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Beauty from the Perspective of Plastic Surgery
Nováková, Hana ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Martinová, Marta (referee)
Univerzita Karlova v Praze Institut sociologických studií Katedra sociologie Nováková Hana Bakalářská práce: Krása v očích plastické chirurgie Abstract The objective of this bachelor thesis is to examine the cosmetic surgery phenomenon from the sociological point of view. Social conditions under which cosmetic surgery are carried out in such quantity and popularity are defined and explored. Paper also contains a summary of patients' opinions about cosmetic surgery and explains the way they think of the role of beauty in their lives. The attention is focused on motives by which are patients of cosmetic surgery led to undergone such intervetion to human body as the cosmetic surgery. Paper aims to propose a rational explanation of what leads them to a cosmetic surgery even though there is a high risk of health damage and an unclear result. The first part deals with the new economy, consumerism and celebrity culture as the main factors, claimed by the literature, that influence decisions about undergoing cosmetic surgery. Normative function of beauty in modern everyday life is also scrutinized. The second part consists of the results of qualitative research, which is based on an analysis of interviews with patients who underwent cosmetic surgery in order to increase their attractiveness. Subsequently...
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Adorno's critique of mass culture in light of Hegel's aesthetics.
Kvapil, Matouš ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Horák, Vít (referee)
Often now talking about the decline or disaffection of arts, which is often associated with negative influences of mass culture. I try to explore these negative influences of mass culture, especially in music. For this purpose I use criticism of mass culture by Theodor W. Adorno, one of the representatives of the Frankfurt School. Music by its criticism loses its original purpose. It gets parasitic and fetish character, disappearing from it all individuality and spirituality and becomes a mere commodity made for consumption only. Through the Aesthetics by G.W.F. Hegel I will shortly introduce the philosophical conception of arts and I'll try to look into the original nature and purpose of arts, as it Hegel describes. Then I valorize the mutual relation of both conceptions and show that the characteristics of mass culture are incompatible with the true nature and purpose of arts. At the end I will try to point out perhaps too skeptical and resolute sight that Adorno in his critique presents. I will try to show that despite all the negative effects of mass culture, there is still room for a serious production and music can still be made true to its original nature and purpose. Keywords music, arts, culture, aesthetics, mass culture, cultural industry, Hegel, Adorno
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No One Dare Say It's Boring Towards the Sociology of High and Low Art
Paulíček, Miroslav ; Dvořák, Tomáš (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee) ; Ševčík, Miloš (referee)
Miroslav Paulíček NO ONE DARE SAY IT'S BORING TOWARDS THE SOCIOLOGY OF HIGH AND LOW ART The concept of high art usually connotes highbrow and snobbery, the pride of elitists; it seems to be an instrument of the ruling class for its dominant social status reproduction. Many advocates of popular culture scorn and ignore high art - they often use the approach of social constructivism and say that high culture is nothing but a social construction. They emphasize that there is no quality, which could classify any work of art as high or low. On the contrary, the author of this book writes about an art with no animosity, without an effort to relativize of it, about art without ironic quotation marks. The title of this book - quotation from Gustave Flaubert's letter about reading Dante's Inferno - enables to develop a story of the answer to the question of what kind of art is the art that no one calls boring and why no one dare do it. The book finds its inspiration in the perspective of social constructivism and in the sociology of science. The author describes the actors (both humans and non-humans) that keep the network of high art together. He starts with the ways of creating canons (of authors or works of art), he also deals with actors as nation, tradition, taste, age, money, education, comic, kitsch, irony,...
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Typing schemes of two generations, or what's the role of our age in evaluation of strengers in everyday reality
Baranková, Lenka ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Trusinová, Romana (referee)
This work's focus is on research of processes, which we absolutely naturaly and subconsciensely use in everyday reality to evaluate people and situations. It's conserne is describing this proces and furtheron researching the evaluation of unknown people in praxis, mostely from the point of view that evalution can be infuenced by the age of respondent. Main theoretical groung of this work is social constructivism, mostely because we have our statement towards most of all everyday situations and actions just because these exist, therefore are construct of that given society. Furtheron this work focuses on hierarchical organising of these valuating processes, as is typization and categorization and statement based on these. Most of all this work describes differences in evaluating unknown people using photographic interviews of two different age groups of respondents. Data analysis shows, that age and even sex of respondents really does matter in evaluating of unknown people.
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Edvard Benes like a Sociologist
Smržová, Veronika ; Balon, Jan (advisor) ; Paulíček, Miroslav (referee)
This article discusses the sociological work of Edvard Beneš. The second president of Czechoslovakia is seen mainly as politician and diplomat, but the goal of this article is to present less know part of Beneš personality. And that is his sociological work. Beneš always felt like a sociologist, he dealt with various sociological topics mainly in his early career and in the period before the First World War. However, in later years, as president of Czechoslovakia he never forgets to the profession of sociologist. Benes sociology is significant in that it had a direct influence on his political activities. Beneš perceived the sociology like a tool for learning about society and tried to make out of this knowledge was based on his policies. Beneš was a direct successor of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, in sociology and in politics, and he ensured the continuity of thought TGM, it was Beneš benefits. This article aims to introduce the sociological profile of Edvard Beneš. This work present the sociological profile of Edvard Beneš. It represents the development of sociological thought Benes and his gradual tendency to Masaryks thoughts. Article also summarizes the most important sociological topics of Beneš theoretical works, such as the issue of democracy, sociology, war, religion or socialism. This work is...
