The intention of this thesis is to investigate whether there are consistent narrative patterns of images produced by female photojournalists under the Instagram hashtag #8mfotografascolombia in the context of the feminist mobilization of March 8, 2021, that took place in Colombia. I aim to establish if indeed these new communicative strategies in expansion respond to narratives widely used by traditional photojournalism, or if they operate under a different set of dynamics. Under the lens of Representation Theory I want to study how hegemonic depiction and absent stories form photojournalism are configuring counter narratives on social media platforms. On the other hand the perspective of Feminist Media Theory will provide understanding and context about the processes of production, circulation and absent feminine gaze within the media. The subsequent analysis shows that in fact narratives are being configured opposed to the structures of large media organizations in which the female gaze produces not only aesthetically different results, but the photographic process is intrinsically linked to performative actions, the recognition of subjects and away of the logic of spectacle and violence of the big media, but also outside of what the Instagram algorithm privileges.

Das Ziel meines Beitrags im Rahmen der Ringvorlesung ist ein doppeltes: zunächst die Beschreibung und Interpretation von Repräsentationsformen der Andersheit im Kontext von Hybriditätsprozessen und im Kontext der Formen und der Auswirkungen der Globalisierung in Lateinamerika; und zweitens die Herausarbeitung von Hybridisierungsstrategien, von semiotisch-anthropologischen Entwürfen eines altaritären und differenten Kulturmodells, das für eine kulturelle Region im Zeitalter der Globalisierung Bedeutung hat. Es geht also um translatologisch-kommunikative Strategien, wobei Translation nach Gómez Peña rekodifizieren beziehungsweise "borderizing" bedeutet – und nicht übersetzen. Denn die großen permanenten und unaufhaltsamen Migrationen gepaart mit der Globalisierung ergeben eine zunehmende Verflechtung zwischen dem sogenannten "Eigenen" und dem sogenannten "Fremden", werfen Fragen über die Legitimität und Adäquatheit, ja zeitliche Angemessenheit dieser Konzepte auf und erzwingen eine Revision und neue Bestimmung von weiteren Konzepten wie Differenz, Identität, Nation und Kultur. Das Oppositionspaar, das "Eigene" und das "Fremde", kann und soll nicht mehr so stehen bleiben, denn es ist epistemologisch, historisch und kulturell Kind eines kolonialen und imperialen Zeitalters, welches schon unwiderruflich vergangen zu sein schien.:Einführung zur Fragestellung. - Latinokultur als hybrides Koexistenzmodell. - Spanglish. - Das Entstehen einer hybriden Kultur. - Die Amerikas neu denken: Latino-Literatur als Kultur, gesellschaftliche und soziale Praxis – ein latino-literarisch-kulturelles Aktionsmodell

The doctoral thesis Czechoslovakia and the Southern Cone 1945-1989 analyses political, economic and cultural relations between an important country of the Eastern Bloc and three countries of the southernmost area of South America - Argentina, Chile and Uruguay - during the Cold War. The main objective of the thesis is to interpret unpublished Czech and foreign archives. The first chapter outlines Czechoslovak policy towards Latin America in the period under consideration. The following sections describe the relations between Czechoslovakia and the individual countries of the Southern Cone. These chapters are divided according to the nature of relations into political, economic and cultural contacts. Each of these three parts is further divided into subsections which correspond to important milestones of mutual relations. The thesis ends with an interview with Stanislav Svoboda, a senior diplomat of communist Czechoslovakia. His observations shed new light on the archive documents. Without abandoning the effort of presenting foreign researchers with the value of Czech archives, whose importance is further increased by the limited accessibility of Russian archives, the paper attempts to analyse the issue in the broader context of international politics. In a bipolar world, each of these countries had...

