Supervisors & Proposed Research Topics
Supervisors & Proposed Research Topics (Sociology PhD)
Gergely Csányi: Psy-complex and society
Detailed description: The theme encompasses sociological studies of the institutions and practices that mobilise psychological knowledge and their representations, using a variety of methodologies. The research may focus on the social embeddedness of institutions mobilising psychological knowledge, the social role of mental health professionals or even mental health practices, or the representations of mental dysfunctions or of the aforementioned professionals. Of particular interest may be the use of concepts related to psychological knowledge in different nonpsychic discourses. A critical approach is strongly encouraged.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: In contemporary societies, the increasing psychologisation of self-understanding makes this theme topical, as do the changes taking place in the psychosciences (marketisation, scientification).
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Foucault, M. (2003). Madness and civilization. Routledge.
Parker, I. (2007). Critical psychology: What it is and what it is not. Social and PersonalityPpsychology Compass, 1(1), 1–15.
Rose, N. S. (1985). The psychological complex: Psychology, politics and society in England, 1869-1939. Routledge & Kegan Paul Books.
Rose, N. (1990). Governing the soul: The shaping of the private self. Taylor & Francis/Routledge.
Rose, N. (1996). Psychiatry as a political science: advanced liberalism and the administration of risk. History of the Human Sciences, 9(2), 1–23.
Gergely Csányi: Sexuality and society
Detailed description: The theme covers topics on the social aspects of sexuality using a variety of methodologies. Sociological research on sexuality usually focuses on state, expert or civil discourses on sexuality, sexual identity groups, sexual practices or desire. Research that focuses on intersections of these aspects could be particularly valuable. A critical approach is strongly encouraged.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: A true evergreen.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Chitty, C. (2020) Sexual Hegemony: Statecraft, Sodomy, and Capital in the Rise of the World System. Durham: Duke University Press.
D'Emilio, J., & Freedman, E. B. (1997). Intimate matters: A history of sexuality in America. University of Chicago Press.
Foucault, M. (2019). The history of sexuality. The will to knowledge. Penguin UK.
Green, A. I. (2008) Erotic habitus: Toward a sociology of desire. Theory and Society, 37(6), 597–626.
Green, A. I. (2008) The social organization of desire: The sexual fields approach. Sociological Theory, 26(1), 25–50.
Laqueur, T. (1992). Making sex: Body and gender from the Greeks to Freud. Harvard University Press.
Laqueur, T. W. (2003). Solitary sex: A cultural history of masturbation (Vol. 501). New York: Zone Books.
MacKinnon, C. A. (1982). Feminism, Marxism, method, and the state: An agenda for theory. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 7(3), 515–544.
Marcuse, H. (1963). Eros and civilization. Les éd. de Minuit.
Tibor Dessewffy: Digital Transformation and Social Change: The Restructuring of Information Flow and Knowledge
Detailed description: Digital technology not only transforms individual behavior and social interactions but also radically alters public discourse, information flow, and knowledge structures. Online platforms, algorithms, and new forms of communication deeply impact what topics gain visibility, who holds informational power, and how social discourse is shaped. The aim of this research is to explore the profound societal consequences of digital transformation and to analyze changes in knowledge and information structures through an interdisciplinary approach.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: This research contributes to the field of digital social sciences by empirically and theoretically examining the transformation of digital platforms, algorithms, and information spaces. It places special emphasis on the relationship between social media and digital public spheres, as well as on how power relations in knowledge production and dissemination are changing.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Manuel Castells: The Rise of the Network Society
Danah Boyd: It’s Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens
Deborah Lupton: Digital Sociology
Zeynep Tufekci: Twitter and Tear Gas
Kate Crawford: Atlas of AI
Tom Chatfield: Wise Animals: The Delusions of Digital Society
Further requirements: Applicants are expected to have experience in empirical research and a basic understanding of digital sociology, network society theories, and transformations in information spaces.
Titanilla Fiáth: "Mental disorders" from the perspective of Cultural Anthropology
Detailed description: Participant observation and interviewing in mental health institutions (hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers).
In this context, the construction of the concepts of "normality" and "abnormality", "mental health" and "mental disorder" in relation to field experiences.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Research on this topic can contribute to breaking the dominance of the biomedical perspective in the field of mental health, and to examining the ideas of health and disorders in different cultures and communities from an emic perspective.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Eller, J. D.: Psychological Anthropology for the 21st Century. London: Routledge, 2018.
Foucault, M.: Madness and Civilization. New York, NY: Vintage Books, 2006.
Glasser, I.: Anthropology of Addictions and Recovery. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, 2012.
Goffman, E.: Asylums. Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1961.
Luhrmann, T. M.: Of Two Minds: An Anthropologist Looks at American Psychiatry. New York: Vintage Books, 2001.
Myers, N. L.: Recovery’s Edge. An Ethnography of Mental Health Care and Moral Agency. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2015.
Titanilla Fiáth: Qualitative research on total institutions and "deviant" behavior
Detailed description: Participant observation and interviewing in so-called "total institutions" (prisons, psychiatric wards, hospices, reform schools, foster care, old people’s homes etc.). In this context, formulation of a criticism and rethinking of Goffman's theory of "total institutions" in the light of field experiences.
Participant observation and interviewing in communities in which members' behavior (behavior of offenders, substance abusers, psychiatric patients, etc.) is labelled as "deviant" by other groups. In this context, the meaning of the terms "deviance", “normal” and “abnormal behavior” are examined in relation to field experiences.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Although numerous social scientists have emphasized the importance of qualitative prison investigations and ethnographic research conducted in so-called "total institutions," the number of comprehensive studies employing an emic perspective is steadily declining. Field research related to this topic, which tries to observe behaviors in their natural environment, can capture and reveal subtle details of everyday interactions, communication, and interpretive processes that would be difficult or impossible to grasp using other methodological approaches.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Bryant, C. D. (ed.): The Routledge Handbook of Deviant Behavior. New York, Routledge, 2011.
Crewe, B.: The Prisoner Society. Power, Adaptation, and Social Life in an English Prison. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009.
Goffman, E.: Asylums. Essays on the Social Situation of Mental Patients and Other Inmates. New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1961.
Jewkes, Y., Bennett, J. (eds.): Handbook on Prisons. London: Routledge, 2016.
Liebling, A., Maruna, S., McAra, L. (szerk.): The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2023.
Scott, S.: Total Institutions and Reinvented Identities. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
Wooldredge, J., Smith, P. (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of Prisons and Imprisonment. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018.
Ottó Gecser: Sociology of civilizing processes
Detailed description: The sociology of civilizing processes derives from the work of Norbert Elias, particularly his seminal book The Civilizing Process. It is concerned with the analysis of long-term transformations in the regulation of human behavior shaped by processes of social differentiation and changing patterns of interdependence between individuals. Students interested in this field are invited to apply this research program to understudied countries or social milieus concerning phenomena central to the interests of Elias and his followers (e.g., transformations of manners and social behavior, changes in interpersonal violence, processes of de- or dyscivilization, the emergence and spread of sports etc. -- see appended bibliography) or to extend it to related phenomena.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: The inclusion of understudied countries and social milieus in the study of civilization processes; the extension of the research program to new phenomena.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Dépelteau, François and Tatiana Savoia Landini. Norbert Elias and Social Theory. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
Dunning, Eric, Dominic Malcolm, and Ivan Waddington, eds. Sport Histories Figurational studies of the development of modern sports. London and New York: Routledge, 2004
Elias, Norbert. The Civilizing Process: Sociogenetic and Psychogenetic Investigations, trans. Edmund Jephcott. Ed. Eric Dunning, Johan Goudsblom and Stephen Mennell. 2nd rev. ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2000
Elias, Norbert. What is Sociology? Trans. Grace Morrissey and Stephen Mennell. New York: Columbia University Press, 1978 .
