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The
ASA has realized over 20 causal projects on behalf
of various public and private bodies, including central
and local government, trade unions, companies and
foundations. Among them are:
Social
Inequality – International survey within the International Social Survey Programme
(ISSP) conducted in 1993, supported by the Open Society
Fund. The main project’s objectives: 1/ to
discover the forms of social stratification, inequality
and poverty and their public legitimation; 2/ to survey
the major factors for life prosperity in the changing
socio-economic and political environment; 3/ to identify
individual and group strategies for coping with the
crisis, and public expectations from the institutions.
Methodology – multi-stage random sampling for
the whole adult Bulgarian population (N = 1 198);
face-to-face interview for collecting data; SPSS for
Windows for computing data. Results were presented
at the Habitat Forum in Copenhagen, 1994.
Environment
-
International survey within the ISSP conducted in
1994, supported by the Ministry of Environment and
the Open Society Fund. The main project’s objectives:
1/ to discover public attitudes to environmental issues;
2/ to survey skepticism about environmental threats
and dangers of specific environmental problems; 3/
to identify environmental-friendly behaviour. Methodology
– multi-stage random sampling for the whole adult
Bulgarian population (N = 1 183); face-to-face interview
for collecting data; SPSS for Windows for computing
data. Results were published in a brochure
in Bulgarian, English and Russian, and were disseminated
at the Third Ministerial Conference “Environment for
Europe”, held in October 1995 in Sofia.
Working
and Living Environment - Purposeful survey conducted in1994, supported by
the and TU Federation "Metalici" Kremikovtzy,
Ltd., aiming to contribute to the improvement of the
company’s policy;
Women,
Work and the Family - International survey within the ISSP conducted in
1995, supported by the Open Society Fund and Friedrich
Ebert Foundation. The main project’s objectives:
1/ to discover public attitudes toward women’s employment;
2/ to survey women’s labour status in the changing
labour market; 3/ to identify forms of gender inequality
and discriminations at work place and in the family.
Methodology – multi-stage random sampling for
the whole adult Bulgarian population (N = 1 126);
face-to-face interview for collecting data; SPSS for
Windows for computing data. Results were published
in a report and disseminated among policy and opinion
makers, NGOs and all interested bodies.
National
and Ethnic Identity and Consciousness - International survey within
the ISSP conducted in 1995, supported by Friedrich
Ebert Foundation. The main project’s objectives:
1/ to discover levels of localism, ethnocentrism and
nationalism in the society and in different social
groups; 2/ to survey main factors for national and
ethnic identity and consciousness; 3/ to identify
tolerance and non-tolerance to “the others”. Methodology
– multi-stage random sampling for the whole adult
Bulgarian population (N = 1 105), and also representative
for three regions in the country – Kurdjaly, Blagoevgrad
and Razgrad; face-to-face interview for collecting
data; SPSS for Windows for computing data. Results
were published in academic journals, in several articles
and in a brochure, and were disseminated among policy
and opinion makers, NGOs and all interested bodies.
Investment
Climate in Bulgaria – Research project developed in 1996, entrusted and
supported by the Agency for Foreign Investment with
the main goal to contribute to improvement the investment
policy of the Bulgarian government. Methodology
– qualitative and quantitative research, including
snowballing and quota sampling; face-to-face interview,
in-depth interview and factual survey for collecting
data; SPSS for Windows for computing data. Results
were presented to the Agency for Foreign Investment.
Role
of Government in Democratisation - International survey within the ISSP conducted
in 1997, supported by the Open Society Fund. The main
project’s objectives: 1/ to discover public
believes and concerns about the democratic processes
in the country; 2/ to survey public expectations from
the government; 3/ to identify the public trust in
institutions. Methodology – multi-stage random
sampling for the whole adult Bulgarian population
(N = 1 012); face-to-face interview for collecting
data; SPSS for Windows for computing data. Results
were published in a brochure, and were disseminated
among policy and opinion makers, NGOs and all interested
bodies.
Work
Orientation - International survey within the ISSP conducted in
1997, supported by the Open Society Fund. The main
project’s objectives: 1/ to discover the work
values of the public and of different social groups;
2/ to survey employment opportunity and working cognition;
3/ to identify the main factors what impact on work
motivation. Methodology – multi-stage random
sampling for the whole adult Bulgarian population
(N = 1 012); face-to-face interview for collecting
data; SPSS for Windows for computing data. Results
were published in a brochure, and were disseminated
among policy and opinion makers, NGOs and all interested
bodies.
