Social Integration: At the Crossroads of Knowledge and Values

Photo: Centre for Curative Pedagogics

The International Laboratory for Social Integration Research (ILSIR) at HSE University studies the challenges faced by vulnerable groups and explores ways to help them participate fully in everyday life. To develop effective solutions, the laboratory’s researchers combine cutting-edge methods with practical fieldwork. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Laboratory Head Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova discusses the laboratory’s work.

— When and on whose initiative was the laboratory established?

— My colleagues Maria Kozlova, Daria Prisyazhniuk, and I founded the laboratory together. By that time, HSE University had already been offering, for ten years, a Master's programme in Sociology of Public Sphere and Social Communications, now called Sociology of Public Sphere and Digital Analytics. Alongside our teaching, we conducted research on family and childhood, education, aging, and disability. We wanted to expand this work and involve students more systematically. We considered various formats and created two research and study groups.

Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova

© HSE University

In 2019, we applied for a competition to establish international laboratories and won. We were so enthusiastic about the opportunity that even the pandemic did not stop us from launching numerous research and publication projects in our first year, as well as developing partnerships with several CIS countries. 

— One of the requirements of the International Laboratories Project was to invite internationally recognised scholars.

— Our first lead scholar was Linda J. Cook, a professor at Brown University in the United States and a prominent researcher of social policy in post-socialist countries. She is the author of books on migration, social security, and the transformation of this sphere. She was actively involved in the laboratory’s work during its early years, and we continue to collaborate with her as a co-author, reviewer, and advisor on publications. Mike Titterton, a well-known UK expert in social policy, NGO development, and social services, as well as a UNICEF expert, was also actively involved in our work and helped oversee our publication projects. We prepared several special issues of international journals and organised conferences attended by international colleagues, who joined online. We continue to maintain informal contacts with many of them.

— What are the main areas of your work?

— We take a broad approach to social integration. We believe it is particularly important today to reflect on differences in values and perspectives concerning social inequality and agency, as well as on ways people and communities can participate together in processes of learning and social change. Therefore, we study socially vulnerable groups, examining how they seek to integrate into employment, education, and cultural life, and also how they respond to external initiatives aimed at supporting their participation in everyday life. These groups include children and adults with special needs and various disabilities, as well as their families; older people; people with migration experience; orphans and children without parental care; and people living with HIV. We also study organisations and professionals involved in these groups’ well-being and quality of life, including schools, social services, NGOs, corporations, specialists, and relevant projects. Another area of focus is the public sphere, including social policy, civic initiatives, and the mass media.

There are many challenges to address and needs to respond to, and we are developing strong partnerships with organisations such as the Centre for Curative Pedagogics, which has been supporting children and adolescents with ASD and cerebral palsy, and their families, since 1989. One of our areas of focus is exploring opportunities for independent living for young adults with special needs. 

— What does that involve?

— Children with special needs grow up, and both they and their parents should be given the opportunity to separate from one another. Apartments are provided where young people can practice living with support and gradually transition to independent living. Adolescents and adults are taught everyday skills such as cooking and shopping, with the necessary assistance from volunteers or professionals, including psychologists, educators, and social workers. Then, when possible, they are offered supported employment and assistance in transitioning to ordinary everyday life. It is a challenging process, as Russia is still at an early stage of this journey. Such initiatives are not always readily accepted, but attitudes are gradually changing, and these programmes are proving effective.

Related to this work are research projects on inclusive education, disability-friendly schools, employment, and entrepreneurship for people with disabilities, and educational programmes for older people.

— Why do you consider it important to involve people with disabilities in everyday social and cultural life?

— I have been researching this area and collaborating with relevant NGOs since the early 1990s, so it is also a matter of personal commitment for me. When we started, many basic things had to be explained to the wider public. Since then, education, science, culture, social services, and the economy have undergone significant modernisation. In order to improve the situation with inclusion, it is important to study both inclusion and exclusion from a scientific perspective, identify their structural causes, and understand the lived experiences of people facing various limitations. The case for inclusion has been well established by leading sociologists and economists worldwide. Social policy and practice are also evolving in this direction.

— You have mentioned adolescents and adults. Have you also conducted research on issues affecting children?

— One innovative approach is to involve children and adolescents in assessing the quality of the services they receive. It is particularly important to recognise orphans and children with disabilities as full-fledged participants in decision-making about their education and social adaptation. Our colleagues Konstantin Obukhov and Olga Savinskaya developed assessment methods at the invitation of the Absolut–Help Foundation, and Irina Zangieva is leading a project examining how NGO employees cope with stress.

For several years, our colleagues have been working with the Mentors for Children Foundation (‘Наставники детям’), addressing applied objectives such as developing internal mechanisms for monitoring the effectiveness of programmes, as well as conducting basic research to explore specific aspects of socialisation among children in difficult life circumstances. There is strong demand for this kind of research, and our non-profit partners have responded very positively to these initiatives.

Government agencies have also approached us with research requests. At present, commissioned by the Moscow Government, we are studying citizens’ views on issues related to urban infrastructure, social support, accessibility, and the inclusivity of urban spaces.

We undertake commercial research projects as well: for example, for Yandex, we assessed changes in the well-being of people participating in the Help Is Nearby programme (‘Помощь рядом’). Maria Kozlova has led several projects commissioned by the Twinby dating service.

— Are older people in your sphere of interest?

— Naturally. Population aging makes this work increasingly important. Daria Prisyazhniuk leads research on challenges faced by older people, opportunities for their reintegration into the economy, and the potential of geragogy—approaches to educating older adults. This includes exploring how to effectively teach them modern skills and technologies while respecting ethical principles and protecting their health and well-being.

— Is your laboratory primarily engaged in basic or applied research? Is it difficult to maintain a balance between the two?

— We strive to maintain this balance by engaging in theoretical research on issues not directly related to discrimination. For example, we study morality and altruism as foundations of inclusion, a research area led by Andrey Bykov. Studies on administrators' morality and work ethics is closely linked to inclusive hiring and employment, with Victoria Antonova leading this area. Related to these is Roman Abramov’s research on professions and professionalism.

In a number of projects, we study the professionalisation of social work and the prevention of social orphanhood. We have developed methods to support families and prevent children from being placed in residential institutions. It is important to build an evidence base making it possible to measure progress and identify points of growth for innovation.

There is also plenty of hands-on work. We recently conducted a field study in the Nizhny Novgorod region, where a reform of the child protection system has been implemented. In partnership with the organisation Volunteers to Help Orphaned Children (‘Волонтеры в помощь детям-сиротам’), we interviewed parents, children, and social workers. We then presented our findings to the governor and the regional government’s social policy department.

Our partners include NGOs that support children and families, people with disabilities, and older people—these organisations seek to transform the social protection system by introducing more targeted and personalised services. Such partnerships allow us to study different areas of social protection and develop practical recommendations. For this sphere to advance, it is essential to gather feedback from service recipients, combine a thorough understanding of the system with detailed insider knowledge of existing challenges, and apply appropriate methodologies.

For example, in collaboration with Everland—Space of Equal Opportunities, we conduct surveys and focus groups, consult with experts on employment and accessibility, and review projects. Recently, we hosted a blind student as an intern, and our partners helped him develop an internship programme tailored to his needs. Our colleague Igor Novikov, co-founder of Everland and a prominent expert on disability rights, leads several social and research projects.

In our collaborative project with the Centre for Curative Pedagogics, we add a research component to their ideas and expertise. Together, we visit and assess institutions in different regions, engage actively with staff and residents, and discuss what can be improved and how. Working with residential care institutions and involving people with mental disabilities, among others, in our research is challenging, but we are committed to helping make the system more humane.

Perspektiva, a leading Russian disability NGO, regularly invites us to conduct research on career guidance and employment for people with disabilities, as well as to serve on the selection committee and to moderate discussions at the annual Cinema Without Barriers Film Festival. The festival is a world-class event featuring films from a variety of genres about people with disabilities, with directors and actors often drawing on their own lived experience of disability.

We present our applied research at public hearings, eg at the Civic Chamber and the Moscow International Education Fair. Several of our colleagues, including Elena Rozhdestvenskaya, Olga Savinskaya, Igor Novikov, and others, are highly sought-after experts who are frequently asked to comment in the media.

Interdisciplinary Conference ‘Researching the Deaf Community 2025: On the Periphery of Attention’ at GES-2

© HSE University

— What types of disabilities are covered by your research?

— One of our areas of focus is Deaf studies. Deaf people form a close-knit community with its own language and culture, and with a growing number of scholars, artists, and entrepreneurs. Participants also include hearing sign language interpreters, researchers, and project leaders.