Loyal, Steven and Stephen Quilley, eds. The Sociology of Norbert Elias. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2004.
Van Krieken, Robert. Norbert Elias. London and New York: Routledge, 1998.
Wouters, Cas and Michael Dunning. Civilisation and Informalisation: Connecting Long-Term Social and Psychic Processes. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.
Ottó Gecser: Sociology of secularization
Detailed description: The sociology of secularization examines the complex and contested decline of religious authority in public and private life and the ways in which it intersects with social, political and cultural transformations. Fitting dissertation topics might include analyses of secularization in a given society and historical period or across different societies and historical periods; the rise of atheism, agnosticism, or non-religion, or trends working against them, in a given context or in a comparative perspective; theoretical debates about secularization.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Recent trends in secularization; the involvement of understudied, mainly non-Western European/North American societies in the study of secularization processes; comparative research.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Peter Berger, The Sacred Canopy: Elements of a Sociological Theory of Religion. New York: Open Road, 2011 [1967].
Bruce, Steve. Secularization: In Defense of an Unfashionable Theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2011.
Casanova, José. Public Religions in the Modern World. Chicago and London: The University of Chicago Press, 1994.
Norris, Pippa and Ronald Inglehart. Sacred and Secular: Religion and Politics Worldwide. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Pollack, Detlef and Gergely Rosta. Religion and Modernity: An International Comparison. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2017.
Stark, Rodney. “Secularization, RIP.” Sociology of Religion 60 (1999): 249-273.
Voas, David and Mark Chaves. 2016. “Is the United States a Counterexample to the Secularization Thesis?” American Journal of Sociology. 121: 1517-1556
Wilson, Bryan R. Religion in Secular Society: Fifty Years On. Ed. with comm. by Steve Bruce. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016 [1966].
Dániel Havrancsik: The transformation of knowledge in late modern societies
Detailed description: Paraphrasing Lyotard (1979/1984), we can rightfully claim that the late modern condition is one that can be characterized by the pervasive change concerning the social conditions and roles of knowledge. Awareness of the changes regarding the social dimensions of knowledge can be considered as a common denominator for addressing several topics, including, but not limited to: technological breakthroughs having a significant impact on social conditions (novel forms and patterns of communication, social media, new applications of artificial intelligence); changes concerning the relationship of expertise and lay knowledge; „post truth”; the increased awareness of risk; structural/institutional individualization; cultural pluralism; globalization; reflections devoted to the „dark side of modernity”. The student is invited to examine the different aspects of the change concerning the social dimensions of knowledge from a genuinely sociological point of view, preferably following guidelines provided by the rich heritage of the sociology of knowledge.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: One by one, each of the above mentioned topics received considerable attention in the literature. Still, further work is needed. An emphatically sociological examination of the concerning factors conducted from a sociology of knowledge perspective could contribute to the scientific understanding of contemporary social/societal tendencies significantly.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Ulrich Beck – Elisabeth Beck-Gernsheim (2002): Individualization. London, Thousand Oaks, New Delhi: SAGE
Ulrich Beck – Anthony Giddens – Scott Lash (1994): Reflexive Modernization. Politics, Tradition and Aesthetics in the Modern Social Order. Stanford: Stanford University Press
Harry Collins – Robert Evans (2007): Rethinking Expertise. Chicago, London: The University of Chicago Press
Elena Esposito (2022): Artificial Communication. How Algorithms Produce Social Intelligence. Cambridge, London: The MIT Press
Steve Fuller (2018): Post Truth. Knowledge as a Power Game. London, New York: Anthem Press
Ariane Haanemaayer (ed.)(2002): Artificial Intelligence and its Discontents. Critiques from the Social Sciences and Humanities. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan
Dániel Havrancsik: Insecurity, Uncertainty and Social Compexity. In press.
Niklas Luhmann (2000): The Reality of the Mass Media. London: Polity Press
Jean-Francois Lyotard (1984): The Postmodern Condition. University of Minnesota Press.
Stephen P. Turner (2014): The Politics of Expertise. New York, London: Routledge
Jens O. Zinn (ed.)(2008): Social Theories of Risk and Uncertainty. An Introduction. Malden, Oxford, Victoria: Blackwell
Dániel Havrancsik: Variants of constructivism in the social sciences
Detailed description: The student is expected to survey the different forms of constructionism/constructivism present in the social sciences in order to uncover the specific characteristics and underlying dissimilarities of these often confused approaches. Following the initial explorations devoted to specific forms the student may become able to outline a systematic overview of the different forms of constructionism/constructivism.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: There is no satisfactory survey of the different variants of constructivism/constructionism in the social sciences so far. By providing a number of preliminary studies and finally a systematic overview the student could contribute to the respective research field(s) to a considerable extent.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Peter L. Berger – Thomas Luckmann: The Social Construction of Reality. New York: Doubleday & Co.
David Bloor (1991): Knowledge and Social Imagery. Second Edition. Chicago, London: The University of Chicago Press
Ernst von Glasersfeld (1995): Radical Constructivism. A Way of Learning and Doing. London, New York: Routledge / Falmer
Kenneth Gergen (1999): An Invitation to Social Construction. London: Sage
Ian Hacking (1999): The Social Construction of What? Cambridge, London: Harvard University Press
Dániel Havrancsik (2023): A Schutzian Bridge to Radical Constructivism. Schutzian Research, 15:27-56.
Michael Lynch (2016): Social Constructivism in Science and Technology Studies. Human Studies, 39, 101–112.
Tom Rockmore (2005): On Constructivist Epistemology. Lanham: Rowman & Leftfield
Paul Watzlawick (ed.)(1984): The Invented Reality: How Do We Know What We Believe We Know? London: W. W. Norton & Company
Domonkos Sik: Sociology of mental disordes
Detailed description: The doctoral research aims to explore the links between social distress (e.g., anomie, alienation, loss of meaning, denial of recognition, exclusion, structural deprivation) and mental disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, addiction), while using theoretical, qualitative, and quantitative tools.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Although the biopsychosocial model of mental disorders (that is becoming dominant today) emphasizes the importance of social components, research in this area is far from being as elaborated as the study of biological and psychological factors. The doctoral research is part of this internationally dynamically growing field of research.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Sik, Domonkos
Empty Suffering: A Social Phenomenology of Depression, Anxiety and Addiction
London : Routledge (2021)
Sik, Domonkos
Socialized into depression – toward a social phenomenological psychopathology
PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY , 26 p. (2024)
Sik, Domonkos ; Rakovics, Márton ; Németh, Renáta
The Manifest and Latent Structures of Medicalization and Psychologization in Lay Depression Discourses — A Word Embedding Analysis of Online Forums
Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science , 13 p. (2024)
Domonkos Sik: Sociology of late modernity
Detailed description: The aim of the doctoral research is to map the transforming patterns of social integration, structural and phenomenological features in late modernity with the help of the most important contemporary social and critical theories. The research will explore the consequences of risk society (Beck), liquid modernity (Bauman), discursive power and governance (Foucault, Rose), technological mediatization (Latour), information society (Lash), acceleration (Rosa), globalisation and networking (Castells), the new spirit of capitalism (Boltanski), the reordering of traditions (Giddens), the colonisation of the lifeworld (Habermas), while using a combination of social theory and empirical tools.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Sociology was born as a self-reflection of modernity. The stakes of empirical analysis are still set by general social theoretical conclusions and diagnoses. The doctoral research contributes to these by means of concrete empirical analyses.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Sik, Domonkos
From Scapegoating to the Culture of Cruelty: (Mis)Managing Mimetic Desire and Violence in Late Modernity
THEORY CULTURE AND SOCIETY (2024)
Sik, Domonkos
Justifying the paradoxes of modernity: On the emergence of contemporary cynical discourses
THESIS ELEVEN 182 : 1 pp. 3-23. ,
Sik, Domonkos
Rigid Flesh – Towards the Critique of Technologically Mediated Chiasm
CRITICAL HORIZONS 25 : 2 pp. 94-110
Sik, Domonkos
Populist Juggling with Fear: The Case of Hungary
EAST EUROPEAN POLITICS AND SOCIETIES 37
Sik, Domonkos
Towards a post-pandemic social contract
THESIS ELEVEN 174 : 1 pp. 62-80.
Sik, Domonkos
Towards a social theory of fear: A phenomenology of negative integration
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL THEORY 23 : 4 pp. 512-531
Dr. Blanka Støren-Vaczy (ev. co-supervisor Dr. Sigalla Huruma): Housing Access and Social Inclusion in Rapidly Urbanizing in African Countries
Detailed description: Housing quality and accessibility exert a direct influence on social inclusion, which is essential for broader societal well-being and equitable development. Where people live determines their access to the labor market, education, and public services.
When individuals and families have secure housing, they are more likely to capitalize on economic opportunities, enroll their children in school, and actively participate in community life. Conversely, precarious or low-quality housing conditions keep people trapped in the vicious cycle of poverty, undermine civic engagement, and intensify marginalization.
This situation highlights the importance of examining how various governance strategies, market mechanisms, and community initiatives address housing issues. A comparative analysis of African urban contexts can uncover both shared and region-specific challenges, offering valuable insights for policymakers, civil organizations, and urban planners seeking to reduce social inequalities, promote inclusive growth, and create cohesive urban spaces (Bellini et al., 2022; UN-Habitat, 2020). Moreover, these barriers may reinforce existing inequalities and exclude broad segments of the population from vital resources, employment networks, and social services (Ayenew & Martin, 2009). This points to the critical need to investigate how different governmental strategies, market mechanisms, and grassroots initiatives tackle housing problems.
Several methodologies—individually or in combination—can be applied to explore this topic:
Methodological Approach:
Quantitative Methods: Large-scale surveys and census data can reveal urban growth patterns, measure the scope of housing shortages, and identify correlations with indicators of social exclusion (Huang et al., 2024).
Qualitative Methods: Field visits, interviews, and focus group discussions with residents, decision-makers, and civil organizations capture lived experiences of housing insecurity and shed light on grassroots, community-based solutions.
Comparative Case Studies: Conducting parallel research in multiple cities (or regions) of different sizes, governance models, or economic bases allows for cross-contextual analysis of housing interventions and their social outcomes (Admasu & Jenberu, 2020).
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Research could explore alternative building materials for low-cost construction, opportunities for housing cooperatives, and the impact of digital innovations—such as mobile-based lending—on making homeownership more accessible (Bellini et al., 2022). Long-term studies may also investigate whether inclusive housing policies effectively reduce social tensions and nurture community resilience, especially amid global challenges like climate change and economic volatility. The findings stand to not only guide the creation of resilient urban environments but also to support broader goals of social justice, poverty reduction, and sustainable growth.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Admasu, T.G., Jenberu, A.A. (2020). Urban Planning Implementation Challenges in Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia. Urban Forum 31, 549–572 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12132-020-09393-6
Aregawi, T., Genovese, P.V. (2024). Residential land supply for affordable housing in Ethiopia: the political-economic challenges—evidence from three cities in Tigray province. Journal of Housing and the Built Environment https://doi.org/10.1007/s10901-024-10165-y
Bellini, O. E., Campioli, A., Del Pero, C., Talamo, C. M., Chiaroni, D., Guidarini, S., & Magni, C. (2022). Innovative Approach for the Development of Sustainable Settlements in East Africa. Affordable Housing for Mogadishu. Springer Nature-Fondazione Politecnico https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-00284-7
Dube, E. E. (2013). Urban Planning / Management challenges in emerging towns of Ethiopia: the Case of Aeba Minch. Journal of Urban and Environmental Engineering, 7(2), 340–348. http://www.jstor.org/stable/26189205
UN-Habitat. (2020). The State of African Cities 2020: A Framework for Addressing Urban Challenges. United Nations Human Settlements Programme.The State of African Cities 2018 - The geography of African investment | UN-Habitat
Zhengli Huang, Z, Goodfellow T, & Meseret Kassahun Desta, M. (2024): Homeownership and tenure (in)security in fractured urban peripheries: Ethiopia’s mass housing programme, Housing Studies, https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2024.2427668
World Bank. (2021). Housing Sector Assessment in Sub-Saharan Africa: Meeting the Urbanization Challenge. Washington, DC: World Bank.
Júlia Székely: Memory Studies
Detailed description: Critical analysis of various memory practices and rites (re)shaping historical narratives and collective/individual identities. Topics could include: the role of memory in (post-)conflict zones, the conflicts between competing memory narratives, or the exploration of how memory practices inform the politics of remembrance, monuments, and public history in urban spaces.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: This research can bring a more nuanced understanding of how memory practices evolve and transform in specific socio-political contexts. The research can provide insights into lesser-explored regions or those where the politics of memory are in flux.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Jeffrey Alexander et al. Cultural Trauma and Collective Identity
Bernhard Giesen: Triumph and Trauma
Júlia Székely: Urban Studies
Detailed description: Potential topics could explore the dynamics of social tensions within the context of the urban space, particularly the impact of urban developments on marginalized communities, the role of public spaces, or the clashes of social, political and cultural identities in cities.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: This research can bring a more nuanced understanding of how social practices evolve and transform in specific socio-political contexts in specific cities or urban spaces. The research can provide insights into lesser-explored regions or into urban dynamics which currently are in flux.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Sharon Zukin: The Cultures of Cities
Chantal Mouffe: Artistic Activism and Agonistic Spaces
Slater, Tom: The Eviction of Critical Perspectives from Gentrification Research
Enikő Anna Virágh: Media representations of gender-based violence
Detailed description: Gender-based violence refers to violence directed at an individual based on their gender, most commonly affecting women and girls. This type of violence, including sexual violence, domestic violence, and femicide, is deeply rooted in a socio-cultural context shaped by specific hierarchies between men and women, as well as masculinities and femininities within a given society.
On one hand, media discourses reflect the social context in which they are embedded; on the other hand, they possess the power to shape that context. Media can either reproduce existing hierarchies or challenge them by highlighting previously taboo subjects, raising awareness, and serving as a powerful tool for activists and advocates. Media discourses can also challenge existing gender norms surrounding sexuality and violence.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: This research can contribute to a deeper understanding of societal perceptions of gender-based violence and the role of media in shaping these perceptions. Furthermore, it expands knowledge on how masculinities and femininities are discursively constructed in public discourses.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Baluta, O. 2015. Representing and consuming women. Paradoxes in media covering violence against women. Journal of Media Research, 8, 52.
Connell, R. W. 1987. Gender and power: Society, the person and sexual politics. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Connell, R. W. 2000. The Men and the Boys. St. Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin.
Connell, R.W. 2005. Masculinities. 2. kiad. Berkeley, Calif: University of California Press.
Fairclough, N. 1989. Language and Power. Longman.
Greer, Chris. 2017. „News Media, Victims and Crime”. In Victims, Crime and Society, szerkesztette Pamela Davies, Peter Francis, és Chris Greer, 2. kiad., 48–65. Los Angeles; London; New Delhi; Singapore; Washington DC; Melbourn: SAGE. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446212202.n2
Goffman, E. 1974. Frame analysis: An essay on the organization of experience. Harvard University Press.
Herman, Judith Lewis. 1992. Trauma and Recovery. New York: BasicBooks.
Muehlenhard, Charlene L, és Leigh Ann Kimes. 1999. „The Social Construction of Violence: The Case of Sexual and Domestic Violence”. Personality and Social Psychology Review 3 (3): 234–45. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0303_6.
