Lecture on the European Social Survey in Bulgaria – Benefits and Challenges

Tuesday, 06 November 2018 11:40

We are proud that our university is a leading partner in the European Social Survey (ESS) in which Bulgaria participates in four surveys. These were the words Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgy Petrunov from the Economic Sociology Department opened the lecture on the European Social Survey in Bulgaria – Benefits and Challenges presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lilia Dimova - sociologist, National Representative and Coordinator for Bulgaria in the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and ESS, Chairwoman of the Management Board of the Agency for Social Analyses (ASA).

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Venelin Boshnakov, Secretary General for Science and Acting Head of the project ESS National Roadmap for Scientific Research 2017-2023, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Georgy Petrunov and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lilia Dimova (from the left to the right)

Assoc. Prof. Venelin Boshnakov greeted the participants in the informational meeting on behalf of the UNWE Managing Body. The ESS provides assistance to the work of lecturers, researchers, Doctoral students and undergraduates through its exclusively precise data. The objective of the Consortium consisting of 37 countries is to study the social phenomena, pointed out Assoc. Prof. Boshnakov.

Assoc. Prof. Venelin Boshankov

The reason to establish the ESS was the acute deficit of scientifically good enough data about mindsets, belief and common values. Its founders are Prof. Roger Jowell and Prof. Max Kaase who succeeded to convince the national financing organizations, European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Commission (EC) that the social knowledge is a necessity, said Assoc. Prof. Dimova (in the picture below).

The guest-lecturer explained that the ESS is a pan-European scientific research infrastructure providing free access to the data of academic circles, politicians, civil society and general public. Bulgaria has been the ESS member since 1997.The surveys are held once within two years and measure the public mindsets and behavior, absorption and development of the highest standards for national scientific research, programmes for attendance or virtual training and support to free access to the constantly enriching archives of data and documentation (www.europeansocialsurvey.org).  

According to the ESS regulation the participating countries themselves must provide funding to their teams for implementation of surveys. The first funding for Bulgaria has been for the period 2018-2019. Assoc. Prof. Dimova declared that the data integrity is guaranteed because the data are a subject of check out and no changes are allowed if the survey is already done.

The benefit of participating in the ESS for Bulgaria is the opportunity for free use of data. The last survey has shown a positive tendency in Bulgaria – it is not positioned in the queue of every research.

Assoc. Prof. Ekaterina Tosheva (on the right)
During the lecture

 

Photo gallery from Lecture on the European Social Survey in Bulgaria – Benefits and Challenges ...