Organization review

Azerbaijanian Sociological Association (ASA) is a public non-governmental organization, which is occupied with conduction of surveys and research of public opinion in a wide spectrum of problems of life and people's activities. ASA was founded and registered by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan in 1996. Azerbaijanian Sociological Association is a member of the International Sociological Association (ISA) and European Sociological Association (ESA).

Experience and results of surveys conducted by the Azerbaijanian Sociological Association were published in "International Sociology" magazine of ISA and were reported on the XIV World Congress of Sociology (Montreal, Canada, 1998) and the XV World Congress of Sociology (Brisbane, Australia, 2002) where a special scientific sessions were devoted to achievements of the Azerbaijanian Sociological Association. High technological level and practical topicality of the surveys carried out by the Azerbaijanian Sociological Association was mentioned in summary documents of these scientific sessions.

Mission

Mission of Azerbaijanian Sociological Association Is conduction of sociological surveys and social work, coordination of the activities of the sociological services in Azerbaijan. Popularization of sociological knowledge in the society.

The sphere of activity of the Azerbaijanian Sociological Association includes conduction of surveys in the issues of health and development of children, reproductive health of population and family planning, social problems of vulnerable groups, support of refugees and IDPs, provision of economical and political conditions for people's wellbeing, overcoming of poverty, provision of a bigger effectiveness of humanitarian aid for different levels of suffering population . ASA also surveys ways of realization and effectiveness of different projects, conduction of social evaluation and expertise of activity of organizations in researched spheres related to improvement of people's lives.

Besides surveys ASA also conducts different social work related to organization of work in communities of refugees and IDPs, organization of raising work among adolescents conflicting with law, conduction of training sessions among different levels of population.

Goals and directions

The goal of ASA is to advance sociological knowledge throughout
Azerbaijan. In its structure, it recognizes the aspirations of sociologists in
all parts of the country and endeavours to support and strengthen the free
development of sociology in cooperation with similar associations of social
scientists.
To achieve these ends, ASA supports activities:

1. to secure and develop institutional and personal contacts between sociologists and other social scientists;
   
2. to encourage the international dissemination and exchange of information on developments in sociological knowledge;
   
3. to facilitate and promote research and training;
   
4. to convene meetings regularly scheduled congresses.

Structure of the Organization

Azerbaijanian Sociological Association has collective as well as individual members. Collective members of ASA are specialized in the sphere of sociology scientific institutions and their branches, sociological departments of the universities, social services of ventures and non-governmental organizations of sociological profile.

Individual members are high qualified specialists in spheres of sociology, economics, law, health, pedagogy, psychology and other spheres. ASA personnel possesses high technology in the sphere of collection, processing and analysis of sociological information and preparation of perfect recommendations and activity programs that are based on the results of conducted surveys.

Research sections which cover different areas of sociology function in the consist of ASA. ASA also has research comities and thematic groups.

Higher regulation organ of ASA is congress which is conducted once in 4 years. Between congresses association is controlled by executive council headed by the president of ASA. At the present time the President of the Azerbaijanian Sociological Association is Rufat Guliyev.