Schippers, Mimi. 2007. „Recovering the Feminine Other: Masculinity, Femininity, and Gender Hegemony”. Theory and Society 36 (1): 85–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11186-007-9022-4
Van Dijk, T. A. 2008. Discourse and Power. Palgrave Macmillan.
Wodak, R., & Meyer, M. (2001). Methods of Critical Discourse Analysis: introducing qualitative methods. SAGE.
Wodak, Ruth (ed). 1997. Gender and Discourse. SAGE.
Zoltán Kmetty: Understanding social processes through digital data
Detailed description: The explosion of digital data capture and storage and the general spread of digitalization has generated a volume of data in recent years that would have been unimaginable. This has opened up a new perspective for social and data scientists, fundamentally changing the way and means of knowledge production. The advantages of digital data have already been addressed in several studies in the literature, highlighting, among other things, the high temporal (and even spatial) granularity, the observation of actual behaviour as opposed to attitudes measured in surveys, or the potential for exploring interaction spaces. Of course, the analysis of digital data also has its difficulties, such as unstructuredness and noise, often lack of context, and problems of generalisability of the results due issues of the sample. The growing methodological issues in survey research (mainly sample selection problems) will make digital data increasingly valuable in the quantitative social sciences, despite the challenges that arise. This process has started not only in the international field but also in Hungarian sociology and political science, with an increasing number of studies based on digital data published in recent years.
The key to digital data analysis is getting high-quality data. There seems to be a vast amount of digital data available to almost anyone - data is pouring in from everywhere. But in practice, this is not the case. On the one hand, more and more companies are recognizing the value of their data assets and limiting access to data by external actors. On the other hand, tightening data protection regulations (especially in Europe) also narrow the scope of digital data available for research purposes. The solution to this problem can be data donation-based research. In this approach, we turn to the users and we leave out the platform providers and use the users data with their consent. This approach creates a clean legal environment for our data collection and allows us to combine additional survey data gathered from the participants.
Our research team (PI: Zoltan Kmetty) conducted a large-scale data donation project in 2023. We collected social media data (Facebook, Google, Instagram, TikTok) and survey data from more than 750 respondents. This unique dataset provides an opportunity for novel research on many different sociological and methodological questions.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Social sciences have started to make more intensive use of digital data in recent years. There are many areas of research where digital data can shed new light on issues that have been studied before. In addition to the potential methodological results, new data sources can also bring new knowledge from a substantive perspective.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Freelon, Deen. 2018. Computational research in the post-API age. Political Communication, 35, no. 4: 665-668.
Breuer, J., Kmetty, Z., Haim, M., & Stier, S. (2022). User-centric approaches for collecting Facebook data in the ‘post-API age’: experiences from two studies and recommendations for future research. Information, Communication & Society, 1-20.
Boeschoten, L., Ausloos, J., Moeller, J., Araujo, T., & Oberski, D. L. (2020). Digital trace data collection through data donation. arXiv preprint arXiv:2011.09851.
Stier, S., Breuer, J., Siegers, P., & Thorson, K. (2020). Integrating survey data and digital trace data: Key issues in developing an emerging field. Social Science Computer Review, 38(5), 503-516.
Thorson, K., Cotter, K., Medeiros, M., & Pak, C. (2021). Algorithmic inference, political interest, and exposure to news and politics on Facebook. Information, Communication & Society, 24(2), 183-200. p: 11
Kmetty, Z., & Németh, R. (2022). Which is your favorite music genre? A validity comparison of Facebook data and survey data. Bulletin of Sociological Methodology/Bulletin de Méthodologie Sociologique, 154(1), 82-104.
Kmetty, Z., & Bozsonyi, K. (2022). Identifying depression-related behavior on Facebook—an experimental study. Social Sciences, 11(3), 135.
Further requirements: Basic R/Python Programing skills
Karolina Lendák-Kabók: Intermarriages and Identity Formation
Detailed description: Intermarriages and Identity Formation is a multifaceted topic with implications spanning across various fields. It is a rich ground for academic inquiry that can lead to valuable insights about human relationships, society, and cultural evolution. As the world becomes more interconnected, the rate of intermarriages between individuals from different countries or ethnic backgrounds is likely to increase. This offers a timely opportunity to study the implications of such unions in a globalized world.
Throughout history, intermarriages have often played pivotal roles in the formation of alliances, consolidation of power, or establishment of peace between different groups, tribes, or nations. Researching these marriages can provide a deeper understanding of historical events and geopolitical shifts. Intermarriages, by their very nature, involve the coming together of two different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Studying these unions can offer insights into how different cultures intersect, adapt, and evolve over time, especially within the context of a marital relationship. The rate and acceptance of intermarriages can be a reflection of societal attitudes towards diversity, inclusion, and multiculturalism. Tracking and analysing these patterns can offer insights into larger societal trends and changing norms. Intermarriages often lead to complex negotiations of identity, both for the couple and for their offspring. How do individuals navigate their dual or multiple heritages? How does society perceive them? How do children from such unions view their own identities? These questions are rich with potential for academic exploration.
In many regions, laws and policies related to intermarriage have evolved over time. A PhD topic in this area can investigate the impact of such policies on individuals and communities, and how these policies might need further adaptation in the face of changing societal norms.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: While there is existing research on intermarriages and identity, a focused PhD study would delve deeper into the nuances and intricacies of how identity is negotiated within the context of an intermarriage. This could lead to more detailed and granular insights than broader studies. With global migration trends and the blurring of cultural boundaries, understanding the identity negotiations in intermarriages becomes increasingly relevant. A recent PhD research would reflect the realities of today's world, capturing the complexities of our globalized society. Existing research might have focused on certain prominent ethnic or cultural intermarriages. A new study could illuminate the experiences of under-researched or marginalized groups. The proposed topic could involve a comparative study of identity negotiations across different cultures, religions, or geographical regions. This could provide new perspectives on how varied cultural backgrounds impact identity formation in intermarriages. A PhD study could take a longitudinal approach, studying couples over several years to understand the evolving nature of identity negotiations throughout different stages of life. The topic sits at the intersection of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and cultural studies. An interdisciplinary approach could provide a holistic view of the topic, synthesizing insights from various fields. Given the personal and intimate nature of identity negotiations, this research could benefit from innovative qualitative methodologies and quantitative methodologies.
A fresh study could provide recommendations for policymakers on issues like multicultural education, social integration programmes, or counseling services, tailored to the needs of intermarried couples and their offspring. In essence, the proposed topic would not only expand the academic understanding of intermarriages and identity negotiations but could also have real-world applications, influencing policy decisions, therapeutic practices, and societal perceptions. Given the multifaceted nature of identity and the increasing prevalence of intercultural interactions, this research would undoubtedly contribute significantly to the field.
Language requirements: English (C1)
Literature in Hungarian:
Bukodi, Erzsébet. 2002. "Ki kivel (nem) házasodik? A partnerszelekciós minták változása az egyéni életútban és történeti időben." Szociológiai Szemle 2: 28–58.
Csepeli, György, Antal Örkény, and Mária Székelyi. 2002. Nemzetek egymás tükrében: interetnikus viszonyok a Kárpát-medencében. Budapest: Balassi.
Kiss, Tamás. 2016. “Asszimiláció és határ-megerősítés. Vegyes házasságok és a vegyes családokon belüli etnikai szocializáció Erdélyben.” In Média és identitás 2, edited by István Apró, 47–80. Médiatudományi Intézet.
Kovács, Mária. 2002. "Keveredés és identitás: Vegyes házasságok Magyarországon a 20. században." Szociológiai Szemle 12 (4): 79–98.
