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My thesis deals with the relationship between modern information and digital technologies and contemporary architecture and urbanism. I do not study any direct impact of these technologies on the architectonic and urbanistic production as working or manufacturing means. I try to show social changes caused by technologies and their reflection in the environment created by people. However, I try to consider the relationship as interactive, which means that I do not perceive the urban country only as a fossil of cultural forms, but also as the power that contributes to forming. In order to depict the relationship, I found the use of the concept of the culture as a network of symbolic meanings to be the most suitable. The thesis is divided into three main parts. In the first part, I introduce the development of the conception of culture and explain my own understanding of this phenomenon based on the symbolic interpretation of the culture. The second part of the thesis deals with the contemporary society. I explain the contemporary culture on the basis of the relationship between the sign and the symbol. On the basis of their dichotomy, I explain the terms of postmodernism, globalisation, glocalisation. The possibility of cohesion of modern societies in disintegration of unifying symbolic contents is...

This thesis is a reflection from the cultural studies point of view of my personal volunteer experience in Ukraine. Its focus is to present practical use of anthropology or cultural studies knowledge in such field as volunteer or humanitarian work in a different culture. It suggests use of photography as a method of cognition of the environment. It presents an auto- photographic method as an alternative to a research using classical methods of visual anthropology. This thesis also presents two sets of photographs taken by children in a local orphanage which record their possible worlds. Key words: volunteering, auto-photography, visual anthropology, qualitative research, possible worlds

The subject of the thesis is theoretical and empirical analysis of literary form haiku concerning the place of origin (Japan), circumstances of its spreading in czech area and finally interdisciplinary analysis of this form. The papier aims to point out the connection of this artistic form with specific aspects of cultural psychology comparing the attitudes of Japanese and Czech culture. The used method is based on qualitative collection data, including the selective research in the field of Czech art in the spirit of haikai.

We focus on hair as a symbol of personality, cultural and social influence and the object of ritual ceremonies.1 Hair is not only a vitally important part of human body but it is an important cultural phenomenon and serves as important cultural artifact, because it is simultaneously public (visible to everyone), personal (biologically linked to the body), and highly malleable to suit cultural and personal preferences. Hair - whether present or absent, restored or removed, abundant or scarce, long or short, bound or unbound, dyed or natural - marks a person as clearly as a speech, clothing, and smell. Hair tells a lot about every man, about his age, social and family status, his sexual availability and desirability, about his interests, his character, his political stance and religious preferences, his roots, background, his membership in some subculture and about the fashion and the norms of the period (and his conformability or inadaptability). It is a perfect culture- anthropological topic becauce every culture has particular rules and norms how to dispose of hair. Social and cultural influence on hairstyling could be asserted by means of fashion (mild form) or more serious forms of restrict orders (even written as the laws and directions) or just by cultural norms which set the looks of "normal,...

This paper aims to capture the dominant representations of the homelessness in the recent socio-political discourse. It is base on the examination of the transformations of the way this phenomenon is perceived within communal politics of Prague. Subsequently it attempts to consider the identified representations in the light of chosen theoretical concepts with a special emphasis on the role that the public space in the process of transformation plays in the construction of these representations. The core of the empirical section of the paper consists of the qualitative analysis of the chosen political texts and electoral campaign in Prague in 2010. The analysis itself is preceded by a brief outline of the representation of the homelessness in the pre-revolution era and in the following two decades of the post-revolution development. Following theoretical section of the paper is an attempt to consider the recent representations of the homelessness, emerging from the analysis of the socio-political discourse, in the broader socio-cultural context. At the same time the situation in the Czech Republic is compared to the other western countries based on the foreign researches. The outcome of the paper consists of situating of the empirical analysis based on the theoretical texts in the reality of recent...

The aim of the bachelor thesis is theoretical analysis of altruism. Altruism is studied on three structural levels of cultural elements in culturology - a level of genus, a level of socio-cultural factors and a level of an individual. The work is focused on altruism in philosophical conception, the view from the viewpoint of cultural anthropology, psychological approach and findings of evolutionary biology and evolutionary social sciences. Altruism is nowadays discussed from the view of natural sciences (evolutionary biology, sociobiology, ethology) as well as from the perspective of social sciences (cultural anthropology, cultural psychology, cultural philosophy). This stands the altruism as a controversial issue in the discussion between the followers of cultural and biological determinism. The integration of the findings about altruism in natural and social sciences is an important condition of interdisciplinary approach and can contribute to culturological synthesis of theories of altruism.

