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Sexual assistance as an object of media spectacularization
Rokosová, Anna ; Hasmanová Marhánková, Jaroslava (advisor) ; Balon, Jan (referee)
In my diploma thesis I deal with the issue of media spectacularization in the context of the provision of sexual assistance services. My thesis includes a critical discursive analysis of selected online posts with this topic in selected Czech media. These media are Novinky.cz, iDnes.cz, Aktuálně.cz and Blesk.cz. Since this service first has started to be provided in the Czech Republic in the autumn of 2015, I take advantage of the more active debate on this topic in later years. The aim of my thesis is to highlight the spectacularization of the topic of sexual assistance in selected media, to identify the legitimizing means and to define the discursive levels that appear in the media space. Subsequently, I focus on the actors who speak on the topic of sexual assistance in the media, whether actively or not. An important theme of my thesis is normativity as a social construct (disability studies, social roles) and the stigma associated with it. Afterwards, I used selected media to analyse the transformation of the topic through its spectacularisation and point out the disciplining of the topic through its frame. In my thesis, I draw attention to the social image that the media transforms the sexual assistance service into, how the detabulation of the topic is reflected here, how ideas about gender...
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Dissents and their role in judicial decision-making
Stádník, Jakub ; Kysela, Jan (advisor) ; Preuss, Ondřej (referee)
Dissents and their role in judicial decision-making Jakub Stádník Abstract This thesis deals with dissents to judicial decisions, i.e., dissenting opinions of the judges which are published along with the decision. In the Czech context, these are mainly dissenting opinions of the Constitutional Court judges, which (despite the lack of direct binding force) occupy a significant space not only in academic discussions but can also become the basis for future changes in legal opinion. Despite this practical significance of the dissenting opinions, however, they have received rather little attention or, with a few exceptions, have not been dealt with in a broader context in any text to date. This was the main motivation for writing my thesis. The most important context in relation to the existence of dissents is their impact on the legitimacy of decisions. There are views that consider dissenting opinions to be beneficial to the legitimacy of courts and their decisions, as well as views that are quite the opposite. Thus, the primary goal of this paper is to analyze the role of dissenting opinions in terms of their impact on the legitimacy of decisions. This is an aspect that runs throughout the whole text. The thesis begins by defining the terms dissent and dissenting opinion and seeks to introduce both foreign...
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Finding suitable institutional arrangements for governing policy of science and research from the perspective of stakeholders involved
Barták, Tomáš ; Witz, Petr (advisor) ; Potůček, Martin (referee)
The thesis focuses on discussing the appropriate institutional arrangements for science and research policy at the national level from the perspective of stakeholders and experts in the governance of this field. The aim is to find out what model of institutional arrangement and governance of this public policy is considered appropriate by the addressed representatives of actors and experts and what arguments they use to legitimise this view and the chosen governance model. In terms of theoretical anchoring, the thesis relies on the theory of legitimacy focusing on the public policy environment and the concept of institutional field defining in the field of public policy governance the relations and interactions of a higher number of actors involved in decision-making on a certain issue. The analytical part of the thesis is based mainly on the implementation of an expert investigation using the Delphi method, preceded by an expert double interview to identify the main issues to be addressed in the current system of science and research policy in the Czech Republic. From the conducted research, it is possible to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of the Czech system of management of this policy, the diversity of opinions on the position of some actors (the Government Council for Research,...
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Legitimization Strategies of the Authoritarian Regime in Belarus
Osterrothová, Sára ; Šír, Jan (advisor) ; Kolenovská, Daniela (referee)
This bachelor's thesis analyses the legitimization strategies of the authoritarian regime in Belarus during the period 1994-2020. The typology of legitimization strategies by Christian von Soest and Julia Grauvogel serves as the theoretical framework of the thesis. This thesis not only identifies which strategies were used by the Lukashenko regime but above all analyses how they manifested themselves. This allows the topic to be examined comprehensively and the evolution of these strategies to be taken into account. Attention is first of all paid to the persona of Alexander Lukashenko and his role as "batka" (i.e. father in Belarusian), the protector of the collective memory of veterans, the guarantor of the country's "economic stability", and the defender of Belarusian sovereignty. The importance of the formal existence of elections in Lukashenko's rhetoric is also addressed. The thesis examines the formation of Belarusian state ideology, which is based on the official understanding of "Belarusianness", and the ideologization of the so-called Great Patriotic War. Last but not least, the thesis examines Lukashenko's social contract as well as how the regime refers to its role on the international stage and how it uses the rhetoric of external threats. The main finding of the thesis is that the...
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Representational Practices of Rebel Governance
Köbke, Stefan ; Ditrych, Ondřej (advisor) ; Tesař, Jakub (referee)
Representational Practices of Rebel Governance Much of the literature on rebel governance has been focusing on the material factors that influence rebel activities. However, rebels frequently engage in practices that have no clear material benefit. Instead, these are meant to increase their legitimacy with certain groups, by representing a normative conception of authoritative rule. This thesis offers a process-based theoretical framework for understanding these "representational practices" by considering them as acts of communication from rebel senders to their audiences. To this extent, rebels frame themselves as continuous, time-transcendent rulers (content) within authoritative normative frameworks (contexts) and use various "artifacts" and bodily movement as "channels" to transmit these claims. This model is then applied to an interpretive, single-case study of the "Islamic State" rebels in Iraq and Syria between 2014 and 2017. It is found that the model can explain many of the IS's activities. The group framed its ideas of time-transcendent rule in millenarian and apocalyptic contexts, had to adapt its messages to different audiences (such as local civilians and foreign fighters), and communicated its claims not only through internet posts, but also through a careful control of sites within...
