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The Special Relationship: discourse on UK-US relations in British Press
Ott, Libor ; Rovná, Lenka (advisor) ; Váška, Jan (referee)
The MA thesis "The Special Relationship: A discourse on British-American relations in the British press" focuses on a discourse analysis of the "special relationship" in 2001-2010. The thesis is based on a sample of 25 commentaries published in leading British newspapers over this period and describes the characteristic features that appeared in the discourse on the United Kingdom's most important bilateral partnership. The identified elements pertain to national identity, national interest, historical narratives, diplomatic rituals, assessment of the Prime Minister's personal role and the perception of the UK's junior status within the relationship. The thesis uses a Foreign Policy Analysis model that takes into account the role of the media in the formation of foreign policy. Methodologically, selected discourse analysis methods are used, particularly thematic analysis and analysis of metaphors. The characteristic features of the dominant discourse are identified through excerpts from relevant secondary literature on the history of the "special relationship" after WWII and subsequently compared with the results of the newspaper sample analysis. The thesis pays special attention to the repertoires of arguments used by the commentators and places them in the context of an intensive public debate on the UK's...
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The 2010 increase of tuition fees at British universities
Štěpánová, Marie ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Rovná, Lenka (referee)
The bachelor thesis is a case study based on an analysis of the problems of higher education in Great Britain. In the first part, it deals with the genesis of the decision of British government to increase tuition fees of public universities. This took place in 2010 in the United Kingdom (apart from free Scottish schools). The second part analyzes arguments for and against the tuition fee increase. The period studied is from May to December 2010, meaning, between the general election which concluded in the creation of a surprising coalition of Liberal Democrats and Conservatives, and the tuition fees vote in the parliament. The differing views on university funding and on educational budget cuts between the two governmental parties caused disagreements in the coalition as well as within the parties. Liberal Democrats had to solve the dilemma whether to support the decision of promoting fee increase and following the recommendations of Browne's Review of Higher Education Funding and Student Finance, or to fulfill their pre-election promises, which were basically founded on the rejection of tuition fees. The proposal had some positive reactions from universities (Russell Group, UUK), raising arguments like the graduates' benefits from a degree, increase in competitiveness of British higher education...
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British policy towards Malaysia and its decolonization, 1945-1971
Hladíková, Kristýna ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Pečenka, Marek (referee)
The bachelor thesis deals with the British policy towards Malaya and its decolonisation between 1945 and 1971. It aims to learn and describe how British cabinet approached to Malaya in the chosen time period, and to define goals of the monarchy for this country. The goals were being often changed or modified. The thesis follows also the circumstances (Malayan national demands, bad domestic economic situation, decreasing position in international politics, growing imperial commitments, the Cold War and special relationship with the US), which led to changes in British plans. It takes all the questions above impeach when appraising if Britain really attained her goals and which means she used to reach them. On these grouns it tries to assess if Britain was successful and if decolonisation in Malaya was an achievement, or not.
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The Protest Movement of 1968 in Great Britain
Hrabal, Tomáš ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Renner, Tomáš (referee)
This Bachelor thesis deals with the protest movement of 1968 in Great Britain while analysing its basis, particular examples and eventually its interpretation. The text is divided into four chapters. In the first chapter, attention is given to the socio-political context of the protests, in particular to the transformation of the society occuring in the 1960s, the policy of the Labour Party, British New Left and the peace movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The second chapter reports on three anti-Vietnam war marches in London. The circumstances of the marches are mentioned here as well as leading persons who initiated them. The marches are examined separately, the third and biggest one most in detail. In the third chapter, the examples of student protests at British universities and colleges are described with special emphasis on their causes. Eventually, in the fourth chapter, the protest movement is interpreted, i.e. the arguments of critics are outlined, concidering protests reasonless and existing only due to the action of radical groups. The validity of this opinions is proved using particular examples of protests.
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The situation of Muslims in England and their integration into society after the terrorist attacks in London in 2005.
Deseyve, David ; Kasáková, Zuzana (advisor) ; Váška, Jan (referee)
The bachalor thesis is focused on the development of mutual relationships of the Muslims immigrants and majority society in England in the period after terroristic attacks in London in June 2005. The description of multicultural society in England and comparison of its development from the view of social-cultural coexistence with majority is an integral part of this study. An inseparable part of the analysed issue is also a level of education and other social indicators of Muslims minority position in society, which speaks volumes in mutual coexistence. Part of the described social issues is Islamic radicalism as well. In this context I describe terroristic attacks in London and consequent reaction of citizens,media and Muslims organizations. The political representation of the country had to react to the given situation as well, especially by approval of new legal norms for more effective struggle against terrorism. In the context of analysed Islamic radicalism, I focus on current state of terroristic safety threat and especially on the fact, whether this threat is so actual and socially dangerous how it is often presented in mass media.
