My name is Jani Korhonen, and I’m a second-year doctoral researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute. My dissertation is dealing with identities in the Balkan region in Southeastern Europe, approaching the question via the lens of censuses.
For example, in Bosnia, some people define themselves with the state and call themselves Bosnians. Others declare themselves Yugoslavs, even though Yugoslavia dissolved almost 35 years ago, or decline to answer. In Serbia, some declare an affiliation to the region. My research explores how these identities are formed, why people choose them, and why they do not define themselves ethnically. Census questions make such good data because they are politicized, showing how people see themselves individually and socially. I’m looking into cases where people can declare themselves “out-of-the-box” in censuses.
Currently, I’m analyzing newspaper articles from previous censuses and plan to interview people in Serbia and Bosnia.
I originally studied Slavic linguistics and Hungarian, relevant for northern Serbia. I became interested in questions of identity and ethnicity.
Census data are often approached uncritically. Many people have multiple identities or do not wish to belong to assigned ethnic groups. There is a lot of negotiation behind these statistics. This intrigued me, and I explored it in my MA thesis at the Central European University.
I think it’s a very inspiring and multidisciplinary environment. There are people from many academic backgrounds working on different topics. That is very inspiring, and you can learn a lot from research not close to your own. There are quite a few scholars who work on questions related to Southeast Europe and that made the Aleksanteri Institute a natural choice for me.
Teaching and commenting on student work was something completely new! I’ve been teaching a course, giving lectures, and reviewing students’ theses. That has been interesting and fun.
The research process itself is also fascinating. There is a lot to read and think about, and it is satisfying to have the time to work on a bigger project and delve deeply into it.
The flexibility of the PhD project is one of its best aspects. You can find time for exercise or hobbies even in the middle of the day, which makes your work more efficient.
In Serbia, there have been large student protests ongoing for almost 10 months. Students are demanding new elections and the end of corruption. This has been covered to some extent, but it is more significant than it might seem from Finland.
It also helps to see the region more nuancedly. In Finland, it is often seen through historical events, war, nationalism, or political unrest. But there is much more: different regions, different people, and everyday life. People may not be so different from us, but political and historical factors have shaped their situation.
People may not be so different from us, but political and historical factors have shaped their situation.
At its core, a dissertation is like a bigger master’s thesis, but you must read more, think more, and consider your audience. Publishing as a researcher carries more responsibility.
Learning from researchers who study very different topics is also useful. Many topics are connected, and seeing other approaches can improve your own research.
If you have a passion for research related to the regions we cover, you should pursue a PhD. Persistence, confidence in your topic, and its relevance are key. There are funding challenges, but there are always ways to pursue your research.
Be confident in your research and keep going — that is my best advice.