My dissertation uses multiple methods to introduce the novel concept of racial sexual preference - individuals’ preferences for a sexual or romantic partner based on race. This project builds on an insight from Daryl Bem’s “Exotic Becomes Erotic” theory of sexual development: a diverse set of sexual preferences exists beyond gender. I argue the very real social consequences of race make preferences in regard to it (sexual or otherwise) an important area for systematic study. I focus on gay male subculture, which has uniquely developed a terminology for expressing racial preferences. I investigate how racial preference is understood and organized within this subculture by collecting gay men’s sexual history narratives of cross-race preferences through interviews, as well as collecting archival materials from the national organization Black and White Men Together (BWMT) that pertain to racial sexual preference. I find that racial sexual preferences are experienced early in the life course and are consistent over time, similarly to experiences of gendered sexual orientation, though generally less exclusive. Unlike gendered sexual orientation, identities are unlikely to form in relation to racial sexual preferences because there is little ideological structure to support expression of cross-race racial preferences. Even within the organizational structure of BWMT, founded to support racial sexual preferences, over time I find a decrease in discourse and identity related to racial sexual preference (in favor of a colorblind ideal of preferences). I end my study by using the concept of racial sexual preference, supported by the findings from interviews and case study, to build on and challenge the theoretical work of Daryl Bem, Lisa Diamond, and James Giles in the area of sexual development and desire.

The dissertation aims at showing the differences in dealing with the death issue in characteristic works of art of both Czech and world literature. Above all, it pursues the comparison of two novels Život střídá smrt ("Life Becomes Death") by Petr Prouza and Nebe nemá dno ("Heaven is Bottomless") by Hana Andronikova. Both unique books belong to key Czech novels with the topic of death. Moreover, both of them deal with death from the point of personal experience, which means they are strongly autobiographical. The dissertation concentrates on creative processes and topical aspects, grasps autobiographical elements of both novels and all the identities and differences in the approach to the same topic. Therefore, the dissertation is devoted to listing the works of art dealing with death, further on to the analyses, interpretation and comparison of the novels Život střídá smrt ("Life Becomes Death") and Nebe nemá dno ("Heaven is Bottomless") together with the reflexion of reader's experience.

SLOVENE NATIONAL THEATRE IN LJUBLJANA Author Report Of The Diploma Work Author: Bc. Petr Hýl Supervisor: doc. ing. arch. Zdeněk Makovský