Karmacsi, Zoltán. 2021. "A kárpátaljai etnikai vegyes házasságok nyelvi szocializációjának jellemzői." Kétnyelvűség–oktatás–nyelvmenedzselés: 139
Kovály, Katalin, and Viktória Ferenc. 2020. “’Össze vagyunk mi itt keveredve’: etnikailag és felekezetileg vegyes családok döntési stratégiái a kárpátaljai magyar szórványban.” Regio: Kisebbség, Kultúra, Politika, Társadalom 28 (1): 70–105
Ladancsik, Tibor. 2020. “A nemzeti identititás formálódása a magyar-szerb vegyes házasságokban.” PhD diss., Debreceni Egyetem.
Literature in English:
Blau, Peter M., Terry C. Blum, and Joseph E. Schwartz. 1982. "Heterogeneity and intermarriage." American Sociological Review 47: 45–61.
Botev, Nikolai. 1994. "Where East meets West: Ethnic intermarriage in the former Yugoslavia, 1962 to 1989." American Sociological Review 59 (3): 461–480.
Brubaker, Rogers, Margit Feischmidt, Jon Fox, and Liana Grancea. 2018. Nationalist politics and everyday ethnicity in a Transylvanian town. Princeton University Press.
Burić, Feđa. 2020. "Sporadically Mixed: Lowering Socialist Expectations and Politicizing Mixed Marriage in 1960s Yugoslavia." In Intermarriage from Central Europe to Central Asia: Mixed Families in the Age of Extremes, edited by Adrienne Edgar and Benjamin Frommer, 83-109. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Cerchiaro, Francesco. 2022. “'When I Told My Parents I was Going to Marry a Muslim . . . ': Social Perception and Attitudes towards Intermarriage in Italy, France and Belgium.” Social Compass 69 (3): 329–345.
Dribe, Martin and Christer Lundh. 2012. “Intermarriage, Value Context and Union Dissolution: Sweden 1990—2005/Mariage mixte, contexte des valeurs et rupture d'union: Suède 1990—2005.” European Journal of Population/Revue européenne de Démographie 28 (2): 139-158.
Dumănescu, Luminița. 2017. “Being a Child in a Mixed Family in Present-day Transylvania.” In Intermarriage in Transylvania 1895-2010, edited by Ioan Bolovan and Luminita Dumănescu, 259–282. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Edition.
Goldstein, Joshua R., and Kristen Harknett. 2006. "Parenting across racial and class lines: Assortative mating patterns of new parents who are married, cohabiting, dating or no longer romantically involved." Social Forces 85 (1): 121–143.
Gordon, Milton M. 1964. Assimilation in American life. New York: Oxford University Press.
Hărăguș, Mihaela. 2017. "Formation of Mixed Marriages." In Intermarriage in Transylvania, 1895-2010, edited by Ioan Bolovan and Luminita Dumanescu, 137–145. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Edition.
Hysa, Armanda. 2019. "Serbian-Albanian mixed marriages: When patriarchy breaks nationalist barriers." In Rethinking Serbian-Albanian Relations Figuring Out the Enemy, edited by Aleksandar Pavlović, Draško Gazela and Halili Rigels, 163–179. Routledge.
Ilić, Marija. 2010. "Coping with socially sensitive topics: Discourse on interethnic marriages among elderly members of the Serbian minority in Hungary." Balcanica 41: 33–53.
Jääskeläinen, Anni. 2003. "Intermarriage and segmented integration into Finnish society: Immigrant women from the former Soviet Union." Finnish Yearbook of Population Research: 33–54.
Kalmijn, Matthijs. 1998. "Intermarriage and homogamy: causes, patterns, trends." Annual Review of Sociology 24: 395–421.
Kiss, Tamás. 2018. "Assimilation and Boundary Reinforcement: Ethnic Exogamy and Socialization in Ethnically Mixed Families." In Unequal Accommodation of Minority Rights, edited by Tamás Kiss, István Gergő Székely, Tibor Toró, Nándor Bárdi and István Horváth, 459–500. Palgrave Macmillan.
Klein, Thomas. 2001. "Intermarriages between Germans and foreigners in Germany." Journal of Comparative Family Studies 32 (3): 325–346.
Lember, Uku. 2014. “Silenced Ethnicity: Russian-Estonian Intermarriages in Soviet Estonia (Oral History).” PhD diss., Central European University.
Merton, Robert K. 1941. "Intermarriage and the Social Structure." Psychiatry 4 (3): 361–374.
Milewski, Nadja, and Hill Kulu. 2014. "Mixed marriages in Germany: A high risk of divorce for immigrant-native couples." European Journal of Population 30 (1): 89–113.
Rodríguez-García, Dan, Miguel Solana-Solana, and Miranda J. Lubbers. 2016. "Preference and prejudice: Does intermarriage erode negative ethno-racial attitudes between groups in Spain?" Ethnicities 16 (4): 521–546.
Smits, Jeroen. 2010. "Ethnic Intermarriage and Social Cohesion. What Can We Learn from Yugoslavia?" Social Indicators Research 96 (3): 417–432.
Song, Miri. 2009. "Is intermarriage a good indicator of integration?." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 35 (2): 331–348.
Stojanova, Meri. 2013. "Intermarriages–Crossing Political and Social Borders." Poznańskie Studia Slawistyczne 04: 277–291.
Törngren, Sayaka Osanami, Nahikari Irastorza, and Miri Song. 2016. "Toward building a conceptual framework on intermarriage." Ethnicities 16 (4): 497–520.
Van Tubergen, Frank, and Ineke Maas. 2007. "Ethnic intermarriage among immigrants in the Netherlands: An analysis of population data." Social science research 36 (3): 1065–108.
Further requirements: Excellent background knowledge in quantitative and qualitative research methods
Máté Zombory: History and memory of antifascism
Detailed description: The topic lies at the intersection of the research fields of Memory Studies and the historiography of anti-fascism. It examines the following aspects of the last 100 years of anti-fascism from a historical and sociological perspective: a) antifascism as an ideologically diverse and international social movement; b) aesthetics: artworks (especially graphic arts, photography and film); c) social theory: social theoretical problematizations of the question of fascism. Focus on the interrelationship of these aspects is particularly encouraged. A transnational approach is expected. The method is optional.
Contribution of the proposed topic to existing research results: Emerging field, added value from its explorative nature.
Language requirements: English
Literature in Hungarian:
Kékesi Zoltán, Zombory Máté. ‘Antifasiszta emlékezet újragondolva. Magyar történeti kiállítások Oświęcimben és Párizsban 1965-Ben’. Korall. Társadalomtörténeti Folyóirat, no. 85 (2021): 138–68. https://doi.org/10.52656/KORALL.2021.03.007
Literature in English:
Braskén, Kasper, Nigel Copsey, and David Featherstone, eds. Anti-Fascism in a Global Perspective: Transnational Networks, Exile Communities, and Radical Internationalism. London New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, 2021.
García, Hugo, Mercedes Yusta Rodrigo, Xavier Tabet, and Cristina Clímaco, eds. Rethinking Antifascism: History, Memory and Politics, 1922 to the Present. New York: Berghahn Books, 2016.
Kékesi, Zoltán, and Máté Zombory. ‘Antifascist Memory Revisited: Hungarian Historical Exhibitions in Oświęcim and Paris, 1965’. Memory Studies 15, no. 5 (October 2022): 1087–1104. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506980211066582.
Kékesi, Zoltán, and Máté Zombory. ‘Beyond Multidirectional Memory: Opening Pathways to Politics and Solidarity’. Memory Studies, 5 June 2023, 175069802311760. https://doi.org/10.1177/17506980231176040.
Seidman, Michael. Transatlantic Antifascisms from the Spanish Civil War to the End of World War II. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018.
