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Occidentalism in Russian Travel Literature in the 18th Century: Example of Nikolai Mikhailovich Karamzin
Stergiopoulou, Eleni ; Himl, Pavel (advisor) ; Power, Martina (referee) ; Erdösi, Péter (referee)
Occidentalism in Russian Travel Literature in the 18th Century: Example of Nikolaj Mihailovič Karamzin Summary The purpose of this research is to explore how the national and cultural identity of Russia was constructed in the eighteenth century through the vehicle of travel writing. At the heart of this research is a close analysis of the travels of the Russian author Nikolaj Karamzin to the Western Europe. Karamzin's Letters of a Russian Traveller is a travelogue in the form of memoir in epistolary arrangement based on his travels through the states of Germany, Switzerland, France and England in 1789-1790. The era and the author chosen are justified by the graveness that the eighteenth century has for the history of the Russian literature. An era of major transformations in all social and cultural aspects of the till-then known Russian lifestyle set the ground for a move towards modernity. By travelling to the Western Europe and displaying the values and rich greatness of some aspects of the cultural, political and social lives, Karamzin proposes a set of alternative national ideals. These ideals would assist the country and the nation to get closer to the standards of the Western traditions and subsequently closer to 'paradise' and the 'perfect' life. As a contextual backup for the analysis of Karamzin's...
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Conceptualizing Eastern Europe: Past and Present
Mačkinis, Vilius ; Vykoukal, Jiří (advisor) ; Kolenovská, Daniela (referee) ; Gordy, Eric (referee)
The ideas presented in the dissertation are based on the premise that the concept of Eastern Europe is a construction, which received its meaning(s) trough events and shifts, which also shaped the idea of Europe. To analyze these influences several labels and aspects of history, which constructed the concept of Eastern Europe can be recognized. The author argues that there can be five important aspects, forming the concept and providing meanings, discerned and considered: (1) geography associated with the Eastern border of the European continent and its flexibility; (2) cultural trends, mainly provided by the ideas of the Enlightenment, which present the eastern part as wild, barbaric and uncivilized; (3) political formations, which by military and political means conquered or lost the region, alienating it with the West or making it a 'buffer zone'; (4) Economic aspects of backwardness and the constant try to catch-up with the West; and (5) the discourse about the region itself, historiography depicting the formations and ascribing labels to discourse. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
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Development of Sub-Saharan Africa and its position in the global economy
Kaštilová, Klára ; Jiránková, Martina (advisor) ; Sudliankou, Aliaksandr (referee)
This thesis deals with the sub-Saharan Africa, and especially with its development and position in the global economy. Sub-Saharan Africa is a territory consisting of 47 diverse states, which are mostly characterized as poor and backward. This backwardness stems primarily from poor literacy levels, low levels of life expectancy, high infection of HIV / AIDS and the lack of access to drinking water and food. The current situation is influenced by the history of sub-Saharan Africa, especially by the colonial and postcolonial era, which was followed by a gradual process of regional integration. At the time of European domination the major importance of sub-Saharan Africa was already recognized . It lies in the agricultural and mineral wealth of this region. The main commodities exported by sub-Saharan Africa are cocoa, coffee, diamonds, gold and cobalt. But the most important natural raw material is still oil. Even though sub-Saharan Africa accounts for only 1% of global GDP, its economic development over the last decade is significantly positive. However, despite this economic growth in this area there are the traps that impede sub-Saharan Africa's development. It's a trap of conflict, natural resource trap, the geographic trap and the mismanagement trap of small sub-Saharan countries. These problems are then engaged in a campaign UN's Millennium Development Goals, which aims to eradicate poverty and hunger, ensure primary education for all, achieve gender equality, improve maternal care, to defeat diseases such as HIV / AIDS, ensure sustainable development and promote cooperation between them, all by 2015. Backwardness of sub-Saharan region is evident from the fact that of all 47 states only 8 is regarded as newly formed economies and from the remaining 39, 32 are known as the least developed countries. As regards the other sub-Saharan Africa relations, they can be divided into so-called official development assistance, purely economic relations and foreign direct investment. In these relationships traditional partners like the EU or the USA have their exclusive position, but currently the importance of newly formed economies is growing. the growing importance is the most obvious in the flow of Chinese FDI in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is constantly increasing.
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