PEOPLEJohanna Mitterhofer

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Johanna Mitterhofer

Senior Researcher
Center for Migration and Societal Change

Senior Researcher
Institute for Minority Rights

T +39 0471 055 215

johanna.mitterhofer@eurac.edu

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1669-9325

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About

Main research interests:

Border studies
Second Generation Youth
Actor-Centred and participatory approaches

Johanna Mitterhofer is a researcher at the Research Groups “Autonomies, Boundaries and Identities” and “Political Actors in Societal Conflict” at the Institute for Minority Rights, Eurac Research. She holds a BA and MA in anthropology from the University of Cambridge and Durham University (UK) and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (USA). Her research explores the challenges and opportunities of life in diverse societies. She is also interested in heritage politics, minority rights and border studies.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1669-9325

Scientific Publications

Journal article2026

Europe in the Shadows: ambivalent border narratives in minority media in European borderlands

Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Opiłowska E, Klatt M, Balogh P, Bączkiewicz D

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

This article explores how minority news media report on borders and Europe during moments of perceived crisis across five European borderland contexts: in Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. Specifically, we investigate the role of key de- and re-bordering events, including the 2015 so-called ‘migration crisis’ and the COVID-19 pandemic, in shaping perceptions of borders and the European project. Recent re-bordering events have been seen to pose a threat to borderland communities, and national minorities, specifically. The empirical data are based on a thematic analysis of 1,705 news articles from six minority newspapers. Through the analysis, we develop an understanding of how national minority newspapers report on borders, and how Europe and the European Union (EU) are framed within reporting. The analysis uncovers how border narratives relate to the wider EU project, and reveals that open borders are of particular importance to borderland communities, who feel increasingly detached from state-level decision makers. Our findings point to a banal expression of Europeanism in borderland regions where we expected stronger connections with Europe and the EU. These findings lead us to hypothesize on the future of the European project and highlight the often-invisible perspective of national minorities in border and European studies.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.1080/14782804.2025.2577142

Internet2026

Europe in the shadows: how minority media reveal the ambivalence of borders

Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

Minority media in Europe’s borderlands tell an ambivalent story about borders: they are both barriers and bridges. Through the lens of six minority newspapers, this research shows how national minorities narrate moments of crisis, including the so-called “migration crisis” and the COVID-19 pandemic, and what these tell us about Europe. While the European Union appears as a background actor, local realities dominate minority news media. The result is a Europe that is lived every day but rarely narrated: a Europe in the shadows.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.57708/bbmighvg0t067wkfrqd7y5q

Journal article2026

What Does Multilingual Research Show Us About Research Ethics? Examples and Challenges From the Field

Schönthaler S, Leone‐Pizzighella A, Mitterhofer J

Johanna Mitterhofer, Sophia Schönthaler

Progetto: Punti di vista sull'educazione in contesti multilingui

Ethics review boards (ERBs) often clash with the emergent, iterative, and co‐constructed nature of critical and constructivist research. Conversely, these approaches also challenge ERBs, particularly around the role of language in informed consent, knowledge co‐construction, and dissemination. Multilingual research makes these tensions especially visible by foregrounding how language shapes research processes. This article examines the overlooked ethical dimensions of multilingual research, especially in relation to institutional ethics review. Drawing on our multilingual work with marginalized communities, we show how language mediates critical aspects of research practice: from obtaining consent and navigating gatekeeping to co‐constructing knowledge. We pursue three aims: (a) reflect on how language mediates ethics approval in critical and constructivist inquiry; (b) explore how sensibility toward language fosters epistemic justice, cultural sensitivity, and methodological appropriateness; and (c) raise awareness of the role of language in ethics procedures, research relationships, and definitions of data. We illustrate these aims with fieldwork examples highlighting the challenges of building trust under restrictive ethics protocols; the need for nuanced linguistic practices in contexts of inequality and underrepresentation; and the use of arts‐based methods as an alternative to language‐based approaches. The article concludes with examples from the formation of our multilingual institute’s ERB and recommendations for other boards.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.17645/si.10805

Report2025

Minority Youth and their perceptions of borders and the EU

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Balogh P, Bohm H, Gadimova-Akbulut N,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