Dissertation thesis "Temple architecture as a cultural core in Southeast Asia" presents the temple architecture of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesian islands of Java and Bali as a cultural phenomenon which opens possibility to observe Hindu and Buddhists cultural continuity in Southeast Asia. The main focus of the work is in the culturological analysis of the temple architecture as a semiotic system - associated symbols and meanings in close relations, reflecting the ideological foundations of Hindu and Buddhist culture. This study follows the works of orientalists and anthropologists and it extends the Czech bibliography, which traditionally lacks of topics in church architecture of Southeast Asia. This study does not claim to cover the topic in a full universal view. It is guided by an effort to map the issues in culturological terms and help to a deeper understanding of cultural heritage of East Asian culture as part of the cultural heritage of mankind. Keywords: Architecture, Southeast Asia, Buddhism, Hinduism, Java, Bali, Thailand, Cambodia.

The first part of this thesis defines notions of archetype, symbol and sign, presents basic information about scientific fields which examine symbols and signs and other fields of influence to this examination. The second part presents particular symbols of particular historical periods of the Eastern Europe from the Antiquity up to the present day. These symbols can be compared to archetypes animus and anima of C. G. Jung. The goal of this thesis is to accentuate the importance of archetypes in our time.

The subject of a thesis is theoretical analysis of artistic work of two painters who as first ones showed in early modern Europe the visual appearance of the American native tribes. French Jacques le Moyne de Morgues and English John White were colonization pioneers of the New world in the second half of 16th century. Their work was extended through engravings of Theodor de Bry, Flemish engraver, after their return to the Old continent. Though the engraver purposely manipulated with their pictures - he edited the images and added various details. The thesis also deals with question what was the main intention of the Flemish engraver. Methodological resource was collecting information and text interpretation. The purpose of the thesis is familiarization with life and work of the European painters who as first ones depicted American Indian tribes and with activity of Theodor de Bry who extended their work in Europe. Key words: The New world, Indians, colonies, painters, artistic value.

This work focuses on the landscape of the Czech-Austrian border. It deals with the development of the landscape from a geomorphological point of view and against a social and cultural background and development of major historical events also trying to explain the development of cultural landscape. Particular attention is paid to specific villages, whose fate in the 50th significantly affected local scenery. The work points to the possibility of perceiving and studying man - landscape relationship in the perspective of cultural studies. One chapter is devoted to the methods of interpretation of local heritage. At the end it shows and offers strategies of reanimation and possibilities of protecting the environmental and instrinsic values that this landscape is. The aim of this work is to understand selected part of Sudetenland (called Czech Canada) to be able to predict its future state.

The first palt of this thesis defines notions of symbol and sign, presents basic information about scientific fields which examine symbols and signs and other fields of influence to this examination. The second part presents particular symbols of particular historical periods of the Eastern Europe from the Antiquity up to the present day. These symbols can be conlpared to arclletypes animus and anima of C. G. Jung. The goal of this thesis is to accentuate the importance of symbols and archetypes in our time, because their influence should not be underestimated even today.

The thesis deals with the phenomenon of the tree in human culture from the culturological perspective. It is mainly focused on the Czech lands or, in a broader sense, the whole of Europe. In the first part, the role of the tree in the most important civilizations inhabiting our country and thus influencing the later development of our culture is specified. Further, it refers to the folk customs and traditions linked to the "tree phenomenon" and demonstrates their characteristic examples in the course of the year. Folk sayings are linked with the traditions and form a part of the folk diction. One part of the work is dealing with popular medical treatments and examples of recipes for the production of folk medical preparations, dishes and beverages. Besides, the trees are conceived as one of the archetypes of human culture in the area of various myths as well as in the context of historical facts. The last part treats the subject of protection of the trees.

The thesis discusses culturological analysis of experimental method as a research instrument of socio-cultural phenomena. It is the utilisation of experiment in social sciences and archeology that is examined in particular. The aim of the thesis is to describe and analyse the typology of archaeological experiments with respect to the subject of culturology.

