Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Social sciences for Baccalaureate

Economic Globalization

Economic globalization is the process by which international economic relations become more intense and decision-making power is concentrated in a small number of agencies or businesses. Globalization results from trade liberalization, market deregulation, and increased capital mobility, which enhance international specialization. Multinational enterprises are the main beneficiaries of this process. The global economy is structured around a few localized decision-making centers in the U.S., the EU, and Japan, where the headquarters of large companies are located.

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was founded in March 1975 to reduce regional disparities between the Member...

The Spanish Constitution of 1978

The Constitution of 1978 is the legal framework of democracy and the rule of law in Spain. It was the result of the Constituent Cortes elections held in 1977, which were aimed specifically at drafting the constitution. The democratic proposals of the *Junta Democrática* sought to achieve the constitution through these elections.

The Drafting Committee and Consensus

The Prime Minister, Adolfo Suárez, chose a parliamentary committee (often referred to as the "Seven Fathers of the Constitution"). The committee members represented various political groups:

• UCD: 3 members (Cisneros, Llorca, Herrero Rodríguez de Miñón)
• AP (Alianza Popular): 1 member
• PSOE: 1 member (Peces-Barba)
• PCE: 1 member (Jordi Solé Tura)
• CIU: 1

3. Consolidación Tica and Democratic Crisis UCD (1979 - 1982):
Adopted the Constitution, Suarez called for new elections for March 1979, and UCD won again in the minority. In this period, he developed the State of Autonomous Regions. Title VIII of the Constitution established the possibility that all regions, and not only the historical nationalities, could become autonomous. They had to settle for legislative bodies (self-elected parliaments) elected by universal suffrage and executive bodies (self-government). It provided for the transfer of legislative and executive powers to the autonomous powers, establishing two degrees of autonomy, since the autonomous powers could receive different levels of skills and a different pace. Approved the...

Sociolinguistics: Core Concepts and Definitions

1. Defining Sociolinguistics

Sociolinguistics deals with all matters related to the use of language, i.e., the conditions of its existence.

2. Domains of Language Use (Ambit Usage)

This concept consists of the contexts where a language or language variety is utilized, such as education, family, justice, etc. The areas of use depend on four primary factors:

Factors Influencing Usage Domains

• The Individual Speaker: Age, cultural level, origin, and sex.
• Location and Receiver: The setting and the person being addressed.
• Topic: Daily, technical, or specialized subjects.
• Intent: The purpose of the communication.

3. The Language Community

A language community consists of members who share at least one common language...

Catalan Language Variations and Usage Factors

Languages are not used monolithically; their application varies depending on several linguistic variation factors. These varieties are associated with users and define the range where the single user chooses between the options offered by the code. The geographic range classifies the Catalan language by area, allowing us to distinguish between Western Catalan (Valencian and Northwest) and Eastern Catalan (Roussillon, Central, Balearic, and Alghero). The choice is also determined by the historical epoch in which the speaker lives, the choice depending on the speaker's social conditions and socio-cultural background. Finally, the standard variety neutralizes differences in code usage among different...

The Popular Front

In the crucial elections of February 1936, the Republican parties of the left and labor forces presented themselves together, despite their ideological differences. This electoral alliance, called the Popular Front, was a circumstantial coalition formed to defeat the right-wing coalition that had ruled for the previous two years.

The gestation of the Popular Front was stressed by PSOE leader Indalecio Prieto and Manuel Azaña. Meanwhile, right-wing groups went to the polls disunited, as Gil Robles, Calvo Sotelo, and José Antonio Primo de Rivera failed to reach agreements, which led to the Popular Front's victory by a narrow margin.

Government Reforms and Actions

A few days after the election, Azaña was appointed head of a government...

Jean-Jacques Rousseau — Liberty, Inequality & Education

Jean-Jacques Rousseau was born in Geneva (Switzerland) in the eighteenth century during the Age of Enlightenment. His ideas influenced the French Revolution, the U.S. Declaration of Independence, and later thought. However, his thinking was controversial and widely criticized, and many of his works were banned in parts of Europe.

Critique of Absolutism and Defense of Liberty

At a time when absolutism was in full swing as the prevailing political regime, Rousseau criticized the dominant ideas of church and state. He argued against the absolutism of church and state in Europe and defended individual liberty and toleration. He shares some principles with the Enlightenment, but he often...

1.3 The Monarchical Constitution of 1876

Cánovas began by convening a constitutional process through an assembly of notables, charged with preparing a draft constitution, which was promulgated on June 30, 1876. This constitution was seen as a moderately successful equilibrium between the 1845 and 1869 revolutionary models. It consists of 89 articles across 13 titles and two essential parts:

• Part 1: A declaration of individual rights.
• Part 2: A mechanism and planned policy to develop and enforce the law.

The electoral law of 1878 allowed only 5% of the population to vote; however, in 1890, thanks to Sagasta, universal male suffrage was granted to all males over 25 years of age.

2.1 The Political Parties

Bipartisanship alternated in power through...

The Reign of Isabella II (1843-1868)

Upon the coming of age of Isabella II, the old regime was dismantled, and the construction of the new, authentically liberal state proceeded. Prominence corresponded to the Moderates, who ruled for most of this era. These years can be distinguished in several phases:

• A Moderate Decade (1844-1854)
• A Progressive Biennium (1854-1856)
• A subsequent period of alternation between Moderates and Progressives.

The Moderate Decade (1844-1854)

In 1844, a few months after the declaration of the Queen's majority, the government was formed by General Narváez, the leader of the Moderate political faction. His administration was characterized by several key actions:

• Political stability
• The adoption of a new constitution
• Control

The Roots of Catalan Political Identity

The liberal state in Spain facilitated the emergence of European cultural currents. It outlined a Romanticism that defended the social and cultural identity politics of the people, which eventually introduced nationalism. In Catalonia, this was accepted from 1830 onwards, growing alongside economic and social development driven by industrialization.

The Renaixença: Cultural Recovery

These elements are reflected in the Renaixença, a movement focused on recovering Catalan history, culture, and language. This recovery had two main branches:

• Cultured current: Supporters of a refined language, careful to avoid barbarisms.
• Ordinary folk: Those who defended the spoken Catalan language. This led to new theaters