Mária Arapovics: Impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on civil society cooperation
Description: In 2020, the coronavirus, SARS-COV-19, shook the world. It’s been a year of quarantine, lockdown, partial curfews, economic collapses, a lack of community activities and lots and lots of individual tragedies. How has civil society responded to the change? How does the epidemic affect our community relations? Research starts from this direction.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID19 – 11 March 2020. WHO.int, 2020. március 11. https://www.who.int/dg/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-openingremarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020
Jamal, T. – Budke, C. 2020. Tourism in a world with pandemics: local – global responsibility and action. Journal of Tourism Futures. 6(2): 181-188.
World Health Organization. 2020. Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak, 18 March 2020 (No. WHO/2019- nCoV/MentalHealth/2020.1). World Health Organization
COVID-19 impact on culture: new funds must reach creative sectors immediately. 2020. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/hu/pressroom/20200326IPR75912/covid-19-impact-on-culture-new-funds-mustreach-creative-sectors-immediately
Péter Bodor: Microsociological Studies
Description: Microsociology is interested in the details and internal logic of everyday human conduct from a sociological and social psychological point of view. It seeks to understand the social and societal determinants mundane human behaviour: how do we produce such mutually intelligible behaviour such as queuing, walking on the street and doing conversation, and how do we produce everyday life and institutions in and through these practices. Various topics can be investigated within such a framework, from the organization of interaction, be it face to face or mediated, across sociological studies of emotions to textual and visual details of everyday life as they are depicted in cultural products. A successful PhD research projects on this field require both a keen interest in the related theoretical background and appropriate skills to accomplish the relevant thorough empirical research.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Péter, Bodor – Anikó, Illés: Possibilities of Analyzing Visual Conduct with an Eyetracker Device: Searching for Visual Dialects. Poznań Studies in Contemporary Linguistics 44(2), 2008, pp. 197–213.
Erving, Goffman: The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Dobleday, New York, 1959.
Eviatar, Zerubavel: The Social Organization of Attention. In: Hidden in Plain Sight. The Social Structure of Irrelevance. Oxford University Press, 2015, pp. 49-71.
Ildikó Barna: Research on online hate speech and abusive language using the tools of natural language processing (NLP)
Description: The Research Center for Computational Social Science (https://rc2s2.eu) at ELTE Faculty of Social Sciences carries out research on various social phenomena and processes using the tools of natural language processing (NLP). One of the major research topics of RC2S2 is online hate speech and abusive language. Hate speech and abusive language can be directed against many types of ethnic, religious, social groups or minorities; therefore, there is space for a wide variety of research topics. In order to define the exact topic, the student should consult the supervisor before the application. During the doctoral programme, the student conducts their research by joining the RC2S2 research group.
Language requirements: English
Further requirements: high proficiency in Python
Literature:
Barna, I. – Knap, Á. (2019) Antisemitism in Contemporary Hungary: Exploring Topics of Antisemitism in the Far-Right Media Using Natural Language Processing. Theo-Web 18 (1): 75–92.
Burnap, P. – Williams, M. L. (2016) Us and them: identifying cyber hate on Twitter across multiple protected characteristics. EPJ Data Science, 5 (11). DOI 10.1140/epjds/s13688-016-0072-6
Lóránt Dénes Dávid: Studies of Tourism Sociology in Hungary and Worldwide
Description: This topic focuses on an issue that highlights the importance of conducting sociological research in the tourism market. Although international and Hungarian research has been going on for several decades, nowadays new dimensions and trends have emerged in the field of this type of research. Changing the practice of travel decisions in itself offers many directions and tasks. New developments include, but are not limited to, emotions, sensory experiences, materiality, gender, ageing, ethics, sexuality, eating traditions, drinking culture, cultural anthropology, happiness, a sense of security, dangers, and the pandemic. It can be stated that in recent years the tourism sociology has been characterized by three general trends: the increasing use of special sociological studies in tourism, the study of new sociological aspects of tourism phenomena, and the causal relationships of tourism travel decisions.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Cohen, E. 2003: The Sociology of Tourism: Approaches, Issues, and Findings
November 2003, Annual Review of Sociology 10(1):373-392, DOI: 10.1146/annurev.so.10.080184.002105
Cohen, E. – Cohen, S. 2012: Current Sociological Theories and Issues in Tourism
October 2012, Annals of Tourism Research 39(4):2177–2202, DOI: 10.1016/j.annals.2012.07.009
Scott A. Cohen &Erik Cohen 2019: New directions in the sociology of tourism
Current Issues in Tourism, Volume 22, Issue 2, (2019) pp. 153-172.
Sharma, R. 2020: Sociology of Tourism: Shifting Paradigm from Nostalgia to Happiness
Journal of Tourism & Hospitality Education (2020) 10, pp. 90-107.
Ákos Huszár and Júlia Koltai: Social Structure and Inequalities Through the Lens of Digital Data
Description: Since the digital revolution, people's lives have increasingly moved to the online space. Thus, the digitalization of society has opened new areas and also new challenges for social science research. Digital space both reflects the social inequalities that exist in offline space and creates new cleavages between social groups. However, even those theoretical models that sociologists have developed in great depth and detail in recent decades on the stratification of society, which include dimensions from the digital world, are mostly based on survey data. Nevertheless, self-reported survey can only capture these digital inequalities to a limited extent, as it is more capable of measuring attitudes than behavior. Thus, for the measurement of such digital differences, observation of people’s digital behavior can be a more suitable method. At the same time, digitalization also results in new types of data on our offline life. Everyday activities are recorded on a computer every second, such as the location, time, or length of our phone calls, or our credit card spending. Data from the observation of digital behavior and data generated by digitalization can help us extend or refine our knowledge about how society is structured and works.
The goal of this doctoral research would be to (1) create models which could predict social class purely from digital footprints of people by focusing on the digital behavioral differences of social groups defined by classical social structure theories, (2) detect new dimensions of social structure in the online space, with which existing theories could be extended or even new social stratification theories could be set, and (3) use digital, observational data to extend our knowledge about inequalities of between the different strata of the society. Data for the research is provided by the supervisors. Applicants should have strong quantitative skills.
Suggested literature
Bukodi E and Goldthorpe, J H (2019) Social Mobility and Education in Britain. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bukodi, Erzsébet, Paskov Marii, and Nolan, Brian (2019): Intergenerational Class Mobility in Europe. Social Forces 98(3) : 941–972.
Chan, Tak Wing (ed.) (2010): Social Status and Cultural Consumption. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chan, Tak Wing and Goldthorpe, John H. (2007): Class and Status: The Conceptual Distinction and Its Empirical Relevance. American Sociological Review, 72(4): 512–532.
Evans, Geoffrey and Tilley, James (2017): The New Politics of Class. The Political Exclusion of the British Working Class. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Hertel, Forian R. and Groh-Samberg, Olaf (2019): The Relation between Inequality and Intergenerational Class Mobility in 39 Countries. American Sociological Review, https://doi.org/10.1177/0003122419885094
Klimova, A., & Rudas, T. (2012). Coordinate-free analysis of trends in British social mobility. Journal of Applied Statistics, 39(8), 1681-1691.
Kmetty, Zoltán, Koltai, Júlia, and Rudas, Tamás (2021). The presence of occupational structure in online texts based on word embedding NLP models. EPJ Data Science, 10(1), 55.
