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Figures and Traces of Memory. Changes in Dynamics of Cultural Memory in Relation to Visual Culture
Průchová, Andrea ; Dvořák, Tomáš (advisor) ; Činátl, Kamil (referee) ; Reifová, Irena (referee)
Thesis Abstract The thesis deals with the visual content of the media of official memory, in particular the visual material of history textbooks and the exhibition of the National Museum. It examines the formal and content features of the representation of four key events of modern Czechoslovak and Czech history which entered the awareness of the general public as "eight" events: the founding of Czechoslovakia (1918), the signing of the Munich Agreement (1938), the communist coup (1948) and the invasion of the Warsaw Pact armies (1968). Moreover, it relates the modes of representation of these events to the issue of the political transition of 1989. By means of mixed methods research, it examines a sample of textbooks published during the communist era (1967, 1973, 1982, 1983, 1983), the post-communist era (1995, 1996, 1999, 1999, 2000, 2009, 2011) and the exhibits from the permanent exhibition Crossroads of Czech and Czechoslovak Statehood (opened in 2009). In its findings, the thesis presents 34 visual memory figures related to the representation of the selected historical events. It points out the circulation of these images between the medium of the textbook and the historical exposition, thus following the dynamic concept of memory discussed in the theoretical part of the thesis. It finds both...
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Nationalism and democratisation. Possibilities and limits of Yugoslav democratic alternative
Žaba, Jakub ; Slačálek, Ondřej (advisor) ; Barša, Pavel (referee)
This thesis is concerned with the relation of the democratization process and the national mobilization in the case of former Yugoslavia. In the first part, the author deals with the tension between democratization and nationalism and describes moments in which both processes could become mutually reinforcing. A product of that is a democratic nation-state as a final consequence of the right of culturally defined nations to self-determination. However, refusing the nation-state as the sole scope of the democratic process, the author puts forward the concept of the state-nation by Juan J. Linz and Alfred Stepan. This concept deals with multiple but complementary political identities and enables to democratize multinational states, without denying the national segments the right to foster their cultural originality. In the second part of the thesis, the author analyses the Yugoslav case and explains reasons why at the turn of the 1990s the idea of a democratic state-nation was not put in practice, while the particular national projects, with democratic ambitions in many cases, were. In the author's opinion, the answer lies in a reduction of multiple but complementary political identities caused by the fact that loyalty to an ethno-culturally defined nation and loyalty to the Yugoslav political centre...
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Post-communist Hungary as an opportunity: from the transfer of urban intervention models by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations to its abortion, the case of Ferencváros district in Budapest (1988-2014).
Saïsset, Paul ; Klusáková, Luďa (advisor) ; Takács, Ádám (referee) ; Ozouf Marignier, Marie Vic (referee) ; Verdier, Nicolas (referee)
Title of the thesis Post-communist Hungary as an opportunity: from the transfer of urban intervention models by the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations to its abortion, the case of Ferencváros district in Budapest (1988-2014). Abstract In a context of regime change this study offers to focus on the process by which the French institution, the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, started the diffusion of urban intervention models and then aborted it. The analysis based on networks of actors formed locally in Hungary, attempts to describe the logics of actions constituting of this transfer at different scales: local, national and transnational. Treating this subject post-festum drove the study towards an ethnographic and historic approach, focusing on the analysis of actors' discourses in order to raise different narratives of the past actions. The fall of communism is here understood as a period of uncertainty and its successive redefinitions by politicians are still structuring the actual Hungarian political and economic issues. More than a simple rupture, this period is characterized by a power struggle in the discourses for the justification of different interest groups' actions. Thus, this event is first and foremost an opportunity. In short, the study of tangible aspects of the transnational influence...
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Vít Olmer: landmarks of the Czech exploatation - a disorted view of postcommunist society
Blažek, Jiří ; Čeněk, David (advisor) ; Hanáková, Petra (referee)
The following bachelor thesis focuses on film exploitation as a tabloid phenomenon; particularly examines the tabloid tendencies of productions of Vít Olmer in the years after the Velvet Revolution between 1990 and 1995 in Czech cinema. His work reflects the new creative democratic circumstances that arose after November 1989. Olmer effectively used these circumstances to his benefit and as a result he became one of the most productive personalities of the mid-90s. The first part of the thesis consists of a mapping of the status of exploitation film in foreign academia. Based on Pierre Bourdieu's concept, it explores how the logic of "pure taste" influenced the approach to the "tawdry cinema", its research, and last but not least, an attitudes of researchers of (exploitation in) cinema themselves. It then provides an overall view on allied difficulties accompanying exploitation film; the scattered identity unfounded by virtually no theoretical basis remains an essential problem of the analyses of exploitation cinema in the context of film studies. The second part of the thesis expounds a rudimentary nature of the exploitation phenomenon with the contribution of sensationalism, theoretical model used mainly in a media studies. The part proves close relation between the sensationalism, a paradigm...
