Anni Kajanus

Anni Kajanus is an Associate Professor in Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Helsinki's Faculty of Social Sciences. Her research bridges social and cognitive anthropology, focusing on culture-cognition interfaces, morality, and cooperation, with a regional emphasis on China. She explores topics like migration, education, child development, and intergenerational dynamics in Chinese families. Kajanus leads two major projects funded by the ERC Starting Grant and the Research Council of Finland, investigating irritation's role in human sociality. She holds a PhD from the University of Helsinki, an MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Amsterdam, and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Kent.

Education:

• PhD in Anthropology, University of Helsinki
• MSc in Migration Studies, University of Amsterdam
• BA in Anthropology, University of Kent

Research Interests:
Kajanus examines cultural influences on child development, including morality, social hierarchy perception, and cooperative behaviors. Her comparative studies span China, the UK, and Finland, with recent work on dominance and prestige recognition in children. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining anthropology and psychology.

Grants & Projects:

• ERC Starting Grant: 'IRRITATION: Irritation and Human Sociality' (2022–2027)
• Research Council of Finland: 'Ärtymys ja ihmisen yhteistyö' (2022–2026)

Advising & Labs:
Kajanus supervises doctoral research, including the thesis 'Becoming an adequate child: Learning to relate to others in cultural context.' She collaborates in initiatives like the Negative Emotions Research Group and chairs the 'Culture and Cognition' conference (2025).