This report examines how young adults from national minority communities in European border regions perceive borders, Europe, and the European Union (EU), drawing on research conducted within the B-SHAPES project. Through semi-structured interviews and zine-making workshops with participants aged 18–31 across five case studies—South Tyrol (Italy–Austria), Zaolzie/Těšín Silesia (Poland–Czechia), North and South Schleswig (Denmark–Germany), Southern Slovakia (Hungary–Slovakia), and Western Thrace (Greece–Bulgaria–Türkiye)—the study provides bottom-up insights into everyday experiences of borders and European integration. The findings reveal a marked divergence between minority media narratives, which often portray borders in politicized or securitized terms, and the more pragmatic, functional views expressed by young people. For most participants, borders are experienced as open, ordinary, and opportunity-enhancing, shaped by Schengen mobility and cross-border routines, though cultural and linguistic differences remain salient symbolic boundaries. Episodic disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, exposed the fragility of this openness and reinforced young people’s reliance on mobility. Perceptions of Europe and the EU were similarly pragmatic: youth valued concrete benefits—free movement, educational mobility, and regional funding—more than symbolic identification, contributing to a form of banal Europeanism. While some viewed the EU as a guarantor of minority protection, skepticism persisted regarding its consistency and effectiveness. Strong regional and minority identities often superseded national or European ones. Overall, the study shows that minority youth normalize European integration in daily life yet articulate limited emotional attachment to the EU, underscoring both the resilience and vulnerability of Europe’s borderlands and the importance of integrating youth perspectives into future European policy and narratives.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17600967

Journal article2024

«We Trained Perfect Tenants, We Should Have Trained Landlords»: Migrants’ Housing Pathways and Social Innovation in South Tyrol, Italy

Bona M, Mitterhofer J, Mair N

Johanna Mitterhofer, Marzia Bona

Progetto: Go Housing, PACS - PIA Più di abitare Val Venosta, Connessioni translocali. Percorsi lavorativi e abitativi deille persone migranti

Drawing on findings from the monitoring of two European Social Fund-funded projects
supporting migrants’ access to housing in South Tyrol, Northern Italy, this article examines
the interaction between the local housing and welfare system on the one hand and migrants’
housing pathways on the other. Based on qualitative and quantitative data collected during
this local case study, the article discusses the potential and limitations of socially innovative
interventions to improve migrants’ access to housing. The findings suggest that barriers to
housing access due to the residual (social) rental sector and discriminatory practices in the
housing market have a significant impact on migrants’ welfare.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.7389/114003

Report2024

Comparative report on border discourses in minority media

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Klatt M, Opilowska E, Bączkiewicz D, Balogh P

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

The objective of this report is to investigate media narratives on perceptions of borders and how these relate to the wider European Union project, and current political processes in minority regions in Europe. Specifically, we seek to identify border narratives in a selection of minority language newspapers across a comparative case study of five European contexts, in Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Slovakia. The aim is to investigate the possible role of key de- and re-bordering events, including the 2015 humanitarian crisis and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, in shaping perceptions of borders and the European project in minority regions. We focus on recent re-bordering trends in Europe, as they are seen to present a threat to the process of European integration and are likely to alter perceptions of European heritage, including shared values, beliefs, and traditions. The analysis presented in the study unpacks the significance of border narratives during times of perceived crisis. We are also interested in how a vision of Europe is shared and expressed by media outlets in these specific regional minority contexts and consider what the findings of this report may signify for the future of the European project.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14526872

Journal article2024

Migration and integration policies at the local level: Developments, contradictions, and conflicts in South Tyrol

Carlà A, Mitterhofer J

Andrea Carlà, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: EDIS - Vecchie e nuove minoranze

Situated within the local turn in migration studies, this contribution analyzes the development of policies towards migration, integration, and asylum in South Tyrol from their inception in 1998 to 2021. An Italian province with German and Ladin-speaking population and a sophisticated autonomy to protect their language/culture, South Tyrol witnessed the increasing arrival of migrants and more recently of asylum seekers. By looking at the evolution of South Tyrolean policies, the article highlights issues of continuity and changes in the developments of migration and integration policies at the sub-state level. The analysis reveals the evolution, contradictions and challenges of policies dealing with governance of migration at the local level. In particular, it traces: the intersection between migration issues and the politics of substate nationalism; the conflicts between levels of governance that emerged over time; and the links and common traits between the evolution of migration and integration policy and the development of asylum-related policy.

