UPPVPP050 Problems of Minorities

Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Summer 2017
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Mečislav Borák, CSc. (lecturer)
PhDr. Igor Hendrych, Ph.D. (seminar tutor)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Mečislav Borák, CSc.
Institute of Pedagogical and Psychological Sciences – Faculty of Public Policies in Opava
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of the course is to acquaint students with the basic concepts of ethnic theory as well as with the legislation on legal protection of minorities, including the interpretation of the most important laws and regulations applicable in the Czech Republic and the European Union, as well as internationally binding conventions and legal standards. The course looks closer at concrete examples of models of relations between nations and states as well as at problems of preservation and revitalization of minority ethnic identities, focusing on capturing the development and current problems of ethnic minorities in the Czech lands. It also notices the history and current state of the protection of minorities, including examples of violations of minority rights (racism, the Holocaust, genocide, xenophobia, discrimination against certain minority groups), as well as the causes and consequences of migration. Practical examples of these issues will be discussed at the seminars, also acquainting the students with the characteristics of minority policy in the Czech Republic and the creation of a multicultural society, with an emphasis on open discussion on topical issues and options for their solutions. Study Outcomes: Professional Knowledge: Having successfully completed the course, the students know basic concepts of ethnic theory and basic legislation on the legal protection of minorities, with an emphasis on Czech and European legal standards. They are familiar with the ethnic structure of the Czech Republic, they know the historical development of ethnic minorities and their current problems and minority policy in the Czech lands. They can also demonstrate basic knowledge regarding the violation of minority rights and know examples of discrimination leading up to genocide, including their causes, motives, course and consequences. Professional Skills: Having successfully completed the course, the students can explain and use in practice the concepts related to the issue of minorities and their protection and they can independently acquire new sources of information about minority issues and apply the knowledge gained through interpretation of legal standards to concrete practical examples. They are well-informed on the current means of prevention or redress of discriminatory practices against minorities. General Qualification: Students can make good use of the interdisciplinary focus of the course on the intersection of history, sociology, psychology, political science and law not only for specific work with minorities in the field of public administration, but also in their work performance in many related fields. Also positive is the emphasis on mastering the ability to recognize the ethical dimension of problems related to the observance of minority rights.
Syllabus
  • 1. Basic concepts of ethnic theory
    2. Models of relations between nations and states
    3. Problems of preservation and revitalization of the ethnic identity of minorities
    4. Development and current issues of indigenous minorities in the Czech Republic
    5. Development and current issues of other minorities in the Czech Republic
    6. Migration, asylum policy and new ethnic groups in the Czech Republic
    7. Theory and practice of minority policy in Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic
    8. Basics of legal protection of minorities, the development of international standards of minority rights protection
    9. Motives and tools of genocides
    10. 20th Century Genocides - examples (Armenians, the Holocaust, the crimes of Nazism and Communism)
    11. 20th Century Genocides - examples (Cambodia, China, Africa), possibilities of prevention
    12. Multiculturalism and discrimination, the attitude of Czech society towards minorities
    13. Summary
Literature
    required literature
  • Kolektiv autorů. Cizinci v České republice. Praha: ČSÚ, 2007. info
  • Sirovátka, T. (ed.). Menšiny a marginalizované skupiny v České republice. Brno: Masarykova univerzita a nakladatelství Geo, 2002. ISBN 80-86251-13-6. info
  • Šišková, T. (ed.). Menšiny a migranti v České republice. Praha: Portál, 2001. ISBN 80-7178-648-9. info
  • Nečas, C. Romové v České republice. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého, 1999. ISBN 80-7067-952-2. info
  • Šišková, T. Výchova k toleranci a proti rasismu. Praha: Portál, 1998. ISBN 80-7178-285-8. info
    recommended literature
  • www.bariery.cz. info
  • www.varianty.cz. info
  • Zákon č. 325/1999 Sb. (zákon o azylu). info
  • Zákon č. 326/1999 Sb. (zákon o pobytu cizinců na území ČR). info
  • ALLPORT, G. W. O povaze předsudků. Praha: Prostor, 2004. ISBN 80-7260-125-3. info
  • MUSIL, L. "Ráda bych vám pomohla, ale-": dilemata práce s klienty v organizacích. Brno: Marek Zeman, 2004. ISBN 80-903070-1-9. info
  • NAVRÁTIL, P. Romové v české společnosti: Jak se nám spolu žije a jaké má naše soužití vyhlídky. Praha: Portál, 2003. ISBN 80-7178-741-8. info
  • BAAR, V. Národy na prahu 21. století. Emancipace nebo nacionalismus? Ostrava: Ostravská univerzita; Šenov u Ostravy:, 2002. ISBN 80-86101-66-5. info
  • VÁCLAVÍK, D. Etnické a kulturní minority ve střední Evropě. Liberec: Technická univerzita, 2001. ISBN 80-7083-457-9. info
  • ŠATAVA, L. Jazyk a identita etnických menšin: Možnosti zachování a revitalizace. Praha: Cargo Publishers, 2001. ISBN 80-902952-1-5. info
  • Kolektiv autorů. Národnostní menšiny: Historické souvislosti některých aktuálních problémů v Evropě a v ČR. Praha: Porta linguarum, 2000. ISBN 80-901833-7-9. info
  • NAVRÁTIL, P., MUSIL, L. Sociální práce s příslušníky menšinových skupin. In Sociální studia. Brno: Fakulta sociálních studií MU, 2000. info
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course can also be completed outside the examination period.
Teacher's information
Two written papers: 1) review of a book or article on minority issues, 2) paper or essay on a specific topic related to minority issues and the protection of minorities. The exam includes a written test aimed at the verification of theoretical and practical knowledge.
The course is also listed under the following terms Winter 2010, Winter 2011, Summer 2013, Summer 2014, Summer 2015, Summer 2016, Summer 2018, Summer 2019.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Summer 2017, recent)
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