This essay, on Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, deals with the characters’ identities and the influences of multiculturalism on their complex identities. It also discusses the role of the characters roots and history in constructing their identities and how they have made life problematic for the characters in multicultural London. The roots and history of the first generation of immigrants make problematic identities for the second generation in the novel. The main aim of this essay is to demonstrate the instability of identity as depicted in the novel. The characters in the novel cannot ‘’plan’’ their identities because it is a process which continues in all stages of life. Though the first generation of immigrants want to ‘’plan’’ an identity for their children (the second generation of immigrants), they are not successful. Because identity is a process and it is changeable based on place and time. The second generation of immigrants, who live in London, tries to mix the dominant culture (English culture) with their familial culture in order to have a different identity. They also want to escape from their family’s roots and history but it is difficult, because leaving roots is not an easy process.

This thesis provides a feminist perspective on the inter-ethnic conflict between Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan. The empirical data for the analysis consists of reports describing the conflict and from interviews conducted in the region in the spring of 2016. The concept discourse is used both as theory and method, in order to analyze how hegemonic identities related to ethnicity and gender can be both reiterated and challenged. The thesis recommends alternative methodological approaches including the object of research, in order to construct knowledge relevant to local conditions. This field study suggests that a feminist perspective on the inter-ethnic conflict in the southern region of Kyrgyzstan is necessary for obtaining a perspective on security which is valid for both men and women. Moreover, women’s passive position in the nationalist narrative may provide a valuable perspective on conflict prevention and reconciliation processes due to inter-ethnic conflict.

Within a few centuries after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the West, the descendants of Romans who had envisioned the world in terms of moral, civilized Romans and the savage barbarian ‘other’ had come to identify with those very barbarians. This thesis explores this shift from ‘Roman’ to ‘Gothic’ and ‘Frankish’ identities in sixth- and seventh-century Spain and Gaul through an examination of the ways ethnonyms were used in contemporary sources. Within the first section on Visigothic Spain, chapter one discusses the ‘Romans’ of the East—that is, the Byzantines—as portrayed by Isidore of Seville and John of Biclar. Chapter two covers ‘Romans’ of the West—the Hispano-Romans—who appear in John of Biclar’s Chronicle, a hagiographical Life, and civil and canon law. Chapter three discusses the use of ‘Goth’ as an ethnic descriptor, a religious identifier, and a political term. Chapter four begins the Gaul section with an examination of Gregory of Tours’ writings, showing that he wrote with a Roman mindset. Chapter five illustrates that Gregory’s contemporary, Venantius Fortunatus, selected ethnic labels like ‘Roman’ and ‘barbarian’ in his poems as rhetorical tools to allude and flatter. Chapter six shows how Fredegar, in the seventh century, employed ‘Frank’ as a political term more than his predecessors had, suggesting a change in mindset. Chapter seven confirms this change in hagiographical texts across the two centuries. Chapter eight examines the contemporary expectation that separate law codes should be written for each ethnic group and concludes that, while this encouraged ethnic diversity, it did not prevent individuals from identifying with the Franks politically. By distinguishing among different modes of identification these ethnonyms represented, we see that changes in political language facilitated changes in more traditionally ethnic language, and the shift from ‘Roman’ to other ethnic identities.

This study aims to investigate the determinants of capital structure in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia and their effect on firms’ performance. The study addresses the following primary question: What are the factors that influence the capital structure of SMEs in Malaysia? The sample of this research is SMEs in the east coast region of Malaysia. Adopting a positivist paradigm, the research design includes a preliminary study comprising 25 interviews with the owner-managers of SMEs, which is analysed using thematic analysis. The results are used to finalise the conceptual framework for the main study, which takes the form of a self-completion questionnaire survey. Usable responses were received from 384 firms, giving a response rate of 75.3%. The survey data is analysed using a series of binomial logistic regression models. Results reveal that there was no indication for the impact of owner’s education and experience on capital structure decisions. Other owner-related factors, firm characteristics, management performance and environment were found to relate to all types of capital structure. Both complete and partial mediating effects are also discovered in this study. The results provide evidence to support the pecking order hypothesis (Myers, 1984; Myers and Majluf, 1984), agency theory (Jensen and Meckling, 1976) and culture model of Schwartz (1994). It appeared that owner-managers in Malaysia do not strive to adjust their capital structure towards some optimal debt ratio, which is contrary to the static trade-off theory (DeAngelo and Masulis, 1980) of capital structure. This study makes several important contributions to the existing studies of capital structure. This research led to the development of a model of capital structure determinants by integrating factors related to owner-managers, firms, culture, and environment. This study incorporates methodological triangulation that may mitigate the problem of the difficulties in accessing financial data of SMEs in Malaysia. This study also provides meaningful insight into the financing preferences of the owner-managers with relevant implementations to academics, business practitioners, financial providers and policymakers. The research findings should assist owner-managers in making optimal capital structure decisions as well as help the policymaker in making an appropriate policy on the financing.

