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"Vítání občánků": Social Analysis of a Czech Baby-Welcoming Ceremony
Švábová, Kristina ; Testa, Alessandro (advisor) ; Wirthová, Jitka (referee)
Vítání občánků which translates to "Welcoming of Little Citizens" is a rite of passage celebrated by Czech parents with newborns at their local town or city council. It was invented during the Communist era with the aim of replacing baptism. A reason for its continued popularity even after the shift to democracy is its function as a rite of passage at a difficult life situation but also its successful re-invention. Transition to parenthood is difficult in contemporary society due to high societal expectations of parents as well as contradictory ideals. Rite of passage helps ease the transition for the parents, but it also involves the broader community and the newborn. In addition, it puts one's life journey into a bigger perspective and provides a platform for a family gathering and for using symbolic language. Both its invention and re-invention were done by inducing a sense of continuity via elements invoking past traditions and universal values. Thanks to that, the desired new meanings and values have been accepted by the public. A crucial role in the (re)inventing process has been played by a so-called institutional entrepreneur, an actor who has the skills, resources and motivation to achieve it. Originally, it was the Communist Party who played the part, while in the re-inventing process it...
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Remembering another country's past: a comparative study into how Third Culture Kids can expand our understanding of German collective memory
González González, Mafalda Inés ; Testa, Alessandro (advisor) ; Kovtiak, Elisabeth (referee)
This bachelor thesis investigated the topics of Third Culture Kids (TCK) and German collective memory. The primary goals of this study were to compare the narrative and discursive similarities and differences between TCK and their local peers (Non-TCK) when discussing German collective memory. A literature review outlined the concepts of TCK and collective memory, specially German collective memory. Through creative qualitative research methods, interviews with four Non-TCK and five TCK were conducted, in which they were asked to select five five photographs out of a set of 60 that represented for them German collective memory. After looking at the content that the participants picked as German collective memory, a thematic and discourse analysis revealed various narratives hidden in the interview. Although it is feasible to claim that all participants had a similar assessment of the responsibility Germans ought to have for their past, TCK expected further engagement of German citizens to be politically active. Discursively, because of the difficult topic of the research, the Non-TCK presented a tension that the TCK were able to better navigate.
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A qualitative Study of Czech non-believing Students
Říhová, Nikola ; Testa, Alessandro (advisor) ; Bartheldi, Layla (referee)
In my bachelor's thesis I focus on what it means for one to be a non-believer, supported by various statistics and data that examine non-believers in the world and in the Czech Republic. Using a qualitative process of data collection, I thus explore what my informants' individual beliefs are within the topic of non-religion, as well as how they themselves reflect on the sources of these beliefs. Specifically, this thesis then seeks to grasp these themes through two main theoretical frameworks. Firstly, identity formation, which is introduced through the theory of G.H. Mead, who points to the so- called significant other in this process. At the same time, I introduce the Social Identity Theory by H. Tajfel and J. Turner, which discusses the importance of social groups on individual identity formation. This social group is represented in my thesis as a group of non-believers, but it can be further divided into other subgroups. This is followed by a second framework where I present M. Weber's secularization theory and more specifically his disenchantment of the world, but this is complemented by its critique, represented for example by P. Berger, who in turn writes about the re-enchantment of the world. Using these aforementioned ideas, then, I want to point out that the topic of non-believers is a...
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A comparison of Chinese and Czech oversea urban tourism
Wang, Yajing ; Testa, Alessandro (advisor) ; Hejlová, Denisa (referee)
The behaviour of tourists is a significant part of tourism research. Studies of tourist behaviour in China, the USA, the UK, and Germany are common. However, few studies have been conducted on the behaviour of Czech tourists, and even fewer have compared the behaviour of Chinese and Czech tourists. This study is based on Chinese and Czech tourists. It uses semi-structured interviews to collect data and uses thematic analysis to analyse and compare the travel behaviour of tourists from these two countries. The main areas of similarities and differences are found in travel motivation, information collection, tourist experience, and sharing habits. Because of the widespread use of social media nowadays, this study also explored the impact of social media on tourists from both countries while comparing travel behaviour. The results show social media does influence in terms of information seeking and travel sharing. However, tourists in both countries are aware of the impact of social media. The study results fill a gap in the English language literature on the tourism behaviour of Czech tourists and provide a basis for more in-depth research on Chinese and Czech tourism. Key words： Czech Tourism Chinese Tourism Tourist Motivation Information Collection Tourist Authenticity Tourist Photo- Sharing Social...
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Where Games and Stories Meet: Four Frames of Meaning in the City of Mist TTRPG System
Picková, Tereza ; Spalová, Barbora (advisor) ; Testa, Alessandro (referee)
. a. by the plurality of "worlds" the players operate in, and pertinent plurality of roles adopted frame analysis (see Fine 2002), describes three of these "worlds of meaning": the frame of the "the frame of the storytellers". Ad playing games resemble "storytelling events" (Georges 1969), and how this fact differentiates this genre from "classical" games. This framework broadens the understating of players d with the storyteller's agenda and expectations linked to this role. This unique form gaming world in the primary framework of the "real"
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