Duration:
2015–2018
Client:
Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic
Department:
Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Arts, University of West Bohemia; Center for Applied Anthropology and Field Research
Research Team:
Mgr. Petr Kupka, Ph.D. – Principal Investigator
Collaborating Experts:
- Mgr. et Mgr. Kateřina Tvrdá, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Ladislav Toušek, Ph.D.
- Mgr. Václav Walach, Ph.D.
Abstract:
The aim of the project is to understand how representations of organized crime were constructed within the politics of combating organized crime in the Czech Republic between 1989 and 2016. Specifically, it focuses on the ways representations associated with organized crime (actors, activities, and events) were constructed in Czech political documents. Emphasis will be placed on identifying dominant and competing representations, the processes of their construction, and their perceived influence on the adoption of individual policies.
The research is based on a critical discourse analysis of government strategic and conceptual documents related to combating organized crime, complemented by 30 interviews with representatives of institutions responsible for producing these documents. While the documents will serve to identify representations, the interviews with their authors will shed light on the process of their construction.
The main outputs of the project will include six published articles (3 in Jimp, 2 in Jsc, and 1 in Jost).