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Abstracts of publications

Couuntryside - Our World 2008
Collection of papers of international conference

Czech Rural Area 2007 Study of South Bohemia
 and Ústecký districts

Czech Rural Area 2006 Social mobility and quality of life of rural inhabitants

Couuntryside - Our World 2006
Collection of papers of international conference

Czech Rural Area 2005
Development of Rural Society

Czech Rural Area 2004
Life of Young and Old People in Village

Czech Rural Area 2003 Situation before Entering to
 the European Union

Czech Rural Area 2002 Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship

Czech Rural Area  2001 Institutions

Three Czech Villages (comparison)

Czech Rural Area 2000 Basic Information          ( Condensed Report - PDF 89 pgs, 600 kB)

Information about personal publications of team's members are enclosed to professional  CVs in section About Us

Countryside - Our World 2008
Collection of papers of international conference

The team of Sociological Laboratory organized second time the international conference in Kutná Hora from 16^th to 18^th April 2008.

The objective of the Conference was to introduce foreign and Czech institutions, which deal with the variety of rural issues, and to enable the participants to discuss and exchange of experience at three levels (international, national and local).

More information

Text of Collection of papers in PDF format

Czech Rural Area 2007 – Study of South Bohemia and Ústecký districts

Presented  interim report from year 2007 is the next title from the series of publications resulting from surveys curried out 1997-2007. The publication was created in cooperation with the team from the University of South Bohemia (Faculty of Economy) and the University of Jan Evangelista Purkyně in Ústí nad Labem (Social-economic Faculty). Individual research steps were based on following logic: first we sought to collect the most important quantitative data on economic and social situation in Czech rural area and to create a framework picture that would gradually be completed in following years. Next phase was focused on examining the socio-economic structure of Czech rural space and phenomenon and processes rising as a consequence of their changes. In the time, most economic and social parts of rural life were described, mainly by representative quantitative surveys. The complexity of rural social reality required supplementing quantitative data with more detailed views of behaviour and life of rural inhabitants. It was the reason of our growing interest in implementing qualitative methods and techniques of sociological research.
Presented study focused on comparison of two Czech districts (South Bohemia and Ústecký) and sought to use all possibilities that comparative approach offers. First level of comparison and analysis (on regional level) is more general and shows simplified but clear views. The second analytical level (district level) is more detailed but its interpretation is more difficult. It is more complicated to find consequences and connections because there are many different elements of different significance at stake. Closing chapter of the study summarizes the consequences that we found and formulates open questions that we were not able to answer yet.
 

Czech Rural Area  2006 - Social mobility and quality of life of rural inhabitants

Presented interim report from year 2006 summarizes results of an empirical survey called Life Strategy of Rural Inhabitants. The questionnaire used for this survey had actually quite a broad scope. Representative sample (with slight modifications mentioned in chapter “Report on the progress of research”) was selected with the intention to fill-in some gaps in our long-term surveys of Czech countryside. Therefore, significant part of the questionnaire covers questions on the respondents relationship to living and working in rural areas, including whether he/she was born in the countryside, moved there with parents or partner and where from, and whether he/she is willing to stay there or plans to change the place of living and why.
We were interested in the character of living, in respondents property, what does the ownership of property mean to him/her and how is he/she planning to deal with the property. With the help of packet of questions, we followed up mobility strategies of respondents and of their families. We tried to outline the picture of rural inhabitant, her/his family's past, present and future.
We have monitored the relationships to work in agriculture, ability and willingness to work in other branches than agriculture and whether rural life for him/her has rather economic or social advantages or neither. Future strategies of respondents were connected with their opinion on the role of agriculture in rural space, on the future of countryside, its character and real possibilities of its development.

Countryside - Our World 2006
Collection of papers of international conference

The team of Sociological Laboratory organized the international conference in Český Krumlov from 1^st to 3^th Marz 2006.

