Sociofactor

Sociofactor holds respect and neutrality towards both sides of a conflict, which is required as a prerequisite to any research contract.

Sociofactor is a research and education institution based in Olomouc, providing research services, trainings and capacity building programmes, requalification courses and the evaluation of social services.

Among their successful projects and researches is the recent publication on the lives of Muslims in the Czech Republic. The publication provides a substantial insight into the lives of Czech Muslims, deconstructing multiple hoaxes and revealing the attitudes of Muslims towards negative perceptions and hate speech. The publication is the first synthesis thus far on the topic and one of the few books based on fieldwork and interviews with Muslims in the country. It emerged through close collaboration with Czech mosques and Muslim communities. One of the main findings demonstrates the diversity of Muslims in terms of their own attitudes towards religion. This finding is crucial as it counters the general image of Muslims as a unified group sharing the same values and identities.

The organisation strives to conduct applied and action researches, meaning that the results are directly applied in the fieldwork or specific recommendations for further implementation are delivered. Regardless of the chosen methodology, the researchers endeavour to conduct ideology-free research and present only the facts and figures without taking the side of the target group or of the contracting authority. Their main philosophy consists in finding and presenting the facts, as facts are able to ‘speak for themselves’. Sociofactor holds respect and neutrality towards both sides of a conflict, which is required as a prerequisite to any research contract. This approach tends to be more successful in countering hate speech and prejudice when compared to the advocacy work of other organisations active in issues of migration. The outcomes of Sociofactor’s research are reader-friendly and reflect the facts without triggering emotions or reflecting the strong positions of the researchers’ ideology.

Sociofactor organises many conferences, round tables and debates presenting their outcomes, strengthening the work of social workers in the field and putting forward recommendations for local authorities or even ministries. All of this enables them to activate system changes at a higher level. Among their contractors are the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, municipalities of different cities, universities, NGOs, networks etc. The organisation holds many trainings and methodological materials accredited by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, which ensures a high quality and dissemination potential in the field. https://www.sociofactor.eu/