Workshop | 23–24 November 2026 | University of Graz | RESOWI, SZ 15.22
Organizers
- Dr. Evelyn Reuter (University of Graz)
- Prof. Dr. Florian Bieber (University of Graz)
This workshop brings together scholars from various disciplines, including Political Science, Law, Sociology, Religious Studies, and others, to critically engage with the concept of minorities beyond numerical definitions. By fostering interdisciplinary exchange, the workshop aims to critically assess disciplinary approaches to minority studies and address existing gaps in research. Many studies define minorities solely through statistical data, which can lead to oversimplifications or misleading conclusions. The workshop challenges this understanding with the central research question: how can minorities be defined and analyzed qualitatively, rather than quantitatively? Related to this, further questions will be tackled, such as: Can a smaller group be considered a majority, or can a larger group still be considered a minority? How do contextual factors shape minority-majority constellations? Participants will explore these questions through theoretical approaches and their application to different types of minorities, such as religious, linguistic, ethnic, or other groups.
The workshop seeks to develop a shared qualitative understanding of minorities that accounts for contextual factors and complex dynamics. Hence, the workshop is designed as an interactive event, combining presentations, discussions, and (narrative) reflective impulses. In a poster session, participants will collaboratively examine specific examples to test and refine theoretical approaches.
The geographical focus is on Southeast Europe, reflecting the expertise of the University of Graz, while also incorporating perspectives from related regions to acknowledge the impact of migration and globalization on minority dynamics. Specific examples to be discussed depend on the participants’ expertise including cases such as religious minorities (e.g., Sephardi Jews, Evangelicals, Bahá’í), ethnic and linguistic minorities such as Hungarians in Serbia, Serbs in Croatia, or Roma in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. Additionally, the workshop will explore transnational and migrant communities to examine how minority identities are defined and negotiated in different settings.
This workshop is hosted by the Institute of Religious Studies and the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz. It is part of the FWF-funded research project “Governance Processes of Religious Diversity in Post-Socialist Albania (RelDivA)” (ESP3544224).
Contact
Dr. Evelyn Reuter (evelyn.reuter@uni-graz.at)
