Publisher: Masarykova univerzita nakladatelství

23.10 €

The Sociology of a 20th and 21st Century Town

Sociologie města 20. a 21. století

Author(s): Slavomíra Ferenčuhová / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: urban poverty and the working class; Sociology of 20th and 21st century; "big cities" of industrial England; poverty; Chicago School of Urban Sociology; Human ecology;

Kniha vznikla – vedle grantové podpory GAČR pro postdoktorský projekt GPP404/12/P742 „Sociologie města 20. a 21. století: klíčové problémy, diskuze a trendy“ – také díky mnoha lidem. Poděkování patří zejména recenzentům za jejich připomínky a podnětné poznámky a také kolegům a kolegyním v Česku i za hranicemi, se kterými jsem měla možnost sdílet úvahy o sociologii města.

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0.00 €

Making Sense of Human Rights Commitments: A Study of Two Emerging European Democracies

Making Sense of Human Rights Commitments: A Study of Two Emerging European Democracies

Author(s): Hubert Smekal,Katarína Šipulová,Ivo Pospíšil,Jozef Janovský,Petr Kilian / Language(s): English

Keywords: Human Rights Commitments; Human Rights Treaties; Political regimes; Czech Republic; Slovakia; Political History; Socialism; 1990s; Leftists and Rightist Government;

What motivates states to commit to international human rights treaties remains a much-debated question in political and legal science. Many tentative explanations for the observed variation in signature and ratification patterns have been proposed. Some are based on the content of the treaties (the substance of the protected rights and the control mechanism), some focus on the characteristics of the states making a commitment, while others are tied to external factors (having originated either from pressure from the international community or within the domestic political system). Empirical evidence supporting the proposed hypotheses remains nevertheless rather scarce, and overall knowledge about the reasons for signing and ratifying treaties is inconclusive. We aim to contribute to this scholarly discussion by providing a new and thorough examination of the commitment practice in two post-communist countries – the Czech Republic and Slovakia – and in their non-democratic and transitioning predecessors. While both countries have experienced very similar international development propelled by the same international incentives and constraints, their internal political experiences differ significantly.

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Examining Armed Conflict: Theoretical Reflections on Selected Aspects

Examining Armed Conflict: Theoretical Reflections on Selected Aspects

Author(s): Zdeněk Kříž,Kateřina Fridrichová,Zinaida Shevchuk,Jana Urbanovská,Martin Chovančík / Language(s): English

Keywords: International relations; causes of wars; Biological and psychological theories of war; Marxism and neo-Marxism; Liberal theories; Realism and neorealism; Armed Conflict; Ethnic conflict; EU; NATO;

Studies on armed conflicts are among the traditional themes of international relations. Neither the theoretical, nor the practical importanceof this issue is declining in any way. It is an extremely complex research field, integrating a plethora of findings from international relations, social sciences, as well as natural sciences. The complexity of the issue exacts a plurality of theoretical and methodological approaches in examining the phenomenon of wars. Consolidating obtained findings into a homogenous and coherent framework can, however, be even more demanding. This work represents a contribution to ongoing academic discussion in all major areas currently relevant to armed conflict research while identifying the main issues of academic debate and analyzing their shared features.

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34.96 €

The Faithful and the Reasonable: Chapters on Ecological Backwardness

Věrní a rozumní: Kapitoly o ekologické zpozdilosti

Author(s): Hana Librová,Vojtěch Pelikán,Lucie Galčanová,Lukáš Kala / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: devastation of nature; ecology; people’s interests; ecological problems; ecological backwardness;

This book follows the successful titles The Colourful and the Green: Chapters on Voluntary Simplicity and The Half-Hearted and the Hesitant: Chapters on Ecological Luxury. The author poses the question of why, at a time of continuing devastation of nature, people’s interest in nature conservation has been decreasing. Are the media to blame, or is our numbness toward ecological problems perhaps rooted in our mental makeup that tends to supress unpleasant realities? The author also wants to find out why some people have remained faithful to nature. To get to the answers, she applies sociological, philosophical, psychological, and theological perspectives. An unexpected question then arises that may surprise some readers: Why should we actually protect nature when it can take care of itself? It is not weak – it is strong and cruel. Librová’s students Vojtěch Pelikán, Lucie Galčanová, and Lukáš Kala interview the children of “the Colourful,” too: Have they inherited their parents’ modest lifestyle? Version with Bohdan Lacina’s illustrations.