DOI

DOI: 10.57749/PKYE-7Q51

Report2024

Progress report on borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe discussing theoretical concepts, outlining the need for further empirical research

Opilowska E, Moll Ł, Bączkiewicz D, Sarmiento-Mirwaldt K, Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Prokkola EK,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

The aim of this report is to discuss the state of the art on how borders shape borderlanders'
perceptions of Europe and the European project. It outlines the main theoretical approaches
and research findings to identify gaps and provide a solid basis for the empirical analysis of the
B-SHAPES project. It is argued that living in borderlands and being exposed to 'others' shapes
the way residents imagine and internalise Europe. However, following the constructivist
conceptualisation of borders, which are not only located at territorial edges but are also
created in discourses, narratives, and practices, we argue that borderlanders' perceptions of
Europe are influenced not only by everyday life in border regions, but also by macro-narratives
of polycrisis and the ways in which people on the move, securitisation policies and
(in)securities are categorised and framed. Thus, the report focuses on three crucial events that
may influence public perceptions and the European imaginary: the 'migration crisis', re-
bordering trends related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the European elections. Accordingly,
the first three sections summarise the literature on border perceptions in the context of these
upheavals. However, it is clear from the literature review that borderlanders' perceptions of
Europe have been little explored by scholars. This is where B-SHAPES comes in, addressing the
question of how Europe is framed and narratively constructed from below. Subsequently,
sections 4-6 provide an overview of publications on Eurosceptics, minorities, and natural and
cultural landscapes from the perspective of borderlands studies, to anchor our empirical
investigation in existing research and to go beyond the state of the art. It is worth noting that
we consider ‘borderlanders’ not only as people living in border regions, but also as rhetorical
figures created in public discourses. Nevertheless, the report acknowledges that
borderlanders' narratives and perceptions of Europe should be considered as dynamic
processes that are subject to constant change. Therefore, B-SHAPES will capture
borderlanders' attitudes towards Europe at a particular moment in time, shaped by current
events and discourses.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14526322

Report2024

Study report on borders as factors shaping borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe and the European project to guide and inform the initial phases of the empirical research and to align WP 3-5

Opilowska E, Moll Ł, Andersen D, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson M, Prokkola, EK,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

This report aims to create a consistent theoretical framework for the B-SHAPES project analyses the impact of borders on people's perception of Europe and the European project. It is argued in the project that narratives play a crucial role in shaping these perceptions, influencing not only people’s beliefs and attitudes but also policymaking. The project particularly focuses on narratives associated with the construction of borders and Europe and produced in borderlands. In the first section, the report discusses the main conceptualizations of narratives in the social sciences and their applicability to border studies, encompassing public, spatial, and individual dimensions of narratives. Based on a literature review, the next section elaborates on six master narratives on Europe. B-SHAPES will empirically explore how these macro narratives are reflected in the micro narratives told in the borderlands we study empirically and how they become integrated into people's identities and heritage. We seek to analyze whether and, if so, how borders play a significant role in shaping people’s understanding of Europe and Europe’s identity. This is investigated through the lenses of Euroscepticism, minorities, and the borderland’s natural and cultural landscapes. The report acknowledges that the study of border narratives must consider the fluidity and complexity of narratives and borders, marked by tensions and contradictions.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14527326

Report2024

The role of minority media in shaping narratives on borders and Europe

Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Nicolson MJ, Guillermo Ramírez M, Klatt M, Miraka O, Mullan C, Svensson S

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

This policy brief examines how minority media cover border-related issues in four European borderlands populated by autochthonous national minorities. In these borderlands, cross-border interactions are a significant aspect of daily life for many residents, especially for those belonging to a national minority (Czechia-Poland, Denmark-Germany, Italy-Austria, Hungary-Slovakia). We focus on two re-bordering events: the migration crisis of 2015/16 and the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. By analyzing over 1,700 minority media newspaper articles, we show how media narratives frame perceptions of borders and the European Union in these minority communities. Our study reveals a gap between local concerns and the broader European context, with limited inclusion of diverse voices in minority media. This highlights the complex nature of border narratives in minority regions and their impact on European integration. The findings call for more inclusive and diverse media representation and better integration of local and European perspectives to support European integration and address the unique challenges minority communities face in border areas. Local concerns often dominate media reporting, but linking these with broader European narratives is crucial. Through policies that support improved diversity in media representation, a stronger role for the EU in border and cross-border policies, and the promotion of European heritage and values, we can build a more resilient, inclusive, and democratic European society that respects and supports its minority communities in border regions.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.13935158

Journal article2023

Acts of Belonging: Second Generation Youth in South Tyrol, Italy

Mitterhofer J

Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: Percorsi inclusivi: analisi delle complessità dell'appartenenza e dell'esclusione