Thesis titled "Family as a Cultural construction and Lifestyle determinant" deals with the theoretical analysis of developmental changes in the perspective of cultural studies. The aim is to capture the family as a cultural phenomenon, determined by the institution that is an important mediator of the influence of culture to people. Particular attention is paid to the definition of family as a cultural construction and the specific institution, whose form and content reflects contemporary social and cultural context. The thesis is divided into two main parts. In the first part delineates changes in the traditional European family in time and space with emphasis on the Czech environment. Simultaneously, an analysis of the family as an institution to ensure transmission of cultural values. At the end of the first part is offered a comparison of current Czech family with the rest of Europe with regard to marriage and changes in family behavior. The largest part is devoted to the family in the context of ritual and kinship ties. This section is complemented by empirical research, which explains the form of family rituals in contemporary Czech family, and thereby contributes to enrich the existing theory.

Originally, the Grey Wolf was the world's most widely distributed mammal. Both wolves and humans have coexisted together for thousands years. Hunter-gatherer societies often believe that humans are descendant from wolves, and the wolf may have a protective quality as well. No animal has so thoroughly captured the imagination of so many cultures around the world. Wolf image in Western mind develops from Pagan as well as Christian sources. In ancient Greece, wolf symbolism is ambiguous, ranging from negative associations with darkness, aggression and chtonic powers to positive links with the sun, light and spirit. In ancient Egypt, a wolf-shaped war god Upuauet act a psychopomp, sharing the dog's and jackal's role as a guide to the dead. However, as the agrarian way of life grew, the wolf has been often represented as implacable and malicious predator, killing more than it manages to eat. With its emphesisis on flock and its shepherd, especially the Bible made wolf a symbol of evil and malice. Still, the relationship with the wolf in people's mind was based on wide range of responses running from fear to admiration and affection, including the imaginary man-wolf beast: the werewolf, the monster who made a pact with Satan as well as noble creature frequently portrayed in a positive manner. This thesis is...

The dissertation, Today's alternative paradigm: Considerate humanity with a revived sense of wonder at the world and a commitment to life, attempts to revise the Western worldview, in particular its understanding of the relationship between humans and their environment. The scientific focus of the thesis is based in environmental ethics, while the common ground and the method derive from the approach of cultural science toward culture and its aspects. The aim of the dissertation is to offer a revived look on the reciprocal interaction between people and the world, which is inevitably modified through human culture. Critical reflections on the Western paradigm and its ecologically unsustainable consequences have been numerous within social sciences during the last decades. The perspective of the dissertation is a web consisting of three variables - man, the interpretation of their role in the world, and treatment of the natural environment implied by this interpretation. The three pillars of the dissertation are considerate humanity, revived sense of wonder at the world and commitment to life. The first of them is an outcome of the analysis of two opposing schools of environmentalist thought, the anthropocentric and the non-anthropocentric. Both blocks include various nuances but they can be distinguished...

The study eoneerns theoretie and empirieal analysis of festivities and rites including their influenee on eontemporary human existence. The researeh is foeused on reeent loeal cultures. The interdisdplinary and holistic approaeh is joining up the study of the problem both in terms of individuals, their families and loeal sodety, whieh enables to unravel and interpret the eonnections between festivals and the sodo-eultural system as sueh. Therefore, the thesis is based on theoretieal analysis, including spedal literature analysis, as well as on field researeh of partieular loeal eultures. Empirieal researeh notes down partieular festivals and rites as observed in three reeent loeal eultures of the Czeeh Republie: Nové Sady (near Velká Bíteš, in the district of Žďár nad Sázavou and Vysočina Region), Hrubý Jeseník (in the district of Nymburk and Central Bohemia region) and Radim u Jičína (in the district of Jičín and Hradec Králové Region). The field researeh took plaee from 2004 to 2010, the terrains have not been studied before.

Despite its geographical position within the Asia-Pacific region, Australia puts a great deal of effort into recreating a cultural environment that would resemble the one of Europe and the United States, rather than the one of its neighbouring countries. Australia's cultural identity, however, due to the immigrant past of its very diverse population, have had to be invented from scratch during the past two centuries, and the process of its formation continues to these days. This gives us an exceptional opportunity to study the processes of cultural identity construction in an almost direct transmission. Based on the bibliographical research, the thesis assumes that the roots can be identified in the following areas: (1) cultural traditions of the Australian Aboriginal societies, (2) recent cultural stereotypes that emerged during the past two centuries, and (3) specific natural and climatic conditions coupled with the presence of unique animal and plant species. This thesis will focus on the broadest, yet most significant area: Aboriginal culture in both its past and present state, and on its existence within the context of contemporary Australian society. The area of contemporary cultural stereotypes, of which many are related to Aboriginal cultural tradition, will also be briefly discussed. Australian...

