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

Adam Smith and Laissez-Faire Economics

Smith defined the nation's wealth not as a fixed landmark, but derived from the open market, driven by individual self-interest and competition.

Economic Liberalism: Conditions for Growth

Economic liberalism promotes growth and prosperity through specific mechanisms, primarily focusing on minimizing government intervention and maximizing individual economic freedom.

Key tenets of economic liberalism include:

• Removal of Regulations: Granting freedom to invest and operate without excessive governmental limits.
• Market Mechanisms: Reliance on free competition, the law of supply and demand, and market evolution.
• Labor Freedom: Freedom of employment, including conditions of recruitment and hours of work.
• Limiting the

Root Causes of the French Revolution

Absolutism: Under the theory of true absolutism, "God gives power to the king, and he is only accountable to Him" (Bossuet). This stood in contrast to Hobbes's theory, which suggested that "God gives power to the people, and they, in turn, grant it to the king; as a result, the king is accountable to the people."

Inequitable Distribution of Taxation

The society was divided into distinct classes:

• The Privileged (Nobility and Clergy): This group included approximately 140,000 nobles and 350,000 clergy members (totaling 490,000). They did not pay taxes.
• The Third Estate (Ordinary People): Comprising 24 million people, they paid 60% of their earnings to the king and the lord, and between 5% to 10% to the Church.
• Worshipers

Administrative Structure and Action Plans for Refugees

Bodies Responsible for Refugee Assistance:

• The Interministerial Committee for Asylum and Refugees
• Area Centers and Refugee Programs managed by IMSERSO
• Refugee Reception Centers

IMSERSO Care Program Strands

The IMSERSO develops a comprehensive care program for asylum seekers, refugees, and displaced persons, focusing on the following areas:

• Attention at airports, ports, and border crossings, including emergency housing. IMSERSO operates 4 shelters providing essential social care services.
• Social integration of refugees and displaced persons through community programs (e.g., GEAR and EQUAL).
• Global actions, including publishing, information dissemination, and guidance services.

Fundamental Deficits

Rebuilding and Progress: Key Developments

• Infrastructure Development
• Benefiting from Sectoral Investments
• Responsible Use of Natural Resources
• Improving Living Conditions and Services: Hospitals, Schools
• Planning for Social and Political Progress

Lingering Issues and Societal Discontent

• Challenges to Colonial Sovereignty
• Artificial Division of Peoples and States, Fueling Conflicts
• Decline of Traditional Crop Diversity
• Loss of Indigenous Identity and Demographic Challenges

The Aftermath of Conflict: Economic and Social Turmoil

Democracy's initial triumph after the World War was soon contrasted with the rise of dictatorships. The basic ideas of democracy and constitutional values faced significant challenges. All these nations grappled with widespread economic... Continue reading "Europe's Interwar Transformation: Economic Revival and Political Realignment" »

The Concept of Race

Race refers to groups of individuals exhibiting greater genetic similarity among themselves than with members of other groups. The concept of race historically stemmed from the idea that physical differences, such as skin color or dress, arose from adaptations to diverse climates and environments. In the nineteenth century, these observable physical distinctions led scientists to believe humanity could be subdivided into distinct races.

Defining Racism

Racism is the assumption that there are inherently superior and inferior human races. Historically, perceived 'superior' races were attributed with qualities like intelligence, while 'inferior' races were denied such attributes.

Understanding Culture

The notion of culture encompasses... Continue reading "Human Race, Culture, and Societal Dynamics" »

**Early Communication Development: 9 to 24 Months**

**Communicative Functions at 9-12 Months (Halliday, 1982)**

• Instrumental: The child attempts to obtain an object out of reach by gesturing and emphasizing the action with body rhythm, repeating the gesture with corresponding vocalizations.
• Regulatory: The child wants the adult to perform a specific action, such as being picked up or having a door opened.
• Interactive: The child tries to maintain contact with what interests them. This includes rituals of greeting, farewell, beginning, and end.
• Personal: The child expresses their individuality through rejection in response to others' proposals or participation, indicating satisfaction or interest in the partner's proposals.

**Communicative Functions

The European Parliament (EP)

The European Parliament (EP) is a constitutional institution in the European Union (EU) that directly represents EU citizens. It is elected every five years by universal, direct, and secret vote of European citizens in European elections.

Role and Democratic Nature of the EP

The EP is the most democratic parliament in the world and, within the European Union, the only supranational body that is directly elected. The Parliament is considered the "first institution" of the European Union; it is first mentioned in the treaties, and its President takes protocol precedence over all other authorities in Europe. Along with the Council of the European Union, the EP is part of the bicameral legislative branch of EU institutions.... Continue reading "Structure and Functions of European Union Institutions" »

Community Social Work and Democratic Citizenship

The primary challenge for community social workers is to maintain democratic citizenship as a central focus in all actions. The ability to organize and collectively defend rights or achieve objectives is essential for survival and influence in democratic societies.

Key Stages in Community Social Work:

1. Analyze challenges and problems from the perspective of democracy, equality, and citizen opportunities within the life context.
2. Establish internal community empowerment objectives and external community goals for collective action.
3. Design community and collective actions, considering dynamics, interaction, communication, and evaluation methodologies.
4. Conduct a final evaluation of acquired training and

The Family of Charles IV by Francisco Goya: Neoclassical Portrait Analysis

The family of Charles IV is the title that the author, Francisco Goya Lucientes, gave to this portrait. The chronology is 1800-1801. The Spanish school and his style is neoclassical.

The subject of this portrait is a commission by Charles IV, portraying his family without flattery. Goya appears behind, immersed in the shadows, and as an independent observer, alluding to Las Meninas by Velázquez.

The description of this portrait notes that the support elements are the fabric and the technique used is oil.

Formal and compositional elements:

• Form: Closed and shallow shaped frieze.
• Composition: Neoclassical roots arranged in a frieze with a certain ambiguity for both the centrality

The Dawn of the Contemporary Era

The transition from the Modern Era to the Contemporary Era occurred in the late 18th century.

Political Transformation: The French Revolution

The French Revolution brought significant political changes. Absolute monarchies were replaced by republics and limited monarchies as forms of government. Liberalism substituted absolutism as the dominant ideology.

Socio-Economic Shifts: The Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution transformed society from an estate system to a stratified class society. Cities grew, capitalism became the dominant economic system, and the industrial economy began to displace the agricultural economy.

Capitalism and Economic Systems

Capitalism:

An economic system that aims to invest capital