This article studies citizenship beyond its manifestation as a formal legal status, by exploring citizenship as a process shaped by people’s everyday practices and experiences of belonging. Through investigating the daily struggles over belonging and membership of young people with migrant background in the autonomous province of South Tyrol in Northern Italy, this study pays particular attention to the ways in which belonging on the macro scale (the nation, the state) and the micro scale (the village, the city, the region) clash, intersect and interact with each other. By highlighting practices of belonging at the margins of a state by actors considered to be at the margins of the state, this article contributes to scholarly debates that “decentre” citizenship by studying it at, from and for the margins.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.33182/ml.v20i2.2116

Report2022

Le comunità di italiani nell'Europa sudorientale: status culturale ed economico, ruolo delle donne e sviluppo sostenibile

Tomaselli A, Mitterhofer J, Engl A, Zeba M, Constantin S, Rautz G, Abram M, Ricciardi T,

Alice Engl, Sergiu Constantin, Alexandra Tomaselli, Günther Rautz, Mattia Zeba, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: Le Comunità di Italiani nell’Europa sudorientale: status culturale ed economico, ruolo delle donne e sviluppo sostenibile

Questo report multidisciplinare raccoglie i risultati del progetto “Le Comunità di Italiani nell’Europa sudorientale: status culturale ed economico, ruolo delle donne e sviluppo sostenibile” che ha visto la fruttuosa collaborazione del nostro Istituto sui Diritti delle Minoranze di Eurac Research con tre enti che non solo fungono da punto di riferimento per la questioni riguardanti le comunità degli italiani nell’Europa sudorientale ma che hanno anche, e soprattutto, contribuito in modo fondamentale alla realizzazione dell’intera ricerca, ossia l’Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa/Centro per la Cooperazione Internazionale (OBCT-CCI), l’Associazione Bellunesi nel Mondo e l’Associazione Trentini nel Mondo.

Pubblicato con il sostegno dell’Unita di Analisi, Programmazione, Statistica e Documentazione Storica del Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionali, ai sensi dell’art. 23-bis del DPR 18/1967.

Le opinioni contenute nella presente pubblicazione sono espressione degli autori, e non rappresentano necessariamente le posizioni del Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale.

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6900293

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Report2024

Progress report on borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe discussing theoretical concepts, outlining the need for further empirical research

Opilowska E, Moll Ł, Bączkiewicz D, Sarmiento-Mirwaldt K, Nicolson M, Engl A, Mitterhofer J, Prokkola EK,

Alice Engl, Johanna Mitterhofer

Progetto: ABI - Il ruolo dei confini nella percezione delle società europee

DOI Fonte

DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.14526322

Johanna Mitterhofer

About

Scientific Publications

Europe in the Shadows: ambivalent border narratives in minority media in European borderlands

Europe in the shadows: how minority media reveal the ambivalence of borders

What Does Multilingual Research Show Us About Research Ethics? Examples and Challenges From the Field

Minority Youth and their perceptions of borders and the EU

«We Trained Perfect Tenants, We Should Have Trained Landlords»: Migrants’ Housing Pathways and Social Innovation in South Tyrol, Italy

Comparative report on border discourses in minority media

Migration and integration policies at the local level: Developments, contradictions, and conflicts in South Tyrol

Progress report on borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe discussing theoretical concepts, outlining the need for further empirical research

Study report on borders as factors shaping borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe and the European project to guide and inform the initial phases of the empirical research and to align WP 3-5

The role of minority media in shaping narratives on borders and Europe

Acts of Belonging: Second Generation Youth in South Tyrol, Italy

Le comunità di italiani nell'Europa sudorientale: status culturale ed economico, ruolo delle donne e sviluppo sostenibile

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Scientific Publications

Europe in the Shadows: ambivalent border narratives in minority media in European borderlands

Europe in the shadows: how minority media reveal the ambivalence of borders

What Does Multilingual Research Show Us About Research Ethics? Examples and Challenges From the Field

Minority Youth and their perceptions of borders and the EU

«We Trained Perfect Tenants, We Should Have Trained Landlords»: Migrants’ Housing Pathways and Social Innovation in South Tyrol, Italy

Comparative report on border discourses in minority media

Migration and integration policies at the local level: Developments, contradictions, and conflicts in South Tyrol

Progress report on borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe discussing theoretical concepts, outlining the need for further empirical research

Study report on borders as factors shaping borderlanders’ perceptions of Europe and the European project to guide and inform the initial phases of the empirical research and to align WP 3-5

The role of minority media in shaping narratives on borders and Europe

Acts of Belonging: Second Generation Youth in South Tyrol, Italy

Le comunità di italiani nell'Europa sudorientale: status culturale ed economico, ruolo delle donne e sviluppo sostenibile