In my work I deal with Iran's current culture. To understand Iranian culture and mentality it is important to understand their religion, and cultural foundations and of course their modern history. Therefore, a part of my work is devoted to explanation of religion, current state of the country and history of Iran in the 20th century. Part of my work is a resaerch and it is about the intellectual elite of the city Isfahan. Therefore, there is also a section devoted to the history and culture of this city.

Thesis deals with a frame of mind and its influence on human behaviour and judgement. It focuses on analysis of perception, from which result that the frame of mind is deeply influenced by perceptual structuralism which is directed by principle of identity and diversity. It also deals with fundamental conditions of moods in relation to being of the human as a whole.

Thesis deals with the history and influence of exotic artifacts to the cultural sphere in the central European state- Czech Republic. Defines and classifies the categories of exotic art and describes their impact on our area of collecting, art and science. Particular attention is devoted to the Czech interest in the exotic art in the sphere of collectors and art.

Thesis deals with the history and influence of exotic artifacts to the cultural sphere in the central European state- Czech Republic. Defines and classifies the categories of exotic art and describes their impact on our area of collecting, art and science. Particular attention is devoted to the Czech interest in the exotic art in the sphere of collectors and art.

Australia represents a unique kind of a relatively new society, which arises from British colonial heritage, at the same time is confronted by the presence of Aboriginal culture, arguably the oldest culture to have endured till present day, and has one of the highest rates of immigration in the world. The efforts to establish a common ground in such a diverse environment, that all current inhabitants of Australia could share and thus identify themselves with Australia as a political, but especially cultural entity, raise a number of questions. The thesis follows the cultural history of Australia since the earliest times of first waves of human migration, through British colonization tens of thousands years later, to the cultural, social and demo graphical changes of the last two centuries. It interprets the efforts to create a specific Australian cultural and national identity: from the original, more or less succesful efforts to deal with the differences through assimilationist policies, to the shift in the second half of the 20th century, leading to the current policy of multiculturalism, that has become a defining characteristics of contemporary Australia. The extent, however, to which the policy of multiculturalism has been embraced by the wide public, remains an open issue, and a topic underlying a...

The presented study focuses on themes related to the problem of cultural diversity and plurality, with the methodological usage of hermeneutics as a theory of understanding. The fact that every culture that developed over the course of history lives in the horizon of a completely specific world (a horizon and a context of appearance) implies the question of whether different cultures can mutually understand each other (which is related to the opportunities for mutual translatability of each other's languages and the structures) as well as questions related to the universality of a certain understanding of reality and it's dominant position as a worldview, which is spontaneously demanded by the scientific/technical paradigm of the Euro-Atlantic civilizational range. Today, this problem is reflected from various different positions. From the perspective of ecological crisis, we find it in conceptions of lasting maintainability; from perspective of philosophical reflection, we find it in the project of intercultural philosophy. For a concrete "demonstration" of cultural diversity and plurality, we opted to use the philosophical/religious system of Taoism because we thought that it was "different" enough to be a representative perspective for this study.

The presented work dissertates on evolution of the early Christianity in the period of years around 30-60 AD. It is focused on further explanation of the origin and evolution of the Christian faith as a result of lifetimes and activities of particular individuals. That is why the analysis of contribution of these individuals - Jesus of Nazareth and his followers, Stephan, James and Paul- is the key element of this work.

The subject of the thesis is theoretical and empirical analysis of contemporary situation of the Dalits in India. Dalits are social group which stands at the bottom of the Hindu caste society. Till the end of the colonial era in India they used to be called "the untouchables" and their touch was considered polluting. They were made to do ritual as well as practical polluting job such as scavenging, burning dead bodies, leatherworks etc. With the establishment of Indian secular state the practice of the "untouchability" was banned and made illegal. Today they call themselves the Dalits, which means "the downtrodden". In spite of the affirmative policy of the Indian state they are still treated as the second class citizens. The thesis deals with theoretical and empirical analysis of the Dalits's situation in contemporary Indian culture. The issue is first introduced through historical analysis and then it is contextualized in wider cultural perspectives. Further the strategy of the Dalits in their facing up towards to the traditional oppression of Hindu society is parsed. Empirical part of the thesis consists of empirical research sampler realized among the members of the studied community at University of J. Nehru in New Delhi. The comprehensive elaboration is not the main aim of my thesis but I would like...

