Fw: Research Network for Comparative Research on Europe (RENCORE) (fwd)

Thu, 19 Oct 1995 08:34:08 -0400
chriscd@jhu.edu

------------------------------
From: John Selby <edu011@coventry.ac.uk>
To: PROGRESSIVE SOCIOLOGISTS NETWORK <psn@csf.colorado.edu>
Subject: Research Network for Comparative Research on Europe (RENCORE) (fwd)

For info.

John Selby

______________________________________________________________________________
Please Reply to:

John Selby
Educational Development Unit
Coventry University
Coventry CV1 5FB

E-mail j.selby@cov.ac.uk
Telephone +44 1203 838149 (Direct Line)
+44 1203 631313 (Switchboard)
Fax +44 1203 838293
_____________________________________________________________________________

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 23:28:47 +0000
From: Nigel Gilbert <Nigel.Gilbert@soc.surrey.ac.uk>
To: socbb@soc.surrey.ac.uk, european-sociologist@mailbase.ac.uk
Subject: Research Network for Comparative Research on Europe (RENCORE)

*** Please distribute to interested colleagues. Apologies for cross-posting ***

Research Network for Comparative Research on Europe (RENCORE)

Following a successful meeting of a working group at the European
Sociological Association's Budapest conference in September 1995, it has
been resolved to establish under the auspices of the ESA a network on
methods of comparative research on Europe. The aim of the network is to
encourage and enhance comparative empirical research of individual,
national and institutional level data from the states of Western, Central
and Eastern Europe.

This aim will be met through the following objectives:

1. The support and promotion of cross-national European research, both
quantitative and qualitative.

2. The development of comparable indicators for comparative research.

3. The enhancement of information exchange between those who create and use
cross-national datasets.

4. The refinement of methods for the analysis of data obtained from a
number of European countries.

The network will act as a forum and channel for discussion and
communication between those involved in cross-national European
research, either as data collectors or as data analysts.

The activities of the network will include:

a. The organisation of meetings and workshops on topics related to
comparative empirical research.

These will be held about once a year. The first workshop will be on the
subject of "Asking questions across Europe" and will be concerned with
formulating survey questions to yield answers which permit cross-national
comparisons. It is proposed to hold this first meeting in October 1996.
The second meeting will be held at the 1997 European Sociological
Association's conference (venue yet to be decided).

b. The establishment of an email discussion list and WWW page.

The email list will enable discussions between those in the network, and
the WWW page will describe the network members, their interests and their
research activities.

c. The organisation of scientific visits between members of the network.

A directory of opportunities for research visits (e.g. for sabbaticals,
post-doctoral studies, exchanges and short visits) will be
compiled. The directory will also list external sources of funding to support
visits.

Administration

The network will be administered by a small Executive Committee who will
stand for election every two years (at the ESA meeting). The network will
be established by a small ad-hoc Committee consisting of Loek Halman
(Netherlands), Peter Mohler (Germany), and Nigel Gilbert (UK).

Membership of the network will initially be free, although a subscription
may be levied once the network is well established. Potential members
should write (or email) their application for membership to Nigel Gilbert,
at the address below, explaining their involvement in comparative European
research and listing relevant publications. Applications should include a
full mail address, an email address, and telephone and fax numbers.
All those who are engaged in European comparative research, where ever they
may be working, are welcome to apply for membership of the Network.

Nigel Gilbert (Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford
GU2 5XH, England. email: gng@soc.surrey.ac.uk).

Peter Mohler (ZUMA, PO Box 122 155, D-68072 Mannheim, Germany. email:
Mohler@ZUMA-Mannheim.de)

Loek Halman (WORC, University of Tilburg, PO Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The
Netherlands. email: loek.halman@kub.nl)

____________________________________________________________________
Prof G. Nigel Gilbert, Department of Sociology, University of Surrey
Guildford GU2 5XH, UK. Tel: +44 1483 259173 Fax: +44 1483 306290
Prof. Chris Chase-Dunn
Department of Sociology
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD. 21218 USA
tel 410 516 7633 fax 410 516 7590 email chriscd@jhu.edu