This area of research deals with the analysis of social, cultural and economic inequalities, as well as with successful interventions that contribute to reducing them, in response to situations like poverty or school failure, key goals of the EU2020 agenda. Additionally, relevant contributions to gender studies are taking place, ranging from research on women and technology to deprivation of liberty, gender violence and sexualities. Inequality is also analysed in studies on security and the prevention of and reaction to crime and violence.
Inequality
- Social, cultural and economic inequalities
- Poverty and social exclusion
- Gender inequalities, sexualities and feminism
- Educational inequalities
- Violence, criminality, deviance and security
- Measurement and indicators
Researchers
Welfare, quality of life and social policies
- Demography, household, ageing and the life course
- Family transformations and policies
- Social policies adressing inequality and poverty
- Educational challenges and policies
- Health, happiness and quality of life
- Youth and childhood
Description
This topic gathers lines of research focussing on the analysis of social welfare, quality of life and happiness in domestic, family and social environments throughout the lifespan. These studies focus on transformations in demographic dynamics and population structure: the changing relationship between individuals in the home and families, the market (employment, goods and services), the community and the State, integrating perspectives on life stages, gender and generation.
The impact of social policies on the organization of people’s lives and on different age groups is also analysed. Particularly, these studies focus on the challenges of education and education policies, healthcare and health policies, poverty and policies aimed at reversing inequality and social exclusion. Lastly, students examine the effects and challenges of demographic and family changes on social policies in different life stages (childhood and adolescence, parenthood, work-life balance, ageing, attention to autonomy and dependence) are also analysed.
Social organizations
- Political systems, political economy and democracy
- Work, occupations and productive relations
- Comparative sociology of modernity
- Ethics and political phylosophy
- Social and political change
- Social networks and social capital
- Organizative and institutional dynamics
Description
This area deals with the study of institutions and social, economic and political systems, as well as the identification and evaluation of proposals for social change. With this aim, this area approaches a wide spectrum of issues including commonly researched topics like work, democracy and modernity but also the analysis of social networks, social capital and transformational social policies. A specific objective of this area of research is to tackle these issues from a historical perspective integrating critical reflections stemming from ethics and political philosophy.
Environment, communities and society
- Local governance and welfare
- Social conflict, social movements and citizenship
- Residential dynamics, urban regeneration and housing policies
- Urban sustainability, conflicts, and environmental challenges
- Mobility and migrations
Description
This line of research analyses global processes in their specific forms and situated in cities as locations where the flows of people, capital, ideas and social, economic an political innovations transform existing communities. Researchers also carry out comparative analysis of city and metropolitan welfare governance and environmental policies, study the social and political challenges of the market (logic that generates social inequality and global environmental challenges like climate change), and emphasize the important role of cities in the emergence of solidarity and leadership to create a more sustainable society with committed citizens.
Culture, knowledge and innovation
- Culture, cultural policies and social change
- Religion and spiritualities
- Art, culture and creativity
- Social organisation of knowledge, science and technology
- Social innovations and social impact
- Futures studies
Description
This area of research focuses on the analysis of different forms of social reflexivity, such as religion, art, culture, knowledge and science. Researchers apply various and innovative theoretical and methodological perspectives to study the different logics, configurations and dynamics that characterize these social reflexivity spaces in contemporary society and the transformations that reflexivity induces in today’s society, directing it towards creativity, innovation and a concern for the future.