Perception of male and female body in the czech medical literature of the second half of 19th and early 20th century

This thesis deals with the way in which the human body was discussed from different points of view in a particular type of medical literature (so called "Family Doctor Books) in the second half of the 19th and early 20th century. The work is based on a premise that body is not only neutral biological foundation made in nature but perception of body and physicality is influenced by society. That's why certain social changes may reflect changes in perception of human body, especially its conceptualization as a female and male body. Since just around sixties of the 19th century both emancipatory activities of Czech women, their rights extension and generally transformation of gender relations in society started to develop. This work examines whether these social changes reflected in the manner in which it was human, and thus male and female, body reported on in a particular medical literature. This work also explores what such conceptions of human body say about gender changes in society