This diploma thesis deals with the critical mapping of British fashion designer Vivienne Westwood with a focus on the relationship between her activist actions and branding. The goal of this thesis is to analyse discourse practice and uncover the meaning behind creating Westwood's media image. Westwood is actively involved in political, social and environmental matters. She's known for her critical stance towards the establishment, consumer society as well as economic system. She stood at the beginning of punk and helped to define its visual identity. She belongs amongst known sustainable fashion advocates which reflects her famous quote 'buy less, choose well, make it last'. On the other hand, she built a global fashion brand with annual turnover of more than 40.7 million pounds in 2017 and she herself became the subject of criticism because of this contradiction towards her own actions. Some critics pointed out that she urges the public to consume less but owns a global network of stores under her name at the same time. From a methodological point of view the thesis is based on qualitative research, specifically on critical discourse analysis whose mechanisms help to uncover power relationships and put this issue into a broader context.

This thesis focuses on the Aeronet.cz website and the division of society into 'Us' and 'Them' in the context of the website. The thesis is divided into two parts - a theoretical one and a research one. The theoretical part aims to describe the background of the researched website and certain phenomena which are believed to be connected to the website. This part also includes a review of theoretical concepts pertaining to the connection of language and ideology. Furthermore, certain strategies utilized in group identity construction and division of society into differently evaluated segments are described. The research is conducted in the form of a semiotic analysis but incorporates certain elements of critical discourse analysis as well. The analysis has two main goals. The first goal is to describe the composition of 'Us' and 'Them' groups in the context of the portal, the second goal is to investigate which strategies of identity construction are employed to achieve such division. To support the findings, the thesis offers a detailed overview of individual entities and their evaluation. A description of strategies from all levels of the research, which were used to evaluate a certain entity, is also included. The discussion consists of synthesis of all the findings with respect to both...

This Master's thesis analyzes the subject of moral distress of Czech primary school teachers. It is divided into two parts. The first theoretical part clarifies key concepts and terms of ethics in education. Aside from more general terms like ethics, morals, and stress, it also covers crucial terms like moral distress and critical events. The second, practical part analyzes a qualitative dataset to describe and categorize different forms of moral distress. It records a variety of ways of solving critical situations and their potential influence on the psyche and professional development of educators. The aim of this work is to serve as a base for additional research or as a material for creating strategies to overcome similar situations. KEYWORDS Moral values, ethics, social influences, critical situations, dilemmas, moral distress, stress

Megan Ouellette Abstract Abstract This study constitutes an analysis of American conceptualizations of the Czech Republic as presented in presidential materials from 1989 to 2009 and American media reporting the cancellation of the Third Site of ballistic missile defence from 14-25 September 2009. It draws on the previous research offered by constructivist interpretations of international relations and the field of critical geopolitics to explore how, and for what purpose, certain American sources of geopolitical reasoning have portrayed the Czech Republic. By comparing and contrasting the ways in which the Czech Republic has been conceptualised in presidential materials over a period of twenty years and in media sources over a two-week period relative to a particular event, the study identifies trends and thematic (in)consistencies in American "mental maps" of the Czech Republic. It shows the extent to which media reporting on President Obama's ballistic missile defence policy shift recycled pre-existing conceptualizations of the Czech Republic broadcasted on the presidential level over the twenty years prior to the policy shift. The results of content analyses of each set of texts reveal that the Czech Republic holds specific symbolic and strategic value that ultimately points back to a particular...

Dissertation thesis "How to think Architecture in a new way. Late though of Peter Eisenman and his critical theory of architecture" tries to summarise and analyse the key thoughts of architect and thinker Peter Eisenman in his late oeuvre. The point of departure of his theoretical thinking seems to be refusal of any timeless essence of architecture and a will to "dislocate" architecture from influence of metaphysics. The way to this is "criticality", a notion constituted with three basic terms: interiority (the interiority of architecture defines the discipline, what it is that makes architecture singular), exteriority (external concepts that change architecture by being internalised into the discipline and changing it) and anteriority (anteriority is the sedimented history of architecture; history of interiority). These three terms are according to Eisenman connected in a notion of "undecidability" that serves as a central criterium to criticality and in a "diagram" that is a mean to overcome metaphysical implications of architecture. At the end of the thesis there is a summary of Eisenman's theoretical work and its importance and an attempt is made to set so conceived whole in its entirety to the thought of "end of metaphysics". In this context is Eisenman seen to be in a position similar from...

