Cultural War – Concept, Myth and Reality: A Clash of Ideas in “Post-Secular” American Society at the Turn of the Millennium

The idea of culture war has been used in various analyses focused on the transformation of modern society in general and especially regarding America since the 1980’s. This concept underlies the “ideological schism” demonstrated by the polarizing debates in the American public sphere. These disputes have involved a wide spectrum of disagreements about for example the relationship between church and state, multiculturalism, abortion and gay marriage. This paper will analyze the concept of cultural war and the usage of the term in the ideological struggle between liberal and conservative streams in contemporary American politics. It will also consider the sustainability of this concept for scientific reflection, especially with regards to the description and interpretation of the religious situation in American society

Role intelektuálů v procesu "ateizace" české společnosti v druhé polovině 20.století a její transformace

The article deals with resonance, development, and changes in various forms of atheism in the works of Czech, especially Marxist, intellectuals in the second half of the 20th century. Attention is also paid to their influence on public opinion, especially in connection with a rise in negative attitude of a large part of the Czech public towards religion. The study is based primarily on historical and discursive analyses of the works of principal authors from the 1950s to 1989. Among the authors discussed are important figures such as Ivan Sviták, Milan Machovec, and Vítězslav Gardavský

Náboženství v kyberprostoru. Příspěvek k současným transformacím posvátna

Devadesátá léta 20. století přinesla náboženství jednu velkou výzvu danou technologickými inovacemi a prostředky moderní masové komunikace - internet. Dnešní internet je doslova nabitý náboženskými stránkami či odkazy. V této souvislosti se článek zabývá především takovými fenomény jako konverze, náboženský konflikt a náboženský prožitek. Hlavní témata článku tvoří formování osobní identity a formování komunit v kontextu kyberprostoru. Někteří sociologové prohlašují, že internet poskytuje nové příležitosti pro experimentování se zakoušením identity a komunity. Článek proto sleduje, jak takové příležitosti mohou vypadat a jaké množství lidí jich aktuálně využívá. Existující data ukazují, že internet nevede k revoluci či odstranění konvenčních pojetí identity a komunity, ale možná usnadňuje či zesiluje změny, které už v našich společnostech reálně probíhají

Religious Situation in Contemporary Czech Society

The study deals with the analysis of the religious situation in Czech society after 1989. The starting point is the analysis of the broader historical and sociopolitical context. The study itself examines an analysis of the key census data from 1991, 2001, and 2011, together with the results of research explicitly focused on the religion and religious behavior of the Czech population. These are mainly international studies, such as the EVS, ISSP or AUFBRUCH.Studie se věnuje rozboru náboženské situace v české společnosti po roce 1989. Východiskem je rozbor širšího historického a sociopolitického kontextu. Samotná analýza se pak opírá o rozbor klíčových údajů z cenzů z let 1991, 2001 a 2011, které jsou doplněné o výsledky výzkumů zaměřených explicitně na náboženství a náboženské chování české populace. Jde především o mezinárodní výzkumy EVS, ISSP či AUFBRUCH a český výzkum DIN

Religious Situation in Contemporary Czech Society

The study deals with the analysis of the religious situation in Czech society after 1989. The starting point is the analysis of the broader historical and sociopolitical context. The study itself examines an analysis of the key census data from 1991, 2001, and 2011, together with the results of research explicitly focused on the religion and religious behavior of the Czech population. These are mainly international studies, such as the EVS, ISSP or AUFBRUCH, and Czech research in the field of DIN. The study also includes an identification of topics and problems that have not yet been sufficiently explored in the context of studying the relationship between religion and contemporary Czech society

Archetype analysis in sustainability research : meanings, motivations, and evidence-based policy making

Archetypes are increasingly used as a methodological approach to understand recurrent patterns in variables and processes that shape the sustainability of social-ecological systems. The rapid growth and diversification of archetype analyses has generated variations, inconsistencies, and confusion about the meanings, potential, and limitations of archetypes. Based on a systematic review, a survey, and a workshop series, we provide a consolidated perspective on the core features and diverse meanings of archetype analysis in sustainability research, the motivations behind it, and its policy relevance. We identify three core features of archetype analysis: recurrent patterns, multiple models, and intermediate abstraction. Two gradients help to apprehend the variety of meanings of archetype analysis that sustainability researchers have developed: (1) understanding archetypes as building blocks or as case typologies and (2) using archetypes for pattern recognition, diagnosis, or scenario development. We demonstrate how archetype analysis has been used to synthesize results from case studies, bridge the gap between global narratives and local realities, foster methodological interplay, and transfer knowledge about sustainability strategies across cases. We also critically examine the potential and limitations of archetype analysis in supporting evidence-based policy making through context-sensitive generalizations with case-level empirical validity. Finally, we identify future priorities, with a view to leveraging the full potential of archetype analysis for supporting sustainable development

Practical access to planar chiral 1,2-(α-Ketotetramethylene)- ferrocene by non-enzymatic kinetic resolution and conclusive confirmation of its absolute configuration

The asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) of racemic 1,2-(α-ketotetramethylene)ferrocene using the [N-(tosyl)-1,2-diphenylethylendiamine]ruthenium(II) complex [TsDPEN-Ru(II)] as catalyst takes place with a high level of kinetic resolution to deliver the ketone in up to 99% ee. The X-ray crystallographic structure of a derivative of the alcohol co-product serves to confirm conclusively both the absolute configuration of 1,2-(α-ketotetramethylene)ferrocene and the endo-reduction selectivity