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

Text Structure

Sequence of sentences, but not any sequence of sentences is a text.

Considered a text, if it is coherent and if it complies with certain norms which are typical of a text.

Texts must have:

• Cohesion: formal, grammatical relations between sentences in a text.
• Coherence: interaction between the text and the real world. It relates to the mental and conceptual aspects of the given information.
• Recurrence (repetition), progression (sequence) and connectivity (connectors).

Textual Competence

Capacity to construct well-formed texts. Capacity to interpret well-formed texts or accept messages. This competence can be evidenced in different situations: monologs/dialogs, oral/written discourse, face to face/distance interactions, simultaneous/differed... Continue reading "Text Structure and Textual Competence" »

Acquisition

is the process of internalizing a language in a context where that language is used as the usual means of communication. It is a subconscious process of which the individual is not aware. A language is acquired when the process occurs naturally or when the process is not externally guided.

Learning

is the process of internalizing a language as a result of formal study, typically in a classroom situation. It is a conscious process, much like what one experiences in school.

SL:

refers to any language acquired after the mother tongue or native language (the one acquired in the family), regardless it is second, third, etc. Normally, it is officially spoken in one’s country.

FL:

refers to any language learned after the native language.... Continue reading "Language Acquisition and Learning: Theories and Processes" »

Rewriting and Literary Reception

Rewriting significantly influences the reception, acceptance, or rejection of literary texts. Several factors empower 'rewriting persons' such as translators, historiographers, anthologists, critics, and editors. These influences are primarily ideological and poetological.

Ideological Influence

A crucial consideration is the translator's ideology or the ideology imposed by patronage.

Poetological Influence

This involves two components:

• Literary Devices: Genres, symbols, leimotifs, narrative plots, and formalized characters.
• The Role of Literature: The concept of literature's role within the social system in which it exists.

The Literary System

Professionals within the literary system, such as critics, reviewers, academic... Continue reading "Rewriting and Power Dynamics in Literary Translation" »

Power in Global Politics

Power is a central concept in global politics. It's the ability to effect change within social organizations, not a unitary force. Understanding power dynamics is crucial, especially with growing globalization and contested relationships between people and groups.

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is a state's independence, territorial control, and self-governance. How states use this power is key. Some argue globalization erodes sovereignty, while others believe states retain significant power in their national interest.

Legitimacy in Governance

Legitimacy is the basis for governance and exercising power. Democracy and constitutionalism, where citizens choose their leaders, are widely accepted sources. Other sources exist where this... Continue reading "Power, Sovereignty, Legitimacy, and Interdependence in Global Politics" »

Accuracy

The accuracy of a tool is the smallest value it is capable of measuring.

Variable

Each of the factors you chose in your hypothesis is called a variable.

Matter

If you look around you, you will see that all the objects that are visible to the naked eye are matter. Matter has dimensions, that is, it occupies space. Matter has inertia, that is, it offers resistance to changes in its state of rest or movement. Matter is the cause of gravity, which is the force of attraction acting on objects even though they are separated by great distances.

Physical Bodies and Systems

Every form of matter with its own clear boundaries is called a physical body. Every form of matter without its own morphology and whose boundaries are imprecise is called a physical... Continue reading "Understanding Matter and Its Properties" »

Nowadays, with the aim of making undergraduate students more familiar with the labour market, “Estudios Ingleses” degree is now offering internships as an optional subject to all students on their last academic year. Therefore, it is quite frequent for students to consider which option would be more suitable for them. The aim of this essay is to compare and contrast similarities and differences between making an internship as an optional subject or choosing other optional subjects.

Both ways of studying share some similarities, being one of them learning about the subject you have chosen. They will obtain the same content in both cases and also, they will expend the same time.

The second similarity would be that they are able to get a job.

With robots becoming more common each and every day, it is important to understand both the advantages and disadvantages that robots have. This will help enable people to better determine when to use and when to not use robots.

The Advantages of Robots

Cost: The most obvious advantage of robots is their cost. Robots are cheaper than most human counterparts, and their costs are still decreasing.

Abilities: Robotic abilities, what robots can do, are now extremely vast and growing.

Productivity: Robots do not tire and can work very long hours without service or maintenance. As a result, robots can be significantly more productive than people.

Precision: Robots can be much more precise than people. For instance, robots should not tremble or shake as... Continue reading "Advantages and Disadvantages of Robots: Cost, Abilities, and More" »

Equality

Egalitarian theories are based on a concept of equality that all people, or groups of people, are seen as having the same intrinsic value. Equality is therefore closely linked to justice and fairness, as egalitarians argue that justice can only exist if there is equality. Increasingly, with growing polarization within societies, equality is also linked to liberty, as different people have differing possibilities to be free and autonomous.

Development

Development is a sustained increase in the standard of living and well-being of a level of social organization. Many consider it to involve increased income; better access to basic goods and services; improvements in education, healthcare and public health; well-functioning institutions;... Continue reading "Key Concepts: Equality, Development, Globalization, Inequality, Sustainability" »

Slide 1: Remembering the Good and Bad Times at 11

Slide 1: Remember the good and bad times when you were 11 years old? (rhetorical question) Well, Today's presentation will give you deeper insight into the key messages behind the documentary of 'I am Eleven', commentary by Genevieve Bailey. My ideas, opinion and explanations of elements in the documentary connected to my personal life will be expressed. I will share some of my thoughts and experiences as an 11-year-old and how it has changed the way I am today.

Slide 2: Shifting to Australia at 11

Slide 2: First of all, shifting to Australia at the age of 11 was a difficult process. There was a lot of new things to discover and experiencing these moments, meeting new people and getting used to... Continue reading "Insights into 'I am Eleven' Documentary and Personal Reflections" »

Types of Power

• Coercive power: Dependent on fear.
• Reward power: Occurs when people go along with the wishes or directives of others if doing so produces positive benefits.
• Legitimate power: The power a person has because of their position in the formal hierarchy of an organization.
• Expert power: Based on expertise, special skills, or knowledge.
• Referent power: Comes from admiration of another and a desire to be liked by that person.

Expected Reactions to Power

• Resistance: Coercive
• Compliance: Reward, Legitimate
• Commitment: Expert, Referent

Dependency: The Key to Power

Dependency is central to understanding power: the greater B's dependency on A, the greater the power A has over B.

Important / Scarce / Cannot be substituted

Influence Tactics

• Rational persuasion
• Inspirational