Suchergebnisse

The author, a Czech social anthropologist who returned home from exile in order to help in the introduction of his discipline, writes a field report in which he describes in relative detail the vicissitudes of Czech social anthropology during the last thirteen postcommunist years. Even though lecturing on social anthropology became common in Czech universities, the institutionalization of the discipline encounters stiff resistance from the conservative academic establishment. Social anthropology gets support in new provincial universities (Pardubice, Plzen) & only very reluctantly in Prague (Charles U). As a result, Czech protagonists of social anthropology are scattered throughout various institutions. Nevertheless, the author concludes, social anthropology has become known in the Czech Republic as a dynamic part of the social sciences. Grant agencies have given support to fieldwork projects on minorities, political culture, & identity problems during the transformation process. If the momentum gained during the recent years were to be sustained, social anthropology has a bright future on the Czech academic scene.

From the beginning of social thinking, social class has been used as an explanatory factor for social phenomena in both the Marxist & Weberian traditions. However, many sociologists have pointed out that during the second half of the 20th century & especially at the beginning of the 1990s the usefulness of social classes in explaining social phenomena is declining. This article presents three recent debates on class analysis. The debates outline two opposing arguments. The first position accepts the "death of class" argument & conceptualizes contemporary socio-economic inequalities in terms of a status-based society. The second position rejects the "death of class" argument & conceptualizes contemporary socio-economic inequalities in terms of a new language of class. The question remains as to which of these arguments will be more persuasive for sociology in the next decade. 1 Figure, 55 References. Adapted from the source document.

A review essay on a book by Martin Potucek et al, Pruvodce krajinou priorit pro CKeskou republiku ([A Guide in the Landscape of Priorities for the Czech Republic] Prague: Centre Social & Economic Strategies, 2002). This publication presents the results of a 2-year forecasting project initiated (& funded) by the Czech government & prepared by a wide circle of academic & executive experts. The review follows two aims: to (1) introduce the reader to the structure & complexity of the text & to present the reviewer's evaluation of it, & (2) outline the role of forecasting studies in modern societies & their specific evolution & current situation in the domestic (academic & political) context. The review appreciates that the preparation of the study was based on the interaction of actors in academic, executive, & political spheres who see a stake for themselves in future studies. The critical assessment focuses on the theoretical claims of the study, which suggest understanding current transformations with reference to debates about modernity.