Ve víru událostí: YWCA a spolkový život v roce 1948

• Main Author: Appeltová, Michaela
• Other Authors: Sokolová, Věra
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: Czech
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-292429

This thesis concentrates on the "other" subject of history writing, once an important women's organisation in Czechoslovakia, the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and from its perspective analyzes the changes that occurred in the NGOs sector after the communist takeover in February 1948. At first the thesis deals with its programme as well as the activities from its founding until 1948. Archive materials are in this part supplemented with the memories of its members. The main part of the thesis addresses the changes after 1948. It proves that the Communist Party did not have a clear vision of the extent of ideological control it would seek over the society - the thesis describes discussions about the structure of women and youth mass organisations that continued long after February 1948; the Communist Party indecisiveness about whether to liquidate the YWCA or merge it with one of the mass organisations; also a concern for the international consequences of liquidating the YWCA may have played its role in the communist indecisiveness. Further, the thesis describes the process of liquidating associations, intitutionalising the National Administrators in charge of the associations for the purpose of exercising better political control, and/or merging the associations with mass organisations. On the...