|
"Pub behavior" of college students: specific rituals of visits and selection
Hromada, Jan ; Volek, Martin (advisor) ; Kotík, Michal (referee)
Topic of the bachelor's thesis is meaning of pubs as a ritual activity for crating social identity of small groups of college students visiting the pub regularly. Thesis is trying to find out rules of creating integrity of groups in pub environment as traditional social institution. Work is based on social identification theory. General inductive approach was used for analysis on data gathered by half-structured interviews with young people, largely college students, who belongs to stable groups visiting a pub. The result was the pub seen as a place universally capable of group integration. Its meaning is distinguished for two types of groups. Differences are made by different ways of creating groups and their common characteristics. Two types are distinguished based on their voluntary and unvoluntary common group characteristics. Differences of groups are also in openness, conflict vulnerability and the way of keeping group cohesion. Pub institution is described in ways important for groups, importance of social identity and how it can be seen in groups as mutual relationship of identity blending, creating their own relations with common activities, which are ritualized same as the visit of a pub.
|
|
Genetic engineering as a source of moral dilemmas a comparison of argumentation of Christians and atheists
Rybová, Michaela ; Hájek, Martin (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
The aim of this bachelor thesis is to answer the question whether there is a difference between the moral decisions of Christians and atheists in the Czech society. To find the answer, the autor uses moral dilemmas regarding genetic engineering. The author assumes that the contemporary society is secularized and religion is loosing it's influence to people. This fact also means a threat to the traditional moral order in the society and disputes between religion and science. Corresponding question is what keeps the moral order in society. Using qualitative research, it was explored if the moral decisions of Christians are based on the Christian Ethics, what role does the God, as the moral authority, play in their moral decisions making and if a similar authority in the moral decisions of atheists can be found. This paper also applies to the research already processed about the moral decisions making and about the morals, religion and science link. These research had become the basis for the data analysis after. To collect the data, the autor had used the focus group method. Two focus groups had been assembled - the first one was made up of Christians, the second one (reference group) was made up by atheists. The basis of both discussions were six moral dilemmas. The general finding is that the moral...
|
|
Phenomenon smartphone
Skružný, Dominik ; Buchtík, Martin (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
The Bachelor thesis The Smartphone Phenomenon deals with the recent phenomenon of smartphones. Its aim is to place this phenomenon into selected parts of Castells' concept of network society. This work builds on Castells' concept and also tries to add some new facts to it. The author's attempt it to reach his goals through quantitative research done as a case study on heavy smartphone users. The author had done a series of semi-structured interviews and tried to obtain the data also through an experiment, in which the respondent's smartphones were taken away from him or her for one day. In the analytical part, the author analyses these interviews and experiments. The results of the analysis are categorized based on topics selected beforehand, in accordance with the theoretic background. The author then discusses the analytical and theoretical parts. This work emphasized the newly discovered aspects, which bring smartphones into the concept of network society.
|
| |
|
Corruption as Narrative
Fiala, Šimon ; Kotík, Michal (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
FIALA, Šimon. Political corruption as a narrative. Prague, 2012. Undergraduate thesis (BA). Charles University in Prague, Faculty of social sciences, Institute of social studies. Dept. of Sociology. p. 59. Supervised by Mgr. Michal Kotík. Abstract Political corruption became one of the most pressing problems of our time. We may say that corruption replaced repression as the main threat to the rule of law. This work attempts to articulate the role of corruption in relation to system legitimacy, assuming Czech Republic and the CEE countries as a model. This work approaches corruption as a narrative, which is being mobilized by the public as a critique of the way the system works. Conventionally, corruption is thought of as a pathology, which damages democracy, quality of governance and economic growth. It will be argued that it also makes sense to think about corruption the other way around - as an interpretive structure which allows introducing sense into the complex organization of society and particularly its negative outcomes. Corruption is a narrative, which allows the public to relate to problems stemming from the workings of the system. This work identifies several dimensions of the problem. It argues that corruption has a notable social dimension, which addresses inequality and injustice in general....
