A Multidisciplinary Look at Drug Treatment Programs
(2004)

Research goals were to examine the possibilities of an interdisciplinary (medical, sociological, anthropological, etc.) approach to the study of drug addiction treatment, to conduct an archival investigation of models of drug treatment in the USA, and to find and analyse sociological/anthropological studies and medical statistics on this problem in order to apprehend the socio-historical context of changes. The development of a history of drug treatment in the USA was one of the project's main achievements.
Researcher: Natalia Fedorova.
Supported by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (U.S. Department of State) (ECA), the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX).

The Anthropology of the Countryside Habitation.
Two-Storey Houses: On the Question of Unsuccessful State Projects
(2004)

The project was dedicated to the investigation of urban housing in the Russian countryside. The aim of the project was to research the habits of country people who live in urban-type housing developments and to reveal the attitudes of the country people to the conveniences of village habitation, to the house and its habitual space, to the economy, etc. The project building urban housing developments in the countryside was initiated by the Soviet state. Several grand-scale state projects were designed to overcome the differences between city and village. Each of them was ideologically supported. Building urban housing in Soviet villages was a part of this state project. The research project included a description of the history and location of the houses in Northwest Russian villages, analysed the everyday life of their inhabitants and the lay-out of the flats and buildings as a whole, including the construction and reconstruction of their space.
Researcher: Elena Bogdanova.
Supported by the CISR.

"Small People" in the Big City:
Social Problems Related to the Integration of Dwarfs
(2003-2005)

The project aimed to research the modern status of dwarfs in the city and their adaptation in a discriminatory environment. In-depth biographical interviews with "small people" were conducted.
Researcher: Boris Gladarev.
Supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

Factors of Social Exclusion in Contemporary Russian Society
(Life Scenarios of Homeless and Orphans)
(2003-2004)

Joint project with the Tomsk State University.
Coordinator: Konstantin Yuzhaninov (Tomsk State University).
The project aimed to study factors of social exclusion at four levels, viz the legal system which promotes civic integration, the labour market which provides economic integration, the social protection system which encourages social integration, and the family and community which are charged with interpersonal integration. The empirical subjects of the research were the homeless who inhabited the House for Night-Time (Tomsk) and the St. Petersburg Regional Charitable Organisation for the Homeless "Nochlezhka." Biographical interviews were the basic method of data collection.
Participant from CISR: Zoia Solovieva.
Supported by the Moscow Public Science Foundation.

Coping with Homelessness in Russia: Problems and Practices
(2003)

This project analysed methods of coping with theљproblem of homelessness in three Russian cities (St.љPetersburg, Moscow, and Novosibirsk), and practices of interaction between public institutions (shelters, special commissions, etc.), non-profit organisations (local and international), their homeless clients and local residents. Theљresearch aimed to identify theљinfluence of institutional activities on theљformation of theљhomeless as aљsocial group.
Researcher: Zoia Solovieva.
Supported by theљNational Council for Eurasian and East European Research (Carnegie Research Fellowship program, Washington).

Faraway from Cities. The Life of an East-European Village.
Rural Life in Russia, Estonia and Bulgaria
(2002-2005)

Joint project with the University of Magdeburg.
Coordinators: Ingrid Oswald (CISR - Humboldt University (Berlin)), Viktor Voronkov (CISR), Eckhard Dittrich (University of Magdeburg).
The project centred on comparative research of transformational processes in the post-socialist village. The research was focused on changes in social structure and the day-to-day life of rural populations. Settlements in Bulgaria, Estonia and Russia (the cases of Irkutsk, Novgorod, and Krasnodar regions) were selected. Participant observation and unstructured interviews were the basic methods of the research.
Participants from CISR: Elena Bogdanova, Olga Brednikova, Viktor Voronkov, Elena Nikiforova, Ingrid Oswald, Elena Chikadze.
Supported by the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).

