13 Apr

Tax reform and plans to have children: Darina Kmentová and Martin Kreidl presented their research in Budapest

The Czech Republic has been experiencing a record decline in birth rates in recent years. This trend cannot be attributed to a single factor – it is the result of several overlapping crises. The research of Darina Kmentová and Martin Kreidl from the Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, examines how the so-called polycrisis of recent years has affected the short-term reproductive intentions of Czech women – and whether the 2021 tax reform was able to mitigate this decline in any way.

10 Apr

What is the role of great-grandparenthood in today's family?

Sociologist Zuzana Talašová (MUNI, MENDELU) presented the findings of her research at the British Sociological Association conference in Manchester. The research shows that great-grandparenthood is not merely a matter of age or biological position in a family tree, but represents a specific family role that, while it exists, remains socially almost invisible. Nevertheless, it is precisely great-grandparents who play an important role in maintaining family cohesion – not through everyday care, but through rituals, their presence, and the symbolic bridging of individual generations.

10 Mar

Who really benefits from family safety nets, and who falls through the cracks?

Veronika Corradi-Eiger from the Department of Sociology at FSS MU presented preliminary results of her study at the FACES conference in Munich that focuses on how the partnership histories of adult children influence whether their parents provide them with support. The data suggest that parents respond mainly to visible partnership changes (divorce, widowhood), that is, to transitions that are clear and socially recognisable.

11 Feb

COVID-19 vaccination and declining fertility? The trend is unrelated to vaccination.

Does COVID-19 vaccination affect fertility? A new analysis of Czech population data shows that public debates about the impact of vaccines on fertility are not based on reality. Eva Waldaufová from the Faculty of Science, Charles University, presented her findings at the Young Demographers conference, showing that differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated women existed even before the pandemic. We are seeing a significant decline in fertility after the pandemic in both groups, and the data does not suggest that this is caused by vaccination. Differences in reproductive behaviour are more likely related to structural and socioeconomic factors than to vaccination itself.

10 Feb

“Living off parental care?” Young people remain at home for other reasons.

We often hear about a generation of “mama’s boys” or the Italian bamboccioni, but sociological data tell a different story. Preliminary findings from research by Jana Závodská at the Department of Sociology, FSS MU, suggest that prolonged co-residence of young adults with their parents is not a sign of comfort-seeking, but an adaptation to the current housing crisis. Analysis of data from the GGS survey confirms that the key factors shaping residential independence are not low ambition, but rather subjective financial insecurity and family background. Young people in Czechia are simply adjusting their housing aspirations to the harsh realities of the market.

18 Nov 2025

Do Czech women want children? Darina Kmentová presented GGP data in Estonia

Darina Kmentová from the Department of Sociology at Masaryk University's Faculty of Social Studies, together with other colleagues, participated in a conference organized by the Generations & Gender Programme (GGP), of which the Department of Sociology has been a long-term member. Kmentová presented data on whether Czech women want and plan to have a child in the next three years. The intention to have a child is related to education and income, according to the data.

15 Nov 2025

Lecture on Open Science in Qualitative Research (21 November)

13 Mar 2025

What are challenges of individualising society?

24 Nov 2024

MU succeeds with four strategic projects worth CZK 600 million