Doctoral Student
The Finnish Research School in Women’s and Gender Studies 2007-2011
Johanna Ahonen, MA
I am currently working as a doctoral student of the Finnish Research School in Women's and Gender Studies (2007-2011). As a scholar, I situate myself at the crossroads of Women's Studies and Religious Studies. I received my MA in Comparative Religion from Turku University in 2002 and worked on the research project Disturbing Differences. Feminist Readings of Identity, Location and Power funded by the Academy of Finland 2004-2007.
In my thesis I focus on gender, embodiment, sexuality, and agency in the context of Indian-originated spirituality in contemporary Finnish society. I have chosen four different Indian-based movement to my study: Hare Krishna Movement, Osho Meditation Center, Sahaja Yoga Meditation, and Amma Movement. The basic method of the study is ethnographic fieldwork (interviews and participant observation), which is taking place in the centers of the movements both in Finland and India. I am asking, what does the popularization of Indian- based movements, philosophies and practices mean in proportion to gender issues and embodiment. What challenges these alternative spiritualities pose to a secular feminist theory, Finnish equality discourse, and Lutheran Christianity? I am also considering the politics of spirituality and the subversive potentiality of alternative spiritualities to challenge conventional Western conceptions, dichotomies and values. In what way spirituality could support feminist theory and politics?
My theoretical approach engages with Gilles Deleuze's philosophical nomadism, new materialist feminism (especially Deleuzian feminists as Rosi Braidotti and Elizabeth Grosz) and Luce Irigaray's thoughts of female subjectivity and becoming divine. My thesis also discusses with contemporary theories in the study of religion about a fundamental shift in Western religiosity and the rise of new spirituality. As a part of my postgraduate programme I spent one academic year (2008-2009) studying at the University of Leeds, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, where my research was supervised by Prof. Kim Knott. The year as an exchange PhD student supported my work in various ways, particularly methodologically and theoretically.
My main research interests focus on gender and religion, religious, secular, and post-secular in the modern world, Deleuze's philosophy and Deleuzian feminist theory, particularly Braidottian eco-philosophy, ethics, and post-secular spirituality. I am particularly interested in how religion/spirituality, body, sexuality, and desire relate to each other in the context of contemporary Western societies. As a feminist scholar of religion I am searching for the non-dichotomous understanding and theories of embodiment. My other research interests include Hinduism and Indian philosophies (particularly the non-dualistic philosophies of Shakta and Tantra). I am also interested in the contribution that Indian traditional philosophies can make to the Deleuzian feminist philosophy and ethics. Thus, my main objectives are in developing cross-cultural dialogue between Indian Shakta tradition and contemporary Deleuzian feminist thought.
Contact: johanna.ahonen@utu.fi
Publications in English:
(2010) Nomadic bodies, transformative spaces: Affective encounters with Indian spirituality. Marianne Liljeström & Susanna Paasonen (eds.), Working with Affect in Feminist Readings: Disturbing Differences, pp. 112-125. London: Routledge