Thesis Propaganda in soviet and nazi biographical film of thirthies of 20th century: Specifics of film medium as an instrument of propaganda researches group of three soviet and three german Motion pictures. It focuses on nuances of using ideological meanings, creation of myths and sees examples of both cinematographies through Umberto Eco's Open work theory. It uses the methods of discurse and comparative analysis and compares few important aspects of main characters of analysed pictures. On this basis it creates generally valid conclusions.

Narrative identity in biographical narratives of extremist scene leaders in Central Europe Mgr. Adéla Zelenda Kupcová Abstract: Dissertation Narrative identity in biographical narratives of extremist scene leaders in Central Europe deals with analysis of biographical narratives of the extremist scene's prominent leaders in select Central European countries (the former German Democratic Republic, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary). It is based on the theory of social constructivism, and its aim is to analyze how and under what experience the leading representatives of the extremist scene construct their narrative identities, what life events have influenced their attitudes and worldviews, how they present themselves and how they understand themselves and their roles in life. It is focused mainly on the narrators' personal myths and life themes that they indicate as essential. Key words: political extremism, narrative, identity, personal myth, value, cultural pessimism

This thesis constitutes the gender analysis of the Kateřina Tučková's work Žítkovské bohyně. The methodological and theoretical part defends feminist literary criticism as a legitimate approach to the text, represents a method of feminine writing and reading and examines the question of literary canon. Besides it analyses archetypes, which are demonstrated with using classical feminist texts, which depict typological attributes of characters as well as some model situations of the novel. The characters are related to archetype of witch, Demeter narrative and seductress, which all are interdependent. Except for archetypes, the thesis also discusses the issue of stereotypical display of feminity and masculinity, spirituality connected with women characters, interprets nature of myths and reflects mutual relationship among characters of the novel in the gender system. The proper analysis of female and male characters focuses on the main female characters, which are influenced by male partners and theme of the curse, which is the key for this analysis.

This thesis deals with the issue of language in order to reach at least halfway through - to the word as word and the crucial role of reading. Therefore I deliberately begin with seemingly unrelated topics such as science, art and technology. This should clear the way to the tongue to be showed at the end that the language is not only in the actual speaking, but primarily lie in such call, which is reading.

abstract: Despite high levels of academic achievement as a group (Ryan & Bauman, 2016), Asian American students face many challenges, including academic stress (Flatt, 2013; Liu, 2002) and depression (Aczon-Armstrong, Inouye, & Reyes-Salvail, 2013; Wang & Sheikh-Khalil, 2014). The purpose of this study was to examine self-beliefs (academic self-efficacy and independent self-construal) and family and cultural variables (perceived parental expectations for academic achievement and internalization of the model minority myth) that may affect the academic stress and depression experienced by Asian American undergraduates. A national sample of 314 participants (221 female, 89 male, 4 nonbinary) who self-identified as Asian American undergraduates were recruited online and through word of mouth. They completed assessments of six constructs: Academic self-efficacy, independent self-construal, perceived parental expectations for academic achievement, internalization of the model minority myth, academic stress, and depression. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that of the two self-beliefs, only academic self-efficacy was a predictor of academic stress and depression. The greater the students’ academic self-efficacy, the less academic stress and depression they reported. Independent self-construal was not a significant predictor. Additionally, perceived parental expectations for academic achievement also predicted academic stress and depression. The more students perceived that their parents had high expectations for their academic achievement, the more they experienced academic stress and depression. The cultural variable, internalization of the model minority myth, was not a predictor of academic stress or depression. A moderated hierarchical regression examining whether academic self-efficacy and independent self-construal moderated the relation between perceived parental expectations for academic achievement and academic stress and depression revealed no moderation effects. The importance of academic self-efficacy is discussed in the context of cognitive theory that posits that thoughts and beliefs affect behaviors and emotions. In addition, cognitive theory is used to explain perceived parental expectations for academic achievement, as these are perceptions and beliefs about others, as related to one’s self. That the internalization of the model minority myth was not related to depression and academic stress is discussed. Limitations and clinical implications for working with Asian Americans with academic stress and depression are also discussed. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Counseling Psychology 2019

