The topic of my diploma thesis is a policy of cost- sharing in the Czech higer education system. Discussion of the cost- sharing policy implementation in the Czech higer education system has taken place for almost twenty years. Yet no form of tutition fees at higer education institutions was introduced. The cost- sharing seems to be a controversial element in the effort to reform the system of Czech higher education financing. The Czech higher education system needs a reform. There are many problems: worsening financial situation of higher education institution, a low efficiency of the system, inequitable access to higher education etc. Policy making is a complex process, which comprise of many factors. In this process, stakeholders plays a very important role. Stakeholders are those, who are interested in the policy or those who are influenced by it. In my thesis I want to clarify a dispute about the policy of cost- sharing in the Czech higher education. To reach this goal, I try to describe the attitudes of higher education policy stakeholders to the cost- sharing in the period of 1992- 2012.

Floods in The Czech Republic more often damage private property. Majority of such damages is caused by water stream itself. There are also situations, where damages are caused in case of dereliction, infringement or violation of statutory duty. The Czech legislature defines legal instrument - Compensation for Damage. This work examines how this instrument is used in cases of flood damages, where someone is guilty. We examine legal (court) processes for Compensation for Damage by an application of IAD Framework and Stakeholder Analysis. Results are as follows. The examined legal instrument is seldom used. In the conclusion there are discussed possible grounds of these research results and steps/provision for more frequent application of Compensation for Damage in consequence of floods.

In my graduation thesis I have considered how the nature protection is being negotiated and legitimated within the case of canoeing on the river Teplá Vltava in NP Šumava. I have identified the human and non-human actors' network influencing the case and addressed the role they've played during the negotiation process. Based on the qualitative analyses of semi-structured interviews and documents I have revealed the key factors determining the actors' attitude towards the process. The conception of nature and the reference to the place have been revealed as the most important ones. In connection to both of them I have tried to find out the way how actors interpret the key factors and what kind of consequences it takes with. Through the factors I have reconstructed the whole case and analyzed how the actors use politics and expertise as their strategy within the decision making process. The whole study is based on the theory of social construction of reality (Berger and Luckham 1999) and the actor-network theory (Latour 2003). Key words: nature protection, actor-network, negotiation, decision-making process, canoying, pearloyster, Teplá Vltava, NP Šumava.

A radical change of the socio-cultural order has brought about globalisation processes. Their consequences in the economic sphere include, mainly, growing interdependence, increasing mobility of the production factors and rising efficiency of the global economy. This brings important causes in the political dimension, were the anarchy at the global level translates into erosion of the role of state sovereignty and creation of world economy inefficiencies. Qualitatively new system of global governance, governance at multiple levels and a regulative sub-system emerge, which the World Trade Organisation is a main example of. To reach an effective solution, it is essential to introduce a reform. The central methodological bases are systems theory and neo-liberal internationalism of this analysis.

In the thesis I ethnographically study the process of interconnecting and mutual influencing of human and non-human entities in case of the visually impaired persons and the compensation devices based on computer technology. I examine this process, which I call "the technification of blindness", in symmetrical terms. The main theoretical inspiration for the study is the interplay of technology and the health-inconvenienced body and its consequences which are based on the Actor-Network Theory and related material-semiotic tools of social-science research. My aim is to analyse processes which enable/not allow to manage everyday activities to visually impaired persons in the Czech Republic, while they are using computer technologies and their relation with wider processes of accessibility. I trace mutual influencing of human and non-human entities on a specific configuration of visually disabled body with specifically modified personal computer, and with a touch-screen smart-phone. The study shows how the specific form of portable electronic and computer-based devices, which are specially adapted to seeing users, is what excludes blind and visually impaired persons from the interaction with computer technology. Such a cooperation and visual orientation of blind persons is allowed only thanks to...

