the rise of oligarchic tendencies within these organisations and the consequences for their functioning.
The twentieth century saw the rise of cooperatives, mutuals, housing corporations, unions, and social organisations. While these associations fulfilled vital roles in economic, social, and cultural life, they have also been identified with increasing capture by a small subset of their members. Sometimes this is even considered to be inherent to associational organisation and labelled as an “Iron Law of Oligarchy”. Several scholars have examined whether this oligarchical trend negatively affected the functioning of the organisation and its ability to perform well its functions and achieve its goals. However, systematic, large-scale research is limited.
This project aims to address this gap by systematically investigating trends towards oligarchy in associations and their impact on the functioning of these organisations. The project can focus on the late Middle Ages or the modern period. The PhD will first construct a comprehensive dataset of relevant cases. This dataset can be investigated comparatively or quantitatively to determine the extent to which such capture occurred and what forms it took. Next, the project will examine whether associations took institutional countermeasures and assess their effectiveness. The second part of the project analyses the consequences of oligarchy.
Applications should be submitted ultimately 12 May 2025 via Utrecht University’s application portal.
