Masaryk University Journals / Časopisy Masarykovy univerzity
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A critical multimodal analysis of the representation of rape in pornographic novels published between 1970-1990
No full textRape remains a current and frequent topic in media products such as advertisements, films and television series, in social networks such as Twitter, Instagram and in new virtual spaces such as the metaverse. As Brownmiller (1975: 13) claimed, examining thehistory of rape may help us “learn what we need to know about our current condition”. Doing so may entail the study of representations of rape in pornographic novels published between 1970-1990, a period that partly coincided with the Second Wave of Feminism (1960-1980s) and the Golden Age of Porn (1969-1984). In such a context, book cover design was not merely an art, but a crucial factor in attracting potential customers. Building up upon Brownmiller’s assertion, this paper provides a multimodal analysis of 51 covers which contain the lemma RAPE, published between 1976 and 1990. The analysis adopted a social semiotic approach (Kress & van Leeuwen 2006) in conjunction with the principles of Feminist critical film analysis (Mulvey 1975) to document how rape scene fantasies were portrayed in the covers. Exploring these representations can help us understand many of the still prevalent myths surrounding rape nowadays, which perpetuate violent misogynistic behavior as a form of entertainment for their audience
Pípalová, R. (2024) Investigating Aspects of Academic Discourse. Prague: Charles University, Karolinum Press. 174 pp.
Get PDFA review of the monograph Investigating Aspects of Academic Discourse (2024) by Renata Pípalová
If They Talk More During Lessons, Will They Achieve Better? Unlocking the Reciprocal Relationship Between Student Verbal Participation and Achievement
No full textThis study investigates the relationship between student verbal participation and achievement in sixth-grade language arts. We conducted an intervention in six classes to enhance and equalize student talk while reducing individual disparities in participation. The design of the study involved measuring talk time and administering reading literacy tests before and after the intervention, with similar measurements in six control classrooms. The results indicated increased and more evenly distributed verbal participation in the intervention classrooms than in the control classrooms. However, no significant differences in student achievement were observed between the two groups. A path analysis examined the link between participation and achievement, confirming that verbal participation is a predictor of student success. The study suggests that the impact of increased verbal participation on achievement might be more pronounced over the long term, necessitating further research with delayed post-measurements to fully understand this relationship.This study investigates the relationship between student verbal participation and achievement in sixth-grade language arts. We conducted an intervention in six classes to enhance and equalize student talk while reducing individual disparities in participation. The design of the study involved measuring talk time and administering reading literacy tests before and after the intervention, with similar measurements in six control classrooms. The results indicated increased and more evenly distributed verbal participation in the intervention classrooms than in the control classrooms. However, no significant differences in student achievement were observed between the two groups. A path analysis examined the link between participation and achievement, confirming that verbal participation is a predictor of student success. The study suggests that the impact of increased verbal participation on achievement might be more pronounced over the long term, necessitating further research with delayed post-measurements to fully understand this relationship
Much Ado About Nothing: Intra-Party Democracy in Poland. Analysed from Party Statutes’
No full textThe aim of the paper is to examine intra-party democracy (IPD) in Poland over time, assess whether it has increased or declined, and explore generational differences among parties. We analysed parties that entered parliament following the 2023 elections. Our study was based on content analysis of party statutes, employing the analytical framework developed by von dem Berge et al. (2013). We assumed that the level of IPD changed over time and that parties established within a mature political system would exhibit higher levels of IPD than those founded during the early stages of political transformation. We also hypothesised that newer parties would prove more inclined to involve their members in decision-making processes and to use plebiscitary intra-party democracy (PIPD). However, our findings revealed a more ambiguous picture than anticipated. No significant differences between the parties were identified. Assembly-based intra-party democracy (AIPD) seemed to be the standard in parties of all generations, with only a few exceptions where some form of PIPD was used as a complementary approach
Basis for regulating gambling elements in video games
No full textTento článek poskytuje analýzu fenoménu známého jako hazardní prvky videoher a přináší východiska pro jejich právní regulaci. Tyto hazardním hrám podobné mechaniky jsou dnes standardně součástí herního designu nesčetného množství her, které jsou povětšinou přístupné nezletilým, přestože jsou v kontextu těchto prvků často využívány manipulativní obchodní praktiky, v důsledku kterých jsou hazardní prvky návykové a nesou s sebou riziko značné finanční ztráty. Zároveň však doposud nebyla přijata ucelená právní úprava, která by tento problematický herní design efektivně regulovala. Jak bude v článku objasněno, tento problém vyvstává zejména z absence ucelené definice hazardních prvků a nejednotného závěru o jejich souvislosti s hazardními hrami. Tento článek se proto zabývá zejména definicí a následnou právní kvalifikací těchto hazardních prvků a předkládá diskusi o vhodném přístupu k jejich právní regulaci, jejíž nezbytnost vyvstává zejména v kontextu praktické neúčinnosti sektorové samoregulace.This article provides an analysis of the phenomenon known as the gambling elements of video games and provides a background for their legal regulation. These gambling-like mechanics are now a common feature in the game design of countless games, most of which are accessible to minors, although manipulative commercial practices are often used in the context of these features, making them addictive and involving the risk of significant financial loss. At the same time, however, no comprehensive legislation has yet been adopted to effectively regulate this problematic game design. As will be explained in the article, this issue arises mainly from the lack of a coherent definition of gambling elements and the inconsistent conclusion on their connection to gambling. This article therefore focuses in particular on the definition and subsequent legal qualification of these gambling elements and presents a discussion on the appropriate approach to their legal regulation, the necessity of which arises particularly in the context of the practical ineffectiveness of industry self-regulation
