Contested histories: cultural memory, narratives and archives

ESRC Grand Union Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) collaborative doctoral studentship.

The Department of Politics and International Studies, The Open University with Arcadia

SUPERVISORS

Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody, The Open University

Dr Arthur Dudney, Arcadia

PROJECT OVERVIEW

In post-communist Europe, where different ethnic and social groups have different experiences – and judgements – of past events, the prevailing memory narratives are often contested and changed as the political context or leadership changes. Major memory conflicts emerge, as social groups tend to perceive their historic roles exclusively as victim or victor, with little appetite to acknowledge ‘victim’ populations’ reciprocal atrocities, or ‘victor’ populations’ own victims. Historical sources are often perceived as tainted by their political origins. During war and conflict, as in Russia’s war on Ukraine, conflicting historical interpretations can be mapped onto present hostilities and mobilised for political ends.

This studentship will go beyond state-focused studies, interrogating grassroots sources of cultural memory and historical commemoration, returning agency to those whose stories are co-opted by state actors. Focused on the case/s, issue/s or actor/s of the candidate’s choice within post-communist European contested memory, the studentship will interrogate: a) How contemporary political actors propagate competing narratives of the past b) How these narratives map onto interpretations of the present c) How digitised archives of primary sources complicate politicised narratives - whether because they represent suppressed or overlooked minority voices - or because they contain original material that was not modified to fit official narratives d) Whether grassroots commemoration extends, complicates or challenges this politicisation.

The studentship is co-supervised by Arcadia, an organisation that preserves, archives and digitises primary cultural artefacts, and can provide the candidate access to overlooked and endangered primary sources from across Russia, Ukraine and beyond, many of which document minority communities’ cultural heritage. Using discourse and narrative analysis, the candidate will compare these primary archival materials with official sources to ascertain how they complicate dominant memory narratives. The candidate will also research their chosen grassroots commemorative initiatives, using digital ethnography, discourse and narrative analysis (if online), or ethnographic methods and participant observation (if physical - subject to ethics approval). The studentship puts state memory politics in conversation with overlooked primary sources, offering a novel contribution to memory studies in post-communist Europe and beyond, whilst the candidate will gain academic and professional training in memory research.

PARTNERSHIP

The partner organisation for this project is Arcadia, founded in 2002, a London-based charitable fund that helps people to record cultural heritage, to conserve and restore nature, and to promote open access to knowledge. Arcadia's projects primarily focus on archival material (in different formats, be they textual, visual or audiovisual) but also capture intangible cultural heritage, namely endangered languages and craft skills. Dr Arthur Dudney of Arcadia will co-supervise the project and facilitate access to relevant primary sources in the candidate’s area of scholarly interest; provide guidance on practical ethical and intellectual questions around digitising cultural heritage; and help the candidate build the professional skills and network necessary for working in the field of cultural heritage.

STUDENTSHIP DETAILS

The PhD studentship will be funded by the Grand Union DTP for an expected 3.5 years (or part-time equivalent) from October 2026.  The award length offered may differ depending on the candidate’s prior training and how they meet ESRC training requirements.

Information about Grand Union DTP ESRC studentships and eligibility can be found on the Grand Union DTP website. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE

12:00 midday UK time on 7th January 2026

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for the studentship you must submit:

1. A cover letter outlining why the proposed project is an important area of study, how your background relates to the selected research topic and why you wish to study at The Open University.
2. An outline research proposal of no more than 2,000 words, including background to the research topic, proposed research questions, methodology and methods. Your proposal can draw on the description of the research detailed above.
3. An academic CV that includes contact details of three academics.
4. An Open University application form and HESA form, downloadable from: http://www.open.ac.uk/postgraduate/research-degrees/how-to-apply/mphil-and-phd-application-process
5. A Grand Union DTP Application form, downloadable from: https://www.granduniondtp.ac.uk/how-apply#tab-1440826

Applications should be sent to FASS-PhD-Applications@open.ac.uk by midday on 7th January 2026.

The admissions process is in two parts: applications will be assessed by the institution and the selected candidate will then be assessed as part of the applicant pool for ESRC Grand Union DTP funding.

QUERIES

Queries about the studentship should be addressed to Dr Precious Chatterje-Doody (precious.chatterje-doody@open.ac.uk)