Sociology and Social Work

Qualitative and ethnographic research

Research that investigates stakeholder understandings, practices, experiences and relations in their social and historical context. Can include in-depth, go-along, life-story, photo-elicitation and focus group interviews, participant and activity observation as well as visual and arts-based methodologies.

Aivita Putniņa
(aivita.putnina@lu.lv; https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/) 

Kārlis Lakševics
(karlis.laksevics@lu.lv; +371 26129702; 
https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Policy analysis and ethnography

Analysis of the goals, plans and discourses of policies as well their consequences in the context of their production. Can include policy document analysis, interviews with policy-makers, involved stakeholders and members of target groups was well as the contextual analysis of other countries’ institutional systems and experience.

Aivita Putniņa
(aivita.putnina@lu.lv; https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Kārlis Lakševics
(karlis.laksevics@lu.lv; +371 26129702; 
https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Impact evaluation

Evaluation of programme, project or policy impact and efficiency on specific target groups or related to particular goals through qualitative and quantitative methods. Can include focus group discussions with the target group, surveys before and after the intervention, participant observation during different states of the intervention, etc.

Aivita Putniņa
(aivita.putnina@lu.lv; https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Kārlis Lakševics
(karlis.laksevics@lu.lv; +371 26129702; 
https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

User experience research

The analysis of user interactions with a service, interface or a company, potentially developing alternative user experience design. Can include user journey mapping, design workshops, ethnographic observations and usability tests.

Design and future anthropologies

Research and workshop approaches where solutions for a variety of issues are co-created and social understanding about them co-produced with the involved sides. Can include design workshops, arts-based and scenographic methods, backcasting, the Delphi approach and other participatory co-creation tools.

Participatory action research

Research processes where (1) research participants are involved in conducting and analysing research and (2) define action to follow the research. Can include different target groups, participatory analysis methodologies and create forms of disseminating research results.

Aivita Putniņa
(aivita.putnina@lu.lv; https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Kārlis Lakševics
(karlis.laksevics@lu.lv; +371 26129702; 
https://www.antropologija.lu.lv/en/)

Oral history and life-story research

Oral history researchers offer to conduct research in the cultural and social history of Latvia by using biographical interviews as sources of knowledge. Being included in the international context, an approach to the analysis of sources is created, based on life story interviews collected in the National Oral History Collection. Study of social processes, the collection and analysis of social information, the use of various qualitative data and analysis methods, which allow for a conceptual understanding of society and the processes taking place in it, and to conduct a reasoned analysis of social processes. 

Kaspars Zellis (oral history research group)
(kaspars.zellis@gmail.com; +371 67034861; 
https://mutvarduvesture.lv/en/) 

Value studies

Research on new knowledge about changes in the values, attitudes and the sense of belonging of Latvian society in international context. 

Integration studies

Research on integration conditions, incl. studies on the reception of the immigrants and the necessary support for different groups of immigrants, including remigrants. 

Youth studies

Studies that contribute to solving the problems of youth and youth integration, on the one hand, focus on the question of whether this process is beneficial for young people themselves, on the other hand, whether it poses a threat to society. Analysis of the mechanisms of social inclusion and exclusion of young people, the quality of life of young people.

Migration and diaspora research

An interdisciplinary group of researchers offers research tools, methodologies and a large contact base of respondents, which serves as a basis for regular acquisition of sociological information about the Latvian diaspora - migration monitoring, following changes in the sociological profile of Latvian emigrants, the experience and dynamics of migration of families and children, for the study of national and transnational identity formation, language and culture preservation practices, migration and participation dynamics, development of education financing models, ways of finding work and mobility of migrants in the labor market, emigrants' communication on social portals, as well as other topics. Migration and remigration processes are studied and modelled using both quantitative and qualitative research methods.

Qualitative research in sociology

Implementation of full-cycle research (a network of freelance interviewers is maintained) for public and private orders and projects (especially quantitative, including internationally comparative, and longitudinal), providing recommendations and developing problem-solving models and strategy scenarios. Researchers specialize in methodology development, research of various scientific and social problems, development and evaluation of information acquisition and processing methods, development of recommendations, policy evaluations. Fulfillment of orders and consultations on issues related to the methodology of sociological research and a wide range of problems are provided.

Ethnic sociology

Research on ethnopolitics, ethnic relations and integration, the formation of national identity and consciousness in Latvia and the culture of the Russian intellectual tradition in Latvia in order to compare Latvia's experience with the processes in other European countries, as well as researching the possible impact of ethnic relations complexes and historical memory discussions in the 20th century in the regions closest to Latvia. Analysis of trends and factors in the formation of national identity in a multidimensional discourse, using triangulation of data and methods.

Research ethics

Qualitative, quantitative and theoretical research on the implementation of research ethics principles, rights of research participants, informed consent, protection of personal data in research, ethical aspects of the development and use of medical technologies and biotechnologies, authorship criteria, ethics of scientific publications, conflicts of interest in research. Development of informed consent forms. The process of reviewing applications for biomedical research and requirements in research ethics committees. Evaluation of the ethical aspects of the research.