The aim of the project is to identify factors that influence the shaping of social and spatial identification of local community in the period of intensive civilisation changes when traditional factors of local micro-world clash with supra-local (global) values. The assumption is gradual penetration of local community life by the values that are in their essence less and less spatially determined and their confrontation with original(traditional) values would also determinate (have impact on) changing form of internal integrity such communities and their identification with given locality.
The research objective is to study not enough studied conceptual aspects of post-November renewal of civil society in Slovakia, as well as to reflect new phenomena and trends that have followed breaking Parliamentary election in 1998. The special attention will be given to the dialectics of civil society and the state, mediating function of collective actors, heuristic potency of the concept "civil-cracy". This innovative concept, together with traditional concept of democracy, represent a toll that could contribute to making precise our perspective on the developmental phases of civil society. Our analysis will reflect revolutionary fact of the origin of capable for action non-party (independent) stratum of citizen in the structure of civil society in Slovakia, its successful cooperation with political opposition in election campaign and the direction of its post-election reproduction.
The project is based on the representative survey of changes in social stratification and mobility in Slovakia and Czech Republic. Its goal is by using historical and cross-national comparison to study social, demographical and cultural structures, as well as mobility of inhabitants of Slovak and Czech Republics in the last decade.
The project willis to analyse the changes in the present population reproductive behaviour in Slovakia and to make comparative analysis of the situation in Slovakia and other European countries.. The projects aims at the study and analysis of the present population climate in society and to work out the historical summary of changes it has undergone. It aims at creation of comprehensive data-basis about the population reproductive behaviour and to work out the set of research techniques and procedures expedient for analysis of population climate. The present and expected population development will be analysed in the context of development of the other European countries.
The project deals with the social-ecological theory and methodology, making it possible to diagnose the social-spatial situation of the society, and it is applied to the real indication of the character and explanation of developmental connections of the main social-ecological imbalances in spatial organisation of the society of the Slovak Republic, with the emphasis on the 2nd half of the 20th century up to the present. They are mainly the social, civilisation, and modernisation connections and consequences of the imbalances that are to be pointed out, as well as their eventual solutions, in the context of new developmental trends of the society. It is matter of a complex analysis of social-spatial situation of the society in various stages of its development and on various levels of its spatial organisation (republic, regions and settlements). The results are to be summed up in a general theoretical synthesis (historical and spatial) projected into theoretical, methodical and application spheres.
The goal is to review the work of eminent Slovak sociologist Alexander Hirner, who developed the history of sociological thinking in Slovakia, executed exemplary theoretical-empirical study of the concepts of sociability and social control; undertook several regional case studies and was the author of distinguished methodological handbooks. The study of Hirner's life and work, offers a possibility to study how the development of Slovak sociology was limited by the political power.
The goal is to analyse theories of social action and social order that underlay the data description and interpretation in the present Slovak sociological studies; to draw sociological attention to the issue of constructing "objective" representation of social reality and routine use of conventional interpretation procedures; and to initiate a critical discussion of epistemological premises of sociological research.
The goal of the project was to continue the longitudinal study of local democracy in two Slovak towns with special regard to the consequences of the new administrative division of Slovakia for the status of the towns. The findings suggest that institutional aspect of local self-government and the range of competencies is important, though only the starting point for its operation. Quality of self-government is the outcome of using the competencies in relations citizens - self-government, or state administration and of interrelation of other collective subjects on the local level.
The research mapped formation of social groups and social actors of modernisation in Slovakia after the year 1989, and brought new knowledge about social composition of new economic and political elite. The proportion of women increased, University education in engineering, law and business is prevalent. In depth, interviews with the elite representatives revealed a set of basic concept of future development of Slovakia that could fulfil an integrative role.
The core of the project was the sociological and politological analysis of the results of Slovak parliamentary elections held in the 90s, particularly 1998 elections. The analysis was mainly concerned with election results in municipalities and regions and the success of political parties in the urban and rural environment.
The goal was to extend the investigation of the revival of the civil society in Slovakia. The focus was on three types of social actors as bearers" of the Eurocivic potential; individuals, collective actors (civic associations, trade unions) and the state. The project tested the original empirical typology of citizenship based on the combination of the three potentials: democratic, privatisation supporting and pro-E.U. integration.
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WeB Katarina Strapcova