Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Social sciences

After the Civil War, while the South was being physically and politically reconstructed, the North was being industrialized. In 1890, the frontier was closed when the Native Americans were displaced; they were finally defeated in the Battle of Wounded Knee (South Dakota). In 1893, the Columbian Exposition took place.

The Closing of the Frontier

The closing of the frontier had a psychological effect because it put an end to the national epic conquest of the West. On the one hand, it created a sense of being self-contained, meaning they couldn’t easily start from scratch as before. On the other hand, it brought the satisfaction of having defeated the wilderness.

Expansion and the Transcontinental Railroad

Connected with that were two events that... Continue reading "The Gilded Age and American Industrialization" »

Level of Democratization in Iran

The definition of an illiberal democracy is a democracy in which so-called democratic processes, such as elections, take place, but these are accompanied by limitations on civil liberties.

While Iran may have started out as an illiberal democracy, several factors point to significant repression:

• Prevalent executions
• Forcing women to wear the hijab
• Ill treatment of homosexuals (often officially denied as existing in Iran)
• Silence imposed upon religious minorities (such as Sunnis and Baha'is)
• Repression of political opposition
• Censorship of media, internet, and culture
• Oversight by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance

Political protests, such as the Green Revolution and the 2018 protests against the Ayatollah, may... Continue reading "Iran's Illiberal Democracy Structure and Civil Liberties" »

Classical Approaches to Social Change

Auguste Comte (1798-1857)

• Social Dynamics: The processes that operate within society.
• Social Statics: The study of the parts of society and their relations.

Herbert Spencer (1850-1903)

• Structures: Relationships that shape a society.
• Functions: The role played by each social group within the social system.

Basic Sociological Laws

• Laws of Coexistence: Why certain social phenomena invariably appear together.
• Inheritance Laws: Why certain social phenomena precede others.

Understanding Technological Change

Partial Technological Change

Occurs when there is a change in perception, use, or characteristics of a given technology:

• Change in the social perception of a given technology.
• Change in the types of uses of a given technology.

The Gilded Age: Capitalism, Corruption, and Tycoons

American finance fueled a series of peaks in American capitalism, characterized by intense moments of expansion and recession. This era of big business often fostered widespread corruption.

Defining the Gilded Age

The government strongly favored modernization and the rapid accumulation of wealth. This period was famously dubbed The Gilded Age by Mark Twain, who observed: “The golden gleam of the gilded surface hides the cheapness of the metal underneath.”

Economic Transformation and Rural Displacement

By the end of this golden period, ordinary farmers and veterans were increasingly displaced. This displacement was driven by financiers seeking to consolidate land and increase the size of their... Continue reading "The Gilded Age: American Capitalism, Corruption, and the Robber Barons" »

The United Kingdom: A Hybrid Governance Model

1. United Kingdom

• Hybrid between both models.
• All nations joined together in 1707 through the Act of Union.
• Devolution (1999): The central government granted legislative and political power to the three nations.
• The three nations established individual parliaments for their respective territories.

National Level

• Unitary state structure.
• Head of Government (HoG): Prime Minister; Head of State (HoS): Queen Elizabeth II.
• UK Cabinet: Comprised of 25 senior ministers, each assisted by a secretary of state (junior ministers) who operate with significant independence.
• Increased powers granted to Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Regional Level

• Since 1999, the UK government devolved political power to the nations.

The Rise of Social Darwinism and Economic Change

A new credo emerged based upon social Darwinism: the transcendentalist “man” became “economic man.” Democracy was identified with capitalism, liberty with property, equality with the opportunity to gain, and progress with the accumulation of wealth. Herbert Spencer applied these Darwinian ideas to society, arguing that if people succeeded in life because they were strong, politics should not interfere. The state, therefore, should not intervene in markets or protect farmers.

The Populist Response

Farmers organized a third party, known as the People’s Party or the Populist Party. They argued that, according to the United States Constitution, they possessed rights that were being ignored... Continue reading "The Industrial Transformation and Technological Rise of America" »

TEMA 3

TEMA 3 Renaissance 1: The decline of the M.A, divided in: The end of the 100 years war, the peasant revolts and church schism. The beginning of the new period in Europe: technological development like printing press, discovery of America, military development. In England: Tudor dynasty, the break with Rome, union between Wales and England (1536).

Humanism:

Reaction against M.A., the classical as models, critical attitude towards the court, centrality of man -> heliocentrism, ideal renaissance man -> justice, prudence, honor, pledge, foundation of universities, education is central, interest in man history...

The Reformation:

The Catholics vs. Protestants. - Theological issues: Basis of Salvation. - Protestantism: faith + free interpretation... Continue reading "The Renaissance: Literature, Theater, and Ideology" »

Anglo-Saxon Administrative Model: USA

• More flexible, without a rigid hierarchical pyramid structure.
• Composed of various secretarial organs, which can be:
  • Unipersonal (e.g., the Presidency)
  • Collegial (e.g., the Cabinet)
  The distinction lies in the number of individuals forming the organ.
• These secretariats typically do not possess rule-making power, unlike ministers in the French model.
• Peripheral Administration: Belongs to the national executive but exercises power only within a specific territory at its level.

French Administrative Model

• France operates as a unitary state, where political power primarily resides at the national level, under a semi-presidential system.

National Level

• Executive Branch: Comprises the Prime Minister (e.g., Édouard Philippe)

Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory

• Individualism vs. Collectivism: Refers to how personal needs and goals are prioritized compared to the needs and goals of the group or organization.
• Masculinity vs. Femininity: Masculine societies tend to have more distinct social gender roles compared to feminine cultures.
• Uncertainty Avoidance: Indicates how comfortable people are with ambiguity and change. Low avoidance means comfort with change; high avoidance means preference for known systems.
• Power Distance: The degree to which people accept and expect unequal power distribution in society and are comfortable with influencing upwards.
• Time Perspective (Long-Term Orientation): Focuses on long-term planning for the future versus short-term perspectives.