Internationalisation of Social Sciences in Central and Eastern Europe : The `Catching Up' -- A Myth or a Strategy?

ISBN-13: 9780415548236 / Angielski / Twarda / 2010 / 227 str.

Ilona Pálné Kovács;Dagmar Kutsar

Opis

Social sciences in comparison with other sciences in Europe have been divided by the political orders of the West and East. In Central and Eastern Europe social sciences were ideologically highly controlled and politicised by the totalitarian system. Following the collapse of the totalitarian systems – as compared with other sciences – contemporary social sciences in the region started to spring from scratch. All it needed – ideological turnover, curriculum development, Western literature, academic contacts, funds, command of common language of communication, skills of doing research in international and interdisciplinary teams of researchers and building pan-European research networks. Considering the aim of establishing European Research Area we could experience that the international co-operation could not become integrated part of the scientific existence in CEE countries, and the institutions managing science policy were unable to promote the international contact-building. The internationalisation of social science, the absorption of European research funds is not proportional, the convergence between Western and Eastern social scientific life is hindered by many factors introduced in the volume. Coherence in European social sciences can be reached only, if new academic traditions and cultures are developed and science policies harmonised.

The present edited book belongs to the field of science policies in Europe and contributes to the creation of a new understanding of the European academic landscape of social sciences with a special focus made on CEE countries. The book is addressed to scholars and science administrators, policy makers at national and European level. It could also serve as a source book for students and broader who take courses related to science policies, Europeanisation, European integration, and CEE or transitional studies

Spis treści

Part 1: Insights into European Science Policies Framework  Part 2: State of the Art of Social Science and International Cooperation in CEE Countries  Part 3: Country Case Studies

O autorze

Ilona Pálné Kovács is Director for the Transdanubian Research Institute of the Centre for Regional Studies and Professor at the University of Pecs, Department of Political Science. She has led many local and international research projects in the fields of local and regional government, and regional policy. She has also written numerous books and articles.

Dagmar Kutsar is Associate Professor of Social Policy, and Head of the Unit of Family and Welfare Studies at the University of Tartu. Recent publications include ‘On determinants of perceived social exclusion among young adults of middle-sized towns in Estonia, Germany and the United Kingdom’ Youth in Contemporary Europe (Routledge, forthcoming).