The aim of the thesis is to analyse and assess discussions related to the implementation of the direct election of mayors, both in the Czech Republic and in selected European countries. The thesis compares the evolution and course of the discussions that precede the anchoring of direct election of mayors in five European countries, such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Croatia, and Belgium-Walloon. It is particularly focused on the central motives leading towards the launch of discussion, main arguments included in the discussion, key actors, and the levels of the discussion. The crucial part of the thesis is devoted to the analysis of the discussion of possible implementation of directly elected mayors in the Czech Republic. The emphasis is put on the identification of individual platforms of the Czech political scene that intervene into the discussion. The thesis also highlights the attitude of key political parties, interest groups, and mayors, towards the question of the direct election. The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic represents the principal mediator of the ongoing discussion. The thesis targets to answer the following questions. At which platforms the discussion about the eventual implementation of direct...

The thesis focuses on discussions under news articles shared by news servers on the social network Facebook. The aim of this work is to summarize the existing understanding of the topic. Therefore, theoretical concepts connected to the topic are summarized. The thesis focuses on communication, online communication and the presence of news servers on social networks, as well as on the topic of anonymity on social networks and how anonymity can affect discussions. A chapter of the thesis focuses on the spiral of silence and its possible occurrence in discussions. Further, the thesis focuses on the freedom of speech as well as the new ways social networks are trying to fight disinformation and hate online. The empirical part focuses on how Facebook users view the use of social networks by news servers. Another part of the thesis focuses on a group of volunteers called #jsmetu. This group tries to make sure discussions are factual and are free from personal attacks and vulgarity. Three discussions are analysed - discussions #jsmetu took part in. The thesis investigates the influence #jsmetu has on discussions. Due to the topic of the thesis being a very current one, the thesis suggests more areas for further research.

The aim of the Thesis ?Written texts in the matter-of-fact functional style? is to describe the changes of functional styles in present day communication, as the consequence of diminishing of differences between formality and informality. Concerning the extent of the issue, we will mainly focus on spontaneous written documents of the matter-of-fact functional style, which have been significantly replacing the primarily spoken speeches. The work goes on analysis of language material which has been gathered within opinion newsgroup portal Novinky.cz discussions. The analysis of the recorded materialis aimed at determining the way the spontaneous vicarious written documents resemble the speeches and considering if they keep some of their distinguishing features of a written text.

This thesis directly continues my bachelor thesis titled "What and Why do we laugh with Jára Cimrman at". The first, theoretical part, sums up the observation of the poetics of the plays of Jára Cimrman Theatre and subsequently proves them through interpretation of the last play of Smoljak & Svěrák called "České nebe". The first two chapters provide the theoretical base of knowledge for the four-hour-long lesson based on "České nebe" itself. Both these chapters mainly focus on the used humour and the character of Jára Cimrman, the Czech national genius, but also on related topics such as mystification, space-time, Czechness and composition. The second part of the thesis is then the main one which brings the theory into practice. "České nebe" as a play offers an enormous didactic potential which can be used to verify and deepen one's literacy. The didactic part includes a complex preparation for four lessons, for which it provides a basic introduction of Jára Cimrman Theatre and a summary of comedy techniques used by this theatre, which have a strong emphasis on parody. Mainly, though, it provides a brief insight into the opinions, values and the culturally-historical knowledge of a today's adolescent. The students had a chance to elect their own Czech heaven committee in their class and, by doing...

5 Abstract The thesis is devoted to the development of before-reader's skills of preeschoolers, their ability to develop communication, listening and discussion with some methods of critical thinking. Theoretical part is focused on the development of reading and before-reader's literacy of preschoolers.It deals with a posibility to use some chosen methods of the program RWCT (Reading and Writing for Critical Thinking) at nursery school. It concentrates on the development of preschoolers in some areas important for their development of reader's literacy. In practical part there is presented the educational project of advent-calender full of stories, based on the work with texts. Based on stories it learns, if these chosen methods of the program RWCT can influence communication of preschoolers and their listening and discussion. The thesis presents results of the educational project took at the beginning and the end of my project. Key words: pre-school education, preschoolers, reader's literacy, program of reading and writing for critical thinking, methods, work with a text, communication research, listening and discussion

This Master's thesis named "Approaches of Czech Churches towards Euthanasia" studies the topic of euthanasia through position papers of four selected churches active in the Czech Republic. The four examined churches are Roman Catholic Church, Orthodox Church of the Czech Lands and Slovakia, Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren, and Czechoslovak Hussite Church whereas documents published by ecumenical panels are studied as well. The goal of the thesis is to create a statement overview of these four churches. First, the work introduces the topic itself, explains basic terms and development of different approaches. Second, it analyses position papers of examined churches which are subsequently compared in order to find the aspects which are common to the all four churches.

This thesis describes the proces of implementation of selected elements of Philosophy for Children in the activities of an after-school club. Philosophy for Children and the school club are presented in the theoretical part. The case study describes twenty Philosophy for Children sessions carried out in the morning and afternoon school club programme. Furthermore, factors influencing the programme that have been encounte-red during the philosophical sessions are discussed.

The diploma thesis examines new phenomena of electronic democracy which is becoming more popular with the internet expansion. The thesis summarizes existing research in the field of electronic democracy from a view of forms that could be or are taken. The aim of this summarization is to show that new transformational changes affecting our society do not automatically implicate a shift towards direct democracy. Using theoretical summarization a state of the art of electronic democracy in the Czech Republic is described. Importance is given to an analysis of contemporary evolving tools and initiatives which were developed from two directions - top-down and a bottom up. A part of this analysis is an assessment of important factors that are stimulating a development of electronic participation - freedom of information right, internet penetration and computer literacy.

This master thesis deals with the affair Spiegel from 1962 and the Czech Television-Crisis from the turn 2000 and 2001. Both cases are compared by the conceptual approach of democratic consolidation from the Juan Linz's and Alfred Stepan's work The Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation (Baltimore, 1996). The analysis aims to find out whether German Federal Republic in 1962 and the Czech Republic on the start of the third millennium fulfilled the first three Linz's and Stepan's criteria of a consolidated democracy. The theoretical chapter highlights some of alternative approaches and discussions about democratic consolidation as an analytical tool in comparative politics.