This thesis deals with the phenomenon of the suburban summer resorts and the recreational activities of the inhabitants of Prague in the second half of 19th century and first decades of 20th century. At first, the work introduces the following topics: a general characteristic of the industrialization era, an origin and initial development of the middle class, a villa with the garden on the periphery of the industrial city as a specific manifestation of the middle class culture, a phenomenon of the garden cities, recreational activities as a specific way of the middle class recreation. Then, the summer resort is introduced. This summer resort is Černošice, one of the most famous summer resorts of this era, there were other famous summer resorts of the inhabitants of Prague situated in his neighbourhood, for example Všenory or Dobřichovice. This work is looking for the answers to the following questions: What kind of factors or events led to the birth of this summer resort? (for example: When was the summer resort created? Why was it atractive for the inhabitants of Prague?)? How did the life in the summer resort look like (for example: What kind of recreational activities were the visitors of the summer resort engaged in? What kind of people was building the villas here?)? What part did the...

This dissertation explores how the 19th century Spanish novel functions as a forum to prescribe and then question normative bourgeois masculinity. After establishing how masculinity was a central concern for 19th century Spanish intellectuals preoccupied with the building of a liberal nation, it analyzes novels written after the death of Fernando VII (1833) and through the first two decades of the Restoration period (1875-95). By 1840 it was clear that the stereotypical Spaniard, as coined by European romanticism, was of no use for the liberal nation, and a new national man was needed. The (failed) attempt of the novel of the 1840s to consolidate an archetypical masculinity is crucial to understand this process. For its part, the Restoration novel will challenge the myth of normative bourgeois masculinity, dissolving its national archetypes into more complex characters, and culminating with the absolution of the romantic myth it had previously attempted to erase.

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This thesis explores the development of the Gothic novel in England throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This thesis establishes the Gothic as a literary mode of middle-class terror by analyzing Gothic novels within the historical context of the Industrial and Democratic revolutions. This requires an in-depth understanding of politics throughout both centuries and this thesis engages with several sources such as Maggie Kilgour’s The Rise of the Gothic Novel which adds important context to my claims. Additionally, I use several contemporary sources such as Godwin’s Caleb Williams, the writings of Edmund Burke, and On the Pleasure Derived from Objects of Terror by the Aikins. This thesis offers a method of tracking the Gothic as a consistently middle-class genre throughout history, and it ends with a chapter that questions the continued relevance of the Gothic as a middle-class genre in a world where the division of wealth is so skewed.

Although China's educational resources have increased, and access to education has improved, inequality in education has persisted. This suggests that there will always be individuals who fail to get success through education. In contemporary society, diplomas have become closely associated with social status and salaries, making entering prestigious universities in education a prerequisite for future achievement. The quest for and competition for high diplomas, which is most noticeable in high school and university entrance exams, spills over into earlier stages, namely junior high school and primary school. Against the backdrop of unequal distribution of educational resources, access to resources and opportunities by family background has become a significant concern. This study aims to discover how urban middle-class families in an ordinary city, Guilin, devise strategies to build, secure, or extend advantages for their children in future competition. Based on Bourdieu's conceptual and theoretical system, this thesis analyses parents' views on education and their children's future, the strategies they adopt that they believe could set their children up for success, and how they persist in their actions in the face of new policies, with respect to the family's assets, parents' background, status, and experience. Through 11 semi- structured interviews with 19 parents, the study finds that, despite the diversity of parents' experiences and social positions, they show a high degree of similarity in valuing education and emphasising individual efforts, which may occasionally appear in different classes of individuals. They employ various strategies corresponding to family assets to nurture children in multiple ways, particularly through various forms of capital that enable them to access more quality educational resources and opportunities, although they may also be inclined to ignore children's voices and interests. While some policies create obstacles to parents' actions, they sought alternatives and remedies with their assets and abilities to continue to pursue quality educational resources for their children.

