The goals of the present dissertation are twofold: 1) to bring back into the literary thought the notion of "world view", which has been largely discredited due to its abusage in the context of official Marxism during the socialist era, and 2) to affirm the usefulness of the notion of "world view" in the literary practice. The thesis is structured so as to meet the goals: the first chapter presents several probes of the usage of the phrase "world view" and definition discussions related to it. In this framework, the "scientific world view" from the socialist era is then confronted with a range of other definitions of the notion, such as F. X. Šalda's "view of life and world". In the second chapter, I present my approach to this notion, aimed at serving the purposes of current literary research. Firstly, I distinguish the notion of "world view" from the notions of "mentality" and "ideology", and secondly, following the research of The Worldviews Group (Brussels) I propose my own definition of world view. Since the Group does not deal with actual interpretations of literary texts, I make use for the intended purpose of an updated and slightly modified concept of Terry Eagleton, originally published within the monograph Criticism and Ideology (1976). What is essential is foremost to differ between a)...

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Against the background of the social and economic problems of South Africa, certain aspects of the relatively successful education system of the Republic of South Korea are examined in this thesis with the purpose of gaining insight into the restructuring of the South African educational system and the influence that education has on society. The thesis is based mainly on a literature study. In the interpretation and comparison of information the structural- functional and systems approaches to educational provision were used, with the emphasis on the Confucian, African and Western ways of thinking (mentalities). In the thesis the contextual factors which influence the particularisation of the South Korean and South African educational systems are discussed, with specific reference to pre-school education, vocational and technical education, teacher training, moral education, parental involvement, distance and adult education and the financing of education. Certain conclusions and recommendations regarding South African education are also made. / Teen die agtergrond van die sosiale en ekonomiese probleme van Suid-Afrika word in hierdie verhandeling ondersoek ingestel na sekere aspekte van die relatief suksesvolle onderwysstelsel van Suid-Korea met die oog op die verkryging van moontlike insigte vir die herstrukturering van die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel en die invloed van onderwys op die samelewing. Die verhandeling berus hoofsaaklik op 'n literatuurstudie. In die interpretasie en vergelyking van gegewens is daar gebruik gemaak van 'n struktureel-funksionalistiese en sisteembenadering tot onderwysvoorsiening, met besondere klem op Confucianistiese, Afrika- en Westerse lewens- en wereldbeskouings (mentaliteite). In die verhandeling word die kontekstuele faktore wat 'n invloed het op die verbesondering van die onderwysstelsels van Suid-korea en Suid-Afrika bespreek. Daar word ook 'n ondersoek gedoen na voorskoolse onderwys, beroeps- en tegniese onderwys, onderwysersopleiding, morele onderwys, ouerbetrokkenheid, afstands- en volwassene-onderwys in die twee lande, asook die finansiering van onderwys. Sekere gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings ten opsigte van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys word laastens gemaak. / Educational studies / M. Ed. (Vergelykende Opvoedkunde)

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Against the background of the social and economic problems of South Africa, certain aspects of the relatively successful education system of the Republic of South Korea are examined in this thesis with the purpose of gaining insight into the restructuring of the South African educational system and the influence that education has on society. The thesis is based mainly on a literature study. In the interpretation and comparison of information the structural- functional and systems approaches to educational provision were used, with the emphasis on the Confucian, African and Western ways of thinking (mentalities). In the thesis the contextual factors which influence the particularisation of the South Korean and South African educational systems are discussed, with specific reference to pre-school education, vocational and technical education, teacher training, moral education, parental involvement, distance and adult education and the financing of education. Certain conclusions and recommendations regarding South African education are also made. / Teen die agtergrond van die sosiale en ekonomiese probleme van Suid-Afrika word in hierdie verhandeling ondersoek ingestel na sekere aspekte van die relatief suksesvolle onderwysstelsel van Suid-Korea met die oog op die verkryging van moontlike insigte vir die herstrukturering van die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel en die invloed van onderwys op die samelewing. Die verhandeling berus hoofsaaklik op 'n literatuurstudie. In die interpretasie en vergelyking van gegewens is daar gebruik gemaak van 'n struktureel-funksionalistiese en sisteembenadering tot onderwysvoorsiening, met besondere klem op Confucianistiese, Afrika- en Westerse lewens- en wereldbeskouings (mentaliteite). In die verhandeling word die kontekstuele faktore wat 'n invloed het op die verbesondering van die onderwysstelsels van Suid-korea en Suid-Afrika bespreek. Daar word ook 'n ondersoek gedoen na voorskoolse onderwys, beroeps- en tegniese onderwys, onderwysersopleiding, morele onderwys, ouerbetrokkenheid, afstands- en volwassene-onderwys in die twee lande, asook die finansiering van onderwys. Sekere gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings ten opsigte van Suid-Afrikaanse onderwys word laastens gemaak. / Educational studies / M. Ed. (Vergelykende Opvoedkunde)

