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

Ancient vs. Modern Democracy: Core Distinctions

To address the challenges of contemporary societies by drawing upon the Greek experience, it is essential to analyze the fundamental differences between ancient democracies and those that emerged two millennia later. Key distinctions include:

• Community Size: Communities in ancient Greece were significantly smaller.
• Economic Structure: They were compact and largely economically independent. Although their economy heavily relied on slave labor, slaves were not considered citizens.
• Nature of Rule: In Greek democracy, the concept of rule as we understand it today did not exist. There was no separate institution in society functioning independently. Instead, direct democracy operated not just in deliberations

Concept of School Organization

Perspectives on Organization

a) An effective component of the teaching-learning process, constituting a systemic-ecological framework in which systematic processes are developed. It conveys implicit and explicit teaching content and requires knowledge and attitude change in a participatory, reflective, open, and versatile way to serve society.

b) Science of Education that studies and participates seamlessly in all aspects of educational centers, considering their multiple dimensions: educational ventures, control mechanisms and social power, structural dimension, hidden aspects, capacity for intervention, and need for improvement.

c) Ruíz Hernández (1954): Arrangement of elements necessary to educate children through... Continue reading "School Organization Concepts and Roles" »

Spanish Language: Characteristics and Usage

In 1998, the Cervantes Institute Yearbook presented the situation of Spanish in the world:

• Homogeneous Language: The Spanish language has a significant degree of leveling and a slight risk of fragmentation. Its relative homogeneity is based on the fact that Spanish has a simple vowel system (with only five vowel phonemes), a consonant system consisting of seventeen units common to all speakers, and a significant lexical and syntactic uniformity with few variations.
• Language of First-Order Culture: Spanish has been a very important vehicle for contributions to world culture and Western thought. It is enough to list authors in literature ranging from Cervantes to García Márquez.
• International Language:

Organization: From Mass to Lean Production

Concepts will be studied with the help of case studies.

The automotive industry is chosen because it provides a historically didactic presentation of these concepts.

1.1. The Automobile Industry in Transition

The auto industry is a major industrial activity, with more than 50 million vehicles produced each year.

Twice in the last century, this industry has changed our notions of how to produce goods.

After the 1st World War, Alfred Sloan (GM) and Henry Ford (Ford) led a major change: from centuries of Craft Production (with leadership from European industries) to the era of Mass Production (early U.S. leadership).

After the 2nd World War, Eiji Toyoda and Taiichi Ohno of Toyota in Japan pioneered the concept... Continue reading "Production Methods Evolution" »

Exhibition: A Form of Discourse

Exhibition as a form of discourse presents scientific, technical, historical, or literary information to inform the intended audience. The defining characteristics of exhibition are clarity and objectivity, with a predominantly referential function.

Depending on the target audience, two types of exposition can be differentiated: informative and specialized.

• Informative: The author reports as clearly and objectively as possible on a topic of general interest. It targets non-specialists in that area and often uses media channels. The speech must be easily understood, and any specific lexicon must be explained.
• Specialized: The author addresses an audience that already possesses knowledge of a given science or technique.

Human Language: Unique Characteristics

Human language possesses several distinctive characteristics that set it apart from animal communication systems. These features contribute to its complexity, flexibility, and power.

Creativity

Humans have the ability to construct new sentences, enabling us to convey novel experiences to our listeners. We possess an infinite capacity to express and understand the meaning of sentences by using known elements to produce new ones. This contrasts with the fixed and limited set of calls used by animals.

Displacement

We can refer to events and objects that are not spatially or temporally present. This displacement feature is fundamental to cultural and technical progress and is not observed in any other animal species.... Continue reading "Human Language: Unique Characteristics and Properties" »

Technical Healthcare Models

Program in Health

Analysis of the health situation through patterns of illness, vulnerability, and risk of death by disease and injury.

Intersectoral Policies

Analysis of health based on general living conditions, highlighting the need for access to collective goods crucial for healthcare quality. Emphasizes intersectoral health promotion in areas like environment, education, physical activity, and urban planning.

Health Promotion

Combines epidemiological methods with health promotion, emphasizing health education and individual/population autonomy. Considers factors affecting health quality, the need for information to promote independence, and access to healthcare technologies. Stresses the link between health professionals... Continue reading "Technical Healthcare Models & Relief Model Construction in SUS" »

Second Industrial Revolution: Characteristics and Impacts

The Second Industrial Revolution, initially termed the "second technical revolution," encompassed a broad range of transformations within the industrialization process. While technological changes remained central, the period also witnessed significant shifts in market size and structure. These technical innovations triggered a cascade of changes affecting the workforce, the educational and scientific systems, corporate governance, work organization, consumption patterns, and even politics. This series of economic transformations ultimately led to demographic and social changes, resulting in increased political demands and gains in political representation.

Technological Advancements:

The Human Basis of the State: Population, People, and Nation

B) People.

It is the human basis of the state. A first concept may be: the set of individuals who are under state jurisdiction. However, it should distinguish between three concepts: population, people, and nation.

a) Population

When using this term, it is usually done with a mathematical or statistical sense. Population means here the sum of all the individuals who compose the nation. Numeric data is useful to quantify, measure, and classify the human component of the state. From this point of view, it relates to other concepts that also have a political impact, including: census, population of fact and law, birth rate, mortality, etc.

b) People

However, the concept of "people" goes beyond... Continue reading "Understanding the Human Element of the State: Population, People, and Nation" »

Social Change and Class Society

The New Class Society

During this period, people were differentiated by their merits and work. This led to the emergence of distinct social classes:

The New Ruling Class: The Bourgeoisie

The bourgeoisie was the upward social group. They acceded to political power, enriched themselves through economic activities, and promoted their ideology. Differences within the bourgeoisie included:

• The Gentry: Lived on their properties.
• Major Industrialists and Traders: Sought to ennoble themselves by buying titles.
• Middle Bourgeoisie: Composed of officials and professionals.
• Petty Bourgeoisie: Included shopkeepers and artisans.

The New Dominated Class: The Proletariat

The proletariat was a social group made up of industrial employees.... Continue reading "19th Century Social Transformation & Labor Movements" »