Savage, Mike – Devine, Fiona – Cunningham, Niall – Taylor, Mark – Li, Yaojun – Hjellbrekke, Johs. – Le Roux, Brigitte – Friedman, Sam – Miles, Andrew (2013): A New Model of Social Class: Findings from the BBC’s Great British Survey Experiment. Sociology, 47(2): 219–25
Ágnes Kövér-Van Til: Gender and Society
Description: The research examines the correlations and interactions between social and gender relations. With a specific gender approach to social history and social structure, it explores how gender determines social formations, power relations and arrangements; how it prescribes social opportunities for actors and creates limits on their behaviour and freedom; how gender regime engraves roles and norms, and how determines the social actors' life horizons. The research also analyses how science has constructed / constructs the concepts of woman and man and how these affect social visions and practices.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Bourdieu, P. 2001. Masculine Domination. London: Wiley-Blackwell
Collins, R. 1992. Women and the Production of Status Cultures. In. Lamont, M. – Fournier, M. (eds.) Cultivating Differences and the Making of Inequality. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 213 – 231
Randall, V. – Waylen, G. (eds.) 1998. Gender, Politics and the State. London: Routledge.
László Kovács: Brands – meaning – society
Description: Brands are surrounding us in our everyday lives: besides influencing our consumer decisions, they are also able to communicate our preferences and identities. Deciphering this conveyed (communicated) meaning is only possible however, when a socially accepted meaning of the brand – a brand meaning negotiated by society –exists.
This socially accepted meaning may differ from the meaning the brand owner wants to communicate. To illustrate with an example: a fast-food chain, for example, advertises in vain that the sold food is healthy if in consumers (in society) the image is prevalent that the food in that chain is unhealthy. The same is true for some product categories: it is possible that a whole product category is condemned – or on the contrary, exalted – by society, making it difficult – or easy – for a brand to be accepted.
The research is based on brand association research, but it may also use various methods rooted in psychology and marketing.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Batey, M. (2015): Brand meaning. New York–London: Routledge.
Fetscherin, M.–Heilmann, T. (eds.) (2015): Consumer Brand Relationships. Houndmills: Palgrave Macmillan.
Franzen, G.–Bouwman, M. (2001): The Mental World of Brands. Henley-on-Thames: World Advertising Research Center.
Franzen, G.–Moriarty, E. S. (2009): The Science and Art of Branding. Armork-London: M.E. Sharpe.
Hellmann, K-U. (2011): Fetische des Konsums: Studien zur Soziologie der Marke. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften.
Holt, D. B. (2004): How Brands Become Icons: The Principles of Cultural Branding. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
Kastens, I. E.–Lux, P. G. (2014): Das Aushandlungs-Paradigma der Marke. Wiesbaden: Springer Gabler.
Kornberger, M. (2010): Brand Society. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
László Kovács: Short-term and long-term effects of the coronavirus pandemic on consumer behavior
Description: As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, our consumer behavior has changed. Online shopping took over; demand for some product groups has declined while demand for others has increased. We also came across images of empty shelves and images of hoarding and panic buying.
The main question is, to what extent has our consumer behavior changed in the short and long term: have we experienced fluctuations in demand as a result of an unexpected event and our behavior has not changed in the long term; or has consumer behavior changed profoundly as a result of the events? For example: do we shop more responsibly and prudently; do we take into account possible shortages when shopping; how much do we take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital economy; or how did images and news of shortages affect individual purchasing behaviors?
The aim of the research is to analyse the changes in consumer behavior in the short and in the long term: on the one hand, how our consumption habits have changed in the short term (analysis of statistical and sectoral data), and on the other hand, what kind of long-term changes in consumer behavior took place. The analysis uses empirical data; e.g. big data or traditional questionnaires or interviews.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Belk, R. W. et al. (2013): Qualitative Consumer and Marketing Research. Los Angeles et al.: Sage.
De Mooij, M. (2004): Consumer Behavior and Culture. Thousand Oaks–London–New Delhi: Sage.
Evans, M. et al. (2019): Consumer Behaviour. Hoboken: Wiley.
Gröppel-Klein, A.–Kroeber-Riel, W. (2013): Konsumentenverhalten. München: Vahlen.
Lennerts, S. et al. (2019): Käuferverhalten. Stuttgart: UTB.
Schiffman, L. G. – Wisenblit, J. L. (2018): Consumer Behavior. New York: Pearson.
Solomon, M. (2013): Consumer Behavior. Harlow: Pearson.
László Kovács: Society going green
Description: We have recently observed that companies place emphasis on the sustainability and carbon neutrality of their products and services. Consumers also often take sustainability into account, when purchasing products.
The aim of the research is to examine – based on a product group – how companies CSR activities and sustainability-related communications (including e.g. images and labels on packaging; packaging materials) influence consumers' willingness to buy the product, and how communication on sustainability changes consumer attitudes and preferences.
The research can use secondary data (e.g. statistical data, data on consumer behavior) on the one hand, and primary data (big data, traditional questionnaires, interviews) on the other; but all research methods rooted in marketing/consumer behavior research/psychology are welcomed.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Altinbasak-Farina, I. – Burnaz, S. (2019): Ethics, Social Responsibility and Sustainability in Marketing. Wiesbaden: Springer.
Balderjahn, I. (2013): Nachhaltiges Management und Konsumentenverhalten: Sales Management in der Konsumgüterindustrie. München: UVK.
Belk, R. W. et al. (2013): Qualitative Consumer and Marketing Research. Los Angeles et al.: Sage.
Dahlstrom, R. – Crosno, J. (2017): Sustainable Marketing. Chicago: Chicago Business Press
Evans, M. et al. (2019): Consumer Behaviour. Hoboken: Wiley.
Iannuzzi, A. (2017): Greener products. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
Lennerts, S. et al. (2019): Käuferverhalten. Stuttgart: UTB.
Martin, D. – Schouten, J. (2011): Sustainable Marketing. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Meffert, H. et al. (2014): Sustainable Marketing Management: Grundlagen und Cases. Wiesbaden: Gabler.
Peterson, M. (2012): Sustainable Enterprise: A Macromarketing Approach. Los Angeles et al.: Sage.
Schiffman, L. G. – Wisenblit, J. L. (2018): Consumer Behavior. New York: Pearson.
Solomon, M. (2013): Consumer Behavior. Harlow: Pearson.
Renáta Németh: Automated text analytics to contribute to sociological research
Description: Our RC2S2 research team uses methods of text mining to analyse textual data available on the internet or digitalized offline texts. The digital revolution not only brought new data sources, but also changed the society. As sociologists, our goal is to get to know this new type of society by using computational social science methods (here: natural language processing, NLP). The aim of our research group is to discover the social knowledge of this area, to develop and adopt new methods and to explore its epistemological consequences. The PhD candidate will join our research along these research questions. The doctoral research topic may be defined according the candidate’s own inquiry and our recent projects, so it is strongly recommended contacting the supervisor before the application procedure.
Language requirements: English
Further requirements: Python programming language and its NLP-modules, advanced quantitative methods
Literature:
Aggarwal, C. C., & Zhai, C. (Eds.). (2012). Mining Text Data. New York: Springer-Verlag.
DiMaggio, P. (2015). Adapting computational text analysis to social science (and vice versa). Big Data & Society, 2(2), 2053951715602908. doi:10.1177/2053951715602908
Evans, J. A., & Aceves, P. (2016). Machine Translation: Mining Text for Social Theory. Annual Review of Sociology, 42(1), 21–50. doi:10.1146/annurev-soc-081715-074206
Garg, N., Schiebinger, L., Jurafsky, D., & Zou, J. (2018). Word embeddings quantify 100 years of gender and ethnic stereotypes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 115(16), E3635–E3644. doi:10.1073/pnas.1720347115
Németh Renáta; Sik Domonkos; Máté Fanni (2020): Machine learning of concepts hard even for humans: the case of online depression forums; International Journal of Qualitative Methods
Renáta Németh, Júlia Koltai: Sociological knowledge discovery through text analytics. In Rudas, Péli (szerk.): Pathways between Social Science and Computational Social Science - Theories, Methods and Interpretations, Springer, 2020. In press.
