Children between Czech Family Stereotype and Norwegian Welfare System

Bilateral initiative facts

Promoter:
Metropolitan University Prague(CZ)
Bilateral initiative number:
CZ-BI015
Status:
Completed
Initial cost:
€13,406
Actual cost:
€10,274
Initiative Types:
Report
Study tour
Workshop or seminar
Partners:
Volda University College(NO)
Programme:
Programme areas:

Description

The aim of the initiative is to raise awareness of media representations of practices of Norwegian Welfare Services in the Czech media. The project is founded on discursive analysis of one significant case in which the Czech media were thoroughly interested in Norwegian welfare system. A public workshop was organized in the Czech Republic where scholars presented ideas about media literacy. The expected results of the initiative are comparing two media systems with respect to specific media practices in both countries in a particular area of interest. On another level the expected result

Summary of the results

We (Metropolitní univerzita Praha and Hogskulen i Volda) realized five activities including expert meetings, seminars, workshops and definitely we met the project´s main goal – a preparation of the scholarly article. The study offers an analysis of media representations of the story of two Czech brothers, small boys, who were taken away from their mother Eva Michaláková by Norwegian administrative body Barnevernet in 2011. We have managed to compare the media representation of the issues of how the media in both countries take place in the discussion about the complexity and usefulness of the Child Welfare Service. The positions and perspectives of audiences in Czech Republic and Norway have been quite different, so it was a challenge to set up methodological tools to describe these differences with the least possible amount of bias. Czech team finally presented strong methodological tools for analysis of media content, which were accepted by the Norwegian team.

The bilateral cooperation resulted in the improved knowledge consisting of mutual triangulation of media system in Middle and Northern Europe. Both teams have agreed on further cooperation on the question of trust in media.

Information on the projects funded by the EEA and Norway Grants is provided by the Programme and Fund Operators in the Beneficiary States, who are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of this information.