Male and female "culture" has many advantages and disadvantages in both the private and public sphere. Our society focuses attention on these advantages and disadvantages and thus invokes an atmosphere of two competing worlds. Competition is common in the western world today, but applied in the gender area, it does not help to create a more quality coexistence. The perfect perviousness of the rights and responsibilities throughout the male and female cultures, which is being theoretically promoted by current society, does not solve the problem of the question of gender. Moreover, the perfect perviousness itself is not even possible. This text suggests the way of respect and reverence to an individual and his or her originality and evaluation of one's work based on other criteria than one's salary and earnings. Hence I consider partnership as a productive area which offers a different perspective in perceiving the opposite sex. The possibility of a unique perception exhibited in a more tolerant attitude bordering with awe to differences of the opposite sex is visible not only in the initial state of being in love but also in the state of intimacy and mutual recognition of a partner's needs in later phases of the relationship. Partnership is understood here as an intensified meeting of male and female...

The metaphor Theatrum mundi - we all are actors on the scene of the world - is known from Shakespeare's plays but it is an old topos, which is already shown in antcient Greek culture. Theatrum mundi could signify either a turning away from the material world in favour of heaven or the scrupulous study of the visible world; it could emphasize the essential hypocrisity of society as well as the centrialy of human action in the world. History of the metaphor is an interesting excursion to the history of european thinking. Theater metaphor suggests that knowledge is neither a mere reflection of what is known nor a fabrication, but a kind of performance or enactment. In my thesis I tried to focus on the history of this metaphor in the context of theory of theatricality. Theatrum mundi has many conjuctive subjects with others: e.g. "play within a play" and "life as a dream"; theme of spectaculatity implies some basics in sense of political manipulation. In chapter about social roles I tried to give a connection between old metaphoric theme and language of modern science.

Job migration is a very developed phenomenon in the world today. After 1989 many foreigners from all over the world started coming to the Czech Republic. Also the mutual relations between Spain and the Czech Republic began to reinforce in all aspects. It was not only Spanish tourists who came to Czech Republic but also university students, specialized workers and businessmen, who came for longer periods. Moreover, after the entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union the process of employing foreigners became even easier for European Union citizens. Nowadays there is a Spanish minority living in the Czech Republic. This minority is formed mainly by men, official statistics (to May 31st, 2008) allege 498 persons. Spanish people in the Czech Republic live mainly in Prague (because of the biggest job market, seat of business of many companies and schools.) This work deals with the adaptation strategies of Spanish teachers of Spanish language to the conditions in the Czech Republic. The aim was to find out how the process of adaptation of the chosen group proceeds. The qualitative research was chosen for the data acquisition, the main method was a direct unstructured interviewing and side methods were participant observation and diagnostic drawing. From October 2006 to August 2008 I carried out eight...

The thesis Cultural Dimensions of Alcohol is concerned with the relationship between alcohol and culture viewed from three aspects. The first chapter traces back the alcohol as a culturally important matter in the course of history. The significant historical eras and events are reinterpreted from the viewpoint of the relation with alcohol. Firstly, it focuses chronologically on the basic cultural functions of alcohol (simultaneously wine, beer and mead) in the period of Neolithic revolution and in the most important ancient civilizations. Further, it describes the role of alcohol in the Middle Ages from the standpoint of Christianity and ecclesiastical reformation. The remaining part is dedicated to the invention and distribution of distillation, the cultural and social consequences, which the innovation produced, and subsequent prohibitory attempts. The conclusion of the chapter confronts earlier and actual viewpoints of alcoholism. In the culturally anthropological part of the thesis the alcohol is embodied in the global scene of psychoactive substances whose ceremonial use is understood as a cultural universal. The thesis discloses the anthropologically paramount position of alcohol in the scope of this drug context. The detailed diffusion of a structural model of culinary techniques with the...

In my thesis I tried to outline not only the atmosphere and power of the 19th and 20th century turn but also the strong and outstanding personalities closely related to this period. The great development of the science, technologies and information technologies, raised the peoples' desire to step into for that time unknown and undiscovered. On the other hand this fast development evoked fear in them. They were afraid of the growth of materialism and the retreat of spirituality into the background. People were also afraid of uncertainties having been brought by the new century since the century was being anticipated as the one that would become purely rational one. Thanks to this society orientation the questions about meaning of life and values that can't be measured mathematically or explained logically started to appear. There was an effort to "fight all the chronological movements from which atheism, nihilism, material socialism and whatever you call all these figments of materialism, come out."268 Especially the people with the sense of art started to turn to spiritualism which was experiencing its renascence. The theosophy originated from the influence of Eastern religions, later on the anthroposophy came into being thanks to studying philosophers, thinkers and old Christian papers. The power of...

