Brooklyn Institute 2023 Call for Faculty

October 12, 2023 Amanda Rajnauth

Brooklyn Institute for Social Research (BISR), a non-profit critical education and research institute that integrates rigorous but accessible scholarly study with the everyday lives of working adults, seeks scholars who are interested in joining their Associate Faculty to teach catalog courses in-person in New York City. They also invite scholars, in any locality or time zone, to apply to develop and teach (in-person or online) new courses in specific disciplines (as elaborated below):

NEW YORK CITY IN-PERSON TEACHING
As BISR continues to augment their in-person course offerings in the New York City area, they invite applications from scholars who are interested in teaching, in-person, long-standing BISR “catalog” courses. While the opportunity to develop and teach new courses will be available, a willingness to teach existing courses is required. Specifically, they are looking for NYC-based scholars to teach in the following disciplines:

• Critical Theory: Expertise in Frankfurt School critical theory and by extension Marxism and related critical traditions. Catalog courses to be taught may include, among others: Critical Theory and the Now: a Contemporary Introduction to the Frankfurt School; Theodor Adorno: Minima Moralia; Shocks and Phantasmagorias: Walter Benjamin and the Arcades Project; Walter Benjamin: On the Concept of History.

• Philosophy: Broad fluency in a variety of philosophical traditions, from ancient to contemporary. Conversance in contemporary critical theoretical approaches and the ability to historically contextualize philosophers and philosophical movements is strongly preferred. Catalog courses to be taught may include, among others: Introduction to Plato; Introduction to Aristotle: Philosophy, Ethics, and the Order of Nature; Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason; Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit; Friedrich Nietzsche: Truth and Morality; Philosophy of History; Wittgenstein: Philosophical Investigations; What is Analytic Philosophy?

•Feminist, Queer, and Trans Theory: Expertise in queer and trans theory and plural feminist traditions (postcolonial, anticolonial, Third and Fourth World theories, among others). Candidates must demonstrate a fluency in trans and intersex concerns, as well as the ability to put feminist and queer theory in conversation with historical developments of gendered practices. Strong preference for candidates who can connect foundational works to contemporary issues in political theory and political economy. Catalog courses to be taught may include, among others: Introduction to Feminist Theory; Introduction to Queer Theory; Ecofeminism and Xenofeminism; Queer Feelings: Understanding Eve Sedgwick; Trans/Queer/Woman: Theory and Politics.

IN-PERSON AND ONLINE TEACHING (IRRESPECTIVE OF GEOGRAPHY)
In addition to New York City-based applicants, BISR welcomes applications from scholars interested in developing and teaching new courses, irrespective of geography. They particularly seek applicants in the following specified fields, but also invite scholars from other fields to apply:

• Engineering, Technology and Sciences, including STS: Theoretically and historically informed, able to connect subject matter to concepts in and wider questions of political economy and/or social theory. Conversance in multiple critical traditions, including Marxism, Frankfurt School critical theory, and feminist and queer theory, is required. Experience with technological and engineering practices or applications is a strong plus.

• Critical Design: Historically informed, interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary design theory and modalities. Ability to teach applied design as well to critically connect issues in design to questions and concepts in political economy, technology studies, race studies, feminism, media studies, and/or social theory is required. Familiarity with contemporary critical theoretical traditions is also required.

• Western Literature (British, French, and Italian): Theoretically and historically informed, conversant in multiple literary theoretical modes, including structuralism and post-structuralism, Marxism, postcolonialism, queer theory, and feminism. Language fluency, and conversance in history and theory of the novel and an interest in and facility for teaching individual authors and works is required.

• Russian Literature: Expertise in 19th and/or 20th-century Russian literature. Theoretically and historically informed, conversant in multiple literary theoretical modes, including structuralism and post-structuralism, Marxism, postcolonialism, queer theory, and feminism. Language fluency, and conversance in history and theory of the novel and an interest in and facility for teaching individual authors and works is required.

• West African and West African Diasporic Literature: Expertise in 20th- and/or 21st-century West African and West African diasporic literature, broadly construed. Theoretically and historically informed, conversant in multiple literary theoretical modes, including structuralism and post-structuralism, Marxism, postcolonialism, queer theory, and feminism. Conversance in history and theory of the novel and an interest in and facility for teaching individual authors and works is required.

• Cultural Criticism: Theoretically and historically informed, interdisciplinary approaches to high, avant-garde, and popular cultural objects, media, movements, and phenomena. Fluency with Frankfurt School critical theory and other critical methods are strongly preferred.

• Economics and Political Economy: Expertise in Marxist, post-Marxist, and other heterodox traditions of economics, and political economy. Familiarity with theories of underdevelopment, reproductive labor, finance capital, cognitive capital, and/or primitive accumulation is expected. Candidates must be able to connect these theoretical frameworks to historical-material conditions along divisions of gender, race, geography, and capacity.

• African-American History: Theoretically informed, able to connect area of specialization to concepts in and wider questions of political economy. Preferred specializations: transatlantic slavery; antebellum South; Reconstruction; Great Migration; Civil Rights; Black Politics (from mid-20th century to the present).

• Modern European Political, Economic, and Cultural History: Theoretically informed, interdisciplinary approach; preferred specializations: early modern thought, French Revolution, social and economic history, “long” 19th century history (imperialism, industrial and political revolution, cultural history), Russian Revolution, WWI, WWII, Soviet Union, post-war Europe, and the role of Europe within global systems of political economy and empire.

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION:
Successful candidates for all faculty positions will have or be working toward a terminal degree in their field, have teaching experience at the undergraduate and/or graduate level, a strong commitment to pedagogy, and interdisciplinary research interests that complement those of other BISR faculty.

BISR very strongly encourages applications from individuals belonging to historically underrepresented groups. They are also particularly interested in applicants who, in addition to teaching, wish to take an active part in non-classroom BISR programming, including Praxis (classes, workshops and materials designed to provide research and analytic frameworks to non-profits, labor, political, and other public-interest organizations), digital projects, podcasts, forthcoming publications, development, and other programming. Faculty will teach multiple seminars on the BISR model annually. BISR does not solicit one-off courses.

BISR is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status. They strongly encourage, and will strongly weigh, applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups.

BISR Associate Faculty are paid on a per course basis, earning 70% of the total enrollment revenue generated by a course.

Interested candidates should submit a CV, writing sample, and three short course proposals/ideas to BISR’s Executive Director (ajay@thebrooklyninstitute.com), Managing Director (mark@thebrooklyninstitute.com), and Program Coordinator (lauren@thebrooklyninstitute.com) with the subject line “BISR Faculty Application 2023: [Field in which you are applying].” The deadline to apply is Monday, October 23rd.

(For a sense of the kinds of courses, formats, and styles BISR employs, please visit the course archive.)