La traite de personnes est un phénomène qui a suscité beaucoup d’attention au niveau international. L’analyse historique de l’encadrement juridique de ce crime révèle que différents stéréotypes ont contribué à sa construction. Plus particulièrement, l’élaboration des premiers traités visant à contrer la traite de personnes est le fruit des tractations du mouvement abolitionniste et « régulationiste » de la prostitution au début du 20e siècle qui impose une approche paternaliste et genrée. Les attentats du 11 septembre 2001, tout en renforçant cette vision, introduisent un élément supplémentaire dans la conceptualisation de la traite de personne : la sécurité nationale. Il en résulte que la traite de personnes est aujourd’hui considérée comme un crime nécessitant une répression agressive, une menace à la survie de l’État et comme un enjeu éminemment genré. Ces présupposés théoriques de la notion de traite de personnes méritent d’être analysés et revus pour comprendre comment ils affectent les victimes. Ce mémoire analyse leur rôle dans la construction des outils juridiques qui encadrent la traite de personnes en utilisant la notion de mythe, spécifiquement celui du « protecteur masculin ». Face aux conséquences négatives du mythe sur les victimes, la sécurité humaine apparaît comme un prisme d’analyse fécond pour s’assurer de positionner les victimes au centre des préoccupations de la communauté internationale. / Trafficking in persons has garnered a lot of attention on the international stage. Historical analysis of the anti-trafficking legal framework reveals that stereotypes contributed to its development. More specifically, the firsts treaties reveal that they are a product of prostitution’s abolitionist and regulationist movements that imposed a gendered and paternalistic approach on trafficking in persons in early 20th century. The September 11 attacks, while cementing that vision, introduced the notion of national security in the conceptualization of trafficking in persons. As a result, that phenomenon is considered today as crime in need of aggressive repression, as a threat to national security, and as an eminently gendered issue. These theoretical assumptions need to be analyzed and revised to understand their effects on victims. This thesis analyses their role in the elaboration of anti-trafficking legislation by using the concept of myth, more specifically the “male protector” myth. Considering the negative impact of that myth on victims, human security appears to be a useful tool to rethink the conceptual framework of trafficking in persons to make the victims the focus of the international community.

Narrative identity in biographical narratives of extremist scene leaders in Central Europe Mgr. Adéla Zelenda Kupcová Abstract: Dissertation Narrative identity in biographical narratives of extremist scene leaders in Central Europe deals with analysis of biographical narratives of the extremist scene's prominent leaders in select Central European countries (the former German Democratic Republic, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary). It is based on the theory of social constructivism, and its aim is to analyze how and under what experience the leading representatives of the extremist scene construct their narrative identities, what life events have influenced their attitudes and worldviews, how they present themselves and how they understand themselves and their roles in life. It is focused mainly on the narrators' personal myths and life themes that they indicate as essential. Key words: political extremism, narrative, identity, personal myth, value, cultural pessimism

Dangerous Instincts is a collection of poems unified thematically by recurring and interstitial questions of the wilderness, the natural sciences - particularly astrophysics - the occult, and the mythic universe. These poems explore the mystical implications of the natural world and its meaning in the aesthetic consciousness, particularly in a highly secular century. Implied is the poet’s selfdiscovery and search for the divine. The collection emerges, not simply as interpretation, but a means of coming to terms with the fear of and compulsion to question the universe, and through those questions find illumination in the ordinariness of lived life and in the mystery and magic of complex phenomena. As a whole, the work is largely lyrical; occasionally it calls upon forms such as the villanelle and ekphrasis as deliberate formal poetic experiments. Sometimes the images are familiar recreations of creation myths and forest fires, and sometimes they range into as private and esoteric a realm as occult rituals, Scottish fairytale, and quantum entanglement. Dangerous Instincts is divided into five sections that explore the physical realm in terms of distances: from outward to inward, from heights to depths, and from beyond the speaker’s understanding to intrinsically self-reflexive poems written to amplify my notion that at the heart of poetry is myth.

Online sports betting is an industry that has seen a huge surge in popularity in the US since 2018, and the companies behind this surge have enjoyed exponential increases in profits. Accompanying the increased interest in and profits of online sports gambling is a large spike in advertisements created by companies that offer online sports betting services. Although gambling is an activity that is recognized as highly addictive and potentially destructive for certain individuals, the companies that offer sports gambling services in the US face little to no government regulation in how they advertise their services. This study aimed to investigate the advertising narratives deployed by the four most popular online sports betting companies in the US (FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM) in terms of their frequency, using the precision afforded by the method of qualitative content analysis. Additionally, this study deployed semiotic analysis with the constructionist approach to representation and the concept of myth to examine how the most frequently used narratives in online sports betting advertisements draw on broader systems of meaning in order to persuade audiences. This study found that FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Sportsbook, and BetMGM most frequently used narratives of online betting and celebrity feature in their advertisements. Using semiotic analysis, this study found that the narratives of online betting and celebrity feature often translated to mythologized and often unrealistic depictions of sports betting which represented it as an activity that allowed sports bettors to align themselves on the same hierarchical level as professional athletes and Hollywood celebrities, while largely ignoring the risks that are inherently attached to gambling. The findings of this study stand as an exploratory accounting and examination of the currently unregulated advertising practices of the largest sports gambling companies in the US.

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