Methodology

The first step of this project was to take the time to extensively research literature on the subject. From tourist information about the region to academic and EU funded research, a large range of aspects of the topic was explored in order to grasp a holistic approach to it. The focus was on finding contemporary academic work about the different debates and issues in the region, which ranged from identity shaping issues to research on the failings of the current political, economical and social system. Additionally, some of the available reports on the region or on minority issues from the European Commission or any affiliated body from the European Union was investigated.

The research tools used were Internet, academic websites, online university libraries and the Europe Direct office library in Komotini.

Once the literature review had reached its stable holistic form, the principles of the host organization, System and G and the tasks of the EVS project were identified, their requirements were put in parallel to the literature research in order to identify the questions and goals of the research.

Then, to find answers to the research, interviews were conducted. The target group identified was the population of Komotini and more particularly locals who have lived here all their life or a long time. The compositions of the questions were based on answering the general goals of the study. Then, the project coordinator to make sure the questions were not susceptible to be perceived as rude or to personal verified them. Afterwards, the coordinator of the project was responsible for finding people that might be interested in answering the interviews. The coordinator usually choose young and active people of the community that she believed could have a good and objective insight on the intricacies of the community.

Before taking the interview, a consent form about my study was given to the participants (See Appendix 1). It first gave a summary of the study and explained the purpose and the conditions of the interview. It specified that everyone would be kept anonymous if they desired to and that if agreed upon the interviews would be recorded. The consent form required a signature from each participant and that a copy be kept by them.

Next, by reviewing basic knowledge on how to undertake interviews through online tutorials and academic commentary, my interviewer skills were polished. Then, friends who speak fluently in Greek or Turkish and English were contacted and asked to help translate the interviews. The four people who helped to translate the interviews were also volunteers in System and G, who were excited to participate in the project.

Of course, the next step was to interview the participants. Each interview was different and was designed as a semi-structured interview (See Appendix 2). The answers often led to follow up questions and always kept going in a conversational tone. The interviews were always conducted in quiet places such as offices or quiet cafés. The interviews usually ranged from 45 minutes to an hour and a half, depending on the participant’s interest in the topic and the length of their response and translation.

Straight afterwards, a little description of the interview itself was written up, specially the body language, physical mimics of the interviewee and the general atmosphere and environmental factors that might have influenced the participant.

Then, the transcription of the interview was conducted. The interviews were carefully listen too again and written up word for word. The elements of the conversations that stood out in terms of body language or the manner of approaching certain topics was always consistently mentioned.

Without going into too much depth, with the transcription of all the interviews and the responses from the survey, first the common themes and ideas were identified. Then, subcategories in which participants’ responses and the results of the survey connected or differed were created. Afterwards, comparing with the already existing research the focus was on identifying the most interesting and relevant pieces of data, which could be on the one hand interesting information and on the other channel the participants’ opinions. These connections then became the overarching themes or categories of the research.

On each category the same structure was developed. Firstly, the data found in the interviews and surveys was presented. Then the academic research on this topic was connected in order to provide an overview of the subject. In each category, further research on the topic was attached for the reader to follow further research as he pleased.

We discuss here in what regards this study might have been more substantial and its general limitations.

• Firstly it is essential to point out the size of the data collected during the study doesn’t give a sufficient number to portray an exact picture of Komotini or of the topics discussed. Indeed, only fifteen interviews were conducted and only fifty-seven responses to the survey were collected. Therefore, one cannot give an objective response to how generally people of Komotini think but rather an extremely broad overview.

In addition, all the participants’ participation was based on good will. Having a very limited access to financial support the participants were not paid or offered any direct services in return for their participation in the work. Thus, with a compensation for participation maybe the work would have reached a larger target group.

• The language was without a doubt a great limitation to the work. The fact that the researcher did not speak or understand Greek or Turkish limited the scope of the literature research and the ability to reach a larger audience to participate in the interviews and survey. Nonetheless for all the research that required direct or indirect interaction, translators were available.
• Another limitation was time. The EVS period being of six months and knowing very little about the topic before hand the researcher was only able to achieve a piece of work relevant to that period. Therefore, it can only give an introduction into the research.
• Furthermore, the choices of topics are entirely based on the participants’ responses, personal interests, and System and G’s principles, therefore one does not claim to have covered every single aspect of the subject or to have given a linear presentation of each topic. Furthermore, in order to keep the research concise, choices had to be made, which entailed not mentioning everything the participants spoke about but everything that seemed to be relevant to the categories choosen. Therefore, some topics such as positive discrimination for the Muslim students in Greek Universities were hardly mentioned.
• This study tries to be as truthful as possible, giving facts and available data from trustworthy sources. However, one cannot claim that everything in this paper is entirely correct and some further research to confirm some details might be necessary in order to confirm some information that was only available to in English.

Thus, the reader should not expect here to find a complete analysis to each topic but rather an attempt to collect and present in a concise and accessible way the current climate and opinions about some issues regarding the relation between the minority and the Orthodox or the Muslim minority more generally.