Faculty of Social Studies
The Faculty of Social Studies was established in 1998. It focuses on the fields of Sociology, Political Science, International Relations, European Studies, Psychology, Media Studies and Journalism, Social Policy and Social Work, and Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, Social Anthropology and Strategic and Security Studies (at Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral). Nowadays, the number of students is approximately 4,300.
Contact information
www.fss.muni.cz
www.muni.cz/research
Joštova 218/10
602 00 Brno
Czech Republic
Phone: +420 549 49 1911
Fax: +420 549 49 1920
research@fss
municz
Detailed information on R&D areas and projects:
Political scienceback
Two study programs are being taught within the Department: Political Science and Security and Strategic Studies. Political Science Unit focuses on comparative politology, modern analysis of politics, modern politics’ philosophy, political participation etc. Security and Strategic Studies Unit shapes in complex socioscientific security conception, and it pays special attention to security and security politics of the Czech Republic, and to research of extremism and political violence.
Fields of interests with selected projects solved in this area:
- Elections and electoral systems: Peer Reviewed Journal „Evropská volební studia/European Electoral Studies“
- Political parties: Political Parties and Interest Representation in Contemporary European Democracies
- Pressure groups and social movements: Political Parties and Interest Representation in Contemporary European Democracies
- Contemporary challenges to the democracy in East-Central Europe
Psychologyback
Members of the Department participated in international projects regarding psycho-social development of adolescents, in several projects dealing with educational and instructional task of the school, and projects dealing with the problems concerning family life and partner relationships. In regard to the social psychology, a long-term research interest is focused on psychological and social characteristics of children, youth, and their families. Further relevant research projects have been focused on different aspects of social life (e.g. social representations of democracy, social responsibilities, trust, gender stereotypes, identity and self-development). Recently, the influence of computers, the Internet and related technologies on the individual, family and society are analyzed.
Fields of interests with selected projects solved in this area:
- Longitudinal research of children and adolescents (ELSPAC): Psychological and social characteristics of children, youth and families, development of the personality in the time of changes of modern society
- Psychosocial, cognitive, and emotional development of personality, social and cultural context
- Psychology of Internet
- Psychology of gifted children
- Self and identity formation in different domains of everyday life
- Psychotherapy process
Sociologyback
Apart from basic topics in sociology (including sociological theory, history of social thought, and methodology), the Department focuses on various other related fields. These include civil society and public opinion, cultural changes in the globalization process, social problems (inequality, poverty, unemployment), and family and social aspects of demographic processes (mainly population and the needs of an aging society).
Fields of interests with selected projects solved in this area:
- Social integration, inclusion and exclusion: Reproduction and integration of society
- Social reproduction: family and population studies: Reproduction and integration of society
- Collective and cultural memory: Collective trauma and generational memory
- Migration, ethnicity, identity: EDUMIGROM Ethnic differences in education and diverging prospects for urban youth in an enlarged Europe
- Urban studies: Managing cultural diversity in cities in Eastern Europe
- Re/production of the gender order, gendered institutions and interactions
- Analyses of the complexity of gender in the family, education and other key social institutions
Social policyback
Members of the Department focus on development of focal concepts of Social Policy and Social Work such as social problems, social policy programmes, social functioning, life situation, approaches and paradigms in social work, marginalization, social exclusion etc. and deal with integration of social work and social policy theories and procedures.
Selected project solved in this area:
Collaborative foreign entitiesback
- Central European University [HU]
- European Consortium for Political Research [UK]
- International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA), Stockholm [SE]
- Pennsylvania State University [US]
- Sapienza University of Rome [IT]
- Technical University Chemnitz [DE]
- Technical University of Dresden [DE]
- University of Bremen [DE]
- University of East London [UK]
- University of Essex [UK]
- University of Konstanz [DE]
- University of Manchester [UK]
- University of Mannheim [DE]
- University of Munich [DE]
- University of Regensburg [DE]
- Yale University [US]