Diploma thesis analyses the potential of Cyber Threats towards critical energy infrastructure in terms of network theories originating in graph theories, complex networks and technological possibilities how to compromise security of networks belonging to critical infrastructure. By the analysis of defined dependent and independent variables the author finds out how networks behave under which circumstances, what means exist in the field of network security and if adopted measures to increase security are in accordance with the effort of creation safe and decentralized system of critical energy infrastructure. Main emphasis is put on the concept of smart grids as possible solution of decentralization. In these terms technical means of security are studied especially with emphasis on SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) systems and the Internet as one of the essential component of communication in modern communication technologies.

Koncepce participativního rozpočtování jako inovace demokracie Vendula Venclíková Abstract (in English): The aim of this thesis is to reflect theoretical basis of participatory budgeting in context of the theory of recognition. To analyse in this context a form of contemporary effort of application of participatory budgeting in the Czech environment. Participatory budgeting as an normative result of the struggle of recognition is analysed in the view of innovative conception of democracy, connecting economic and participative democracy.

Philosophy is traditionally defined against rhetoric. The traditional difference between philosophy and rhetoric is based on a distinction between truthful and persuasive speech. The history of philosophy offers a number of examples how to approach the relationship between truth and persuasiveness. However, this relationship was traditionally taken in such a way so that philosophy could be defined against rhetoric. This approach can also be found in the texts of Immanuel Kant. From this point of view, Kant's project of critical philosophy can be interpreted as an attempt to purify philosophy and separate it from rhetoric. But when Kant defines the philosophy against rhetoric, he falls into obvious contradiction. As the critical philosophy helps to realize the ideas of the Enlightenment, thus, it also helps to spread the light of reason. However, the spread of general enlightenment requires an effective link between philosophy and rhetoric, i.e. between truth and persuasiveness. Since the critical philosophy is the instrument of enlightenment, it acquires its rhetorical dimension. A closer examination of the rhetorical dimension of Kant's critical philosophy, which still represents a certain desideratum of Kant Studies, thus opens up completely new research and interpretation possibilities.

Dissertation thesis "How to think Architecture in a new way. Late though of Peter Eisenman and his critical theory of architecture" tries to summarise and analyse the key thoughts of architect and thinker Peter Eisenman in his late oeuvre. The point of departure of his theoretical thinking seems to be refusal of any timeless essence of architecture and a will to "dislocate" architecture from influence of metaphysics. The way to this is "criticality", a notion constituted with three basic terms: interiority (the interiority of architecture defines the discipline, what it is that makes architecture singular), exteriority (external concepts that change architecture by being internalised into the discipline and changing it) and anteriority (anteriority is the sedimented history of architecture; history of interiority). These three terms are according to Eisenman connected in a notion of "undecidability" that serves as a central criterium to criticality and in a "diagram" that is a mean to overcome metaphysical implications of architecture. At the end of the thesis there is a summary of Eisenman's theoretical work and its importance and an attempt is made to set so conceived whole in its entirety to the thought of "end of metaphysics". In this context is Eisenman seen to be in a position similar from...

The feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary was one of the last medieval Marian feasts to be introduced into the Roman Calendar, and is unusual in the wealth of contemporary, and near contemporary, documentation available for study in relation to its introduction. The offices written by Jan of Jenštejn [1347-1400] and Adam Easton [1330-1397] for the feast of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary have never been the subject of detailed examination or comparison, nor have critical editions of these offices been produced. This thesis addresses both these gaps in scholarship and presents an analysis and comparison of the texts, melodies, and dissemination of the offices. Using contemporary evidence and secondary sources the reasons for the institution of the new feast, the motivations of both Jenštejn and Easton, their compositional styles including choice of texts and melodies, and the introduction process itself are examined within the wider context of contemporary Marian devotion and fourteenth- century textual and musical composition. Chapter One provides a contextual background to the celebration of the Visitation, from its inclusion in the Gospel of Luke and apocryphal sources to contemporary sermons, showing the importance of the Visitation in the West long before the new feast's introduction....