The subject matter of this thesis is the presentation of a typology of rural imagery based on a thematic and interpretative analysis of Polish and Czech literary texts from the 1960s with respect to the ongoing changes made to the original romantic-realist concept of the rural novel. The analysis of specific literary works (Sekyra by Ludvík Vaculík, Smuteční slavnost by Eva Kantůrková, and Čas kopřiv by Josef Knap from Czech literature, and, from Polish literature, Opadaný sad by Wiesław Myśliwski, the novels Na slunci by Julian Kawalec and … až budeš králem, až budeš katem… by Tadeusz Nowak) permits us to create a basic register of elements of rural narrativity which, however, Czech and Polish literatures have different perspectives on. Through this dichotomy we present typical narratives contained in the Czech and Polish rural novel of the given period. The subsequent interpretative analysis of the texts takes inspiration from contemporary narratology with special attention to the narrator and time categories, and by extension to the interplay of these categories with individual themes, symbols and topoi.

The main topic of the thesis is a description of the transformation of the Sport Cynology during the second half of the 20th century in the Liberec region. The sport is based on cooperation between people and dogs. This hobby belongs to the most popular freetime activities in the Czech Republic, even though there is not enough information in Czechoslovak historiography. The aim of the thesis consists in a characterization of development of the Sport Cynology in the era of State Socialism in Czechoslovakia in the second half of the 20th century. I focus on a historical progress of the sport and its significant events, which were crucial for the next development of the sport activity. In the context of the Sport Cynology, "The Association for Cooperation with the Army" is mentioned because Czechoslovak cynology had to become a part of the association in 1953. In the first section of the paper, focused on history of the cynology, I use archival materials, contemporary magazines and information got from interviews with narrators. I apply qualitative research and its specific methods such as analysis of documents and thematically oriented biographical narratives. Key words: Sport Cynology, State Socialism, Liberec region, The Association for Cooperation with the Army, Contemporary History, Oral History.

DISERTAČNÍ PRÁCE ABSTRACT ČESKOSLOVENSKÁ NÁMOŘNÍ PLAVBA, 1948-1989 CZECHOSLOVAK OCEAN SHIPPING, 1948-1989 2016 Lenka Krátká This work is concentrated on the topic of establishment and development of the Czechoslovak ocean shipping in the period 1948-1989. The theme is presented with using a large number of primary archive sources and relevant secondary literature. In addition, the text offers an insight into the topic through the memoirs of former Czechoslovak seafarers collected with the use of oral history method. The primary aim of this work is to capture the history of the Czechoslovak ocean shipping in a broader context of political, economic, and foreign policy development of Czechoslovakia in the given period. A key moment for founding a merchant fleet represented the year 1948, the communist coup d'état respectively, when the country came into the sphere of the Soviet Union's influence and transformed its economy into a centrally planned one with the absence of market principles. These specific circumstances enabled to develop a transport sector which Czechoslovakia did not have either natural conditions, or practical experience with. Based on a politically motivated decision, the Czechoslovak ocean shipping in the early 1950s was developed in cooperation with the People's Republic of China. By this...

Diploma thesis "Prague Spring from the point of view of the transition theory" deals with the time period of "Prague Spring" and briefly also about the following year. The application of the methods of transition tries to show the next development of Czechoslovakia in case if the development hasn't had stopped by the intervention of troops of Warsaw Pact. There is a brief development of transitology there and then; three transition theories from significant authors discussing this topic are mentioned there. Further, the attitudes of reformers to the society in the year 1968 in Czechoslovakia, changes in the society itself and in the Communist Party are investigated there. A very important fact is the international situation and influence of states of the Soviet Block to reviving process and it representatives. The main chapter offers the possible future development of Czechoslovakia after the implementation transition theories. In the last part events from the year 1969 are mentioned. Two public polls bring closer the perception of Prague Spring after 25 and 30 years and its importance for the transition to democracy in 1989.

With special attention being paid to the development in the city of Brno, the dissertation focuses on the issue of applying artworks in Czechoslovak architecture after World War II. The main research questions – Why were in Czechoslovakia after 1945 artworks again integrated in architecture and what strategies were applied in the case of the newly built housing estates in the city of Brno? – are answered in two successive sections. First, the institutional background for application of art in architecture in the light of the events in Brno (1945–1993) is examined; the closing part is devoted to three case studies that illustrate local development in the period of socialist realism, creative release of the1960s and political normalization. The aim is to highlight the complexity of the examined subject and refute a popularly handed down conviction that integration of artworks into architecture in the period of socialism was motivated exclusively by the communist propaganda, and to show that the attempts to create a synthesis of art and architecture were also based both on earlier theoretical considerations about the educational function of art and its effect on humans and the need to improve poor economic situation of artists after World War II.

