INSTITUTE OF URBAN AND RURAL SOCIOLOGY

Director: Th. Maloutas
Tel.: 210 7491635 Fax: 210 7489143 E-mail: maloutas@ekke.gr
Secretariat: A. Giparaki
Tel.: 210 7491636 Fax: 210 7489143
E-mail (Institute): iurs@ekke.gr

The Institute of Urban and Rural Sociology aims to become the basic research agency in urban and rural sociology in Greece. At the same time, it hopes to contribute positively towards the development of communication and collaboration between agencies and researchers in the field at the European and international levels.

Scientific goals of the Institute are the following:

• the strengthening of empirical research
  
• the creation of thematic databases in the Institute's field of research, within the framework of the EKKE's Social Data Bank, and its promotion
  
• the systemization, processing and evaluation of the research findings for the dissemination of information compiled regarding social organization, structure and the transformation of Greek urban and rural life.
  
• the development of comparative research between Greece and other countries.
  

Today IURS researchers' research activity covers the following subjects:

Social geography of urban and rural area

Family, Sex and Labor

Rural Society and Social Exclusion

Family Agriculture, Agricultural Restructuring and Occupation

Environment and Environmental Organizations

Tourism and Social Change

Identity and Heritage

Immigrants, Xenophobia, Racism

The IURS has developed collaborative relations with research centers, universities and public policy agencies in Greece and abroad.