In partnership with the GES-2 House of Culture, we hold the annual ‘What Does It Mean to Be Deaf?’ conferences, which aim to promote social integration. They explore events in the life of the Deaf community, the challenges deaf people face and ways of overcoming them, as well as issues related to the community’s social situation and cultural specificities. These conferences also consider prospects for further development of sign language in Russia, and each conference concludes with a verbatim performance based on the collected life stories of deaf people.

Our colleague Nikita Bolshakov leads a sociology club for deaf young people and works on developing a concept for an inclusive museum.

— Which of your colleagues' achievements are you particularly proud of?

— We recently published a book on inclusive education, with many of its authors coming from HSE University. The book’s principal co-editor is Prof. Tsediso Michael Makoelle from South Africa, who until recently worked at Nazarbayev University. Together with him, in 2020–2021, we conducted a large comparative study across post-Soviet countries on the participation of children with disabilities in inclusive education and the willingness of parents and teachers to support their inclusion. Specialised NGOs and colleagues from universities in the CIS countries helped us with the project. Inclusion is making progress, although many barriers still remain.

— Which departments of HSE University do you engage with?

— We have close friendly ties with the Faculty of Social Sciences and the School of Sociology. The laboratory is currently working with the Centre for Youth Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg, the International Laboratory for Applied Network Research, and the Laboratory for Psychology of Social Inequality on an integrated project examining different contexts of inclusion and exclusion, various forms of inequality, and their dynamics.

Our longstanding partner is the Institute of Education. Recently, we completed a major project with the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) on corporate social responsibility. Together with the world-class Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre at HSE University, we conducted a multi-year study on inclusive hiring. We collaborate with the Institute for Social Policy, with which we prepared a joint report on evidence-based social policy and practice, and with the Centre for Studies of Civil Society and Nonprofit Sector.

Our work also intersects with research in urban and cultural studies and with the School of Computer Engineering.

Each year, we host the international conference 'Interaction. Integration. Inclusion,' which brings together colleagues from HSE University and other universities, as well as researchers from different regions and countries. The most recent conference held this August focused on understanding the relationship between life values and forms of knowledge production. We also discussed inclusion and integration at the intersection of knowledge and values.

— How are the results of your work incorporated in the educational process?

— We introduce new educational programmes, such as Diverse Society, and teach courses on regulatory framework analysis, media frame analysis, and visual methods. We have also taught a bachelor’s course: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Social Theories and Applied Projects. We examine public discourse on inclusion and teach students how to identify conceptual substitutions and misleading uses of terminology. We regularly update the content of core and elective courses based on our research findings and involve students in our projects and field expeditions.

© HSE University

Master’s students in our Sociology of Public Sphere and Digital Analytics programme choose research topics related to inequality and inclusion, professions, and media framing. They also develop new methods for data collection and analysis, as well as software tools.

Our doctoral students are writing dissertations on assisted living, inclusive education, entrepreneurship among people with disabilities, gender inequality, and the value foundations of inclusion.

— How actively do students participate in the laboratory's work?

— Two-thirds of our staff are under 39, and half of them are students. They participate actively in our projects, with their research topics closely related to the laboratory’s work. They attend conferences, take part in field expeditions, conduct field research, write reports, present their findings at academic seminars, and volunteer with NGOs. Recently, Maria Kozlova led a project with active student participation in collaboration with the Svetlana Izambaeva Foundation, which supports adolescents living with HIV. Our students explored the challenges these adolescents face. In another project, we work with students to investigate quality-of-life issues affecting the residents of care homes—institutions for people with mental health conditions.

I never tire of being delighted that young people are interested in projects like these.

Our annual school has become an important platform for engaging young people in research. ILSIR holds it in various formats, but always with a focus on interdisciplinary collaboration and promoting the values of an inclusive society.

— How do you maintain and develop international research cooperation?

— There are fewer opportunities now, but independent academic networks continue to serve as platforms for collaboration. We recently visited the Centre for the Humanities and Social Sciences in Yerevan, a forum where international colleagues can work together, research is not politicised, and a high level of academic discussion is maintained.

Cooperation is increasingly refocused on post-Soviet and BRICS countries. We have international doctoral and master’s students, and we try to expand our academic network to include new countries. For example, we are currently working with doctoral students from Nigeria on papers about gender inequality among university students and the inclusion of children with disabilities in schools in Nigeria. We are also establishing contacts in South Africa, India, and China, while continuing to maintain our long-standing international connections.