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The Way of St. James: Modern Pilgrims and their Relationship to Nature
Hroudová, Jolana ; Mašek, Tomáš (advisor) ; Skripnik, Ondřej (referee)
This master's thesis deals with the phenomenon of pilgrimage, focusing on the Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Due to its qualitative nature, the thesis seeks to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences of people who embark on the now very popular pilgrimage. Using sensitive data collection methods of qualitative observation, informal interviews and two rounds of semi- structured interviews with pilgrims during and one month after completing the Way of Saint James, it explores how modern pilgrims perceive society and nature, what changes the pilgrimage inspires them to make, and what impact it has on their subsequent return to ordinary life. This thesis does not address the phenomenon of pilgrimage as a spiritual activity. It focuses primarily on the relationship between people and nature, which distinguishes it from other theses with similar focus. Furthermore, the thesis offers a multidisciplinary perspective and combines the approaches of sociology, anthropology and environmental aesthetics. Understanding the way pilgrims on their journey think about the landscapes they pass through, how they perceive time, space, themselves, and how they reflect on the journey in hindsight, can contribute to deepening our understanding of the phenomenon of pilgrimage and wandering in...
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