Tout au long de leur histoire, les Japonais ont cultivé précieusement leurs propres traditions, tout en assimilant lescultures voisines, celles d’Asie continentale (Chine, Corée), puis celles apportées par l’Occident. Pourtant, aujourd’hui,au début du XXIe siècle, leur vie quotidienne est marquée par le monde occidental et il nous semble que « la traditionjaponaise » commence à tomber en désuétude. Le mot « tradition » prend même une couleur exotique à leurs yeux, etdésormais, ce sont les Occidentaux qui tournent leur regard vers la tradition japonaise. Parmi eux, deux compositeursfrançais, Laurent Martin (1959-) et Jean-Luc Hervé (1960-). L’objet de leurs recherches est le moteur de leur créationmusicale et leur intérêt pour le Japon ne se limite pas à des stéréotypes. Laurent Martin s’intéresse au premier chef à lalittérature japonaise et Jean-Luc Hervé est attiré avant tout par l’agencement du paysage japonais (architecture, jardins).Tous deux sont en quête de ce qui est ignoré ou oublié des Japonais eux-mêmes : « la tradition japonaise », qui est digned’être perpétuée ou remise à jour. Les centres d’intérêt de ces deux compositeurs ont nourri le sujet de notre recherche.Après avoir étudié les particularités des cultures japonaise et française, leurs points communs et ce qui les différencie,nous analyserons Poèmes japonais de Laurent Martin et Effet lisière de Jean-Luc Hervé sous divers angles. À partir deces deux modèles musicaux, nous nous demanderons comment les Japonais eux-mêmes peuvent appréhender leurspropres traditions au sein de la société moderne. / During their long history, the Japanese people had managed at the same time to cultivate carefully their own traditionswhile integrating the surrounding cultures, first those of continental Asia (China, Corea), then the Western cultures. Andyet, nowadays, it seems that the daily life of the Japanese people has become more and more westernized while the socalledJapanese tradition is receding. For the Japanese, the term itself of “tradition” seems to take an exotic meaning andhenceforth, Westerners are now mainly taking interest in the Japanese tradition, and among them, two contemporaryFrench composers, Laurent Martin (1959-) and Jean-Luc Hervé (1960-). The object of their research constitutes thedynamic of their musical creation and their interest in Japan is not confined to stereotypes. Laurent Martin’s maininterest lies in Japanese literature while Jean-Luc Hervé is attracted above all by the layout of Japanese landscapes (inarchitecture and gardens). Both are delving into what the Japanese people are ignoring or forgetting, i.e., the “Japanesetradition” which merits to be perpetuated and brought up to date. The fields of interest of the two composers are theobject of this present research. After studying the particularities of Japanese and French cultures, their commun featuresand their differences, we will analyse Laurent Martin’s Poèmes japonais and Jean-Luc Hervé, Effet lisière from variousperspectives. From those two musical models we will then ask ourselves how Japanese people can assess their owntraditions within modern society.

The subject of this dissertation thesis is investigating the issue of the German ethnic group status in inter-war Czechoslovakia shown in the example of the Nejdek political district with the emphasis on the major and crucial aspects of social life - politics, economic and social issues while the assistance and support elements include: demographics, border issues, the presence of the Czech ethnic group, a preview of own (German) history and the development of churches and religion. The Nejdek political district is set within a framework of regional history with regard to the historical context of the development of Czechoslovakia, or even of the world in some cases. The regional history presented here in the form of a probe from the perspective of great historical events and partly through micro-history aim to build on the broad source base and capture the impacts and effects of national policies on shaping of the Nejdek region and its inhabitants. In some ways, when possible of course, research methods are applied. Overall, the work is to fill the so-called white gaps in the regional historiography, since the books or studies published so far have been focusing only on partial, closely regionally defined topics and only comprehensive work, which the author of this paper attempts, could therefore...