Institute of Sociology of the CAS

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Established in 1965, the Institute of Sociology of the Czech Academy of Sciences was closed down in 1970 to be re-opened in 1990. Pursuant to Act No. 341/2005 Coll., the Institute became a public research institution as of1 January 2007.

The research plan of the Institute concentrates on sociological analyses of long-term social processes in Czech society in the context of European integration policies, building a knowledge-based society and human, social and cultural capital. The Institute contributes to advances in sociological theories and methodologies of contemporary sociological research. It conducts individual and repetitive empirical surveys, comparative research studies, case studies, exploratory research and public opinion surveys. It employs modern qualitative and quantitative research methods, and builds on findings, approaches and methods of related scientific disciplines such as economics, political science, law, demography, social geography and gender studies. Research is carried out by teams focusing on the following areas: Public Opinion Research, Czech Border Regions, Economic Sociology, Gender and Sociology, Value Orientations in Society, Local and Regional Studies, Sociological Data Archive, Political Sociology, Sociology of Education and Stratification, Social Structure Studies.

The Institute is an active member of international scientific collaborative networks, actively contributes to a number of European and international research programmes and projects, and is involved in exchanges of scientific information with institutions in other countries. The Institute regularly conducts research studies for the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and the European Social Survey (ESS). In international cooperation, the Institute is the coordinator and partner in a number of Framework Programme 6 projects, Sokrates and Visegrad (IVF) projects and is involved in the preparation of Framework Programme 7 projects. In addition to basic research, the Institute is also involved in follow-up applied projects focused on the exploration of topical issues of contemporary Czech society. The Institute also houses the following scientific activities: the Centre for Public Opinion Research, the Sociological Data Archive, the Sociological Library, and the National Contact Centre for Women in Science. In 2002, the Institute was accredited for postgraduate studies in cooperation with the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.