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

1. Historical Context

The period from 1874 to 1950 witnessed significant events in Spain's history. The Bourbon Restoration under Alfonso XII (1874-1923) was marked by the Disaster of '98, leading to the loss of overseas colonies. This era saw the rise of Primo de Rivera's dictatorship and the alternation of power between the Conservative and Liberal parties. The Second Republic was proclaimed in 1931, followed by General Franco's military uprising in 1936, which ignited the Spanish Civil War.

Spain's socioeconomic and political conditions during this time reflected a backward society within Europe, heavily reliant on agriculture. A growing polarization emerged between the landowning class and the rural working class. Ortega y Gasset warned... Continue reading "Spain: Sociopolitical & Cultural Shifts (1874-1950)" »

Paternalism in Francoist Spain

Paternalism in Francoist society, from a regenerationist perspective, aimed to improve the social situation of the Spanish people. To this end, a system of measures was designed as the start of social security and, in some areas, a scheme called Social Justice. This is evident in the measures proposed in the attempt to create the Social Security Act, which considered the concerns of the Spanish people as individuals, preceding earlier measures. Additionally, the Laws of the Jurisdiction of Work demonstrated that the regime granted greater liberalism to the Spanish people, offering them more favorable treatment in their relationships with entrepreneurs and in common freedoms.

The Stage of Stabilization and Economic

Arnold's Concept of Disinterestedness

Matthew Arnold used the word disinterestedness with positive connotations. For Arnold, being 'interested' meant being socially or politically motivated, potentially creating an ideology. Literature was often criticized, he felt, because the 'interested' critic evaluated a work based not on its artistic values but on its political, social, and economic features.

The disinterested critic, in contrast, is not influenced by the practical affairs of everyday life; the critic is immune to external pressures. For Arnold, disinterestedness equates to objectivity. This type of criticism characterized the New Critics of the first half of the 20th century in Europe and the USA.

Arnold criticized publications like the... Continue reading "Matthew Arnold's Critical Concepts: Disinterestedness and Touchstones" »

Dewey Decimal Classification System

000 Generalities

• 020 Library Science
• 030 General Encyclopedias
• 070 News and Journalism

100 Philosophy

• 150 Psychology
• 170 Ethics
• 190 Modern Philosophy

200 Religion

• 220 Bible
• 290 Other Religions

300 Social Sciences

• 310 Statistics
• 320 Political Science
• 330 Economics
• 340 Law
• 350 Public
• 360 Welfare
• 370 Education
• 380 Commerce
• 390 Customs and Folklore

400 Languages

• 410 Linguistics
• 420 English
• 450 Italian
• 460 Spanish and Portuguese
• 470 Italic Languages
• 480 Classical and Greek
• 490 Other Languages

500 Pure Sciences

• 510 Mathematics
• 520 Astronomy
• 530 Physics
• 540 Chemistry
• 550 Earth Sciences
• 560 Paleontology
• 570 Anthropology and Biology
• 580 Botanical Sciences
• 590 Zoological Sciences

600 Technology

• 610 Medical
• 620 Engineering
• 630 Agriculture
• 640 Home Economics
• 650

The Napoleonic Empire

In 1804, a Sénatus-consulte, approved by referendum, established the First French Empire, entrusting the government of the Republic to a hereditary emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. In the same year, Napoleon further consolidated power under the Constitution of the Year XII. His ambition extended across Europe, aiming to be an emperor over other kings. He installed family members as monarchs in conquered territories like Holland, Westphalia, Spain, and Naples. This expansion alarmed Great Britain, which feared its own security should Napoleon's dominance continue. Napoleon founded the Fourth Dynasty of France, the House of Bonaparte.

Liberalism

Liberalism is a philosophical, economic, and political doctrine that promotes civil... Continue reading "Napoleonic Empire, Liberalism, Socialism, Rationalism Explained" »

International Organizations and the European Union

International Organizations: These are voluntary associations created by states, with specific objectives related to territory and other goals.

The United Nations

Founded in 1945, the United Nations intervenes in conflicts to promote peace. Its principal objectives include supporting human rights, maintaining peace, and promoting international cooperation.

Main Bodies of the UN:

• Secretariat
• General Assembly
• Security Council

UN Agencies:

• UNICEF
• UNESCO
• FAO
• WHO
• UNHCR
• ILO

State Organization

States are organized into smaller units at three levels: central, regional, and local. Spain, for example, is divided into 17 regions and 2 autonomous cities. Each region is further divided into provinces, and each province... Continue reading "Understanding International Organizations and the European Union" »

Scientific Management School

This school arose in the early twentieth century and introduced concepts such as:

• Task distribution
• Expertise
• Control
• Coordination
• Hierarchy

Its main exponents were Frederick Taylor and Max Weber.

Taylor proposed the division of labor between those responsible for planning (managers) and those executing that plan. The managers' primary responsibility is to optimize the performance of the executors. The specialization of tasks and skills saves the worker time, assuming they perform the same task daily. Weber emphasized the importance of planning and worker training.

Human Relations School

This school criticizes the excessive division of labor, arguing it wrongly presupposes that workers are incapable of planning their work.... Continue reading "Key Management Theories: From Taylor to Contemporary Ideas" »

Ideas and Sense of the Work

This is the story of a character whose features are close to those of a human being of flesh and blood, far from the figures of idealistic accounts. This character is developed in a particular social environment that conditions and adjusts him decisively. The work describes the learning process of an individual and, at the same time, his adaptation to a complex social environment to complete his final integration.

But this assimilation comes at the expense of human dignity. Having understood the world in which he lives, he adopts its rules and forms.

This novel offers an acute and severe criticism of the society of its time, targeting both the individual behavior of the characters—hypocritical and self-interested—and... Continue reading "Lazarillo de Tormes: Themes and Structure" »

The concept of globalization emerged in the twentieth century, following the crisis of the socialist bloc. However, throughout history, there have been various waves of globalization and internationalization of human relations.

Globalization has achieved much in the economic sphere. There is an unfettered freedom of capital movements, and some barriers to trade in goods and services have been removed. However, the movement of people, particularly migration, remains limited. The globalization of justice, human rights, ecology, and political decisions has been largely shelved.

The balance of the last 30 years concludes that globalization has not reached all countries. It has primarily benefited the most skilled sectors of the population in richer... Continue reading "Globalization: Impacts on Economy, Society, and Environment" »

Historical Materialism: Marx's Core Theory

Karl Marx's historical materialism posits the denial of the autonomy of ideas concerning the conditions of human existence, emphasizing the dialectical and historical character of the material base. Friedrich Engels, in fact, considered Marx's historical materialism (along with the theory of surplus value) among his most significant scientific findings. It is, fundamentally, a sociological theory rather than a purely philosophical one.

Key Tenets of Historical Materialism

1. The Economic Structure: The economic structure forms the real basis of society.
2. Production Relations: This structure consists of the relations of production, which are the relationships established between individuals according to their