Lidé města

Tango Revivals: Nostalgia, Listening, Experimentation

2024-02-12T13:02:34+01:00

This article examines the history and culture of Argentinian tango as a translocal social dance and emphasizes its revivalist component along with other characteristic features: nostalgia, listening, and experimentation. It represents the partial and the preliminary result of the author’s anthropological research that they are currently conducting as part of the doctoral programme at the Faculty of Humanities of Charles University in Prague. The author concludes that both nostalgic beliefs and the desire to create something new contribute to the process of tango revival.

Particular Aspects of Public Sociology

2024-03-04T12:10:41+01:00

This article explores the concept of public sociology, its origins, theoretical foundations, and its intersections with Czech social thought. The suppression of sociology as a whole during the communist regime is discussed as a backdrop to the emergence of public sociology. The foundational definition of public sociology by Michael Burawoy is introduced, along with his key work „For Public Sociology“ (Burawoy 2005a), which sparked discussions and established a prominent direction in sociological thinking. Burawoy‘s division of sociological labour and his eleven theses are highlighted, focusing on the first three theses. The development and reception of public sociology are discussed, including its expansion into fields like ethnography, international relations, and philosophy. The significance of comparing public sociology in different national contexts is noted. Various figures of Czech social thought, including Rádl, Mertl, and Fajfr but also F. Peroutka, are presented as potential contributors to public sociology. The tension between traditional and organic public sociology, as well as its connections to political and philosophical ideas, are analyzed. The relevance of public sociology in bridging the gap between academia and society is underlined. The interplay between professionalism, neutrality, and engagement in sociological work is examined, reflecting Burawoy‘s arguments. Overall, the article provides insights into the theoretical underpinnings of public sociology, its historical context, and its potential contributions to contemporary sociological discourse.

American Interwar Sociology in Pictures

2024-03-04T12:16:08+01:00

The author presents fifteen photographs from the private album of Otakar Machotka (1899–1970), taken of prominent American sociologists and social scientists hailing from the interwar era. Machotka was one of the key personalities of Czech sociology in the given period, striving for its empiricization and internationalization, while at the same time he was an excellent expert on American and French sociology. He published a study on American sociology (1937) based on a research stay in Chicago and Los Angeles (and on his travels throughout the United States) in 1934–35. The photographs, which are published here for the first time, were taken at the same time. Although for methodological reasons we cannot consider them a sociological resource in the full sense, they provide interesting insight into the elite of the field at the time. The portraits are accompanied by short biographies, written by the publisher.

The Emergence and Demise of Narratives on the Example of the Journey of the St John Nepomuk Statue

2024-02-12T12:41:55+01:00

Using the example of the statue of St John of Nepomuk outside Saint John the Baptist Church (Na Prádle) in Prague’s Lesser Town, the author presents a reflection on the wide range of ideas upon which the narrative of a historical monument located in the city’s landscape depends on. This sculpture is especially admired as an example of Baroque art. The location of this statue in front of Saint John the Baptist Church is one of the factors that creates the impression of a picturesque and visually attractive spot. At the same time, however, this statue is known to have been originally located on the opposite shore of the Vltava River. Until the beginning of the 20th century, it was part of a religious cult, and its presence in the Cattle Market (now Charles Square) was seen as part of a greater pilgrimage site in which St John of Nepomuk was revered. By studying sources and literature, the author gradually uncovers layers of meanings intertwined with this particular work. At the same time, the author reflects on the possible consequences of transferring (not only) religious monuments from their original locations, especially with regard to the city’s memory.

Doc. PhDr. František Vrhel, CSc.

2024-03-04T12:20:24+01:00

S několikadenním zpožděním jsem se dozvěděl, že nás navždy opustil emeritní děkan Filozofické fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, dlouholetý ředitel Ústavu etnologie této fakulty, legendární etnolog, iberoamerikanista, překladatel a můj vzácný učitel, docent František Vrhel.

Bibliografie Františka Vrhela

2024-03-04T12:22:34+01:00

Při práci na níže prezentované (a jistě neúplné) bibliografii jsme využili Výběrovou bibliografii doc. PhDr. Františka Vrhela, CSc., z pera Jana Pargače a Miloše Tomandla, publikovanou in Národopisný věstník / Bulletin d'ethnologie 72, 2013/3, s. 111–116 při příležitosti sedmdesátých narozenin Fr. Vrhela a (nepublikovanou) výběrovou bibliografii Fr. Vrhela, kterou sestavila Zuzana Korecká. Za pomoc s finalizací patří dík Marii Vrhelové.

Marek Jakoubek – Vladimir Penčev: Češi a Slováci v Bulharsku. Příspěvky ke studiu české, slovenské a československé krajanské přítomnosti v bulharských zemích

2024-03-04T12:24:39+01:00

A review of the book by Marek Jakoubek and Vladimir Penčev.

Jaroslav Kříž: Česká Amerika. Chicago

2024-03-04T12:27:11+01:00

A review of the book by Jaroslav Kříž.

Mezinárodní konference SIEF

2024-03-04T12:28:57+01:00

Letošní rok byl pro českou etnologii a antropologii významný tím, že se v Brně konala doposud největší mezinárodní vědecká akce daných oborů na našem území, a sice 16. kongres Société Internationale d’Ethnologie et de Folklore (SIEF). Této prestižní bianuální konference se zúčastnilo téměř tisíc osob. Potkali se zde zkušení i začínající odborníci z řad etnologů, folkloristů, sociálních a kulturních antropologů i badatelé dalších příbuzných disciplín – například historie, archivnictví, sociologie či environmentálních věd. Po dlouhých čtyřech letech měli členové SIEF opět možnost setkat se osobně, což při minulé plně online konferenci v roce 2021 v Helsinkách nebylo vinou pandemie Covid-19 a s ní souvisejících restrikcí možné. O to větší byla letos účast i nadšení většiny, kteří do Brna přijeli či došli, aby se zde mohli osobně setkat s odborníky působícími na celém světě ve stejných či podobných oblastech výzkumu. Poučit se, inspirovat a možná navázat nové kontakty pro budoucí spolupráci. V každém případě se jednalo o akci, která jednoznačně zviditelnila české etnologické a potažmo i antropologické bádání.

Konference Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture a Society for Psychological Anthropology

2024-03-04T12:31:45+01:00

Na univerzitě v San Diegu se konala multidisciplinární konference zaměřená na duševní zdraví, jeho formy, naše chování a subjektivní zkušenosti našich těl
a mysli, nazvaná Ecologies of Mind – Practices That Harm, Practices That Heal. Společně ji organizovaly dvě společnosti, a to Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture (SSPC) a Society for Psychological Anthropology (SPA). Jejich příspěvky přitom probíhaly simultánně a každý účastník mohl navštěvovat panely obou organizací. Účastníci pocházeli primárně z oblasti antropologie, psychiatrie a psychologie; konference byla zaměřena také na vzájemnou mezioborovou podporu.