Rural Sociology in Post-socialist Space: Looking for New Directions of Development
International conference (St. Petersburg, 5-6 May 2007)

The conference aims to stimulate discussion of the contemporary experience of researching the post-socialist rural space, as well as the prospects for development of rural sociology as a field of social science. Post soviet space has been transforming during the last 15 - 20 years, and these changes force one to think about modifications in the role of village in the life of society. Researchers note the gradual integration of the village into the wide social processes of migration, consumption, market relations, symbolical exchange, etc. The explanatory potential of traditional theoretical foundations is in question. In particular, the researchers pay attention to the lack of categories that would conventionally define the processes in post-Soviet rural space. A key aspect of the project, which defined the content of discussion, was the question of which methodological approaches would provide the necessary knowledge about life in rural communities in the context of contemporary social transformations.
Supported by the CISR.

The Space and Everyday Life of the Contemporary City
(Moscow, 28-29 October 2005)

Organisers: CISR and Centre for Sociological Education (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow).
Despite the fact that the transformation of urban space and of the everyday life of the city in contemporary Russia is, without a doubt, an interesting social phenomenon, this has not received much attention. Against a background of much research and many publications on similar themes in other post-socialist societies, the underdevelopment of this theme in Russia is bewildering. The two-day seminar, organised in Moscow under the initiative of the CISR and the Center for Sociological Education, was put together to amend this situation. Presentations were made at the interdisciplinary seminar by researchers who study urban space and the everyday of the city in the framework of such disciplines as sociology, anthropology, social geography, culturology, and others. Young scholars, students, and graduate students were given the chance to speak and take part in the discussion alongside renowned researchers from Petersburg, Moscow, Saratov, Samara, Ekaterinburg, and Stockholm. A collection of articles is planned based on the presentations made at the conference, and the possibility of holding another conference on a related theme is on the table, inasmuch as interest in the theme of urban surroundings in changing Russian society remains as high as before.
Supported by the CISR (with support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation) and the Center for Sociological Education (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow) (with support of the Ford Foundation).

Changing Youth in a Changing World: The Invisible Everyday
International conference (Togliatti, 4-7 July 2005)

Organisers: Research Centre "Region" (Ulyanovsk) and CISR.
The central concerns of the conference were contemporary approaches in the investigation of youth identities, everyday practices and those aspects of youth culture that, as a rule, have remained outside the frameworks of research interest. Despite the revival of interest in youth themes in the last decade and the growth in the number of publications, there is a predominant problem in them in the approach to youth, when youth is viewed as a permanent cause for "disturbance" and a provocateur of "moral panic." The conference was put together to propose another view and to elaborate an alternative discourse to that which dominates the study of youth problems.
Supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Heinrich Boell Foundation.

Anthropology of Profession in Contemporary Russia:
Culture, Power and Micro Practices of Professional Activities
(Moscow, 22-23 October 2004)

Organisers: Centre for Sociological Education (Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov) and CISR.
The workshop was aimed at developing new approaches in the interdisciplinary field of contemporary social sciences in Russia. The discussion at the workshop was intended to lead to the institutionalisation of social and anthropological studies of occupations and professions among Russian scholars within the framework of the understanding and interpretative approach in the social sciences. Scholars who had experience with empirical studies were selected to participate in the workshop and discuss several types of occupations and professions (i.e. "classical" professions, marginal professions, new professions, etc.). A collection of articles based on the results of the workshop was published in 2005 (бОФТПРПМПЗЙС РТПЖЕУУЙК. уВ. ОБХЮ. УФБФЕК / рПД ТЕД. р.ч. тПНБОПЧБ, е.т. сТУЛПК-уНЙТОПЧПК. уБТБФПЧ: гурзй, ЙЪД-ЧП "оБХЮОБС ЛОЙЗБ", 2005. 464 У.).
Supported by the Centre for Sociological Education (Moscow), the Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov), the CISR (with support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation).

The Transformation of the Village World in Postsocialist Societies.
Russia, Bulgaria, Germany
(St. Petersburg, 6-8 September 2004)

The research teams participating in the project include: representatives of the CISR, the Centre for Independent Social Research and Education (Irkutsk), the Centre for Anthropological Studies (Krasnodar), the Tallinn University (Estonia), the University of Magdeburg (Germany).
The seminar was organised with the goal of summing up the first results of the project "Faraway from Cities: The Life of an East-European Village. Rural Life in Russia, Estonia and Bulgaria." The tasks of the seminar: to present the preliminary results of the qualitative research by the teams, to discuss and cultivate research instruments, and to discuss theoretical frameworks for comparing research cases and the format for presenting the results of the research (possible publications, presentations at conferences, etc.).
Supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Social Structure Research: Concepts and Empirical Approaches
International workshop (St. Petersburg, 19-20 March 2004)

Organisers: CISR and Section "Social Inequality and Analysis of Social Structure" of the German Sociological Association (DGS).
The purpose of the workshop was to allow famous Russian, Eastern European and DGS scientists to discuss problems related to social structure research.
Supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the CISR.

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