The Center for Sociological Interventions is a unit of a scientific-research, analytical, educational, training and consulting-service nature, functioning within the organizational structures of Collegium Civitas. Center was appointed by Collegium Civitas in cooperation with the Foundation for Social Movements Analysis.
The main tasks of the Center are:
- implementation of scientific research;
- coordinating the European Commission’s DARE research (Dialogue About Radicalisation and Equality) – devoted to two types of radicalization – extreme right and Islamist, and security policy in the EU (http://www.dare-h2020.org/);
- preparation of expert opinions and analyzes for various types of entities (public and private);
- conducting cyclical classes on conflicts and social movements at Collegium Civitas;
- organizing conferences and seminars with experts and practitioners / politicians;
- publishing the results of conducted research;
- organizing workshops;
- cooperation with public institutions, non-governmental organizations, civic initiatives, social movements, and enterprises in Poland and abroad;
- building an interdisciplinary network of experts and practitioners.
The main topics of the Center’s research include:
- contemporary conflicts and social, political, cultural and religious movements in Poland, the European Union and the world;
- populism and social-political extremism, radical anti-system movements threatening national security, in particular the extreme right (racism, nationalism) in Poland and Europe;
- the role and use of new communication technologies in contemporary conflicts and social movements;
- management and mediation of social, political and cultural conflicts in Poland and the European Union;
- policy of counteracting extremism and social and political violence in the context of security and cooperation of the European Union countries;
- grassroots civil initiatives;
- public consultation.
Innovative research methods
What distinguishes the work of the Center for Sociological Interventions experts is the use of a sociological intervention method, an original and rarely practiced research method, which was developed by the French sociologist Alain Touraine to study various types of conflicts and social movements. The innovative quality method, which resembles a focus group, consists in the fact that actors of real conflict or social movement through self-reflection learn distance from their own actions; begin to better understand or otherwise look at their actions, using the help of experts, commenting on their statements and mutual relations with each other and those associated with the allies and opponents invited to the discussion. Since 2004, the method has also been used for mediation purposes by the French Republic.
Public consultations
Many specialists agree that we live in times that are difficult to predict – bottom-up conflicts and social movements. For several years in Poland, in Europe and in many corners of the world, we have been observing the increasing role of grassroots political and social movements, both those that bring genuine hope of change for the better, such as the desire to improve the current shape of the European democracy model – like the human rights movement, women’s movement, ecological movements, consumer movements, movements of minorities (ethnic, sexual), urban movements, as well as those that pose a real threat to the very existence of the democratic system – e.g. extreme populist right wing or fundamentalist religious movements. The Center conducts public consultations in this area.
The management of the Center:
director – dr Łukasz Jurczyszyn
Research team:
dr Paweł Kuczyński
dr Mikołaj Rakusa-Suszczewski
dr Christos Varvantakis
Contact:
e-mail: lukasz.jurczyszyn@civitas.edu.pl
tel. (+48) 22 656 71 97,
mobile phone (+48) 668 685 442
The Center works closely with the Center d’Analyze et d’Intervention Sociologiques (CADIS / EHESS / CNRS) in Paris, which in 1981 was founded by Prof. Alain Touraine (http://cadis.ehess.fr/)
The French center was led by Prof. Michel Wieviorka, administrator of the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme Foundation, former president of the International Sociological Association (ISA). The current director of CADIS is Prof. Farhad Khosrokhavar – world-renowned expert in the field of radicalization, terrorism and religious fundamentalism.
We are proud to present letters of support from our French partners:
Alain Touraine
Je réponds avec enthousiasme à votre lettre qui me fait le plus grand plaisir. Vous-même, et à travers vous la Pologne, faites partie du lien qui ont le plus d’importance pour moi et pour nous. Évidemment, parce que moi-même, comme vous et tant de Polonais, sommes les enfants de Solidarność . Je suis ravi que vous soyez maintenant le directeur d’un centre de recherche du Collegium Civitas et je suis ravi de savoir que vous souhaitez appeler ce centre „Centre d’interventions sociologiques” et je suis très heureux aussi que Pawel Kuczynski soit membre de ce centre.
Tout ce qui peut renforcer nos liens avec nos amis polonais peut être assuré de mon plus entier appui.
Avec toute mon amitié
Alain Touraine
Michel Wieviorka
Je pense qu’il est bon que vive l’intervention sociologique, et que ce soit votre drapeau. Il faudra même à l’avenir veiller à ce que cette démarche, à la fois théorique, méthodologique et concrète, ouverte très largement à l’histoire et à la politique, mais sans s’y confondre, fasse l’objet d’efforts pour la renforcer, sous tous ces angles, en tenant compte des changements du monde dans lequel nous vivons. Et je serai de ceux qui plaideront pour que des relations intellectuelles et de coopération soient mises en place entre le CADIS et votre nouveau centre.
En amitié,
Michel Wieviorka