Main research tools of the ENRI-East

The project employs both theoretical and empirical research tools.  It starts with a critical review of literature on identities and verification of existing statistical and sociological data sets.  As a next step, we shall design a series of sociological surveys that should bring new knowledge to the main research themes of the project.
Altogether 7 types of surveys will be undertaken. Among them are classical methods like a large-scale quantitative survey, expert interviews and content analysis, but also essays written by teenagers and two innovative and experimental pilot studies (Musical survey and musical focus groups.)  All of these instruments shall provide data for each of the four project cross-cutting themes.

Cross-national quantitative surveys on values and identities

Objective:

  • Collection of new sociological data on 8 to 12 “split” ethnic groups in Eastern Europe

Tools:

  • Surveys of representative samples of the selected groups of Eastern Europe ethnic minorities (approx. 8,000 respondents) ‐ Master Questionnaires (MQ)
  • MQ translated into national languages to enable respondents to answer the questions in their native or preferred language
  • Compatibility with standardised international surveys (WVS/EVS, ISSP, ESS, Eurobarometer) to allow cross‐national comparisons

Cross-national qualitative surveys
Objectives:

  • Collection of “soft data” on the political, social, economic and cultural contexts of life for ethnic minorities in Eastern Europe, main ways of socialization, historical and social memories
  • Reconstruction of “a rainbow” of European, national, regional, local, ethnical etc., discourses in a number of European sub‐cultures

Tools:

  • In‐depth interviews (with representatives of ethnic minorities)
  • Expert interviews (with local/regional officials and NGO leaders)
  • Teenagers essays (designed by the Belarusian team)
  • Content analysis (local and regional periodicals)

Pilot study: Cultural Identity and Music (designed by the Oxford XXI team), relationship between music and cultural identity

Objective:

  • Exploration of cross‐generational and cross‐cultural links between music and national, ethnic, regional and European identities in order to link types of music and these different levels of identity

Tools:

  • musical 3G survey, musical focus groups