More informations

Text of Collection of papers in PDF format

Czech Rural Area  2005 - Development of Rural Society

This report focuses on some aspects of development of rural society. It is the theoretical preparation for empirical surveys of working and living conditions of rural inhabitants, i. e. both agricultural and non-agricultural; it means people looking for livelihood in other sectors than in the agricultural.
The publication consists of theoretical knowledge, of information that was recently published and expresses the endeavor of creating concepts of principle changes in the rural society; and the descriptive chapters, which characterize present rural area from several different points of view.
The European rural area is very differentiated even within individual countries. Not even technical and technological progress can protect the rural area from economical and subsequently social vulnerability that arise from the natural conditions. The improvement of cooperation among all bodies that can influence rural development is common ground of the endeavor to create reasonable living and working conditions for rural inhabitants. The cooperation has one aim, even though it happens on different levels of social structure and includes different subjects of economic and social institutions.
Different points of view on current rural area are included in this publication, beginning with the historical context of defining of rural areas to current aspects of demographic development. Agricultural production is considered a part of rural area and landscape with regard to the fact that its importance can diminish in some part of the Czech Republic. Nevertheless it is not possible to deny quite non-substitutable role of the agriculture not only in historical consequences.
 

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Czech Rural Area  2004 - Life of Young and Old People in Village

This theoretical evaluation and empirical analysis of diverse sides of life of seniors and young people in rural areas attempt to answer their frequently posed inquiries such as: quality of life and work conditions, their mutual relationship and cooperation, the potential plans of young people, the level of future connection to the village – their birthplace and place of residency, their expectations of the village responsibilities, their own contribution to the development of the village, and their efforts to influence the public policy.
In the older group the study was particularly interested in the following queries: the suitability of living conditions in the small villages, the level of dependency on their children or neighbours, the traditional neighbourly and family connections, and the ability of the village to support them in all aspects of life..
The main aim of the survey was to describe this micro level on the large sample of population. The survey was then supplemented with the macro-economic information from everyday life of many families and households in addition finding out attitudes and opinions of relevant groups of rural inhabitants.

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Czech Rural Area  2003 - Situation before Entering to EU

This report compiles extensive information about Czech rural area in establishing the reality which plays important role in its future development. Common Europe is a concept with its vision gradually being changed by agreements and accords of individual countries with different ideas and various points of view. At this junction the main aim of the report was the self-reflection effort and the identification of certain features of Czech rural area. Based on the findings of the report we would consider the advantages and disadvantages of common Europe for the Czech Republic.
The theoretical chapters of the report focus on the current state of Czech rural areas and try to deduct the possible scenarios for the beginning period after joining the EU. This part of publication try to understand how current preconditions of the Czech rural area correspondents with contemporary development in the EU, and to found parallels and significant information.
The second part of the report is based on assumption that “not only one type of rural area does exist”. The empirical data explain what types of rural area exist and describe the differences and causes of this development. The detailed description of the current situation of rural inhabitants is from two points of view – opinion of mayors of municipalities and the common inhabitants.

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Czech Rural Area  2002 - Entrepreneurs and Entrepreneurship

The publication considers the entrepreneurship from two points of view. The first part of the publication is based on theoretical interpretation of business and entrepreneurship applying particular economic theories. The focus of the interest is shifted in the next chapters to the examination of rural areas. The chapters describe the changes of structure of agricultural companies and the development of the entrepreneurship, especially after 1989. The concentrated attention is given to study of the tourism industry and the support of nonprofit organizations. The theoretical part concludes by the analysis of platforms of Czech political parties in relation to the small and medium size businesses.
The second part is based on empirical dates. The South Bohemia region is analyzed in the case study that is quite typical of the region with good preconditions for small and medium size businesses. The representative sample illustrates opinions and attitudes of entrepreneurs and their entrepreneurial successful. This sociological empirical part of closing report follows the study Czech Rural Area 2001 which characterized economical preconditions of entrepreneurship in the South Bohemia region.
 

