The Child as an Instrument of Ideological Manipulation

The diploma thesis focuses on a child as a tool of ideological manipulation in interwar journals targeted to children readers, especially on ideological connotations in the journals. The thesis is divided into two parts. The theoretical part will deal with the meaning of the term ideology, its conceptions and values. Subsequently, the position of ideology in the society will be defined with the main focus on ideology as a system of communication. Furthermore, the concepts of individual political ideologies will be elaborated as much as schematization of ideology within the left-wing and right-wing political parties. To understand better the term ideology and to simplify the following process in the practical part of the thesis the historical changes of the ideology and its politicization will be described. Lastly, the perception of ideology in interwar period will be adumbrated. In the practical part of the thesis the chosen interwar journals targeted to children readers will be analysed in terms of ideology. The journals will be chosen according to their affiliation to certain, not only politically oriented, associations. The degree of political agitation and the use of a child as an agitation tool will be examined in these interwar journals: Anděl strážný (1882-1941, 1945-1948), Lípa (1925-1940), Malý čtenář (1882-1941), Rajská zahrádka (1892-1942), Růžový palouček (1921-1941, 1948/1949), Sokolské jaro (1936-1941), Svítání (1915-1918) a Zlatá brána (1919-1943).