Refugees show higher prevalence of psychological disorders compared to the general population in host countries. At the same time, there is a lack in the provision of and knowledge about appropriate transcultural mental health support. The overall goal of this thesis was to investigate insider perspectives on the mental health support for refugee patients (MHSR). More specifically, the objective was to obtain insights into the MHSR in Brazil, a Latin-American and developing country. The research on refugees in Brazil is sparse, but the need to provide adequate MHSR is increasing with growing numbers of people who seek refuge in the country. The goal was approached in the first section of this thesis by reviewing and synthesising the existing research. In this, we aimed at obtaining insights into qualitative research findings on the perspectives of professionals and refugee patients concerning MHSR. The section starts with Chapter 2, a qualitative evidence synthesis of ten primary qualitative studies referring to 145 insider perspectives. The main findings highlight the importance of a trusting therapeutic relationship, of the adaptation of therapeutic approaches to patients’ needs and situation, and of psycho-social support, cultural sensitivity, as well as of external support structures for professionals. Negative or hindering aspects were identified as a lack of mental healthcare structures, the impact of the postmigration situation on patients’ well-being, cultural and language differences, and patients’ mistrust. Finally, ambivalences were formulated regarding verbal therapies, trauma exposure, the use of mental healthcare, and the impacts of the work with refugees on professionals. Section I ends with Chapter 3, that critically evaluates the method of a qualitative evidence synthesis and discusses some of its challenges, particularly with regard to the question of how to abstract and merge primary qualitative results without losing their in-depth-meaning. Chapter 3 also poses the question of the universality of the findings of the QES, as no primary studies from non-Western countries were included. The need for a greater international plurality in the research field of MHSR motivates Section II of this thesis. This second section looks at how psychologists in Brazil perceive the MHSR in this Latin- American country. Three different studies were performed for this second section using qualitative semi-structured interviews with professionals and thematic analysis, as well as consensual qualitative research strategies. The first study investigated how psychologists perceive the psychological suffering and symptoms of their refugee patients. It also provides background and contextual information for the following parts, such as concerning refugee patients’ countries of origin. The investigation found that the most frequently described conditions in refugee patients were anxiety and depression disorder and symptoms, grief, and PTSD symptoms. However, the results also showed that the use of manuals for the categorical classification and diagnosis of mental disorders is a debated topic among psychologists in Brazil, since psychiatric diagnostic categories are often perceived to be a poor representation of a person’s experience. Psychologists tended to stress patients’ socio-political suffering and to conceptualise patients’ symptoms as expected reactions to their profound losses and ongoing contextual instability. Participants discussed refugees suffering especially in relation to four clusters: the postmigration stressors, traumatic experiences, flight as life rupture, and the current situation in the country of origin. The second study of Section II explored the perspectives of psychologists on providing “acolhimento psicológico” (psychological care) for refugees in Brazil. It analysed the general experiences, positive and negative aspects, as well as facilitators and necessary changes to better the MHSR. Results showed, that psychologists experienced operating in a novel, precarious and xenophobic context, which led them to move beyond classical psychological work, engage in practical assistance and become very close to clients. Participants reported on a lack of public structures, insufficient competencies of professionals and high levels of staff fatigue. At the same time, they described gaining new perspectives and benefiting from witnessing their clients’ resilience. In terms of facilitating factors for the psychological care process participants pointed to the importance of psychologists being flexible, authentic, of showing a high resistance to frustration, and of making use of group-based approaches. Participants suggested that, in order to better refugees’ mental health in Brazil, efforts should focus on adopting a more social perspective in psychology, developing antidiscrimination campaigns, building policies for refugee’ integration, and scaling up investments in mental healthcare in general. The third study of Section II, retrieved the psychotherapists’ experience of providing psychotherapy for refugees in Brazil. Supportive and hindering elements in psychotherapy with refugee patients in Brazil were identified at eight different levels: the patient, the therapist, their relationship, the setting, the psychotherapeutic approach, the context of the patient, the context of the therapist and the societal context in Brazil. Hindering elements in the therapy included missing preparation for the integration of refugees, lack of interpreters, patients’ mistrust and therapists feeling untrained, helpless and becoming overinvolved. Supportive elements included a trusting therapeutic relationship, therapists’ cultural humility and structural competence, patients’ societal inclusion as well as working with groups and networks. This investigation showed that in light of the enormous structural challenges for the mental well-being of refugee patients, therapists’ flexibility and the reliance on collective work and networks of support is crucial. Finally, Section III, the integrative discussion summarizes, compares and contrasts the results of the various studies of this dissertation regarding, again, helpful/positive, ambivalent, and supportive/negative factors in the MHSR. These synthesised results are subsequently embedded within and discussed in relation to the scientific literature. The thesis closes by considering its limitations and by providing suggestions for future research, as well as an overall conclusion.

The thesis deals with the causes of emergence of the most important Latin American integration groups in a period since the end of the World War II till the present days. The set of groups consists of ALADI, CAN, SELA, OTCA, MERCOSUR, ACS-AEC, ALBA, UNASUR, CELAC, and the Pacific Alliance. The main goal of the thesis is to discover how did the power predominance of the United States contribute to the emergence of Latin American integration groups. The tested hypothesis is based on the concept of soft balancing, and assumes that the primary cause of emergence of Latin American integration groups was the fear of the power predominance of the United States. The causes of emergence are always examined from the perspective of the historical context and the founding treaty. If needed, other relevant documents are examined as well. Moreover, the thesis deals with the direct predecessors of the selected groups, too. Pursuant to 4 basic criteria, the selected integration groups were divided into 3 categories according to their relevance to represent the region of Latin America as a whole. Thanks to that, the qualitative evaluation of the causes of emergence of the groups could have been done. Apart from an overview of development of the Latin American integration process, the thesis also provides an answer...