Women
in poverty - National survey conducted in 1997, entrusted and supported by
the UNDP, ILO and MOLSP with the main goal to contribute
to strengthening anti-poverty strategies of the Bulgarian
government. Methodology – qualitative and quantitative
research approach, including quota and snowballing
sampling; desk research, factual survey, in-depth
interviews, face-to-face home interviews and focus-groups
discussions for collecting data; SPSS for Windows
for computing data. The results were published
in a brochure in Bulgarian and in English and were
presented at a special conference, organized by the
UNDP and ILO.
The
Middle Class - International conference, organized in cooperation
with Association for Middle Class Development, held
in 1998, supported by the Open Society Fund and Conrad
Addenawer Foundation with the main goal to discuss
the issues of the middle class as a precondition of
a sustainable society. The results were published
in English in a collection book.
Social
Stratification and Inequality - International survey within the ISSP conducted
in 1999, supported by the Confederation of Independent
Trade Unions in Bulgaria, comparative with the survey
on inequality, conducted in 1993. The main project’s
objectives: 1/ to discover the changes in social
stratification, inequality and poverty and their public
legitimation; 2/ to survey the major factors for life
prosperity at dynamic perspectives; 3/ to identify
the changes in individual and group strategies for
coping with the crisis, and public in expectations
from the institutions. Methodology – multi-stage
random sampling for the whole adult Bulgarian population
(N = 1 093); face-to-face interview for collecting
data; SPSS for Windows for computing data. Results
were presented at a purposefully organized press-conference,
published in several articles and disseminated among
interested bodies.
Religious
Minorities in Bulgaria - International survey within the ISSP conducted in
1999, supported by the Open Society Fund and Foundation
“Tolerance”. The main project’s objectives:
1/ to discover religiosity and religious denominations;
2/ to survey public trust in different institutions,
including the church and religious organizations;
3/ to identify main factors what impact on religious
tolerance and non-tolerance. Methodology –
multi-stage random sampling for the whole adult Bulgarian
population (N = 1 093); face-to-face interview for
collecting data; SPSS for Windows for computing data.
Results were presented at a purposefully organized
press-conference, published in several articles and
disseminated among interested bodies.
Environment
-
International survey within
the (ISSP) conducted in 2000, supported by the Confederation
of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria, comparable
with the survey on environment conducted in 1994.
The main project’s objectives: 1/ to discover
the changes in public attitudes to environmental issues;
2/ to survey skepticism about environmental threats
and dangers of specific environmental problems at
dynamic perspectives; 3/ to identify environmental-friendly
behaviour in the changing socio-economic situation.
Methodology – multi-stage random sampling for
the whole adult Bulgarian population (N = 1 013);
face-to-face interview for collecting data; SPSS for
Windows for computing data. Results were presented
and disseminated among interested bodies.
Social
Assistance in Bulgaria – Research component of social marketing conducted in
1999-2000, entrusted and supported by the World Bank
through the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy.
The global purpose of the whole research component
was through a two-phase research program (qualitative
and quantitative) to analyse public awareness about
social assistance system in Bulgaria in order to develop
and implement a comprehensive two-way communicational
strategy for improving public information about the
programs and services of the National Social Assistance
Service. The project objectives: 1/ to discover
public awareness about rights, requirements and eligibility
for social assistance services; 2/ to analyze social
workers’ satisfaction and concerns about their work;
3/ to identify clients’ current and potential needs,
expectations and perceptions about social assistance
services. In project development a complex approach
was implemented, including four types of research
with four questionnaires’ design: 1/ Qualitative research
(individual in-depth interviews) with opinion leaders;
2/ Qualitative research (focus-groups) with 7 different
targets from 10 municipalities; 3/ Quantitative research
on social workers, randomly selected from all social
assistance offices in the country (N=558); 3/ National
representative quantitative survey with the following
methodology – multi-stage random sampling for
the whole adult Bulgarian population (N = 1 144);
face-to-face interview for collecting data; SPSS for
Windows for computing data. Results were presented
at three purposefully organized presentations to policy-
and decision-makers, representatives of the World
Bank, national and international experts. Project
results were published in Bulgarian and in English,
and were used for development the communication strategy
and the social policy reforms, and for improving social
assistance services in Bulgaria.
For
more information about the methodology, research design
and project results, contact
Dr. Lilia Dimova
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