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This thesis investigates discourses surrounding upper and middle class Afrikaner women living in Johannesburg during the years 1948, 1949 and 1958. It uses magazines aimed at upper and middle class women as primary sources and also makes use of interviews with upper and middle class women who lived in Johannesburg during 1948, 1949 and 1958. The thesis uses women's magazines, educational magazines and church magazines, as well as the Vrou en Maeder magazine, mouthpiece of the Suid Afrikaanse Vrouefederasie. Conclusions are drawn about the status and role of Afrikaner middle class women in society, as well as the value systems operating at the time. Differences in discourse and changes over time are accounted for. The thesis also draws attention to the importance of using gender as an historical category, and attempts to broaden the method of history by utilising discourse analysis. / History / M.A. (History)

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The emerging black middle class in South Africa provides immense opportunity for marketers who wish to capture this segment of the market. However, in order to be relevant, a deep understanding of this ever-evolving segment is absolutely necessary. Characterised by complexity, the black middle class is heterogeneous and evolves at rapid speed. Studies by the Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing highlighted the immense value of black middle class women, coined Black Diamond™ women. The primary objective of this research was to gain insights into the life of young black professional women and, secondly, to understand the driving forces behind their decision-making. This was achieved through an in-depth exploratory study. The first step in this study was to conduct a literature review on the black middle class in various African countries and the black middle class in South Africa. A review of literature on marketing communication provided the basis for reasoning on the appropriateness of different marketing communication tools. Literature also revealed the emergence of a possible new consumer type, the hybrid consumer. The literature review provided the framework for designing the interview schedules used in the expert interviews and interviews with the Black Diamond™ women. The findings of this research assignment were that the modern black middle class women face many complexities in their daily lives. Brands can, therefore, be significant to them by supporting them in their lives. Brands should customise their offerings, meet the black middle class women in innovative ways at different touch points, and bring meaning in their lives. Brands should also know that culture is prominent in all areas of their lives, which presents unique challenges.

The evolution of policy regarding the black bourgeoisie -- Issues in the struggle for black capitalism -- The roles and effects of NAFCOC (National African Federation Chamber of Commerce) and FABCOS (Foundation of Business and Consumer Service) -- The development of black capitalists in the urban areas -- Constraints on, and the performances of black entrepreneurs -- 'Normalisation' of the economic playing field.

Persuadé de l’intérêt pédagogique de la littéraire dans l’acquisition des fondamentaux des jeunes élèves grecs et désireux de rendre cette matière obligatoire, j’ai examiné trois auteurs de la fin du XIXe et du début du XXe siècle, I. Kondylakis, G. Xénopoulos et C. Théotokis d’après leurs portraits des bourgeois. Les modes de vie, la sphère professionnelle et familiale ainsi que le comportement des élites athéniennes, corfiotes et zantiotes, dont ils narrent les aventures, révèlent l’hétérogénéité de cette classe, ses prérogatives et ses valeurs. Il ressort que les bourgeois de cette époque soignaient leur apparence pour afficher leur opulence et leur puissance et que le mariage, qui était souvent un acte arrangé et intéressé, assurait leur reconnaissance sociale. Néanmoins, grands et petits bourgeois veillaient au contrôle des naissances pour préserver leur patrimoine et préparer l’avenir de leur descendance dans une période politiquement et économiquement instable. Malgré quelques distorsions et emprunts à des auteurs français, l’attachement de ces écrivains à leur pays et leur volonté d’éveiller les consciences en dénonçant les maux qui le rongent sont perceptibles. Tout en offrant un nouvel éclairage sur cette époque, leurs œuvres invitent à reconsidérer la place de la littéraire patrimoniale dans les programmes scolaires. Quelques extraits regroupés thématiquement, commentés et assortis d’exercices variés démontrent que ces textes sont accessibles aux jeunes élèves et fort enrichissants à condition que l’enseignant maîtrise et apprécie son corpus et qu’il s’adapte à sa classe. / Persuaded of the pedagogical interest of literature in the acquisition of the basics by Greek pupils and with the aim of making this subject compulsory, I have examined three authors from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, I. Kondylakis, G. Xenopoulos and C. Theotokis and their representations of members of the middle classes. Ways of life, both in professional and family spheres as well as the behaviour of the elites of Athens, Corfu and Zante whose adventures they recite, reveal the varied nature of this class, its prerogatives and its values. It is thus possible to see that the middle classes of this period paid attention to their appearance as a way of demonstrating their opulence and their power and that marriage, which was often arranged and motivated by self-interest ensured social recognition. Nevertheless, both upper and lower middle classes paid attention to birth control to protect their assets and to prepare the future of their children during a period that was both politically and economically unstable. Despite some distortions and borrowings from French authors, the attachment of these writers to their country and their wish to prick the consciousness by criticising the evils that damage it are noticeable. While offering a new light on this period, their works invite us to reconsider the place of cultural literature in school curricula. Some extracts, grouped together based on themes, commented and accompanied by various exercises show that these texts are accessible to young pupils and are very enriching on condition that the teacher is familiar with and understands the body of work and adapts it to his or her class.