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27.19 €

Gender in front of the Blackboard: Ethnographic Research of Gender Reproduction in Everyday Life of a School Class

Gender před tabulí: Etnografický výzkum genderové reprodukce v každodennosti školní třídy

Author(s): Lucie Jarkovská / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: School; education; gender studies; gender reproduction; ethnography; children and gender; everyday interaction of pupils; importance of gender;

This ethnographic study analyses the (re)production of gender in the classroom. It is theoretically grounded in the ethno-methodological approach and inspired by the poststructuralist research of children and gender. This focuses on 11-13 years old children in school environment (music, art, and family education classes). The analysis applies a complex perspective on gender reproduction within the classroom and focuses on gender at distinct levels (the level of everyday interaction, the level of discourse and positioning of individuals within the discourse, and the level of individual identities and the importance of gender for girls and boys).

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21.07 €

Joined by Choice: Homogamy and Heterogamy of Married Pairs in the Czech Republic

Spříznění volbou: Homogamie a heterogamie manželských párů v České republice

Author(s): Tomáš Katrňák / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: Czech Republic; married couples; homogamy; heterogamy; relationships; marriages; social characteristics of men and women; family;

Can we predict what our future partner will be like? Are there common patterns in how relationships (and subsequent marriages) start? Until the first half of the 20th century, social scientists and experts did not think so. Today, we know the opposite is true: Marriages are dominated by the rule of homogamy. This rule posits that the choice of your spouse is not random, it is based on similarities in social characteristics of men and women. The book analyses marriages in Czech society regarding social characteristics of the couple. It shows that entering the marriage is a part of a social stratification process, a constitutive element of the social backbone of Czech society.

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20.66 €

Nice Girls Look Elsewhere: Feminism and Pornography

Hodné holky se dívají jinam: Feminismus a pornografie

Author(s): Kateřina Lišková / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: Feminism; pornography; gender; sexuality; anti-pornographic feminism; sexology; criminology;

The book is a sociological analysis of the anti-pornographic feminist discourse. It focuses both on the concept of gender and sexuality and on the understanding of performativity in the context of symbolic power of speech. The author critically analyses the concept of gender and its connection to sexuality as raised (both explicitly and implicitly) by anti-pornographic feminism. She also deals with the anti-pornographic discourse in contemporary Czech pornography-related works of sexology and criminology. The last part of the book critically analyses pornography as a performative expression, assessing the benefits and limitations of this approach.

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32.98 €

The Diagnosis of Infertility: Sociological View of the Experience of Involuntary Childlessness

Diagnóza neplodnost: Sociologický pohled na zkušenost nedobrovolné bezdětnosti

Author(s): Lenka Slepičková / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: involuntary childlessness; assisted reproduction; medicalization of infertility; stigma of infertility; parenthood;

The book examines infertility both as a medical condition and as a specific social status. The author identifies the relevance of infertility in life biographies in the context of Czech society which highly values parenting but has one of the lowest birth-rates in Europe. She is interested in how people are adapting to this situation of conflict between their life plans and physical and social barriers. The book contains four chapters of in-depth interviews and analyses. Each chapter deals with one particular dimension of experience with infertility and its treatment.

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28.10 €

Ageing in the City, City in the Life of Seniors

Stáří ve městě, město v životě seniorů

Author(s): Lucie Vidovićová,Lucie Galčanová,Marcela Petrová Kafková,Dana Sýkorová / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: aging; seniors; city; sociology; quality of life; urbanism; ageism; housing; mobility space; neighbors;

The book focuses on the links between aging and urbanisation, precisely on the everyday life of an aging population of larger cities in the context of socio-spatial processes of regeneration and gentrification. What is the effect of changing external environment on the experience of aging? What is the impact of urban dynamics on the involvement of the elderly in social structures? Are larger Czech cities senior-friendly? The authors analyse the data obtained through mixed-method research (a standardised survey among citizens over 60 from larger cities combined with a qualitative research in focus groups and individual in-depth interviews).

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28.84 €

The Policy of Being Roma - the Roma Policy

Politika romství – romská politika

Author(s): Irena Kašparová / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: politics; Roma; ethnicity; identity; politician; being Roma; state; family; political parties; anthropology; ethnography; power; racism;

This ethno-political study deals with the relation between Romany politics and Roma policy. It analyses how politics is done by Roma people in the Czech Republic and at the same time how Roma people are approached and accommodated in Czech policy. It offers an insight into various forms of the present Roma politics and reflects the ways and circumstances under which the mutual dialogue is allowed by the majority politics. The book contains the theoretical introduction (discussing the influence of the state, cultural specifics, and majority political arena) and four portraits of contemporary Roma politicians. Through their stories, the author discusses practical applicability of various political theories and concepts in everyday life.