To respond or not to respond: The effects of interpersonal goals on responsive Facebook behaviours
No full textPast research indicates that compassionate interpersonal goals are associated with greater responsiveness to others. However, whether this extends to casual friends on social networking sites (SNSs) is unclear. The current research examined the effects of interpersonal goals on the likelihood of responding with one-click reactions, comments, and private messages to mock Facebook posts by casual friends. We also examined responding differences depending on post valence. A 3 (response: one-click reaction, comment, private message) x 2 (self-image goal: low, high) x 2 (compassionate goal: low, high) x 2 (post valence: positive, negative) x 2 (post domain: work, social) mixed-model experimental design tested our predictions among Facebook users (N = 389). Results revealed that either self-image or compassionate interpersonal goals at low levels of the opposing goal increased one-click reactions and comments. Additionally, post valence and domain influenced responding. Compassionate goals increased one-click reactions and comments when responding to positive posts and private messages when responding to negative posts. All response modes were more likely for the negative than positive social post, and one-click reactions and comments were more likely for the positive than negative work post. Our findings provide causal evidence that self-image and compassionate goals can increase responding to casual friends on Facebook. Moreover, whether people respond to Facebook posts can be influenced by SNS contextual factors such as the valence of a post and the varied ways to respond
Longitudinal bidirectional relations between parental phubbing and adolescents’ life satisfaction: The roles of problematic social network use and personality
No full textParental phubbing, as a new negative factor for adolescents’ healthy and positive development, has been noticed by scholars. The current study explored the longitudinal association between parental phubbing and adolescents’ life satisfaction across three years, taking into account adolescents’ problematic social network use as a potential mediator and Big Five personality traits as moderators of the associations. This study involved 2,407 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.75, SD = 0.58 at baseline, range = 11–16) by questionnaire. The involved students were recruited from 48 classrooms across 7 different schools. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to fit our cross‐lagged panel model across three waves of data. The results showed that the relation between parental phubbing and adolescents’ life satisfaction is negative and bidirectional. Problematic social network use mediated the relation between parental phubbing and adolescents’ life satisfaction. Agreeableness moderated the relations among parental phubbing, problematic social network use, and adolescents’ life satisfaction. Specifically, the negative bidirectional relations between parental phubbing and adolescents’ life satisfaction were more robust for adolescents with low agreeableness than those with high agreeableness. Compared to adolescents with low agreeableness, adolescents who with high agreeableness experienced high parental phubbing at previous time points were more likely to have problematic social network use at subsequent time points. The present study indicates that perceived high parental phubbing can be both a precursor to and an outcome of adolescents’ low life satisfaction, serving to maintain a vicious cycle that compounds negative effects on student mental health. Further, results demonstrate how problematic social network use and personality can affect this cycle
Effects of Jump Training Program on Static Balance Parameters in Healthy Children
Get PDFBalance in childhood has a significant impact on proper growth, the development of postural control and the learning of new motor tasks. Since activities such as running and jumping require a stable body position, the aim of this study is to determine the effects of specific plyometric exercises on unilateral balance performance of the take-off leg in children. This research involved 41 children (17 boys and 24 girls) aged from 7 to 11 years old (Mean ± SD, 9.08 ± 1.32). The children had an average height of 137.51 ± 10.28 cm and weight of 32.72 ± 7.76 kg. The study observed variables related to balance ability. During testing, antero-posterior length (AP), medio-lateral length (ML), and overall mean distance (D) of body movement were observed. Repeated measures univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine differences between measurements. Tukey post hoc test was used to further analyse differences of each variable across different time periods. ANOVA results showed significant differences in observed variables (F=5.95; p=0.00; η2=0.51). Significant differences were found for AP between the initial and final measurements (p=0.04). Additionally, there was a difference in AP between the final testing and delayed training effects (p=0.02). Presented results had positive effect, respectively, children maintain better static balance after training program. No differences were found for D and ML variables. These findings suggest that plyometric training could be integrated into regular physical education programs to enhance balance and motor skills in children
Does the Effect of Sports Participation on Subjective Well-Being Remain Stable During COVID-19? National Panel Data from China
Get PDFSports participation has a positive effect on subjective well-being (SWB); however, few studies have examined the stability of this effect. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak compelled governments to enact lockdown policies to respond to this disaster briefly, causing a huge impact on the residents’ lifestyles. This study using the two data sets, the Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS) 2018 and CGSS 2021 (N= 14203), utilized the unexpected shock of COVID-19 to explore whether the impact of sports participation on SWB had been weakened during COVID-19. The results demonstrated that factors such as sports participation, educational levels, and social capital that were more closely related to lifestyle and cultural shaping had a more stable effect on SWB. Factors such as household income and employment status, which were more closely related to material things, had a significantly weaker effect on SWB during the COVID-19 period. The sex difference in SWB disappeared during this period. The disappearance of sex differences in SWB is related to the different attitudes between men and women regarding the decline in income, based on some previous relevant research. Finally, the rationale for the stable performance of sports participation was analyzed as follows: different motivations for sports participation would have different effects on SWB and individuals may adjust their motivation for participation according to different situations; therefore, the overall effect of sports participation on SWB will remain the same