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HomeDepartmentsDepartment of Sociology and Social Anthropology

Research

The academic and research agenda of the department is built upon three key thematic pillars: 1) health and medicine, 2) cultural heritage, and 3) urban studies, culture, and society.

Health and Medicine:

The area of health and medicine explores the interaction between cultural practices, social norms, and healthcare systems. Recent studies (by Souček, Hofreiter, and Koza Beňová) have focused on medical pluralism, examining alternative healthcare practitioners in Central Europe and the diverse use of complementary and alternative medicine. Other topics include religious responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing how faith communities adapted and reacted, and research on vaccine scepticism identifying societal and cultural factors that determine vaccination efforts.

Cultural Heritage:

The department’s research (by Murin, Bitušíková, Koštialová, and Souček) on cultural heritage and its relationship with depopulation and population ageing focuses on how these demographic changes impact local communities and cultural transmission. Key questions include how depopulation affects demographic and social stability, particularly in relation to care for the elderly, family formation, and ageing populations. It also explores how cultural transmission is disrupted by the emigration of individuals who have held both practical and symbolic cultural roles. Research in Slovak mountain regions and depopulated areas highlights the challenges to sustaining local knowledge and safeguarding cultural heritage amongst negative demographic trends.

Urban Studies, Culture, and Society:

Urban studies focus on exploring social and cultural diversity, issues related to socio-professional groups and minorities, urban social movements and activism, rituals, and urban cultural heritage (Bitušíková, Koštialová, and Chorvát). Published works illuminate the transformation of post-socialist cities and examine the global and local dimensions of contemporary urban life. At the heart of these investigations is the evolving dynamics of urban spaces, cultural practices, and social interactions within urbanized areas. Recent research (Bitušíková, Koštialová) has also addressed Slovak cities of the 21st century, particularly in the context of emerging trends in sustainable and smart city development. Other analyses (Chorvát) have examined differences in leisure time activities among elementary school students, comparing them to similar trends in the Czech Republic.