Shrinking Cities
(2002-2005)

Coordinator: Philipp Oswalt (Shrinking Cities Office, Buro Philipp Oswalt).
The main goal of this cross-cultural interdisciplinary project was to investigate the process of city shrinkage, which is a common phenomenon in modern civilisation. The project's participants sought to expand the city-planning debate (until now concentrated on questions of demolishing surplus apartments and improving residential quarters), and to address new questions and perspectives. The project also placed developments in eastern Germany in an international context (Russia, USA, Germany and Great Britain), involving various artistic, design, and research disciplines in the search for strategies for action. The emphases of the research and exhibition project were, first, an international study of processes of shrinking and, second, the development of strategies for action in eastern Germany.
Participant from CISR: Alla Bolotova.
Supported by the Federal Cultural Foundation (Kulturstiftung des Bundes, Germany).

Urban Economic Strategies of Adaptation of "Lower Strata" in the Context of Transformation
(The Case of a St. Petersburg Flea Market)
(2002-2004)

Coordinator: Oleg Pachenkov.
The project focused on groups of the population whose position deteriorated as a result of social and economic changes and formed a lower stratum, perhaps a kind of underclass in contemporary Russian society. Special attention was paid to economic strategies of adaptation of these groups in the context of the social changes that pushed them to the bottom of society. The case of a flea market was selected for studying such social groups. From the beginning the goal of the project was to produce recommendations, which would permit a corresponding state structure, as well as an NGO to take measures to improve the situation for the representatives of the most vulnerable social strata found at the "bottom" of social life. During the project it became clear that a holistic approach allows us to formulate a broader perception of society, its dynamics, and its participation in global processes. A report was prepared based on the results of the project as well as a series of articles in Russian and English (in particular: вТЕДОЙЛПЧБ пМШЗБ, уПМПЧШЈЧБ ъПС. уФБТБС ЧЕЭШ ЛБЛ РЕТУПОБЦ ВМПЫЙОПЗП ТЩОЛБ // оЕРТЙЛПУОПЧЕООЩК ЪБРБУ. 2004. No 34. у. 91-96); the analysis of the project materials is ongoing.
Participants: Oleg Pachenkov, Zoia Solovieva, Maria Kudriavtseva.
Supported by the Independent Institute for Social Policy (Moscow) with support of the Ford Foundation.

Professionalisation of Trade in theљFlea Market (TheљCase of aљSt.љPetersburg Flea Market)
(2002-2003)

Theљaim of theљproject was to study theљcareer path of aљflea market trader, including theљdevelopment of trade skills, manipulative techniques in theљdialogue with buyers, and ways of offering goods. Sellers and resellers who had been working in theљmarket for aљlong time and for whom theљtrade had become aљmain source of income (as "professionals") were theљsubject of theљstudy. Theљbasic method of collecting information was participant observation.
Researcher: Maria Kudryavtseva.
Supported by theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation and theљCISR.

Social Vulnerability and Living Strategy of Chronic Patients
(2001-2002)

Theљproject studied theљgap between theљRussian citizen's legal right to receiving free medical aid and its realization. Theљanalysis of material collected by qualitative methods in theљcourse of empirical research has shown how this right evolved in practice and revealed theљresources and strategies of coping with theљsituation.
Researcher: Elena Chikadze.
Supported by theљJohnљD. and CatherineљT. MacArthur Foundation.

TheљDeaf Community: TheљPractice of Discrimination against aљLinguistic Minority
(2000-2003)

Theљpurpose of theљproject was to analyse theљdaily practices of social segregation of theљmembers of theљdeaf community. Theљstrategy of theљresearch was to reconstruct theљsocial experience of deafness based on theљmaterial of expert, problem-oriented and biographical interviews, publications in theљmass media, and data recorded by theљresearcher in aљfield diary.
Researcher: Antonina Oblasova.
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation.

TheљHomeless in Russia: Institutional Formation of Social Groups
(2000-2003)

Theљresearch focused on theљformation of homeless groups on two levels - discursive and institutional. Theљbasic methods of collecting information: interviews and observation at state institutions and NGOs dealing with theљhomeless in four Russian cities (St.љPetersburg, Moscow, Novosibirsk, and Tomsk). Special attention was paid to theљemergence of homeless groups as aљresult of certain institutional activities and also to discursive practices.
Researcher: Zoia Solovieva.
Supported by theљMoscow Public Science Foundation (MPSF) and theљEuropean University at St.љPetersburg.