PLHOŇ, Tomáš. Analysis of microfinance in Czech nonprofit sector. Prague, 2011. 70 p. Diploma work (Mgr.) Charles University in Prague, Faculty of social sciences, Institut of sociology sciences. Department of public and social policy. Supervised by prof. PhDr. František Ochrana, DrSc. Abstract This thesis deals with the concept of microfinance and its development in the Czech nonprofit sector. In the first part the author deals with a brief description of this concept and its historical development over the last fifty years. Followed by analysis of itself, that tries to deal with the fact that despite the rapid global development of this worldwide phenomenon, microfinance in the Czech Republic is still a relatively new phenomenon. Author attempted semi structured interviews to map key players in the industry, discover their interests, attitudes, resources, and their declared objectives. The main point of the analysis is myElen.com, Czech internet portal, which is pretty much the main driver of all the happenings in the field of microfinance in this country. In conclusion the author offers an evaluation of analytical findings and suggests possible future steps to further exploration, as well as recommends the most appropriate steps in policy-making.

This paper is about a process of a nascency of new doctors, and how it is possible to approach this topic from the viewpoint of social anthropologist. As a starting point, I use actor-network theory, which is one of the social science paradigms focusing on materiality. I consider it (on the basis of work by Bruno Latour and other scholars, who are dealing with this field), to be a remarkable actor in matters connected with human action, and thus an appropriate subject for an anthropological inquiry. Since the topic concerns medicine in the Czech Republic nowadays, I contribute to the knowledge of medical anthropology, which does not have such a strong academic base here as in the Anglo-Saxon world. Special attention is dedicated to a detailed description of activities leading to the formation of the text of this thesis. Reflexivity, on which I put emphasis, shall serve as the foundation of the context of genesis of an anthropological knowledge and also to describe the ethical concerns of the research. The main methods are observation and semi-structured in-depth interviews with twelve informants, who were medicine students or medicine faculty graduates.

This diploma thesis deals with the function of regional destination management organizations in Czechia. Destination management organizations are founded to implement destination management at various spatial levels (national, regional, local). In Czechia, the issue of destination management is a relatively new area of research. The aim of this work is to clarify the role of destination companies as one of the regional development actors with an emphasis on the development of tourism. The theoretical base is network theory and the concept of destination governance along with other base of the cooperation of actors in tourism development. For purpose to get a general insight into the situation of destination management in Czechia, the analysis of the regional destination companies is a part of the work. In addition, thesis includes the case study of the tourist area of Orlicke hory and Podorlicko, in which the destination company of the same name operates. The case study includes analysis of strategic documents and annual reports of selected actors, semi- structured interviews with representatives of selected organizations from the region and a questionnaire survey among the members of the destination management organization. All of mentioned methods helped to evaluate the functioning and the...

Homebirth as Actor-Network: Multiple realities The topic of this medical anthropology thesis is a description of homebirth seen through the eyes of Actor-Network Theory. The focus of this work is thus not on the professional concept of homebirth as a biological process or soon-to-be-mothers experience and take on homebirth. Focus is on homebirth in itself, how it is enacted via interactions of actors in network. After the presentation of two points of view on medicine (disease and illness), an introduction into the basic principles and innovations of ANT (including anthropology of symmetry), into the works of people, who build their ideas on it (Mol - multiplicity, De Laet - fluidity, Law) and the presentation of the current birthing situation in the Czech Republic, the thesis shifts its focus to the description of the whole actor-network, which enacts homebirth via interaction between the actors in practice. These practices are abstracted from the interviews with mothers, a dula and a paediatrician. The description includes people and objects, because according to ANT, they have the same amount of social agency. Homebirth is then enacted by the objects needed for homebirth - tools to make birth easier and to support its process, by people who partake, venues it takes place in and the birthing positions it...

Homebirth as Actor-Network: Multiple realities The topic of this medical anthropology thesis is a description of homebirth seen through the eyes of Actor-Network Theory. The focus of this work is thus not on the professional concept of homebirth as a biological process or soon-to-be-mothers experience and take on homebirth. Focus is on homebirth in itself, how it is enacted in practice. After the presentation of two points of view on medicine (disease and illness), an introduction into the basic principles and innovations of ANT (including anthropology of symmetry) and works of people, who build their ideas on it (Mol - multiplicity, De Laet - fluidity, Law), the thesis shifts its focus to the description of the whole actor- network, which enacts homebirth via interaction between the actors in practice. These practices are abstracted from the interviews with mothers, a dula and a paediatrician. The description includes people and objects, because according to ANT, they have the same amount of social agency. Homebirth is then enacted by the objects needed for homebirth - tools to make birth easier and to support its process, by people who partake, venues it takes place and the birthing positions it brings. Another part of the actor-network can be found before the homebirth happens - the hunt for information...