▁to ▁ensure ▁that ▁the ▁construct iv ist ▁approach ▁( m arg inal ▁for ▁Russia ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s ) ▁and ▁qual itative ▁methods ▁were ▁included ▁in ▁Russian ▁research ers ’ ▁ar sen al . ▁This ▁was ▁made ▁possible ▁by ▁several ▁factors : ▁holding ▁international ▁method ological ▁con ferences ▁such ▁as ▁“ The ▁Bi ographical ▁Method ▁of ▁Stud ying ▁Post - So cial istic ▁Soci eties ▁( 1 9 9 6 ), ” ▁carrying ▁out ▁educational ▁projects ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁popular ization ▁of ▁qual itative ▁methods ▁for ▁research ▁among ▁young ▁soci olog ists , ▁and ▁publishing ▁books ▁detail ing ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁empir ical ▁studies , ▁including ▁“ The ▁Const ruction ▁of ▁Eth nic ity : ▁Eth nic ▁Commun ities ▁in ▁St . ▁Petersburg ▁( 1 9 9 8 ). ” ▁Cont inu ing ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁research ing ▁relevant ▁social ▁processes , ▁developing ▁new ▁approaches ▁to ▁social ▁research , ▁and ▁integr ating ▁into ▁the ▁international ▁community , ▁C IS R ▁has ▁organized ▁several ▁con ferences : ▁The ▁Social ▁Sciences , ▁Ra cial ▁Disc ourse , ▁and ▁Disc rimin atory ▁Pract ices ▁( 2 0 0 4 ); ▁The ▁Bi ographical ▁Method ▁in ▁the ▁Study ▁of ▁Post - So cial ist ▁Soci eties : ▁ 1 0 ▁Years ▁Later ▁( 2 0 0 6 ); ▁The ▁Russian ▁Field : ▁A ▁look ▁from ▁Ab road ▁( 2 0 0 9 ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁C IS R ▁initi ated ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Convention ▁of ▁Independent