This dissertation deals with the characteristics of Armenian architecture as a result of specific cultural and geographical conditions of medieval Armenia. The paper shows a basic overview of the Armenian geography, history, language and religion, followed by the chapters describing the development of Armenian architecture from pre-Christian period to the late Middle Ages. Particular attention is paid to the social role of medieval monasteries.

The core subject of this thesis deals with a theme of sociocultural change among the Ait Mizane, a small Berber community in the Moroccan High Atlas mountains. Living in a remote region with typical harsh climate they were throughout history known as free people who were never subordinated to any kind of central rule irrespective of them being Romans, Spaniards or Arabs. This long period of considerable isolation slowly ended with the advent of French rule, who took over the country proclaiming it as their colony and fitting the local reality within the frame of colonial admistration. But more dramatic shifts were yet to come. Silk-like fibres of globalization are nowadays entering this area forming a firm web that spreads all around. Ait Mizane people, Berber speaking farmers and herders occupy an environment they have shaped for centuries; There is a strong sense of identity which is very much linked to the cultural environment mastered by generations of their predecessors. The relationships they maintained with other mountain tribes as well as with city dwellers surpassed the test of time and fit the context of Muslim cultural milieu. Ancient strategies and traditions are still dominant ones and still determine the peoples' live with great power, but at the same time innovation occurs with an intensity...

This diploma thesis is based on the presumption that the cause of today's imbalanced situation of the culture of the West is entailed in its neglect of mostly spiritual and afiliative components of our cultural code. The thesis is mostly based on the work of P. A. Sorokin, who saw the cause of the crisis of Western culture in its prevalent sensitive components and on the other hand in the deficit of spiritual ones. In the following chapters the author is focusing on the situation of religion in today's Western culture and on the issue of ethics for contemporary civilization. As a solution to current situation she finds necessary to return to those values that stood at the birth of Europe, which in fact, in today's language, are the values for sustainable way of life. The author comes to the conclusion that contemporary Western culture needs overall overhaul of its sociocultural system, in which the spiritual values should play greater role once again.

The culture of pedestrian cognition - nature trails as a collage of place. The title of my thesis is intended to involve transdisciplinarity. Any culturological study must neccessarily contain an interdiciplinary view. The frame of reference of various scientific disciplines is essential, whenever the relationship between city man and nature is discussed. The thesis comprises three main sections, as follows. The first thesis includes my general consideration of the problem, together with an introduction into the topics. This thesis describes the development of pedestrian cognition. An important factor of the relationship between walking and perception is in this case, the city. Contemporary relationships between the city man and the city nature, is studied in this chapter. My native city - Prague, happenned to be the study area for this purpose. I describe natural sights of Prague as important elements of her genius loci. The second section encompasses a brief history of strolling outdoor for the perception purposes. I am talking about history, evolution and the present of this phenomenon, which represents different kinds of fashion within the evolution of human walking in order to find knowledge, and I refer to the relation to nature for aesthetic enjoyment in different historical periods of human...

This Diploma Thesis apply to enculturation theory in transcultural perspective of the Czech Republic and New Zealand. It is focused on sociocultural and historical context of New Zealand and accents local pre-school system. The central theme is a game (play) as a specific culture phenomenon. The theoretical part is devided into five basic chapters. First chapter applys to settlement history and New Zealand geography in context of Pacific Ocean. Second chapter considers in detail way original culture of New Zealand - Mori. Attention is paid mainly to its arrival to New Zealand, to its structure, to its pre- and post-colonisation history and also to current sociopolitical aspect of its life facing Europeans in New Zealand. Third chapter aims to present the therm 'enculturation' in a wider cross-disciplinary context accenting attachment theory, American anthropological school 'personhood and culture', sociohistorical development of a family and a process of socialization. Fourth chapter is focused on a game (play), its classification, typology and its development. Fifth chapter presents the history of anthropological field research as an introduction to empirical part of this Diploma Thesis. In the empirical part is presented proper research investigation carried out in New Zealand during summer semester 2008....