Arevalo Salas, Amanda Valeria. THE TRIANGULAR RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LATIN AMERICA - UNITED STATES - CHINA: WHAT STRATEGIC CHOICES DOES LATIN AMERICA FACE?. Master Thesis (Mgr.). Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Political Studies. Abstract In recent years, China has increased its influence in Latin America. This expansion can be considered as uncomfortable for the United States because China could displace its historical hegemonic position in the region. By analyzing the role of integration blocks and interest groups, the development of relations of Latin America with China and the United States, risks and uncertainties, this paper will provide possible scenarios for the development of relations between Latin America, China and the United States and it will describe strategies for Latin America to take advantage of the opportunities that may arise.

In Part I of this thesis, I examine the use of Latin American rituals, ceremonies, and traditional folklore as conceptual and compositional material; studying and re-contextualizing concepts, cultures, and ideologies, and introducing them to foreign audiences. I explore issues such as laptop improvisation, interaction with other performance forces, and the utilization of the social elements of non-western celebrations, as explored in Clestrinye, a work for live and fixed electronics, mixed ensemble, dancers, and painters.

Large-scale criminal violence (LCV) as a phenomenon has had little academic discussion despite its large effects in the lives of thousands of people around the world, with regions such as Latin America being particularly affected by it. Despite the extensive literature on civil conflicts on one hand, and criminal and gang behavior on the other, there is still an important gap on the causes of violence perpetrated by organized criminal actors.  This thesis contributes to this research gap by asking under what conditions do criminal actors trigger large-scale violence? Through a quantitative cross-country study focused on Latin America, this thesis explores the role that territorial availability plays in the onset of LCV. Empirical findings were not conclusive due to a lack of statistical significance; however, data seems to suggest that higher levels of territorial availability could be associated with an increased likelihood of LCV onset, especially when controlling for factors such as equal resource distribution and when adjusting the sample size to include only state with no active conflicts. Finally, this research points to the imperious need of better data regarding criminal violence, and criminal-related homicides to gain better knowledge of LCV patterns and to build evidence that supports pathways towards reducing it.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Colombian conflict, more specifically how it became peace in Colombia after five decades. The study will be limited by year due to the scope of the study. The analysis will specifically focus on the years 2002 to 2016. This essay is a case study, with the Colombia conflict as the focus. Furthermore, the theoretical framework for the thesis will mainly be the rational choice model.  The analysis is based on various analysis tools and an analysis model. This will be consistent in the study that constitutes the main investigation in the thesis. The theoretical perspectives will be examined using the article "Essence of Decision: Explaining the Cuban Missile Crisis" written by Graham Allison and Philip Zelikow. Furthermore, other relevant articles will be processed to get a better analysis of the Colombia conflict. The articles will, among other things, be of great help in answering the study's questions - In what way can the theory of rational choice explain the conflict resolution in Colombia between the years 2002–2016? And Which motives have primarily governed the state, the FARC guerrillas, and the AUC - paramilitary group.

The movement Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos; a transnational social movement uniting Central American mothers from Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua whose children have disappeared in Mexico while migrating to the US, is part of a Latin American tradition where a mother-centered kinship system is at the center. The movement has managed to reunite more than 300 families. The concept of motherhood is important in forming the identity of this particular movement, when making their voices heard in the public sphere to find their disappeared children, fight for migrants rights and for social change. In what ways does the concept of motherhood influence the Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos’s struggle and communication for social change? How does the movement’s use of motherhood as a primary identity marker contribute to or hinder the movement's struggle for human rights and development?  To explore these questions we have collected data primarily through semi-structured interviews with members of the movement. We have also included other material such as recorded meetings, articles and videos for the contextual data in our content analysis. Our theoretical framework spans from more general theories on social movements and transnational movements to post-colonial theories on feminism and development, especially the Women Culture Development Approach (Bhavnani et al. 2016). Theories that concern cultural trauma and collective identity are also included since these are of specific relevance to the particular social movement of our case study.  We found that besides spreading awareness on the widespread issues of migration and enforced disappearances, the movement is contributing to both gender autonomy and empowerment for the mothers of the Caravana de Madres de Migrantes Desaparecidos. In the process of joining the movement many women undergo a journey from being a victim in mourning to becoming a social activist who encourages the engagement of even more women in social change initiatives. This in turn has long lasting effects on social change in their home countries. Unfortunately, we found that since their male spouses often are not part of this process, when returning home many mothers experience a backlash in terms of gender equality.