Perspectives of performers and visitors on living library concept realization

Master's thesis is focusing on the realization of the human library model from the perspective of its implementers and its visitors. Human library is a method where the reader has an opportunity to face his/hers prejudice and have an open conversation with it. In this way intercultural dialogue is being created which encourages acceptance of diversity, broadens the horizons and begins to break down the prejudices and stereotypes. In theoretical part I focus on the methodology of the human library, its purpose and history. I have highlighted several elements that can not be over looked in the organization of such an event. Hereafter I have introduced topics highly interlinked with human library, such as prejudices and stereotypes, voluntary work and narration of life stories. In the empirical part I explore personal experience of the human library from the point of view of its implementers (living books) and its visitors (the readers). I was interested in how implementers and visitors were perceiving the experience, what is their opinion about the method itself and what advantages and disadvantages they had noticed. The mentioned part is based on qualitative research in which I had included six people, three readers and three living books. I have gathered data with the help of semi-structured interviews which I qualitatively analysed. Findings show that everyone describes the human library as a valuable experience where they have gained something for themselves as well. Among this things are quality leisure time, meeting new people and making new friendships, opening up new perspectives and with it encouraging exploration of themselves and the world in general, as well as changing previous concepts which led to exploration and demolition of their own prejudices. Especially highlighted in the process was the importance of the personal contact and relationship which is at the same time one of the main concepts of the social pedagogy