Tag "sociology"

A researcher at HSE University analysed data on 1,539 doctoral students from 161 Russian universities to identify which features of a thesis topic are associated with academic success and engagement. The most important factor was found to be personal interest in the research topic, which was associated with almost all key aspects of doctoral programme experience—from engaging with the academic supervisor to research activity and confidence about successfully defending the thesis. The findings have been published in Higher Education.

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.

The Russian middle class cannot be regarded as a homogeneous and uniformly stable social group. Similar income levels often mask significant differences in financial strategies, lifestyles, and levels of economic security. This is the conclusion reached by sociologists at HSE University. The study has been published in Voprosy Ekonomiki.

Women are more likely than men to avoid political and economic news, but the reasons for this behaviour are linked less to structural inequality or family-related stress than to personal attitudes and the emotional perception of news content. This conclusion was reached by HSE researchers after analysing data from a large-scale survey of more than 10,000 residents across 61 regions of Russia. The study findings have been published in Woman in Russian Society.

After exploring several research fields, Maxim Gurin realised that he wanted to study sociology while specifically focusing on how his research could benefit the people at the centre of it. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he shares his passion for hip-hop dancing, the magical appeal of the courtyard at the House on the Embankment, and his quest to uncover the memories of the Chelyuskinitsy during a trip along the Trans-Siberian Railway.

Researchers from the HSE Institute of Education conducted a sociological study at four small, non-selective universities and revealed, based on 135 interviews, the dual nature of student care at such institutions: a combination of genuine support with continuous supervision, reminiscent of parental care. This study offers the first in-depth look at how formal and informal student care practices are intertwined in the post-Soviet educational context. The study has been published in the British Journal of Sociology of Education.