Strategic Research Program

The Institute for Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and its position in the national and international research environment

The Institute for Sociology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences is a key institution for basic research in sociology in Slovakia and holds a distinct position on the institutional map of domestic social science research. Alongside the three university departments of sociology, it serves as the leading expert body in the discipline. This role comes with the responsibility to create conditions for a broad thematic scope in sociological research and to respond to topics and issues that are essential both to Slovak society and to the global sociological debate. The study of current societal issues at the Institute is, however, conditioned by meeting high methodological standards and by maintaining a dialogue with leading international sociological research in the respective areas.
The Institute is firmly embedded in both national and international scientific and research structures. At the national level, it closely cooperates with leading institutions in the social and human sciences, as well as with the Slovak Sociological Society at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, thereby contributing to the development of a high-quality research environment. At the international level, the Institute actively develops partnerships with renowned scientific and research institutions, participates in international research projects, and is a member of international professional organizations. This enables it to engage in the global research discourse and strengthen its scientific visibility. Participation in global platforms also ensures access to the latest knowledge and facilitates the presentation of research results at international forums, which enhances the Institute’s prestige and its contribution to addressing global challenges.

Our research in the past decades and today

Openness to diverse sociological research orientations, the choice of theoretical frameworks and research methodologies, as well as the freedom in formulation of research topics, has been the Institute's guiding principle since 1990. This approach is also a way to enhance the appeal of academic work for the new generation of sociologists.
In the 1990s, a common feature of our research was aimed at understanding the ongoing transformation processes in Slovakia, both at the micro and macro levels and across various sectors of societal governance. Particular emphasis was placed on the development of self-governance, civil society, and electoral and political orientations.
After Slovakia’s accession to the European Union, our research began to shift and expand thematically in response to new phenomena shaping the lives of Slovak citizens. Over the years, several research priorities have gradually crystallized.

These include:
Social inequality and the conditions of its reproduction, where our attention has focused on the dynamics of social, economic, cultural, gender, and spatial inequalities. We have studied—and continue to study—their internal and global contexts, discursive framing, and reflection in public opinion, as well as the conditions and impacts of public policy interventions on these processes. Currently, our research in this area concentrates primarily on questions of institutionalization and the organization of action, examining the processes through which interests are established and legitimized in the public, civic, and political spheres, as well as in the domains of labor, professions, and economic actors.
Social cohesion, where we have examined—and continue to examine—changes in family life, the contexts and consequences of migration processes, social and institutional trust, the symbolic construction of social unity, and the processes of marginalization and exclusion of groups. Currently, our research in this area focuses on the discursive legitimization and delegitimization of inclusive policies, as well as on attempts to construct a collective “us” in political discourse.
In all areas of research, the Institute places strong emphasis on analytical quality, critical reflection, continuity, and the cumulative development of knowledge. In our research we employ a wide range of quantitative and qualitative methods.

The comparative approach as a key to understand Slovak society

The comparative perspective is a defining feature of our approach and serves as an important tool for understanding the emergence, reproduction, and decline of the phenomena we study. Comparing across time and space helps to understand the dynamics of small societies, the (re)formation of their institutions, and the specific nature of their social, structural, and cultural issues. A comparative perspective enhances the visibility of research on Slovak society and increases its contribution to global knowledge and international cooperation.
In our research, comparison takes several key forms:

• Comparison of societal development over longer time series, primarily based on repeated representative surveys available in our social data archive;


• Comparison within the “narrower” post-Czechoslovak or regional Central European context, conducted mainly through collaborations with partners in the Visegrád Group region;


• Comparison in the context of the European Union and on a global scale, carried out through institutionalized cooperation within international comparative studies, such as ISSP and EVS, as well as through other international projects and partnerships.

Commitments to the scientific community and the wider society

The Institute for Sociology feels a commitment to the discipline, to the broader scientific community, and the civic, political, cultural, and social rights of people living in Slovakia.
For the Institute for Sociology, adherence to internationally recognized ethical principles of professional and socially responsible scientific work is a fundamental matter of professional honor. The ethos of fairness is essential to us at every stage of research activity – from research funding to publication. The inviolable framework of research ethics for us is the Code of Ethics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, as well as the international ethical codes of sociology and other social and humanities disciplines, whose research is based on collaboration with individuals and strictly respects their autonomy and personal dignity.
Our commitment to our discipline and the broader scientific community is fulfilled not only through adherence to rigorous professional standards and ethical research principles, but also through the development and maintenance of research infrastructure. This commitment is exemplified primarily through the publication of the journal Sociológia – Slovak Sociological Review and the development of the Slovak Archive of Social Data. The journal Sociológia is indexed in leading international publication databases and features contributions from both domestic and international scholars in the social sciences. The Slovak Archive of Social Data (SASD), part of the pan-European research infrastructure CESSDA ERIC, collects and provides access to sociological research conducted in Slovakia over recent decades, making it available to the global scholarly community. As such, SASD serves as a vital infrastructure that supports the advancement of theory and methodology and contributes to the integration of fragmented knowledge.
Our commitment to the discipline is also fulfilled through our involvement in doctoral training in sociology, which we conduct in collaboration with two university departments of sociology, thereby contributing to the advancement of the scientific discipline. A direct and irreplaceable societal application of the Institute for Sociology’s research results lies in their integration into the educational process at both Slovak and international universities. For master's students interested in academic research, we also offer internships, which we see as a tool for attracting and nurturing young talent in the sociological study of society.
Our commitment to the people living in Slovakia is exemplified not only by focusing on socially relevant topics but also through the direct involvement of sociologists in public discourse on issues of public interest, collaboration with the civil sector, and offering expert input in decision-making processes at all levels of local and public administration. Our goal is to contribute, through sociological knowledge, to the self-reflection of Slovak society, the cultivation of public discourse, and the challenging of simplified, stereotypical interpretations that divide society. A key societal contribution of the research conducted at the Institute for Sociology is also the strengthening of the voice of disadvantaged groups and their empowerment to advocate for their interests.