The diploma thesis discusses gender relationships, construction of romantic love, and questions of infidelity in the novel Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. These concepts are examined by means of feminist literary theories that deal with gender as an analytic category and that draw on resistant reading and reader response criticism as major theoretical and methodological points of analysis. The first analytical part focuses on the ways in which femininity and masculinity of the main characters are constructed within the context of patriarchal society under socialism. The second part of the analysis is devoted to various forms of love that appear among the characters. It investigates the role of these love schemes within the presented relationships and focuses on motives of infidelity while considering the gender identity of the characters. By employing gender analysis, this diploma thesis offers a new perspective that reflects on the reproduction of gender stereotypes and departs from existing interpretations of Kundera's major novel.

This thesis is dedicated to women who were called "the super women" during the communist era. Their mission was to combine their profession with taking care of their children alongside of being a housewife. Even though the traditional model of the men supporting the whole family changed to more democratic model with the both man and woman supporting the family, the housekeeping and taking care of children still stayed the wive's responsibility. In the period of communism, women were "double burdened". They dedicated their lives for their families and the free time they had, which was less then what men had, mostly corresponded with the interests of children and the whole family. In this thesis I focus on how these women live nowadays. They have already retired and after losing their partner they now live alone. I also focus on how they deal with this different life situation and changes in their social roles. I work with the theoretical approaches of emancipated femininity and active aging as a way to cope with changes in social status. I chose the qualitative approach as a research method. It is implemented in this diploma thesis by analyzing thorough interviews with widowed seniors.

Diploma thesis "Analysis of the social assistance system in the Czech Republic from the perspective of families caring for a child with handicap" deals with one of the three pillars of the social security system in the Czech Republic, with the system of social assistance. It summarizes the current theoretical knowledge in this field, introduces the core concepts of values and international and European kontext of human and social rights claimed under the social assistance system with a particular focus on the handicapped people. It also advocates the concept of social assistance to these citizens into the historical framework and explains its origination in the Czech Republic. The analytical part focuses on specific design and operation of social assistance from the perspective of families caring for a child with handicap in two periods, in socialism and in present. It identifies the whole field of provided assistance to the target group, which represents mainly social benefits and social welfare services, and subsequently subjects it to comparison. The analytical part is supplemented by the testimony of families caring for the disadvantaged child. The paper presents practical experience with the system of social assistance by caring such a child of two families in the socialist era and one...

The thesis interprets the ideal of women beauty before and after 1989 in terms of sociological and culture discourse in Vlasta magazine. The key premise of the thesis is the claim that ideal of women beauty differs before and after 1989. It is possible to expect influence of politic system, social structure and culture forms on discourse of women beauty. Character of this thesis is theoretically-empiric. The sociologic gender theory serves as the frame for chosen topic. Research is based on analysis of discourse of women beauty in Vlasta magazine in 1975 and 2005. The goal of overall analysis is to provide series of detailed analysis which describe general magazine topics and role of the magazine in certain historical period beside discourse of beauty. I have chosen qualitative sociological method called discursive analysis for my thesis. Ambition of the thesis is to analyze one specific social discourse and introduce all key social, historical and culture aspects which can influence the discourse and use Vlasta magazine as its concrete case. Keywords Ideal of women beauty, discourse, media discourse, gender, discursive analysis, Vlasta magazine, transformation, socialism, media, gender stereotypes, gender socialization

This diploma thesis deals with the penetration of discourse of Communist power into the society through content of (women's) magazine Žena a móda within 50s and 60s. The aim of this thesis is to point out that the elements of communist ideology appeared also in media such as fashion magazine. First chapters of this thesis deal with socialism and its ideological propaganda and represent the importance of ideological symbols, propaganda and manipulation through the media. In connection with this the thesis represents also the political-economic situation in the textile and clothing industry and also uses the facts about the media control by the communist regime. On this basis the thesis presents an analysis of 240 issues of the Žena a móda magazine and focuses on selected ideological symbols such as socialist fashion, working clothes, relationship between the East and the West, ideological leaders and personalities, the Soviet Union as ideal, conceptualization of the "Great History" and the image of socialistic woman. The method of discourse analysis thus allowed to introduce the symbols in different historical and social contexts and also to point to their changes in time, specifically in the context of comparing their likeness in the 50s and 60s of 20th century. The content of Žena a móda magazine...