General information
Faculty of Social Sciences was founded in 1992 being the youngest faculty of the University of Tartu that dates back to the year 1632. The Faculty of Social Sciences includes the departments of Journalism and Social Communication; Political Sciences; Public Administration; Psychology; Semiotics; Sociology and Social Policy.
Department of Sociology and Social Policy consists of three Chairs: Chair of Theory and History of Sociology, Chair of Methods and Analysis, Chair of Social Policy. Additionally, two research units (Unit of Gender Studies and Unit of Family and Welfare Studies) are affiliated with the Department. Both units belong to the Centre of Excellence in Health and Behavioural Sciences of Estonia.
Currently there are two major streams of research in the Department of Sociology and Social Policy that could be brought under the common denominator of life-course studies and welfare and social policy studies. The direction of life-course studies also includes studies into social stratification. The direction of welfare and social policy studies has been built up on the basis of family and welfare studies. A fresh aspect to the research in the Department is that of study of suicidal behaviour.
The Department holds the Estonian Social Science Data Archive (ESSDA) that functions as an all-Estonian social science data bank.
Research programme
- “Poverty, Social Assistance and Social Inclusion – Developments in Estonia and Latvia in a Comparative Perspective” (in collaboration with University of Latvia and Institute of Applied Social Research of the FAFO, Norway) – comparative analysis of poverty trends and structure, estimation of the impact of poverty reduction measures, policy learning
- IPROSEC (Improving Policy Responses and Outcomes to Socio-Economic Challenges: changing family structures, policy and practice), financed by the European Commission and co-ordinated by the University of Loughborough, UK. The aim of the project is to inform policy by developing a greater understanding of socio-demographic change in selected European Union member countries and applicant states, the social and economic challenges such changes present, and the policy responses formulated by national governments and at European levels. Particular reference is being made to changing family structures and relationships. Problems of comparability of international data sets have given new insights to further social indicators research.
- Structural Shifts in Providing Social Assistance in Response to Changing Living Conditions in Estonia, co-ordinated by the Institute of Applied Social Research FAFO, Oslo, Norway. The project overviewed major structural shifts in social protection during the last decade Estonia.
- Living Conditions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (acronym: NORBALT, co-ordinated by the Institute of Applied Social Research FAFO, Oslo, Norway, in collaboration with national teams of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). The investigation is methodologically based on Scandinavian level of living approach, and gives information about different sectors of life of people living in a transitional society. This rich empirical data set gave a challenge to analyse dynamics in living conditions in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania comparatively, as well estimates the multiple welfare losses during the transition and appearance of social exclusion reflecting involuntary outsiders of social participation.
- “Social cohesion, the impacting factors and social re-integration in Estonia”. The project aimed at elaboration of measurement tools for social cohesion; risk factors and resources of social cohesion were analysed and several strategies for social re-integration presented.
- “Family values, socio-demographic dispositions and social work practice with families”. The project was aimed at determination of socio-demographic dispositions of the population and impacting factors, strategies of family formation among young adults and related socio-demographic behaviour. The analysis compared socio-demographic processes in Estonia and in other countries in Europe, including some transitional countries. The second aim of the project was to analyse social work with families in Estonia.
- “Environmental factors impacting children’s health”, funded by Ministry of Education of Estonia (jointly with the Institute of Public Health of Tartu University). The project focused on different aspects of living conditions of children in Estonia, including childhood poverty, deprivation and realization of children’s rights.
- wage inequality (LoWER network) - issues of low pay and gender pay gap in Estonia
- female agency, work organization – includes studies about gender equality discourse among political and civil society elite, of gender stereotypes and of job satisfaction.
- research on regional development – studies about role and suitable types of business incubators for Estonia, role of industrial clusters in regional development, enterprise surveys, service sector surveys, industrial relations
- research on impact of European employment policy and enterprise policy (starting own business, entrepreneurship, development of gender equality in public sphere); impact and process of harmonization of acquis (political rhetoric, public discourse; evaluation of the NAPs on employment from a gender perspective
International networks and collaboration
Currently the Department is engaged in several international networks:
- Economic Chance, Unequal Life-Chances and Quality of Life (EC FP 5?) – CHANGEQUAL
- EGG - Enlargement, Gender and Governance: The Civic and Political Participation and Representation of Women
- European Low-wage Employment Research Network LoWER - funded by the European Commission since 1996 by the Fourth and Fifth Framework Program.
- European Trade Union Institute (in co-operation with the Swedish SALTSA) project “Overcoming barriers to equal pay in Europe: monitoring gender mainstreaming”, 2002-2003
- CEE Anti-Poverty Network
- Children’s Welfare Network – Cost A19
- Mapping of European Social Sciences and Humanities (EC FP 5) - MORESS
- Nordic Family Researchers Network – NFRN
- Institute of Applied Social Research of the FAFO (Norway) - NORBALT project
- WHO/Euro Network for research and prevention on suicidal behaviours
