First | 2003-2005  Ethnopolitical Tension in Latvia: Looking for the Conflict Solution | Year: 2005 | | financial support of United States Embassy in Riga |
The goal of the study was to make use of various research perspectives to gain a better understanding of the way in which people understand the ethnic situation in Latvia, the extent to which society is focused on public integration and ethnic peace, and the issue of whether people feel that a conflict will inevitably occur. Researchers were also interested in learning about the extent to which the thinking and actions of individual might promote the deepening of a conflict. Report (.pdf) Integration of Minority Youth in the Society of Latvia in the Context of the Education Reform | Year: 2004 | | financial support of European Union, EU PHARE LE01.01.01 | The goal of the research was to investigate how students political opinions and statements, attitude towards the state and its implemented policy, ethnic relationships, integration in the Latvian society and feeling of belonging to the state, are shaped in the context of minority education reform. Within the research frameworks were carried out focus group discussions and quantitative surveys with minority students, their parents and teachers. Report (.pdf) Society Integration and Business: the Ethnic Dimension | Year: 2004 | | financial supply provided by Embassy of Canada in Latvia, Secretariat of Minister for Special Assignments for Society Integration Affairs and Ministry of Education and Science Republic of Latvia | The goal of the research was to get understanding how economic factors affect the process of society integration and vice versa. It should be noted that private sector was the main focus of the study and situation is state sector was analysed only within the context of ethnic relationships in general. Sociological analysis of research data was carried out by Baltic Institute of Social sciences (BISS) and the results are presented in the first part in this edition. The second part includes economic analysis of the same data, carried out by Latvian Academy of Science Institute of Economics (LAS IE). Report (.pdf) Ethnic Tolerance and Integration of the Latvian Society | Year: 2004 | | financial support of European Union, EU PHARE LE01.01.01 | This is a research about biases dominating in the society of Latvia, the level of tolerance and mechanisms that shape xenophobic attitude. In order to obtain the information, we conducted focus groups in Latvian and Russian; 10 in-depth interviews with people of different nationalities as well as survey of 1018 respondents (Latvian and other nationalities). Theoretical framework was based in various researchers ideas on ethnic relationships. Report (.pdf) The Role of Municipality in the Process of Society Integration | Year: 2004 | | commissioned by Secretariat of Minister for Special Assignments for Society Integration Affairs | BISS has completed the research The Role of Municipality in the Process of Society Integration . The aim of the research was to find out the current situation concerning integration of society in municipalities. Report (.pdf) Gender, Work and Employment in Ten Candidate Countries of Central and Eastern Europe BISS had participated in the international comparative project Gender, Work and Employment in Ten Candidate Countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Project was financed by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. Report-Latvia (.pdf) Elite Study In the first half of 2003, BISS in corporation with the Oslo University carried out the study on elite that included politicians of the highest range and representatives of creative professions, science, business, and management. Evaluation of Two - stream School as an Example of Bilingual Education BISS has performed political analyses on comprehensive two-stream schools educational institutions, where both study programmes are implemented in Latvian and national minority programmes. The aim of the study was to understand the current situation at this kind of schools by evaluating two-stream schools influence on the process of implementation of bilingual education and the process of society integration. Opinions of National Minority Pupils and their Parents on the Latvian Language | Year: 2003 | | commissioned by National Programme for Latvian Language Training (NPLLT) | | financially supported by European Union (PHARE LE 0007/0003 Nr. 5) | The aim of the study was, at first, to evaluate opinions
of national minority pupils and their parents on the educational reform and
acquiring and use of the Latvian language in the context integration of society.
The second, to identify to what extent attitude towards the educational reform
is defined by difficulties arisen from from the process of implementation and to
what extent it is defined by negative political attitudes focused on makers of
education and languange policy - on governing political power. Report
(.pdf) Analysis of the Implementation of Bilingual Education
The goal of this study is to see how successful the Education Ministry has been in implementation of bilingual education, to evaluate support of the teachers, directors, students and their parents to the political process implemented by the Education Ministry. The study consists of three major parts. In the first chapter, we look at the laws, which regulate minority schools. The second discusses the results of a survey of minority students, parents, teachers and principals. The third focuses on expert interviews with those who are charged with implementation of policies (principals and teachers), as well as with politicians, Education Ministry officials, NGO members, etc. Report (.pdf) Motivation and Expectations of Latvian Society in the Framework of Latvias Integration into European Union During the period of June to September 2003, BISS had implemented research Motivation and Expectations of Latvian Society in the Framework of Latvias Integration into European Union (analyses of focus group discussions). Research was commissioned by Secretariat of Minister for Special Assignments for Society Integration Affairs and Baltic Forum. | 