|
|
Activities of the contemporary Czech anarchist movement
Holub, Tadeáš ; Kotík, Michal (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
The following thesis was written to provide o view of the anarchist movement in the form of non-violent activities. In my thesis I focus on providing perspective on contemporary forms of these activities in the Czech anarchist movement. Using qualitative research method of content analysis based on grounded theory I analyzed two main anarchist periodicals. I identified three main types of activities of the anarchist movement. These activities are intertwined with each other and collaborate with today's civilian initiatives, which provide space for anarchists to achieve their objectives and for the spreading of anarchist ideas among the like-minded people.
|
|
Clothes Make the Man: Dress as a Medium of Meanings
Märzová, Hana ; Šanderová, Jadwiga (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
In this thesis the meanings given by students to dress are examined. Then, these meanings are compared to those discussed in sociological literature dealing with dress and fashion. Dress is not only a protection of body against unpleasant weather but also a medium for meanings related to the wearer of the dress. Through a dress it is possible to express social status, social role, hobbies, opinions, membership in various groups and also lifestyle. Clothing and fashion are strongly associated with young people because the fashion is made for them and they contribute to its creation. For adolescents dress is a matter of particular importance because it enables them not only to express, but also to build their identity and thus reach adulthood. Dress has also an important role in our relations to other people. The analysis of interviews with students resulted in the finding that meanings given to dress by students are similar to those discussed in sociological literature. For interviewed students it is important to have a freedom to wear, what they want, because it enables them to be themselves. The findings from interviews rather contradict Simmel's assumption because a fashion is considered by interviewed students as uniform, while originality is located outside the fashion. Those students also...
|
|
'We're such a normal family, only we have that Jamie' System approach to studying families with a handicapped child
Mičínová, Veronika ; Hájek, Martin (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the problems of family coexistence in families with a handicapped child. It discusses how the disability of the child manifests itself in the life of the family as a whole and in the lives of every single family member. The first part presents actual findings about families with a child with disability, submits both negative and positive impacts of such coexistence on individual family members, namely on parents, siblings and grandparents. Subsequently it introduces a system approach to studying a family, which understands the family as a complex comprised of interacting units. The research reveals that order and organization in the light of time and division of labor or responsibilities are important factors in the life of such families. On that account it is necessary to define individual family roles properly, which helps ensuring stability and functionality of a family system. Further it comes to conclusion that due to the presence of a handicapped child, changes in the organization of the family system occur; the child turns into a sort of a family center to which others adapt. A child with disability occupies a special status of 'member - non member', because it can be situated neither into basic family subsystems nor into subsystems based on gender. The...
|
|
Multiculturalism in England
Martinová, Michaela ; Balon, Jan (advisor) ; Volek, Martin (referee)
Bachelor thesis 'Multiculturalism in England' deals with the phenomenon, which has been a product of modern society since the second half of the nineteenth century. The politics of multiculturalism is linked to England because of the large waves of immigration after World War II. These waves affected England, primarily from the cultural point. Diverse cultural heritage had a strong impact on national identity. Therefore we can call England like a multicultural state. First I define the concept of multiculturalism. Historical context is based on texts by prominent sociologists dealing with immigration in England, such as Evans, R. Lowe and N. Lowe, with whom we learn about the arrival of immigrants to England and about the politics that accompanied with the arrival of immigrants. Then is introduced the current situation, which leads to a discussion of national identity. For text editing, I used the method of compiling the text, because it is pointed out that the situation in Great Britain multiculturalist approach. The summary paper is showing how the influx of immigrants settled England and how they were affected by the current state of social policy. Fact that other publications on the development of multiculturalism in England is available in Czech, and I drew from a very important sociological figures,...
|
|
Calibration of Digital Camera to Luminance Measurement
Volek, Martin ; Závada, Petr (referee) ; Baxant, Petr (advisor)
The thesis deals with the calibration of a digital camera for a purpose of luminance measurement. The aim is to create calibration approximation functions allowing the calculation of luminance. The first part analyses the basic light-technical parameters, as well as the principle of luminance measurement and the features of digital cameras for this purpose. An important issue, introduced in the present thesis, is to adapt a digital camera as a luminance meter. Furthermore, there is a description of the preparation of a site for the calibration, including necessary devices. The last part is dedicated to define the acquired calibration functions for the respective light sources and their mutual comparison.
|