My master's thesis deals with the issue of consumerism and consumer behaviour focusing on children and youth. The thesis is divided into two main parts: theoretical and practical. The theoretical part describes development of consumer behaviour and factors influencing it, such as social groups or advertising. It also deals with children's perception of brands and their impact on children's consumer behaviour. It describes the significance of consumer education in the context of the education system in the Czech Republic. It also deals with the consumer education systems and possibilities in the broader context of the European Union and other organizations. The practical part contains a lesson plan on consumer education and a pilot case study on consumer behaviour of a selected group of Czech children. The pilot case study asked two research questions: What do brands mean for the children? Do the children show signs of consumerism through their preferences and consumer behaviour? The results of the pilot case study are described in this section as well.

This theses Brand product as a symbol of young participants is focused on the phenomenon of brands, which is interpreted through its relation to social status. In the theoretical part of the theses there are two contradictory views discussed (T. Veblen's and G. Lipovetsky's), which provide two different points of view concerning contemporary society and the relation between luxurious goods and social status. Through this discussion the thesis provides the characteritics of youth in the context of its developement during the 20th century. Another discussed topic are marketing techniques focusing on today's young generation. In the research part the author aims to find a connection between luxurious brands consumption and the concept of status among young adults studying Czech high schools. Results did not prove this connection to be very strong, and it seems therefore that Lipovetsky's point of view was the one closer to our analysis.

The thesis deals with the problem of global ecological crisis caused by excessive consumption of material goods, particularly in countries of "The Rich North" (western countries). In the theoretical part I set up individualized man as a consumer in the system of modern society, which indicates the conditions of its existence mainly through the market. I discuss the possible way out of the ecological crisis through ideological changes in the company initiated from the "bottom", based on the internalization of values leading to responsible and moderate consumption. I demonstrate alternative ways of life, environmentally friendly in terms of consumption, and discuss the obstacles and ways of its spread. The research was conducted through interviews with eco-advisers who are dealing with consumption, as potential "opinion leaders" in this case. I tried to look their conception of responsible consumption and their potential impact on society in favor of spreading the idea of an environmentally responsible way of life Key words Ecological crisis, consumption, consumerism, modernity, individualization, values, responsible consumption, modesty, environmentally friendly way of life

This diploma thesis focuses on the issue of postnatal care in maternity hospitals in the Czech Republic as it is perceived by women who went through the medicalised obstetric birth in the past year. It examines in particular women's expectations concerning the care on the postnatal ward, their experiences of various aspects of care provided, the moments women highlight and the strategies they adopt in case of possible clashes of their own "non-expert" opinions with the regime of particular maternity hospital or "authoritative knowledge" of the staff. The aim of this thesis is to present the authentic experiences of postnatal care and to implant them into broader conceptual framework, especially considering the medical discourse and possible disciplinary techniques which are implemented to strengthen the authority of medical staff and to provide the opportunity for physical and social control of women.

The thesis deals with critical views of the post-war American society as found in three literary works: Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and Jack Kerouac's On the Road. The thesis's aim is to introduce briefly the post-war society and then, on basis of text analysis, to provide criticism expressed by each book mentioned above. Divided into four main parts, it describes the post-war situation in the United States (political, social and cultural) and thereafter it focuses on the books itself. It provides a short biographical summary of each author's life but it mainly targets the criticism the book contains. The post-war period was significant because of the change it brought. The society of the 1950s was characterized by many "booms" that contributed to its development. The main features of this period were consumerism and materialism; these were also the principal things subjected to criticism. The question the thesis wants to answer is whether this criticism was justified or not. This objective is realized in the conclusion. Based on all facts provided by the thesis, the answer is that the criticism was justified; however, it is not so easy and it is necessary to read the whole thesis to understand all reasons that led to this conclusion and to think over...

Mgr. Lucie Sedláčková Dissertation Globalization in the Contemporary Dutch Novel Abstract in English This dissertation deals with representations of different aspects of globalization in the contemporary Dutch novel. The main questions are: 1. Which representations of the aspects of globalization can be found in the contemporary Dutch novels analyzed in this dissertation? 2. Are there relations between the knowledge of this phenomenon in specialist literature and in the fiction analyzed in this dissertation? 3. Which points of view do literary texts take with respect to globalization? The research method is based on the theory of cultural representation, but the traditional instruments of literary theory are also employed. The goal of the dissertation is to survey discourse about globalization in the analyzed fiction; the terminology is derived from the specialist, especially sociological, literature on this phenomenon from 1990 on. Globalization is considered a complex process which was accelerated mainly after 1989 by communication technology, the development of the world economy and politics (especially the fall of the Iron Curtain). The survey of literary discourse is divided into three domains: cosmopolitanism (i.e. the conceptual and cultural aspect), consumption and consumerism (the economical...

This thesis handles with the lifestyle of Straight Edge youth subculture. This subculture is identified by refusing alcohol, drugs, tobacco, sexual promiscuity and emphasizing moral compassion. First the thesis describes the lifestyle in general, including the typical attitudes, values and freetime activities. Further it reflects subcultures, their place within society, their specifics, and maps the academic studies of (post)subcultural theories. Following part describes the Straight Edge subculture in detail and is asking the question whether this subculture can fulfill the function of the substition of religion. The qualitative analysis then focuses on the lifestyle of the individual followers, their perception of the community, the relationship with society and selfpresentation. Additionaly the thesis presents the ethical and moral dimension of Straight Edge and delas with the problem of commercialism of subcultures.

The thesis explores the notion of physicality in selected novels of Ernest Hemingway and Francis Scott Fitzgerald, using the works of Jean Baudrillard as its theoretical base. The text seeks to uncover the significance of a human body in the novels through a detailed observation of the depicted characters, focusing mainly on the role of the body as an emblem that reflects not only its owner's individual battles, but also the transgressive processes taking place in the society. The study assumes that the works written by the authors of the Lost Generation capture the gradual onset of capitalism and consumerism, and thus they reflect the emergence of the consumer society, a social order that became Baudrillard's main subject of study. The main aim of the thesis is thence to explore the human body as a reflection of major societal changes and uncover the methods in which the characters use their bodies to define their own position in the newly arising system. Following the theoretical introduction, the analysis firstly examines fashion and demonstrates its capability to either unify the members of the consumer society through their shared desire to follow specific trends, or alternatively hierarchically divide the consumers based on their dissimilar approaches to consumption. Secondly, the thesis...