Developing Social Activizm and Forming Community among HIV-Infected in Kaliningrad and Moscow
(2000-2001)

Theљpurpose of theљresearch was to compare theљdevelopment of social activism and theљformation of community among HIV-infected in aљsmall city and aљmegalopolis. Theљresearch was focused on theљstudy and analysis of factors that influence or hamper theљformation of community and theљdevelopment of HIV-activism. Theљprocess of designing symbolical borders between theљcommunity of HIV-infected and theљsociety was studied. Theљstrategy and mechanisms, which HIV-active people use for changing negative representations about illness and theљstruggle for change of social and political conditions of life of those infected were investigated.
Researcher: Inna Vyshemirskaya.
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation.

Survival and Coping Strategies of Drug Addicts: NGO Participation
(2000-2001)

Theљaim of theљproject was to research and describe theљactivity of NGOs of various types that render assistance for drug addicts. In theљcourse of this project, theљaccumulation and interpretation of life-stories of drug addicts were conducted. Research methods: participant observation, in-depth interviews, analysis of published data in theљmass media.
Researcher: Natalia Fedorova.
Supported by theљRSS Program of theљOpen Society Institute.

TheљGeneration of theљSeventies in Modern Elite
(2000-2001)

Joint project with theљUniversity of Helsinki (Finland).
Coordinator: Elena Zdravomyslova (CISR).
Theљpurpose of theљproject was to analyze theљidentity of generation of theљpeople who were born just after theљWorld WarљII (baby-boomers), who are known in theљWest as theљgeneration of rioters (pokolenie buntarej) that shook bourgeois values both in public and in private spheres of life. In Russia this was theљgeneration of theљso-called Seventieth. Theљresearch was focused on comparing theљgenerations of baby-boomers in Russia and those in theљWest countries. Biographic narrative-focused interviews with theљrepresentatives of cultural, economic and political elite as theљavant guarde of theљgeneration were conducted.
Participant from CISR: Elena Zdravomyslova.
Supported by theљAcademy of Sciences (Finland).

Forming and Functioning Milieu (TheљCase of Leningrad Palace of Pioneers)
(2000)

Theљaim of theљproject was to explore theљprocess of forming milieu, to analyze functioning social networks in theљcourse of changing socio-economic structure (1975-2000).
Researcher: Boris Gladarev.
Supported by theљRussian Academy of Education.

Problems of Poverty: International Features and Local Peculiarities
(2000)

Theљresearch was based on aљcase study on one of aљhomeless shelters in San Antonio (Texas), and was considered as anљinitial stage of comparative research on theљproblem of poverty in theљUSA and Russia. In theљcourse of theљresearch, methods of participant observation and interviewing were used.
Researcher: Irina Olimpieva.
Supported by theљJunior Faculty Development Program (ACTR).

Life-Courses of theљHomeless. TheљCase of "Nochlezhka" (NGO "Night Shelter" St.љPetersburg)
(1999-2000)

Theљsubject of theљresearch was life-courses and everyday practices of theљhomeless. Field work was made in theљcharity organization "Night Shelter" providing services for theљhomeless.
Researcher: Zoia Solovieva.
Supported by theљEuropean University at St.љPetersburg.

Milieu and Social Structure Reproduction in Russia (TheљCase of St.љPetersburg)
(1999-2000)

Joint project with theљUniversity of Magdeburg.
Coordinators: Eckhard Dittrich (University of Magdeburg), Ingrid Oswald (CISR/University of Magdeburg), Viktor Voronkov (CISR).
Theљaim of theљproject was to study changes in theљorganization of theљeveryday life (Lebensfuerung) of representatives of theљsix most popular professions (military men, physicians, engineers, scientists, teachers and functionaries). 90љproblem-oriented interviews were conducted and aљspecial study of social networks of theљabove milieu (based on diaries of contacts) was carried out.
Participants from CISR: Elena Chikadze, Boris Gladarev, Antonina Oblasova, Ingrid Oswald, Viktor Voronkov.
Supported by theљGerman Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft).