Past research has found inconsistent effects of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) status on cardiovascular responding. Inconsistencies may be explained by demographic differences in study samples. In this study, the influence of gender and ethnicity on the relationship between PTSD status and cardiovascular responding was explored. Participants’ (N = 245) heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) readings were taken throughout baseline and anger recall periods. For all gender by ethnicity groups, baseline HR was higher in participants with PTSD than without PTSD, except for Black men. Whites with PTSD had lower baseline SBP than Whites without PTSD; the opposite was true for Blacks. Men and Blacks with PTSD had larger HR increases during anger imagery than men and Blacks without PTSD, whereas women and Whites showed the opposite pattern. Results suggest demographic variables may account for inconsistent effects of PTSD on cardiovascular responding.

The developmental stage of emerging adulthood often poses substantial challenges that negatively impact bereavement experiences (Schultz, 2007; Tanner & Arnett, 2009). Some emerging adults may be even more at risk for adverse grief outcomes due to individual differences such as gender and ethnicity, but very few studies have investigated these variables within the population. We addressed this gap in the literature by investigating the influence of gender and ethnicity on college students’ bereavement experiences using the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC; Hogan, Greenfield, & Schmidt, 2001) Results indicates a significant relationship between ethnicity and levels of personal growth, use of religious coping, and type of loss. The present study found no clinically significant differences in male and female college student bereavement characteristics.

Sympathetic overactivity (SO) is associated with obesity and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Black adolescents have an increased risk of obesity and CVD later in life, particularly females. PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in SO between black (BOA) and white obese female adolescents (WOA). METHODS: Sixty-one BOA (n=49, 13.7±1.6 yrs, 38.1±6.1 kg/m2) and WOA (n=12, 13.3±2.2 yrs, 34.3±4.9 kg/m2) completed a maximal graded treadmill test after which an exercise recovery index (ERI; heart rate/VO2 plateau) was calculated. RESULTS: The ERI was significantly greater in BOA compared to WOA (29.8 ± 6.4 vs. 24.1 ± 3.1, P = 0.004). Multiple linear regression modeling revealed a significant independent association between ERI and VO2FFM (r = -0.310, P = 0.027) and %FAT (r = 0.326, P = 0.020) in BOA only. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that BOA females have greater SO than WOA females.

CHARLES UNIVERSITY IN PRAGUE Faculty of Science Department of Demography and Geodemography PhD study program Mrg. Saule Dyussupova IMPACT OF ETHNICITY ON RECENT FERTILITY CHANGE BY MARITAL STATUS IN KAZAKHSTAN PhD dissertation Tutor: Prof. RNDr. Jitka Rychtaříková, CSc. Prague - 2011 Dedicated to my parents - Khanshaym and Tuyakh I declare that this dissertation is my own work under the supervisor of Prof. RNDr. Jitka Rychtaříková CSc. Where other sources of information have been used, they have been acknowledged. I agree that if any results gained while working on this thesis will be used outside the Charles University in Prague, written permission of the University will be necessary. I agree to lend this thesis for study reasons and agree that the thesis will be added to the borrower's database. In Prague, 14.05.2011 Saule Dyussupova Acknowledgements I would like to open the first paper of my dissertation with the deepest expression of gratitude to all teachers for their time, patience, and hard work, to those who made my study at the Charles University in Prague successful, exciting and pleasant. It was an unforgettable experience. You were always there to help and share knowledge, skills and ideas with me. My special words of appreciation go to my dear tutor Prof. RNDr. Jitka Rychtaříková CSc, whose...

Anotation Most available studies dedicated to the identity of Roms fail to give a sutisfactory reply to some questions given by the social reality. The reason why lies in the fact that they explore the Romany identity based on culture and culture border studies. This work based on the biographical research is mapping the identity of Roms from the point of view of the participants themselves and their experience. It is focused on factors playing an imortant role when creating and reproducing the Romany identity and when giving meanings to it by its bearers themselves. The work shows that even the absence of any shared culture and social relations in the frame of the broader community it is possible to consider an etnic Romany category since it is is presented as the category not only by the Roms themselves, but by the majority society, which has a real impact on everyday live of each individual who is classified as a Rom.

Aidai Idinova Abstract The thesis will look at the how effective human rights protection can be, and especially regarding the Roma population in the Czech Republic. As there is a huge number of human rights, this thesis will focus on the right to education. Moreover, the case study of this thesis is the Roma population in the Czech Republic, therefore the rights and livelihoods of the Roma population will be analysed, examined and evaluated in this country. The thesis will also look at four hypotheses and try to find out if there really exists discrimination in the country, and to what extent; whether religion has an effect towards perceptions towards Roma; whether longer education changes one's attitudes towards Roma; and whether a communist past correlates with greater discrimination. But most importantly, this thesis will look at the right to education and the access to education for Roma students. Education is such an important human right as it has long-term effects in Roma's employment, health care and housing opportunities. Therefore, the Czech educational system will be analysed in regards to the socially disadvantaged group of the Roma population.