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Ion Iliescu and his role in the forming of the modern romanian democracy
Kocian, Jiří ; Tejchman, Miroslav (advisor) ; Šístek, František (referee)
The problems of Romanian transition to democracy after the year 1989 were in large part determined by the form of previous regime. Because of the extreme pressure and control exercised on the opposition and personal dictatorship of the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu, no major dissent groups or opposition centers possessing the potential to take part in the overthrow of the regime existed. In the swift and still unclear events of December 1989, National Salvation Front rose to hold the power, being directed by Ion Iliescu at the same time. As a formerly top positioned communist apparatchik, who had been swept out from his status after several conflicts with Ceausescu, he transferred almost complete communist structure under the newly formed regime, including Securitate, the secret service. Deconstruction of the former regime was actually performed by the execution of the former president and his wife and by trials of several Securitate generals. Iliescu concentrated overwhelming majority of the state power around NSF and in contradiction with his original proclamations postponed transition to democracy. New regime, which was led by Ion Iliescu demonstrated in its ideological presentation and exercise of power apparent similarities with the era of communist rule, nevertheless, it worked under formal...
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Ion Iliescu and his role in the forming of the modern romanian democracy
Kocian, Jiří ; Tejchman, Miroslav (advisor) ; Šístek, František (referee)
The problematic of Romanian transition to democracy after the year 1989 was by its major part determined by the form of previous regime. Because of the extreme pressure and control exercised on the opposition and personal dictatorship of the regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu, no major dissent groups or centers existed, bearing the potential to take part in the overthrow of the regime. In the swift and still unclear events of December 1989, National Salvation Front rose to hold the power, being directed by Ion Iliescu. As a formerly top positioned communist apparatchik, who had been swept out from status and power after several conflicts with Ceausescu, he transferred almost complete communist structure to the newly formed regime, including Securitate, the secret service. Deconstruction of the former regime was actually performed by the execution of the former president and his wife and by trials of several Securitate generals. Iliescu concentrated most of the power around NSF and in contradiction with the original proclamation postponed transition to democracy. The new regime, which was led by Ion Iliescu demonstrated in its ideological presentation and exercise of power apparent similarities with the era of communist rule, nevertheless, it worked under formal democratic framework. Because of this fact,...
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CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES IN THE VISEGRAD GROUP
Hynková, Jana ; Kubaš, Mario (advisor) ; Kouba, Vojtěch (referee)
This thesis analyzes the state support of the cultural and creative industries in selected post-communist countries, now the Visegrad Group. The first part is devoted to the impact of the totalitarian regime on culture and cultural policy, economic transformation and current economic situation of individual countries with emphasis on chracteristics of the cultural and creative industries concept. The main part of the thesis deals with the issues of culture policy perspective of each state including the opportunities available under EU funds. The final section presents the summary of a comparative analysis along with pros and cons of the models in all countries.
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Post-Communist Syndrome: a Mental Heritage. A Theoretical Framework and Empirical Findings
Klicperová-Baker, Martina ; Feierabend, I. ; Košťál, J.
The article discusses post-totalitarian symptoms and the concept of post-totalitarian syndrome which can explain mentality of some dissatisfied Eastern European citizens. The current Czech post-totalitarian conditions are analyzed in terms of specific grievances and human needs; it is suggested that the disappointed include numerous frustrated but otherwise pro-democratic citizens. Complaints focus on economic insecurity (fear of unemployment, lack of security at the old age), crime (both white collar economic and street crime), lack of overall safety and disappointment with the general decline of interpersonal relations. Although respondents found it much easier to be upset with the current circumstances than with the totalitarian past, direct questions referring to the pre-1989 police state revealed an overwhelming awareness of and frustration with it. The most intense current anger is provoked by misconduct of politicians, yet democracy as a regime is not doubted.
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