An independent non-profit organization “Center for social policy and gender studies” works in collaboration with public agencies on the national and regional levels, international organizations, charity foundations, non-governmental organizations, representatives of businesses.

Analytical focus of the Center’s projects and its methodological peculiarity are framed by the phenomenological approach and critical social science epistemology, qualitative research design with elements of participatory and action research and education. The studies are concerned with the micro-level of the communication between the users and providers of social services, and interaction between the rhetoric and practices of realization of the reforms.

By its research and policy advice activities the Center for social policy and gender studies intends:

- to fill the gap in the knowledge about today’s social changes in Russian society caused by social policy reforms;

- to provide critical appraisal of the situation, stimulate public debate of social reforms by collecting and discussing new data about the development of social context for the neoliberal social reforms in Russia;

- to contribute to the better understanding of different social needs and problems, helping the voices of the most vulnerable and silent groups to be heard – people with disabilities, poor, pupils of children’s homes, welfare clients, etc.;

- to stimulate the discussion and elaboration of the ways to improve the institutions of social support on the local level including not only public sector but also actors of the civil society and socially responsible businesses;

- to promote intense high quality social policy debate by publishing a professional peer-reviewed Journal for Social Policy Studies four times a year, as well as collections of articles concerning the revision of the past and present in areas of social policy and welfare professions

Director of the Center is Dr.of Sociology, professor Pavel Romanov

Advisor of the Center is MsSW, Dr.of Sociology, professor Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova