Economic Sociology

The department’s research activities encompass the broad field between economics and sociology, focusing specifically on the labour market, economic inequalities and social policy, the entrepreneurial elite and the behaviour of firms. It further focuses on the role of values and religion in relation to economic life. In 2010, the department initiated a project dealing with the history of Czech sociology, and in 2011, another project that analyzes the living conditions and satisfaction of households in Central European countries.

In November 2010, the research team on social stratification was attached to the department. The team is dedicated to research on social inequalities and changes in social stratification in both national and cross-national perspective. The team also focuses on unequal access to education and perceptions of social inequalities and social justice. In 2010, the team completed a project on changes in the system of social stratification during the post-communist period, as well as launched two new projects dealing with environmental values and corruption research.

Publications

The department has a track-record of extensive publication activity in books as well as in domestic and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent publications include a book by Jiří Večerník, Czech society in the 2000s:  A report on socio-economic policies and structures (Prague, Academia 2009), as well as two books by Zdeněk R. Nešpor,Ir/religious hopes of intellectuals. Development of Czech sociology of religion in the international and interdisciplinary context (Prague, Scriptorium 2008, in Czech) and Too much weak in faith. Czech non/religiosity in the European context (Prague, Kalich 2010, in Czech). Most recently, the department published the edited volume Individuals and households in the Czech Republic and CEE countries (Prague, Institute of Sociology AS 2010).

Members of the research team on social stratification have published a number of books, including (U)nequal chances in education: educational inequalities in the Czech Republic (Prague, Academia, 2006, in Czech) and most recently Educational inequalities. From measurement to solutions (Prague, SLON 2010, in Czech). Further, they have published articles in The Sociological Review, Comparative Education Review, Communist and Post-Communist Studies, British Journal of Sociology of Education, Sociological Theory and Methods, Sociologický časopis/Czech Sociological Review.