Job migration is a very developed phenomenon in the world today. After 1989 many foreigners from all over the world started coming to the Czech Republic. Also the mutual relations between Spain and the Czech Republic began to reinforce in all aspects. It was not only Spanish tourists who came to Czech Republic but also university students, specialised workers and businessmen, who came for longer periods. Moreover, after the entry of the Czech Republic to the European Union the process of employing foreigners became even easier for European Union citizens. Nowadays there is a Spanish minority living in the Czech Republic. This minority is formed mainly by men, official statistics (to May 31st, 2008) allege 498 persons. Spanish people in the Czech Republic live mainly in Prague (because of the biggest job market, seat of business of many companies and schools.) This work deals with the adaptation strategies of Spanish teachers of Spanish language to the conditions in the Czech Republic. The aim was to find out how the process of adaptation of the chosen group proceeds. The qualitative research was chosen for the data acquisition, the main method was a direct unstructured interviewing and side methods were participant observation and diagnostic drawing. From October 2006 to August 2008 I carried out eight...

Britain is the country with a long tradition of immigration. Over many years it witnessed the arrival of immigrants and refugees from the whole world. Nevertheless the unprecedented extent of immigration from the Commonwealth countries of the former British Empire after the Second World War was unexpected. It caused profound and irreversible change in the British society as a whole. This thesis deals with a description and interpretation of a series of key issuees related to immigration from New Commonwealth (especially from Indian subcontinent) in 1945-1971. Main reasons for "coloured immigration" were an increasing demand for low skilled and unskilled labour in United Kingdom and the 1948 British Nationality Act, which gave Commonwealth citizens right to enter, work and settle in the British Isles. I am concerned with issues of immigrants' employment, housing, education as well as with the attitudes and responses of indigenous whites. Even though the British consider themselves to be "tolerant people" immigrants faced up to prejudices, discrimination, racism, verbal abuse and physical attacks in Britain. White hostility toward coloured immigrants manifested itself in the form of the Notting Hill Riots in 1958. Racial attacks were explained in terms of the enormous number of "coloured" people and the...

I wrote this graduation thesis on this theme from my own interna! conviction. I suppose that the journcy oť liťe is sometimes very similar to the symbology of the Trickster' s destiny as depicted by the indian of the Winnebago tribe. That is the reasonl wrote this thesi s by hcart oť the anthropologist. The life is leasing by the effort to find the sense oť liťe that oťten runs away. Sometimes it is the seeking for the icons that we long for identity, anothcr time the dreaming and surrnounting the barriers that we design. The absurdity oť tbc liťc is not only something that came by the arriving of the modem and postmodcrn period. The myths of Trickster can show us how old and ancient is the absurdity of beying. When I was reading the myth of Trickster for the first time, I intensively perceived the Trickster' s stories pervaded mutually by the comicality, tragicality and absurdity as timeless. I started be more interested in this mythical figure and I explored how richly is this figure represented in the anthropological studies, as well as the bearer and narrator of this myth, the Winnebago tribe, offers the originality and peculiarity in its culturc. The first part of this thesis shows how the Trickster started to be the object of many researches in the anthropological and religious. The Trickster appeared...

The cult of the Goddess is known from the beginning of human race and it continues in nowadays. It involves the Paleolithic Venuses, goddesses from ancient pantheons, who were transformed in a cult of Mary in Hellenistic syncretism. I emphasize an indubitable continuity of this development, which is evident in syncretic religions in Hellenistic period, including Christianity. This cult is connected with a deep symbolism of a birth giving, life, death and rebirth. It contains psychological aspect, where the goddesses are thought as projections of archetypes of mother and Anima and also the sociological aspects of women status in these cultures and societies and forming of gender of femininity.

Cílem této práce je zhodnotit efektivitu procesu podpory aplikačního software, který byl vyvinut pro individuálního zákazníka. Práce popisuje podobu projektu podpory systému pro automatické zpracování bankovních transakcí Bafir, který vyvinula firma Logica, s.r.o. pro Deutsche Bank AG a uvádí případové studie, v nichž poukazuje na nejčastější problémy, které se při podpoře software mohou vyskytnout, a navrhuje možná řešení.

The issue of this work is the process of establishing and transformation of cultural identity by migrants and aliens, above all by asylům seekers in the Czech Republic, within the process of acculturation. In the work are included analyses of processes of acculturation and integration in diachronic and synchronic perspectives. Befallen are both globál trends and local conditions in the Czech Republic in the political, sociál and cultural field. Construed work tries constructively deal with the problém of various discourses of integration and migration in different countries of European Union and in the Czech Republic. This discourse is described in his own historical progress included all of the influences and it is indicated his nearest progress in the future as well. The main theme of this work remains the ontological, psychological, sociál and cultural reactions within the culture contact witch contribute to the transformation of identity by the immigrants. The thesis is supposition, that the new identity will be transformed in the transition field witch is constructed with the discursive borders. During the asylům claim rises a characteristic "liminality period" which provides speciál time gap, during which happens important revaluation of cultural values, norms and ideas. The character of the new...