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The suicide - Masaryk's lifelong problem
Kotek, Martin ; Petrusek, Miloslav (advisor) ; Paulíček, Miroslav (referee)
The work is focused on the theme of suicide in the presentation of T. G. Masaryk. Author's aim is to chart the Masaryk's life in such a way as to affect how the topic of suicide goes through the Masaryk's life and how is reflected in his work and opinions on the modern society. Is also pointed out, how this theme, in the background of Masaryk's philosophy, sociology and theology, mingles into all of these areas and connects them. The first part is devoted to young childhood of Masaryk and to his experience at the beginning of his academic career. It is outlined, how Masaryk got to know the theme of suicide and how he took it as his own. Another section is devoted to his personality and personal views on the world. Substantial part of the work is then focused on the interpretation of the religion and the modern developments of society in the administration of Masaryk and his theory of suicide. Following this, the author deals not only with this work demonstrative moral decay of society, but also with other Masaryk's works, in which is the problem of suicide reflected. The last part is devoted to criticism of Masaryk's concept from the mouth of past and contemporary authors and then the comments to the validity of Masaryk theory for today's society. So, beside the presentation, how was the whole...
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The Meaning of Success in the World of Czech Professional Drummers
Kubíček, Matěj ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Prýmková, Karolína (referee)
Matěj Kubíček: The Meaning of Success in the World of Czech Professional Drummers Abstract In this thesis, the author deals with the term "success", aiming to uncover ways in which Czech professional pop music drummers understand it. He also investigates problems connected with it, such as the attributes required to reach the status of a professional drummer, or the link between art, commerce, and skills. His approach consists of comparing relevant literature, which is introduced in the first part of the thesis, with information stemming from research. This research was made in a qualitative method, where the author made interviews with eight professional Czech drummers. The main themes contained in the investigation of the word success are the actual typology of the term, teaching and pedagogy, family life, and the relationship between art and commerce. As far as a professional drummer's attributes are concerned, three most important terms are identified: Diligence, talent, and humbleness.
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The Social Construcion of Mental Illness - Historical Changes during Middle Ages and Early Modern Times
Sklenařík, Pavel ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Kotlík, Pavel (referee)
The present thesis deals with the phenomenon of madness in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age. The author describes the function of madness in the context of each historical period by way of examining the historical development of the social status of the mentally ill. Various aspects of insanity as well as distinct characteristics and qualities of lunatics persons, such as gender, assets, or the actual level of mental disorder, are taken into consideration in order to demonstrate the consequently differing approaches of the sane to the insane and vice versa. The result of the historical process of the formation of the society's stance towards the lunatics and insanity in general is then transferred to the present where the discussed processes are demonstrated on real examples. Insanity is viewed through the prism of social constructivism. In line with the view that insanity, as a social construction, is a product of discourse, one of the present work deals with the dispute on the right of defining insanity whose result influenced the inception of psychiatry as a discipline as well as the current attitude of the society with respect to insanity.
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Fieldwork in the Jewish community in Prague
Adlerová, Nina ; Řezáčová, Vendula (advisor) ; Paulíček, Miroslav (referee)
This bachelor thesis "Fieldwork in the Jewish community in Prague" is concerned with the social identity of young Czech Jews. The aim of this work is to describe the duality, or hybridity of identity based on the blending of two distinct identities, namely Czech and Jewish identity. There is also an effort to transcribe the self-reflection bearers of these identities in their everyday lives. This work relies on the work of several prominent authors handling with social, or ethnic identity, and also on earlier research conducted by Dana Bittnerová on national and ethnic minorities living in the Czech Republic. The basis of this work is anthropological fieldwork, which focused primarily on members of one particular group, which is part of the Prague community. This group is called Czech Union of Jewish youth. This research was consisted of participant observation organized events or events arising spontaneously and of interviews with selected respondents. It is shown that for all the observed, Jewishness and Czechness are an integral part of their identities, of whom they are. And that these two identities are closely intertwined. Jewish identity is indeed imperative, but to maintain a strong identity is also necessary process of self-identification. The signs of declared identity are also important...
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Phenomenon Body modification: The sociological interpretation.
Kolářová, Sára ; Paulíček, Miroslav (advisor) ; Kotík, Michal (referee)
The thesis is focused on the research of subjects who are specifically standing out due to their different visual appearance thanks to extreme Body modifications that they have done on their bodies. It explores whether they are just independent individuals with no subcultural relations or whether they belong to a certain closed social group that stands on common values which are manifested through modifications. The theoretical part deals with frameworks that could more precisely define their interaction. The author seeksout for subcultural signs because recent Body modification literature suggest that these individuals might be members of a group called Modern primitives, which meets all the characteristics necessary for the existence of a subculture. However on the basis of primarily semi-structured interviews author dicovers that these people do not fit their beliefs into such a framework and their interactions and shared values are not extensive. The results of the work thus points to the fact that individuals with Body modification can be consistently assigned to one of shared social identities that helps them find themselves. If there is a binding element between them at a higher level, it's the so-called suspension, in other words: being hanged on hooks, where their interaction is necessary.
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