The Social Observatory of the ”la Caixa” Foundation is a space for analysis, debate and reflection that aims to study the state of society and the challenges facing it today and to spread knowledge of the social sciences and humanities, with special emphasis on the areas in which the ”la Caixa” Foundation is involved, such as social action, education, science and culture.

New Dossier
We analyse what are the most decisive factors in a country’s research and innovation systems.
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ABOUT US
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MISSION
The Social Observatory seeks to generate rigorous and up-to-the-minute knowledge of the society in which we live and to disseminate it in order to enrich public debate. Without question this is valuable knowledge with a scientific base that we believe helps to forge a more open and global society.
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VISION
The Social Observatory supports research and reflection with the goal of becoming a reference point for the dissemination of relevant and current knowledge and making it more accessible to all segments of society, as a way of contributing to the progress of the reality that surrounds us. With this vocation, it shares the content that it generates through different formats from publications to activities.
SPOTLIGHT
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Human resources for research in Portugal and Spain
People who work in research are a pillar of the system. Are the working conditions of this sector favourable in Spain and Portugal or are they forcing a brain drain?
Read the article "Human resources for research in Portugal and Spain"
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Science-business links in Portugal and Spain: untapped potential for innovation?
In Spain and Portugal, only 6% of PhD holders work in the business sector. There is a broad margin for improvement in the relationship between science and business.
Read the article "Science-business links in Portugal and Spain: untapped potential for innovation?"
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Evolution of science and technology in Portugal and Spain
The European Union set a target for the business sector to invest 2% of GDP in R&D. How is the convergence of Spain and Portugal towards this goal progressing?
Read the article "Evolution of science and technology in Portugal and Spain"
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Democratic dilemmas posed by the pandemic one year on
A threat to public health, such as a pandemic, poses democratic dilemmas. To what extent do citizens accept the restricting of freedoms, the concentration of power, and technocratic logic in decision-making?
Read the article "Democratic dilemmas posed by the pandemic one year on"
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Can inclusive citizenship skills be taught while building universities that are more socially engaged?
How can empathy and moral principles be encouraged to promote more inclusive citizenship? This experiment was conducted within a university context and we explain its results.



The Social Observatory
A reference point in analysis and debate around proposals for improving the social reality.
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