Central Eurasian Studies

Email:

jestorey@indiana.edu

Education History

Doctoral Candidate in Central Eurasian/Hungarian Studies, Indiana University
M.A. in Central Eurasian/Hungarian Studies, Indiana University (2015)
B.A. in Anthropology (magna cum laude), University of Colorado at Boulder (2007)

Research Interests:

I am a linguistic anthropologist who is namely interested in contemporary Hungarian political rhetoric and the effect it has on individuals in domestic spaces. I am also interested in the European Union as perceived by the Hungarian state and its citizens, the role of political rhetoric in the formation of Hungarian national identities, and the general effects of political rhetoric and state media on perceived notions of political parties and candidates. More broadly, I am concerned with the institution of nationalism.

PhD Dissertation Title (in progress)

“Sovereign Voices: Decoding the Discursive Processes of National Identity Building in Modern-Day Hungary”

Chairs: Gardner Bovingdon and Kathryn Graber

MA Thesis Title

“Contemporary Hungarian Politics and the Voice that Moves the Nation”

Chair: Lynn Hooker

Honors and Awards

2016 György Ránki Prize for Extraordinary Commitment in Hungarian Programs
2014 György Ránki Prize for Extraordinary Commitment in Hungarian Programs

Grants and Fellowships

2019-20 Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Grant: Budapest

2017-18 Balassi Institute Fellowship
2016-17 Balassi Institute Fellowship

2015-16 Balassi Institute Fellowship
2014-15 Balassi Institute Fellowship

Languages

• English (native)
• Hungarian (advanced)
• Estonian (low-intermediate)
• French (reading)
• German (reading)

Conference Participation (selected)

“‘Budapest is not a circus!’: The Linguistic Landscape of Budapest’s 2019 Municipal Elections”

Indiana University 26^th Annual Central Eurasian Studies Conference (2020)

“Closing Remarks: Tearing Down the Wall”                                                   

 Fulbright Hungary “Breaking Down Walls Building the Future” Conference (2019)

“Institutional Nationalism in Modern-Day Hungary”                                        

Indiana University Romanian and Hungarian Studies Junior

Scholar Conference (2019)

“Panel 5: Minorities in Modern Romania,” Panel Chair                

Indiana University Romanian and Hungarian Studies Junior

Scholars Conference (2019)

“Hungary’s Soros-terv: The Growing Indexicality of a Text in Circulation”  

Indiana University 25^th Annual Central Eurasian Studies Conference (2019)

“Manifestations of Neoshamanism in Contemporary Hungary”                       

Indiana University 23^rd Annual Central Eurasian Studies Conference (2016)

“The Face of Contemporary Hungarian Politics and the Voice that                 

Moves the Nation”

Indiana University 22^nd Annual Central Eurasian Studies Conference (2015)

“István, a király: Hungarian Symbols and Identity”                                            

Indiana University Inaugural Conference of the Hungarian

Cultural Association (2014) 

Teaching and Relevant Work Experience

Associate Instructor, Department of International Studies, IU Bloomington

INTL-I100 Introduction to International Studies (Fall 2020)

Graduate Assistant, Russian and East European Institute, IU Bloomington (Spring and Summer 2020)

Graduate Assistant for Outreach, Russian and East European Institute, IU Bloomington (Academic Year 2018-2019) 

Research Interests

I am a political and linguistic anthropologist who studies contemporary Hungarian rhetoric as texts ebb and flow from elite mouths to those of Hungarians’ in their kitchens. I am also interested in the European Union and sovereignty as perceived by the Hungarian state and its citizens; and meaning making in Hungarian political discourse and the role state institutions play in this process. More broadly, I am concerned with theories of nationhood and identity.