LACSO (Laboratorio de Ciencias Sociales)

Laboratorio de Ciencias Sociales (LACSO) is a social sciences research center committed to the empirical studies of the society and to the development of the social sciences. The institution has a scientific and teaching bind to the Universidad Central de Venezuela while retaining its independent administration.  It also coordinates research between six universities in Venezuela. As a research group, the institution dates back to 1979. In 1993, LACSO adopted its current name and structure. For more than 30 years, LACSO has been conducting quantitative and qualitative research in Venezuela and Latin-America.

LACSO offers transdisciplinary approach to research and its team includes sociologist, psychologist, anthropologist, political scientist, statisticians, architects and health scientists. It conducts projects for both basic and applied sciences. It also runs monitoring and evaluation of social and health programs. Furthermore, the institute provides professional consulting for public and private sectors. Over the years, it has built research expertise in the area of public health and transmittable diseases, violence and public safety, citizen attitudes and values, national and international surveys, and political culture.

As part of its experiences, LACSO coordinated the program Small Grants from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Latin-American and the Caribbean. It has assumed the secretariat for the International Forum for Social Sciences and Health (IFSSH). It founded the research group Violence and Society of the Consejo Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales. It has also conducted evaluation of social programs in Africa and Latin-America. Since 1999, LACSO it is a member of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) and it is responsible for surveying the ISSP modules in Venezuela.

Observatorio de Violencia