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European Union 2004 Eastern enlargement: introduction of new procedures?
Šelepová, Eva ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Šlosarčík, Ivo (referee)
The Bachelor's thesis "Eastern Enlargement of the European Union: Implementation of New Procedures?" examines the changes to criteria for new member accession, particularly members from Central and Eastern Europe. Enlargement to the East was the fifth sequential enlargement of the EU although due to the large number of applicants from post-communist states it was necessary to implement further procedures, to change pre-accession strategy and to state further conditions for candidates in order to become full-value members of the European Union. The thesis first addresses the history of EU enlargement in the 1970s and in the early 1990s. The second part, the largest part of the thesis, examines the process of Eastern enlargement of the European Union and describes the first interaction between Central and Eastern Europe and the European Community through signing association agreements, implementation of the Copenhagen criteria, opening of accession discussions up to the accession of ten new EU members in 2004 and a further two in 2007. The final part of the thesis is the analysis of the question of why these changes have to take place and the identification of fundamental differences.
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French Policy to Institutional Reform of the European Union under President Chirac
Vaidišová, Kateřina ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Emler, David (referee)
The thesis French Policy to Institutional Reform of the European Union under the President Chirac analyses the European policy of France in the period 1995-2005, which means from the beginning of Jacques Chirac's presidency to the rejection of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe by the French in referendum by which the Chirac's European policy in fact ceased to exist. The thesis mainly deals with the approach of France to the reform of institutions of the European Union, particularly with the reform of the European Parliament, European Commission, and Council of the European Union and in case of Treaty of Nice also with the Court of Justice of the European Union. This approach is analysed by the documents from intergovernmental conferences antecedent to the particular treaties regulating the Treaty of Maastricht, which are Treaty of Amsterdam, Treaty of Nice and the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Each of these intergovernmental conferences is examined in terms of the goals and topics introduced, subsequently discussed and really reached by the French politicians during the conference. Also, it is dealt with the topics about which compromises with other countries had to be made and with the requirements that the French managed to implement into the text of the treaty....
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Ethical dimension of New Labour's foreign policy, 1997-2001: the case of international trade in arms
Burda, Ondřej ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
The aim of this thesis is to examine two main hypotheses, which are closely related to the ethical dimension that was for the first time introduced in 1997 by the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Robin Cook. Firstly, the work seeks to explore whether New Labour fulfilled obligations relating to its ethical dimension. These commitments are determined by the Western world's generally accepted values such as freedom, tolerance, democracy and justice. They are also determined by government statements and speeches. Secondly, the work is trying to determine whether the implemented policy differed from that of the previous administration of Conservative Party. The fulfillment of these hypotheses is examined in the area of the international arms trade. The time is defined by the first term of the Labour Party government between the years 1997 and 2001. Since the work deals with a large number of primary sources its basic method is analysis.
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Europeanization of the development cooperation of the Czech Republic
Gabíková, Kristína ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Rovná, Lenka (referee)
The work focuces on the influence of European Union on the development policy of Czech republic. Because of description of the change , the content of the work is also czech development policy before 2004. Aim of the first part is to characterize concepts of europeanization, development aid and development aid of European Union. The largest and the most important part of the work is made by description of the progress and transformation of czech development policy. This part is divided into three periods, under which will be change of development policy demonstrated. .
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British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in Its Prime
Langmajerová, Barbora ; Váška, Jan (advisor) ; Smetana, Vít (referee)
Since 1958 the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament was the best known British organisation opposing nuclear weapons. They organized the greatest protest activities mainly in two critical periods of the Cold War: 1958-1963 and 1979-1987. The intent of my thesis is to compare the work of the Campaign in these two historical eras. In connection with the functioning of the anti-nuclear protest movement the paper focuses on several issues: (1) the circumstances of the establishment and resurfacing of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, (2) its main activities, (3) the reasons why the protests faded away, (4) changes of the membership, (5) affiliated groups and international cooperation, (6) relationship between the campaigners and the Labour Party, (7) reactions of the British governments and (8) of general public. In addition to the analysis of the Campaign's work the paper tries to explain the political and historical context as well. A chapter describing the 1960s and 1970s was included for better continuity of the text. At that time the British population wasn't that interested in the nuclear armament and the activities of the Campaign were considerably limited. My thesis should explain the main changes in the perception of the nuclear threat during the Cold War and find the most important...
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