The thesis is an attempt to relate the work of Gregory Bateson to the concept of culturology as it is being developed at the Department of Cultural Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts at Charles University in Prague. It consists of three relatively independent parts each of them dealing with particular science with which Bateson was concerned - anthropology, psychology and ecology. In the first part, notions of function, cultural structure, ethos, eidos and schismogenesis are discussed. It is asserted that Bateson's anthropological work represents integration of British functionalism and American configurationism and that the concept of cultural structure anticipates French structuralism. The second part is concerned with Bateson's concepts developed during the forties and fifties which related mostly to psychological topics, especially his best known double bind theory. It also treats Russell's type theory that plays a central role in most of Bateson's works. And finally, the ecological part deals with Bateson's epistemology and evolutionary theory. In addition to his major epistemological notions - "a difference which makes a difference" and the fundamental distinction of Pleroma versus Creatura, which he borrowed from famous Swiss psychologist Carl Gustav Jung - his picture of new...

In my thesis, I attempt to outline the relation of the work of three prominent representatives of the 20th century American anthropology to Kari Marx's teachings. The text consists of four relatively independent parts joined by the subject of the application of materialist principles in the analysis of man and culture. In the first part, I advance my interpretation of the picture of man and nature in Kari Marx's writings. Besides Marx's approach to an individual and his activity, I also pay attention to his conception of the stmcture and development of human activity on the social level, where this practice acquires the complexion of socioeconomic formations, the succession of which constitutes human history unfolding in accordance with dialecticallaws. In the second part, I examine Marx' s inf1uence on the concept of man and culture in the writtings by Leslie Alvin White. Not only is it possible to identify the inspiration by Marx' s theories in White' s approach to the stmcture and development of a cultural system, but it is also obvious in his understanding of the relation of man to culture, and in certain passages on politi cal economy. The third part deals with Marvin Harris' s cultural materialism. I hope to show here the way that Harris employed certain fragments of Marx's method of historical...

Cílem mé diplomové práce je teoretická analýza vzniku a vývoje tohoto typu adaptačního chování. Kladu důraz především na skutečnost, že umělecké formy symbolického výrazu a lidské vědomí nevznikly samy od sebe, ale že byly součástí dlouhodobého evolučního procesu v rámci vývoje druhu, jakožto neoddělitelné součásti sociálně-kulturního chování, a že náhlá "lidská revoluce" I tak jak je vnímána v souvislosti s obdobím mladého paleolitu, je, co do důsledku, logickým vyvrcholením antropogeneze. V úvodu své práce připomínám základní dva teoretické přístupy k dané problematice, z nichž jeden hledá východiska v náhlé "revoluční" proměně, tak jak se náhle objevila v kultuře aurignacienu někdy před 40 000 lety, ten druhý naopak v gradualistické perspektivě, nacházející svá východiska již v období středního paleolitu (350/250 000 - 40 000 let B.P.) V následujících kapitolách kladu důraz na vývoj v jednotlivých hominizačních komplexech tak, jak jsou předkládány současnými vědeckými studiemi. Současně rozvíjím vlastní příklon k "evolučněji" pojaté hypotéze o vzniku vlastního reprezentativního chování člověka. V kapitole o jednotlivých interpretačních přístupech k paleolitickému umění se zaměřuji na jejich reduktivní přístupy, které neponechávaly mnoho prostoru pro vlastní lidskou imaginaci a fantazii jakožto...

This article reports on a 4D-treatment planning workshop (4DTPW), held on 7-8 December 2009 at the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) in Villigen, Switzerland. The participants were all members of institutions actively involved in particle therapy delivery and research. The purpose of the 4DTPW was to discuss current approaches, challenges, and future research directions in 4D-treatment planning in the context of actively scanned particle radiotherapy. Key aspects were addressed in plenary sessions, in which leaders of the field summarized the state-of-the-art. Each plenary session was followed by an extensive discussion. As a result, this article presents a summary of recommendations for the treatment of mobile targets (intrafractional changes) with actively scanned particles and a list of requirements to elaborate and apply these guidelines clinically.