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Czech Rural Area  2001 - Institutions

The introductory chapters of the publication present a view on institutionalism and the support of regional politics in the Czech Republic. The next chapter is focused on problematic of public administration and autonomy applying particular knowledge from empirical survey. The management of rural area and its current role in the agriculture is based on the direction of the agriculture educational institutions. The examination of the political process in the rural area becomes increasingly important, as well as the representation of the interests of agriculture in the political system i.e. monitoring economic (professional) influence of the interest groups. The attention is paid to the non-governmental organizations and voluntarism which is quite new phenomenon in the current Czech society.
The state of the economic environment and living conditions are considered separate problematic which will be given constant attention.
The second part of the publication describes economic resources and their analysis which are important for development of regions (including rural areas), with emphasis on the development of human resources. The model example (case study) is the South Bohemia region. The management of the economic resources by the inhabitants of the region is examined, especially for the opportunity of the development of small entrepreneurships.
 

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Three Czech Villages (comparison)

The research activities ”Social Changes of Czech Village” were carried out within a project financed by the Grant Agency of Czech Republic. This project concentrated on comparison of development after the year 1989 and present situation of three Czech villages, concerning processes of transformation, restitution and privatization in agriculture. The comparative research combines monographic view with partial generalization of acquired data. It allows to record the unique character of a town (village) and put it in a frame of phenomena given by the social reality of all three villages in research.
The main themes were particularly changes in the ownership of land and other property (restitution in the village, its extend, economic and social impact, management of the land), changes of approach to work in agriculture, social processes related to transformational changes (development of relations among people, reflection of political, economic and social changes in general attitude and opinions in the chosen villages).
The selection of the three villages was made according to the following criteria: size of the village (between 500 and 2000 permanent residents), different character of production conditions (according to productive-economic groups), different geographic placement within the Czech Republic (western Bohemia borderline, fertile area in lowlands, urban area), former economic subject (agricultural cooperatives and state farm).
In each village, a representative sample of 100 respondents was chosen by the method of random choice. In 1999, both qualitative and quantitative research started: questionnaire investigation, focus group and semistandardized interviews. The questionnaire investigation and the interviews were carried out by the personnel of the Sociological Laboratory and Phd and regular students of FEM. The control and coding of the questionnaires from the quantitative sociological research and control of data from interviews and saving the data in SPSS format followed.
The data was interpreted and analyzed in 2000 by the personnel of the Sociological Laboratory.

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Czech Rural Area  2000 - Basic Information (closing report)

The rural society gradually changes. We faced the question how to record the most important features of these changes, their extend, signification and facts that are connected with them. The research project ”Trends of Social Changes in Rural Areas and in Agriculture” was supposed to be the fist in a row of investigative researches which would give an account of contemporary social reality. Its content frame is, therefore, quite wide since this database will provide a source for comparison of some trends in development and basis for more detailed studies and researches in future.
Statistic data which can describe agriculture and rural areas often lack dissection according to the size of the locality, different social classes typical for rural settlements or according to the size of economic subjects and other categories. Many types of information are difficult to acquire, sometimes the investigation requires such financial investments the educational sphere cannot afford.
The questionnaire investigation was divided into fourteen sections. In the section of work and employment we tried to record the most significant changes related to the change of proprietorship, changes work opportunities and to creating of new jobs. The inquiries also focus on business in rural area, its advantages, barriers and successfulness. We decided to give up special research and analysis of agricultural workers because their number in rural area decreased. They are included in the research as one of social groups as it was created during random choice.
The questionnaire includes questions that we assume to show the development from contemporary phenomena (concerning common life in the countryside, relations of neighbors, influence of political and community organizations). We also expect to see changes in values important for the inhabitants of rural areas.
While carrying out the sociological research we created photographic documentation of rural area. It is used as an illustration of some described phenomena and processes and is very instrumental for lectures on sociological subjects. The photographic documentation will show elements of today’s life even in the future, when these fade away (for example the features and the state of restitute buildings, state of forests, features of a village, typical features of border areas with their Vietnamese markets and stands). This documentation may help to recognize and identify roots of phenomena and events in the future.

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Publication Czech Countryside 2000

Basic Information (closing report)