Zdeněk teaches theoretical modules on culture and media at Prague City University. After graduating from Journalism and Media Studies at Charles University in Prague, Zdeněk spent two years at the Department of Media Education at Leipzig University in Germany where he became acquainted with research on children, family and media and became involved in media production with high school students. He has published a book on media education in the family (2013) and media production in the school environment (2011). Currently, he is finishing his PhD in Media and Cultural Studies at Palacký University in Olomouc.

He has worked as a researcher at the Gender & Sociology department of the Institute of Sociology Czech Academy of Sciences researching parenting of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. At Palacký University in Olomouc, where he has worked since 2011, he researched the situation of intersex people and second generation LGBTQ+ Vietnamese migrants in Czechia. He has published a book on growing up, parenting and homosexuality (Pasparta, 2016, in Czech) and several book chapters and academic articles incl. articles on parenting and an analysis of the development of the structure of the Czech LGBTIQ movement (East European Politics, 2022).

Prior to his academic career, he was a film journalist contributing to several online outlets and lifestyle magazines. He was also a copywriter in several advertising agencies in the mid-2010s.

Education

• Bc. Journalism, Charles University, Prague
• Mgr. Media Studies, Charles University, Prague

Professional Activities

• 2011-now, lecturer (Journalism, Media Studies), Palacký University in Olomouc
• 2020-2022, Poprebel project, research on populism (EU Horizont 2020), Charles University
• 2018-2020, research on LGB parenting (GAČR), Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Science
• 2018-2019, lecturer (Marketing Communication), VŠFS Prague
• 2009-2010, study on social values (MŠMT), Centre for Economic and Social Strategies FSV UK
• 2008-2009, research on work-life balance (GAAV), Institute of Sociology, Czech Academy of Science
• 1999-2007, film journalist, advertising copywriter

Publications

• Sloboda, Z. 2022. „Development and (Re) Organization of the Czech LGBT+ Movement (1989–2021).“ East European Politics, 34(2): 281–302. DOI: 10.1080/21599165.2021.2015686
• Sloboda, Z. 2018. „Considering historical (dis)continuities of Media (Literacy) Education in the Czech Republic for the future approach.“ Communication Today, 9(1): 5–19. [online]
• Sloboda, Z. 2015. „Od deviantů k učitelům: neheterosexuální maskulinity v současných českých televizních seriálech,“ Gender, rovné příležitosti, výzkum, 16(1): 23–34. [online]
• Sloboda, Z. 2013. Mediální výchova v rodině – postoje, nástroje, výzvy. Olomouc: Vydavatelství Univerzity Palackého.