3rd Research Plan

3rd Research Plan

1. The general framework | 2. The 3rd Research Plan for Catalonia (2001-2004)

2.4.2.2. Culture and society

Actions in this Selected Area are the responsibility of the Ministries of Social Welfare, Culture, Economy and Finance, Education, Home Affairs and Institutional Relations, The Interior, Justice, Presidency and Employment.

Objectives

To improve knowledge of the economic, social, political and cultural life of Catalonia in order to identify and promote the key success factors for the continued competitiveness of Catalan society.
To promote study and research in disciplines related to the distinctive and specific traits of Catalan culture.
To improve the services the Generalitat offers society, anticipating future needs, facilitating citizen participation and improving management efficiency.
To promote, in collaboration with education and training stakeholders, a policy to stimulate research into all levels of education.
To promote awareness of immigration and of the interactive process necessary to facilitate the integration of immigrant communities into Catalan society.
To analyse change in values and social behaviour and anticipate the needs for innovative services these changes will bring.

Lines of action

Catalonia: History and culture. The specificity of Catalan culture and its geography. History. Literature. Communication spaces. Ethnological, archaeological, archival and bibliographical heritage. Catalonia's role in the genesis and development of Mediterranean culture as a space of meeting and conflict. Cultural industries. Feasibility of companies devoted to cultural creation, production and diffusion.

Catalan language and language technology. Language processing. Lexicography and terminology. Sociolinguistics and dialectology. Comparative linguistics. Language acquisition.

Public Management. The new political and economic climate. New mechanisms for government and efficient management. Policies to reinforce competitiveness in industry, science, commerce and tourism. The role played by the various administrations. Social capital, institutions and competence limits. Group rights, individual rights and political organisation. Reform and modernisation of the administration. Management systems.

Economic and entrepreneurial context. Economic-financial analysis of Catalan business. Analysis of the current performance and growth models for the Catalan economy. Issues related to the introduction of the Euro. Financing for the strategic growth of SMEs. Spending policies. Adaptation to the new forms of industrial and labour organisation.

The new challenges of education. Development, implementation and evaluation of methodologies for the creation and diffusion of educational services. Study of the treatment of languages in the educational system. Investigation of new teaching and learning models. Study of inclusive and integrative forms of teaching and facilitating equal access to new education practices. New processes for management and assessment in education. Criteria for evaluation and development of educational centres.

Immigration. Dealing with the phenomenon of immigration. Processes for the integration of immigrant communities. Languages in use in immigrant communities.

Justice and the administration of law and order. Public safety and the police. Appraisal of the perception of danger in the population, and the degree of satisfaction experienced by users of the police services. Study of urban violence and domestic violence. Traffic and road safety. New models of conflict resolution. Crime statistics. Systems for the prevention of violence and victim support services.

New social trends. New social needs, both public and private. Effects of family policies. Study of leisure activities. Needs of particular groups, of the handicapped and of those at risk. Community development. Voluntary organisations.

Sport and society. Physical activity and sport: theoretical models, descriptive, observational and experimental designs. Physical education: learning resources and educational reform. Social and cultural dimensions of sport. Sports performance.