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

Enlightenment Thinkers

Enlightenment thinkers believed reason was the only way to understand and explain the world. This was a direct criticism of medieval tradition and religious theocentrism. Voltaire defended the freedom of thought and tolerance as a basis for human interaction. These thinkers held an optimistic view of nature as a source of justice and goodness, believing in progress and that human reason and will could transform society.

Enlightened Despotism

European monarchs were influenced by the Enlightenment, and some attempted to introduce its ideas regarding progress. They promoted the rationalization of administration, education reforms, and the modernization of the economy (e.g., Frederick the Great of Prussia, Maria Theresa of Austria)... Continue reading "Enlightenment Philosophy and the Transformation of Europe" »

Which Bases of Power Are Most Effective?

Research suggests that the personal sources of power are most effective. Both expert and referent power are positively related to employees’ satisfaction with supervision, their organizational commitment, and their performance, whereas reward and legitimate power seem to be unrelated to these outcomes. One source of formal power—coercive power—can be damaging.

The General Dependence Postulate

The greater B’s dependence on A, the more power A has over B. When you possess anything others require that you alone control, you make them dependent on you, and therefore you gain power over them. As the old saying goes, “In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king!” But if something is plentiful,... Continue reading "Understanding Power Dynamics and Dependence in Organizations" »

Agenda Setting

Agenda setting describes the news media's ability to influence the salience of topics on the public agenda. *Agenda-setting theory* was formally developed by Max McCombs and Donald Shaw in a study on the 1968 American presidential election. When the media focuses on just a few issues and subjects, the public tends to perceive those issues as more important.

Priming

Priming is the process in which the media attend to some issues and not others, thereby altering the standards by which people evaluate election candidates. A number of studies have demonstrated that there is a dimension of powerful media effects that goes beyond agenda-setting.

Framing

Framing is related to the agenda-setting tradition but expands the research by focusing... Continue reading "Understanding Media Influence and Voter Behavior in Elections" »

China's Rise and the Global Security Dilemma

The rise of China can be viewed as both beneficial and detrimental, depending on the perspective adopted. If China ascends to the top tier of global powers, it would inevitably create global insecurity for many nations, particularly the U.S.

In the international system, states concerned with security inherently compete for power. As this contest for power intensifies, security concerns increase, fostering an atmosphere of fear, especially among great powers due to their significant military capabilities. This dynamic also creates a shift in the global power structure.

From Unipolarity to Bipolarity

Currently, the structure is in a “unipolar moment,” where the U.S. reigns as the world’s regional... Continue reading "US-China Rivalry: The Shift from Unipolarity to Bipolarity" »

The Ancient Regime: System to Be Destroyed

The term Ancient Regime was used by the French revolutionaries to define the system they wanted to destroy. It was the political, economic, and social system used in France during the 17th and 18th centuries. This system was based on:

• An absolute monarchy.
• A society divided into privileged and non-privileged groups (the estates society).
• An economy based on agriculture and controlled by the State.

Political Structure: Absolute Monarchy

Politically, the system featured an absolute monarchy, where the king held all powers. Revolutionaries sought to establish a representative government and enforce the separation of powers (executive, legislative, judicial).

Social Structure: The Estates

Society was rigidly divided... Continue reading "French Revolution's Ancient Regime: Politics, Society, Economy" »

Social media: Pros/contra: The technologies which allow us to share information, pictures and ideas among others things are what we call social media. However, one thing is sure that social media has become an integral part of the lives of people of all ages today. Therefore, it is important for all to understand the advantages as well as disadvantages of social media in order to make the right choice for themselves.

:) Social media has made communication a lot more easier than ever before. Now, with a touch of a button people could communicate with anybody any where in the world. Websites such as Facebook makes communication with others an easy task. Social Networking makes it possible to reach many people in a very short time. This has led... Continue reading "The Impact of Social Media on Youth: Pros and Cons" »

Analysis Process Framework

When analyzing a company, we should divide the analysis in two points: External and Internal. The focus of these analyses is to find their main Strengths, Weaknesses (internal analysis), Opportunities, and Threats (external analysis). After research we can finally build our SWOT analysis of the company.

External:

• Trends = PESTLE - allows the company to make specific choices when planning the company's future, from how the brand should be presented, to any changes within the structure of the company's organization, to the development of new products.
• Sector = Porter’s 5 forces - Analytical model used to help identify the structure of an industry, and to help companies determine their competitive strategies.

Internal Analysis:

Multilingualism

Multilingualism is the ability of individuals to use more than two languages in their everyday life. It exists when multiple languages coexist and are necessary for communication. These languages may have different statuses, such as majority or minority languages, both within the community and internationally. Some languages are primarily used in private domains, while others are used in public domains like work or school.

Factors Influencing Third Language Acquisition (TLA)

Four factors can influence TLA:

• Sociolinguistic Context: Opportunities for language exposure, attitudes towards language learning, the status of different languages in society, and time devoted to different languages at school.
• Psycholinguistic Processes: TLA