TheљRole of Pawnshops in Survival Strategies in Transforming Society
(1999)

Coordinator: Heiko Schrader (University of Magdeburg)
Theљaim of theљproject was to study theљsystem of lombard service in St.љPetersburg, in order to reveal "national peculiarities" of its organization and to determine theљsocial structure of lombards' clients. Research methods: questionnaires among lombards' clients, problem-oriented interviews with theљheads of lombards, and biographical interviews with clients.
Participants from CISR: Irina Chekhovskih, Oleg Pachenkov, Aglaya Toporova.
Supported by theљVolkswagen Foundation (Germany).

Anthropological and Sociological Research of theљPhenomenon of "Beggaring"
(1998-2000)

Theљresearch from anљanthropological perspective here indicates theљexploration of emergent milieu, corresponding lifestyles and "professional" practices. Sociological analysis consists of theљconsideration of beggaring as aљinteraction of two parties: aљbeggar and anљalms giver. Anљeconomic sociology approach was adopted as theљtheoretical frame. Primary methods used in theљproject were as follows: observation, including participant observation and interviews.
Researcher: Maria Kudryavtseva.
Supported by theљHeinrich Boell Foundation and theљEuropean University at St.љPetersburg.

Housing in aљSoviet City (TheљCase of Leningrad, 1918-1991): Historical Sociology Research
(1998-2000)

Theљaim of theљproject was to show how housing policy and construction practices in Leningrad were connected with structural transformations of Soviet society and changes in theљeveryday lives of theљcity's inhabitants. Archival and statistical data were gathered, and legislation and other documents on architecture and housing construction within theљrelevant time period were studied in theљcourse of theљresearch work. Biographical and focus interviews with inhabitants of theљcity were conducted, with theљpurpose of reconstructing their housing biographies and differences in theљorganization of their everyday lives as aљresult of their different living conditions.
Researcher: Katerina Gerasimova.
Supported by theљOpen Society Institute.

Animal Shelters: New Strategies and Practices of Beggaring in Russia
(1998-1999)

Theљproject dealt with studying private animal shelters in St.љPetersburg. Theљaim of theљproject was to explore theљmechanisms of theљformation of theљmilieu and its position in theљinformal economy. Research methods included participant observation and in-depth interviews, as well as analysis of mass media on theљissue.
Researcher: Elena Parshina.
Supported by theљCISR.

Sociological Analysis of theљAmateur Fishermen Subculture (TheљCase of St.љPetersburg and theљLeningradskaya oblast')
(1998-1999)

Theљaim of theљproject was to describe aљsubculture that emerged as aљresult of joint leisure practices and to determine its basic elements and practices. Aљnumber of groups of amateur fishermen were objects of theљresearch. Theљmethodology of participant observation was used, in combination with in-depth interviews.
Researcher: Boris Gladarev.
Supported by theљCISR.

AљSoviet Communal Flat
(1997-1999)

Theљaim of theљproject was to study theљphenomenon of theљcommunal flat from the its emergence until theљperiod of housing privatization. Inhabitants' accustomed concepts of privacy, social order and structure, as well as behavioral norms and regulations for home and family life, were analyzed. Theљmethods of theљresearch were biographical focus-interviews and observation.
Researcher: Katerina Gerasimova.
Supported by theљEuropean University at St.љPetersburg.

Former Aristocrats in the Soviet City: Leningrad 1920's-1930's
(1996-2005)

The research was a continuation of the dissertation project, which aimed at collecting some additional material and preparing of publications. Using biographical methods, life trajectories of ex-aristocrats were analyzed in comparison with the representatives of other old elites and with "white emigration" in France. The goal of the project was the study of change in social structure during the transformation period.
Researcher: Sofia Tchouikina.
Supported by the European University at St. Petersburg, the Kone Foundation (Finland), the Diderot Scholarships Program (Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris).

Women in the Dissident Movement (1956-1985)
(1994-1996)

On the base of in-depth biographical interviews with female and male participants of the Leningradian oppositionist groups and protest actions of the 1960s - 1980s the social structure of the dissident movement was studied, particularly the gender order of the dissident milieu. The research revealed many aspects of the internal functioning of this milieu: hierarchy, the creation of the information field, the creation of the networks of mutual support, the motivation of the involvement in the underground activities, ethical codes of the dissidents and their relations with other social milieu.
Researcher: Sofia Tchouikina.
Supported by the Heinrich Boell Foundation and CISR.

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