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Challenging Hegemony: Coercion, Repression and Protest in Liberal Democracies.
Čapinská, Barbora ; Kýrová, Lucie (advisor) ; Gagnon, Jean-Paul (referee) ; Wahlström, Mattias (referee)
Barbora Čapinská Abstract for dissertation thesis Challenging hegemony: coercion, repression, and protest in liberal democracies Year of defence: 2022 Abstract: This dissertation project identifies and classifies the types of coercive and repressive methods liberal democratic states use to prevent, resist, or suppress protest via analysis of secondary literature from several disparate academic fields. Despite the substantial fragmentation of the relevant research, it systematizes and clarifies the terminology used to describe these phenomena and combines the extant findings from all relevant research strands. Above all, the project stresses the fact that repressions are employed in response to a threat posed by the challengers, but the degree of this threat, or respectively legitimacy of the protest, is influenced or even constructed by the mass media coverage of protest and social movements. By endorsing a discourse-theoretical prism and the concept of hegemony, a relational definition of state, and a three-dimensional view of power, the author proposes to view protest and repression as a hegemonic struggle, in which protest is a counter-hegemonic discourse and the state an embodiment of hegemony suppressing challenges. To supplement existent typologies, the author introduces the concepts 'institutional...
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Straight up serious top shit
Ferenc, Jiří ; Sikora, Erik (referee) ; Hládeková, Katarína (advisor)
Diloma's work objectifies humour and makes the viewer feel that art does not have to be overly serious or condescending. Ideally, the work should induce relaxation and laughter in the viewer, such as when reading memes on a cell phone. At the same time, the whole project should feel like a full-fledged gallery exhibition. The project is not so much about the themes of the individual works as it is about the method of communication, which is humour. For the art community, the thesis could eventually offer the question of the legitimacy of humour in art. The thesis is based on the assumption that humour exists in art, but is often not visible. This is due to the fact that there are not a large number of artists who work with humour in a long-term and purposeful way.
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Mass media portrayal of Czech courts
Forejtová, Natálie ; Homolová, Pavla (advisor) ; Sedláčková, Markéta (referee)
This thesis focuses on the mass media portrayal of Czech courts in the context of the possible influence on the court's legitimacy and confidence. The research of portrayal is based on the analysis of Fagan's dimensions of legitimacy (effectiveness, distributive justice and procedural justice), court rulings and the overall view. The representation of sources of legitimacy rather corresponds to materialistic society - the most represented dimension in 2014 was the effectiveness, on the other hand, distributive justice was represented the least. Normative factors, namely procedural fairness, however, were not covered much. The portrayal in 2014 was, in terms of judicial rulings and the overall view, rather neutral but the sources of legitimacy were mostly negative. Differences were mainly found among mass media portrayal of the lower courts and higher courts and the differences correspond to different confidence in these institutions. I also studied the development since 1997, but besides the increasing interest of mass media in the courts, I have not found any other significant differences which could cause the rise of confidence in the courts. Mass media can also cause the difference in confidence in the courts of the left-wing and right-wing oriented people, because the journal Pravo has a slight...
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Public Opinion Surveys in China
Smolařová, Lucie ; Vinopal, Jiří (advisor) ; Šubrt, Jiří (referee)
Based on the examination of the relevant literature and findings from academic survey research, this Master's thesis focuses on the reflection of the political development in public opinion research in China and on the contour of local collective opinion. Its theoretical part stems from James Bryce's theory of the development of public opinion and from the writings of Irving Crespi who noted that the extent and role of public opinion research in different political regimes rely on the acceptance of public opinion in the political process and on the basis of governmental legitimacy. The increasing pluralization of public opinion, which is the result of the processes tied to Chinese economic liberalization and which has been reflected in the official ideology and in the growing emphasis on public opinion polling claimed by the government, is still outweighed by the inclination of the Chinese Confucian society towards authoritarian leadership. The liberalization process is further reflected in the extent of public opinion research; however, recent studies show that the results from public opinion polls are not reported objectively and survey responses of Chinese respondents are strongly influenced by the political regime. KEYWORDS China, public opinion, polls, legitimacy, James Bryce, Irving Crespi
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The Judiciary - Europa's (il)legitimate Child?
Štamberk, David ; Zemánek, Jiří (advisor) ; Král, Richard (referee)
The thesis is focused on examination of issues of legitimacy of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The problem is perceived in the context of the growing importance of the judiciary both at national and international levels. Judges are increasingly forced by circumstances to shape law. Their role in the system of bodies of states and international organisations is thus changed. The courts of the highest instance in particular become political actors. Traditional (functional) conception of their legitimacy, based on the requirements of professional credit, independence and impartiality, is then shown to be insufficient and must be supplemented by democratic legitimacy and proven existence of the legitimizing chain. Due to growing influence of international courts of justice this problem is projected to the international level. In the case of the Court of Justice of the European Union the whole problem is even more intense for its supranational character and influence, which it acquires consequently. It should therefore be at the forefront of efforts to improve the legitimacy of the international judiciary. The current situation however does not really corresond to it. Improvements in the appointment of Judges and Advocates-General were therefore proposed. Larger involvement of the European...
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