For further information see:
Center for the Research and Study of Sociology

Established in 1985, CIES is a university research centre associated to ISCTE (University Institute for Social Sciences, Business Studies and Technologies) and accredited by FCT – the Foundation for Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. CIES has been classified Excellent by the periodical international evaluations carried out by the Foundation. The centre's mission is to contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge and the development of society. The centre's main strategic benchmarks are scientific quality, social relevance and internationalization. CIES maintains close collaboration with its host institution, ISCTE, in particular with the Department of Sociology. The centre is affiliated with the European Consortium for Sociological Research (ECSR) and the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) and member of CICX – the Portuguese Council of the Research Centres for Human and Social Sciences.

Activities

CIES develops scientific research projects in the field of sociology, political science, education studies, communication studies and urban anthropology. These projects are funded through open calls with scientific evaluation promoted by national and European agencies/foundations. Researchers also carry out applied research projects on the basis of the consolidated scientific skills of the centre, a significant position of which are public-policy oriented. The centre contributes positively to the transfer of knowledge in various domains of expertise. CIES participates in several international projects, research programs and networks of scientific cooperation.

R&D Training

CIES contributes actively to the advancement of human resources training in research and development (R&D), by enabling the participation of graduate and post-graduate students, especially from the Department of Sociology of ISCTE, in projects of basic and applied research. The centre keeps a regular intake of a high number of grant-holders most of whom Ph.D. or post-doctoral candidates.

Research lines

• Line I: Processes of social recomposition and cultural reconfiguration

  • Structural change
  • Social classes
  • Social mobility
  • Cultural identities
  • Life styles
  • Migrations
  • Ethnicity
  • Urban ethnography
    
    

• Line II: Knowledge Society and Patterns of Competences

  • Literacy
  • Skills and qualifications
  • Education and school
  • Scientific culture
  • Science and society
  • Art and culture
  • Communication and information technologies
  • Communication and media
  • Network society
    
    

• Line III: Ways of life and public policies

  • Family, gender and sexuality
  • Work and family life
  • Social exclusion and integration
  • Drug use and addiction
  • Youth and transition to adulthood
  • Quality of life
  • Aging and Society
  • Health and medicine
  • Development, cultural heritage and the environment
  • Sport and society
  • Evaluation studies
    
    

• Line IV: Politics and Citizenship: Institutions, Cultures, and Behaviour

  • Democracy, governance and citizenship
  • Participation and social movements
  • Elites and political culture
  • Political institutions
  • Political parties, electoral systems and behaviour
  • Political construction of the European Union
    
    

• Line V: Work, Occupations, and Organizations

  • Economic and social development of organisations
  • (SMEs) Small and medium size enterprises
  • Employment systems and policies
  • New dynamics of the services sector
  • Occupational profiles
  • Precarious employment
  • Unions and professional associations
    
    

• Line VI: Europe/Latin America Research Program (ELARP)

  • Regional integration and transatlantic cooperation
  • Comparative political institutions
  • Social cleavages and political parties
  • Migrations and human rights
  • Environment and labour regulamentation
  • Educational, scientific, cultural and communicational issues
    
    

Scientific journal "Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas"

Since 1986 CIES is responsible for editing the scientific journal Sociologia, Problemas e Práticas, published by Celta Editora. Its periodicity is 3 numbers/year. The journal publishes articles in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. The articles are subject to independent par review and the Editorial Board is constituted by a wide range of highly qualified Portuguese and foreign researchers. The journal is indexed in various international databases such as Scielo, Latindex and Sociological Abstracts. It has also its own its own website containing information on issues, authors, articles and abstracts in 4 different languages.

Promotion of scientific culture

CIES is pledged to promoting scientific culture. Further to public intervention and knowledge diffusion activities carried out by its own team of researchers, the centre also collaborates with Ciência Viva - the National Agency for Scientific and Technological Culture. Initiatives such as the Science and Technology Week and the Scientific Occupation of Young People on Holidays, have offered students of primary and secondary school direct contact with the centre, its researchers and their projects.