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0.00 €

25 Years of Public Administration Developments and Reforms in V4 region

25 Years of Public Administration Developments and Reforms in V4 region

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: Public administration; V4 region; Visegrad member states; development of public administration; Czech Republic; Hungary; Poland; Slovakia; reforms;

This publication deals with the public administration development in Visegrad member states during the last 25 years. The first four chapters describe development of public administration in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. In the last chapter are summarized approaches to public administration development and discussed good praxis that was used during reforms in mentioned states.

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26.86 €

Democratisation and Human Rights: Central European Views

Demokratizace a lidská práva: Středoevropské pohledy

Author(s): Jiří Baroš,Pavel Dufek,Michal Mochťak,Ivo Pospíšil,Petr Preclík,Hubert Smekal / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: Democracy; democratization; human rights; politics; political system; politics and law; Central Europe; protection of human rights;

In Western social discourse and political practice, democracy and human rights seem to be closely linked concepts. Yet is their closeness so obvious? The monograph analyses the significance of changes in the discourse of democratisation and human rights and their consequences for contemporary socio-political processes, particularly in Central Europe. The author’s team includes political scientists, lawyers, and political philosophers from the Masaryk university in Brno.

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0.00 €

Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference of Business Economics Management and Marketing (ISCOBEMM) 2016

Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference of Business Economics Management and Marketing (ISCOBEMM) 2016

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: Business Economics Management; marketing; international scientific conference; Masaryk University; financial crisis; industry; customer satisfaction; business environment;

A collection of papers from the 1st annual International Scientific Conference of Business Economics, Marketing and Management (ISCOBEMM 2016) organized by the Department of Corporate Economy at the Faculty of Economics and Administration of Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. The topic of this conference was Enterprises after the Financial Crisis, particularly Challenges and Solutions for the Industry; however, the scope of conference participants’ papers was much wider, as it covered topics such as customer satisfaction, business performance, foreign direct investment, business environment, family business, industrial development, gender and personality traits in innovations, social business and others. I am proud that our conference was really international with participants from more than five countries from Europe and Asia. These proceedings present the latest scientific findings in the mentioned area.

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Interception of Electronic Communications in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Interception of Electronic Communications in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Author(s): Jakub Míšek,Radim Polčák,Václav Stupka,Pavel Loutocký,Tomáš Abelovský / Language(s): English

Keywords: Security architecture; interception of telecommunication; powers for accessing telecommunication data; data traffic;

One of the most important forming factors of the distribution of public powers in the Czech Republic is its totalitarian history. There is a strong sense of distrust towards official institutions in the general public. It is probably due to this fact, that the procedures and powers of public bodies and agencies are set very rigidly. The principle of legality is set in Art. 2 para. 3 of the Czech Constitution (Act No. 1/1993 Sb. Constitution of the Czech Republic), which states that “State authority is to serve all citizens and may be asserted only in cases, within the bounds, and in the manner provided forby law” and in Art. 2 para. 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (the Resolution of the Presidium of the Czech National Council of 16 December 1992 on the declaration of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms as a part of the constitutional order of the Czech Republic No. 2/1993 Sb.), which states that “State authority may be asserted only in cases and within the bounds provided for by law and only in the manner prescribed by law”. Since all the public authorities authorized to intercept telecommunication fall within the scope of these articles, they are permitted to act only within the framework of what is expressly allowed for them by law.

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27.00 €

"Care for Sale: How Caring is Turning into Commercial Service"

Péče na prodej: Jak se práce z lásky stává placenou službou

Author(s): Adéla Souralová,Tereza Hronová,Matouš Jelínek,Vendula Křivá,Stanislav Makeš,Monika Španielová / Language(s): Czech

Keywords: Paid service; Labours of love; care and domestic work; Czech Republic; child care; elder care; domestic work; private kindergartens; households;

The book Care for Sale: How Labours of Love Turn into Paid Service examines the newly emerging market for care and domestic work in the Czech Republic. In this market, clients can buy various services that in the Czech Republic are still more often seen as part of the private sphere and as services that should be performed unpaid, for love: child care, elder care, domestic work, small repair services, and pet care. Although the book was written asa contribution to recent international sociological and anthropological research, it is aimed at the wider public, for those readers interested in how labours of love turn into paid service and what to expect when using such services.