György Csepeli, Antal Örkény: Values and identities of the Visegrad countries' capitals
Description: This project focuses on values and identities connected to the concept of a nation in the V4 capitals. Capitals are perceived as centres of national pride (Therborn 2006) and at the same time they are multicultural environments where diverse people interact daily. Voting behaviour in V4 capitals differs from the remaining populations where they vote significantly less for parties that use nationalist rhetoric (see SPD (CZ), Fidesz, Jobbik (HUN), ĽS-NS (SVK), PiS (POL)). This indicates that the nationalistic rhetoric is not so efficient in these places. The goal of the project is to moderate the extreme use of national identities topics in public, both through accelerating discussion and public education. The project is based on the idea of plurality of identity (Parekh 2009; Shokev & Erez 2008). Within this, we want to focus on national and EU identity, nationalism, social affiliation, political commitment, solidarity and trust, crisis phenomena and security sentiment, political alienation, radicalization, marginalization and civic awareness.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
György Csepeli, Antal Örkény (2021) Nation and Migration: How Citizens in Europe are Coping with Xenophobia., Budapest: Central European University Press, 2021., https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/46596, DOI https://doi.org/10.7829/9789633863664
Urszula Swadźba, Rafał Cekiera (2019) Social attitudes of the young generation in Visegrad Countries towards professional work, In book: Proceedings of the International Conference BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCES: NEW CHALLENGES IN THEORY AND PRACTICE, Publisher: Szent István University Publishing House DOI: 10.17626/dBEM.GSzDI25.P02.2018
Michaela Čiefová , Natália Goda (2019) Good Country Index – V4 Countries Comp, European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, September -December 2019 Volume 4, Issue 3,
PIOTR CICHOCKI AND PIOTR JABKOWSKI Immigration Attitudes in the Wake of the 2015 Migration Crisis in the Visegrád Group Countries: Comparative insights of ESS7 and ESS8, Intersections.EEJSP 5(1): 27-47. DOI: 10.17356/ieejsp.v5i1.480 http://intersections.tk.mta.hu
Miloslav Bahna (2018) Context Matters: Measuring Nationalism in the Countries 5 of the Former Czechoslovakia, Nationalities Papers (2018) 1–18, doi:10.1017/nps.2018.21
György Csepeli, Antal Örkény: European and Russian national identity, cultural diversity and political change
Description: The main aim of the proposal is to identify commonality and diversity in perception of Europe from the side of the EU and the nearest neighbour countries – Russia and Moldova, to propose the expert recommendations for development of the EU Partnerships Strategies with neighbouring counties.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
György Csepeli, Antal Örkény (2020): Nation and migration, Budapest: CEU Press
Antal Örkény, István Grajczjár: Solidarity in times of crisis – socio-economic change and political orientations in Austria and Hungary
Description: As a follow-up study to the earlier European research project SIREN, SOCRIS will map the perceptions of, and reactions to, socio-economic change and will link these to political orientation of people in Austria and Hungary. In doing so, it will explore the impact of the crisis on social cohesion and democratic development. It will show to which extent these developments have fuelled exclusivist, nationalistic and xenophobic attitudes and increased the attraction to the populist radical right. Conversely, the project will explore the emergence and strengthening of inclusivist and democratic-solidary political orientations. Regarding the latter, the project will break new ground in showing under which circumstances people are attracted to, show support for or even actively engage in forms of universalist and inclusive actions of solidarity. The SOCRIS project will analyse individual reactions to the crisis as being influenced by people’s particular employment and working conditions, their class positions in the sense of social milieus and the value judgments and political orientations these may imply, by the protection or exposure people experience depending on their social status as well as by shifting feelings of belonging.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
2018: / István Grajczjár,Zsófia Nagy, Julia Hofmann, Antal Örkény/ “Routes to right-wing extremism in times of crisis An Austrian-Hungarian comparison based on the SOCRIS survey”, Socio.Hu, Social Science Review, Cultural heritage and social cohesion: Special issue in English No. 6 (2018), https://socio.hu/uploads/files/2018eng_culther/2018eng_grajczjar.pdfDOI: 10.18030/socio.hu.2018en.95
2019: „Different Types of Solidarity in Times of Crises: A Changing European Landscape” / István Grajczár, Zsófia Nagy, Antal Örkény/, Intersections.EEJSP 5(1): 118-142. DOI: 10.17356/ieejsp. v5i1.475 https://intersections.tk.mta.hu/index.php/intersections/issue/current
György Csepeli, Antal Örkény: Inclusive and innovative practices for the integration of recently arrived migrants in local communities
Description: The project comparatively assesses the effectiveness of integration policies and practices in major migrant-receiving spaces, in local communities, ranging from urban spaces to rural areas. This should include migrants’ access to civic and social rights, social services and facilities (e.g. language tuition and healthcare) in accordance with their legal status, as well as intercultural interaction (including gender aspects) and adaptation to increased diversity of the population. The project is focussing on social cohesion and societal fragmentation, and how these aspects are accounted for in migrant integration policies.
The urban and rural governance of integration processes shall be analysed against the backdrop of a broader multi-level governance framework, whereby potential and real tensions between the local and other levels of governments will be explored. Attitudes to migration and integration by both migrants and the host communities will be studied as well. The role of religious communities could also be examined in relation to outcomes of integration processes.
The project is carried out by research communities from 9 European countries including Hungary. The cross-national comparative research will be carried out between 2021 and 2025.
There are 9 participant countries in the project, and the cross-national comparative research will be carried out between 2021 and 2025.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Meeus, Bruno, Karel Arnaut and Bas Van Heur, eds. 2019. Arrival Infrastructures: Migration and Urban Social Mobilities. London: Palgrave Macmillan
Zoltán Gábor Szűcs: Fiction and political theory
Description: Descriptions of imagined lands and utopian republics, narratives of philosophical journeys, arguments from myths, visions of a state of nature that no one could see in person, thought experiments, analyses of literary texts have always played a considerable part in political theorizing and even in our days, popular culture provides many useful illustrative examples for students of politics. The research focuses on the multifaceted (meta)theoretical problems raised by using these materials as instruments of theorizing.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
A. Baumeister – J. Horton eds.: Literature and the Political Imagination
B. Crick: Essays on Politics and Literature
P. Euben, Greek Tragedy and Political Theory
H. M. Holland ed., Politics through Literature
M. Nussbaum: The Fragility of Order, Therapy of Desire,
M. Shapiro, Reading the Postmodern Polity: Political Theory as Textual Practice
M. Whitebrook ed.: Reading Political Stories: Representations of Politics in Novels and Pictures
B. Williams: Shame and Necessity
C. Zuckert: Natural Right and the American Imagination: Political Philosophy in Novel Form
Zoltán Gábor Szűcs: Political obligation, legitimacy, and authority
Description: The moral justifiability of a duty of obeying the laws and of the existence of a legitimate authority having the right to issue binding commands have often been called the foundational questions of normative political theory. Many other problems seem to emanate from these questions (including the issues of distributive and criminal justice, freedom, rights, democracy). The research will look into newer proposals and ask whether it is possible to move forward by introducing new theoretical perspectives (like political realism) into the debate or to address certain problems traditionally not covered by theories of political obligation.
Language requirements: English
Literature:
Buchanan: Justice, legitimacy, self-determination;
Dworkin: Law’s Empire;
Estlund: Democratic Authority;
Gans: Philosophical anarchism and civil disobedience;
Gilbert: A Theory of Political Obligation;
N. Hirschmann: Rethinking Obligation;
J. Horton: Political Obligation,
M. Huemer: The problem of political authority ;
G. Klosko: Political Obligations;
D. Mokrosinska: Rethinking Political Obligation;
AJ. Simmons: Moral principles and political obligation;
A. Stilz: Liberal loyalty;
R. Vernon: Cosmopolitan regard;
RP Wolff: In Defense of Anarchism