European University Association

av. Rejtana 16 c
35-959 Rzeszów
phone no.: +48 17 872 13 30
fax no.: +48 17 852 20 44
e-mail: instsoc@univ.rzeszow.pl

Dean
prof. dr hab. Marian Malikowski

Vice-Deans
dr Arkadiusz Tuziak

The Department employs 33 academic teachers: 7 professors, 3 post-doctoral degree holders, 17 doctors, 6 Master's degree holders and 2 technical staff.

The Department comprises the following units:

Section of Social Policy
  head prof. dr hab. Jerzy Chłopecki
Section of Economic Sociology
  head prof. UR dr hab. René Matlovic
Section of Eastern Studies
  head prof. dr hab. Andrzej Andrusiewicz
Section of Cultural Anthropology
  head prof. UR dr hab. Aleksander Bobko
Section of Sociology of Rural Areas and Agriculture
  head prof. UR dr hab. Zygmunt Seręga
Section of Sociology of Town and Region
  head prof. dr hab. Marian Malikowski
Section of Large Social Structures
  head prof. dr hab. Daniel Markowski
Section of General Sociology
  head prof. dr hab. Lesław L. Haber
Computer Laboratory
  lab supervisor mgr Barbara Puc

The Department offers

five-year MA studies (full-time and part-time) and two-year complementary master (part-time) studies.

History of the Institute

The beginning of sociological studies in Rzeszów date back to 1968 when a Section of Social and Historical Science was opened in the Rzeszów Pedagogical University. At that time Sociology was a complementary course of all disciplines. In 1982, the Department of Philosophy and Sociology, as well as the Section of Social Science were formed. Since 1992 there have been three specializations in the Sociology course: social, territorial, and ethnic-cultural work. The Institute of Sociology became a separate unit in 1996. In 2004 two specializations: Research into Social Attitudes and Behaviour, and Region and Local Government exchanged the specializations: Ethnic-Cultural and Territorial Work respectively.

Master Studies prepare students to use their knowledge in different fields, carry out research for civic institutions, teach civic and family education (after taking a teacher training course), work for social service institutions.

Specialization "Region and Local Government" prepares specialists that can cooperate with state administration, the European Union institutions and non-governmental institutions. The students learn how to plan and carry out tasks concerning regional and local development, how to initiate civic actions using social and cultural potential, how to prepare offers and work for Public Relations.

Specialization "Social Work" prepares well-qualified social workers for social aid centres, employment agencies, family aid institutions, special care educational institutions, penitentiary institutions, as well as charity organizations.

Specialization "Research into Social Attitudes and Behaviour" prepares students for research work. The most important teaching areas are: methodology, social research methods, computer statistical analysis of data. Students also get familiar with such issues as Public Relations, mass communication, methods of creating public opinion. Graduates are well prepared to work for public opinion poll institutions, advertising agencies, consulting agencies, as well as governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Major research areas

Major research areas comprise basic issues concerning the analysis of various phenomena in the period of system transformation in Poland, especially in Podkarpacie.

The research carried out in the Podkarpacie region comprises the following issues: job market and unemployment, structural and social transformation in urban and rural communities, social problems (poverty, exclusion, social pathologies), development opportunities of Podkarpacie and Rzeszów in comparison with other regions, cross-border cooperation in the Carpathian Euroregion, Polish-Ukrainian relations, activity of the local government at different levels, individual and social capital in the region, symbolic memory in the Podkarpacie region.

Scientific cooperation

The institute cooperates with the Bielefeld University (Germany), Bangor University (Great Britain), Lvov University (Ukraine), the State University in Czerniowce and within Socrates/Erasmus Programme with:
Universidad de Cordoba (Spain), Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), Fachhochschule Bielefeld (Germany), Szent Istvan University, Gödöllő (Hungary), University of Oradea (Romania), West University of Timisoara (Romania), "1 Decembrie 1918" University in Alba Iulia (Romania).

Polish, Slovakian and English guest professors are visiting to give lectures and a student international exchange programme is available within Socrates/Erasmus.

Coordinator for International Programmes - dr Paweł Walawender.