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Current issues of the Russian language teaching XII

Aктуальные прoблeмы обучения русскому языку XII

Author(s): / Language(s): Russian

Keywords: Russian as a foreign language; methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language; issues of linguistics; issues of literary science;

Collection of papers “Current issues of the Russian language teaching XII” is devoted to issues of methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language, to issues of linguistics and literary science. It is a result of the international scientific conference of the same name which took place on 9–11 May 2016 in Brno (Czech Republic).

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COFOLA INTERNATIONAL 2015: Current Challenges to Resolution of International (Cross-border) Disputes. Conference Proceedings

COFOLA INTERNATIONAL 2015: Current Challenges to Resolution of International (Cross-border) Disputes. Conference Proceedings

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: International Commercial Arbitration; EA Order; International Investment Arbitration; Dispute Resolution; Arbitration in Bohemia; International Law;

The conference “COFOLA = Conference for Young Lawyers” is annualy organized by the Masaryk University, Faculty of Law from 2007. The main aim of this conference is to give floor to the doctoral students and young scientists at their early stage of career and enable them to present the results of their scientific activities. Since 2013 COFOLA has been enriched by special part called “COFOLA INTERNATIONAL”. COFOLA INTERNATIONAL focuses primarily on issues of international law and the regulation of cross-border relations and is also oriented to doctoral students and young scientists from foreign countries. COFOLA INTERNATIONAL contributes to the development of international cooperation between students and young scientists from different countries.

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"COFOLA INTERNATIONAL 2016. Resolution of International Disputes Public Law in the Context of Immigration Crisis

"COFOLA INTERNATIONAL 2016. Resolution of International Disputes Public Law in the Context of Immigration Crisis

Author(s): / Language(s): English

Keywords: International Commercial Arbitration; International disputes; Case law; National Courts; WIPO Arbitration Rules; European Public Policy; Public law; Immigration crisis;

The conference “COFOLA = Conference for Young Lawyers” is annualy organized by the Masaryk University, Faculty of Law from 2007. The main aim of this conference is to give floor to the doctoral students and young scientists at their early stage of career and enable them to present the results of their scientific activities. Since 2013 COFOLA has been enriched by special part called “COFOLA INTERNATIONAL”. COFOLA INTERNATIONAL focuses primarily on issues of international law and the regulation of cross-border relations and is also oriented to doctoral students and young scientists from foreign countries.

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Music Education – Terra Cognita?

Music Education – Terra Cognita?

Author(s): Marek Sedláček / Language(s): English

Keywords: 28th International Music Teacher Conference; music education; contemporary music art; music preferences of the youth;

The proceedings contain full-text papers presented in the sub-section of the 28th international music teacher conference MUSICA VIVA IN SCHOLA organized by the Department of Music, the Faculty of Education, Masaryk University in Brno (the Czech Republic) on the 18–19th October 2016. The proceedings contain the historical, philosophical-aesthetical and musical-sociological studies focusing on the current issues of music education, the contemporary art music and the music preferences of the youth.

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Integrating Physical Education and Geography: A Case Study of the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Denmark

Integrating Physical Education and Geography: A Case Study of the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Denmark

Author(s): Søren Witzel Clausen,Keld Conradsen,Irena Hergan,Eduard Hofmann,Mojca Ilc Klun,Michal Lupač,Vladislav Mužík,Matej Ogrin,Tatjana Resnik Planinc,Hana Svobodová,Hana Šeráková,Vesna Štemberger,Marek Trávniček,Maja Umek,Petr Vlček,Esben Volshøj / Language(s): English

Keywords: Physical education; geography; Czech Republic; Slovenia; Denmark; curricula; education; integration of physical education and geography;

The publication is an outcome of activity of International Network C.A.L.M.A.Z, which deals with interdisciplinary cooperation in PE and geography. The authors are representatives of university departments in the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Denmark. The publication aims to present how the participating countries approach, in their curricula, the cooperation in PE and geography. The cooperation is viewed from two perspectives – comparison of curricular documents help ascertain how this cooperation is embedded at the theoretical level. The questionnaire survey with teachers represents a probe into the realization form of the curriculum. In the conclusion, possible approaches to integration are discussed, and practical examples are presented.

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