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

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" »

Valle-Inclán's Esperpento: Deforming Reality

The grotesque serves as a powerful means of expression in Valle-Inclán's Esperpento, characterized by a profound deformation of reality. This literary style employs a double code: beneath an apparent tone of mockery and caricature of reality lies a meaning full of satirical intent, highlighting social contrasts.

Key Characteristics of Esperpento

• Employment of Violent Death: A fundamental characteristic, often leading to 'muñequización' (puppetization) of characters.
• Distortion Techniques: Achieved by merging human and animal traits, blending dream and reality, and reducing figures to simple masks or puppets of human behavior.
• Collective Characters: Often feature prominently, representing broader societal

Historical Revolutions of the 19th Century

The 1820 Revolutions

In 1820, surveys showed liberal minority support (which was defeated), though liberal victories occurred in Greece, marking the beginning of its independence, and in Latin America, which gained independence from Spain. In Spain, a liberal movement of soldiers forced King Ferdinand VII to sign the Constitution. This lasted three years before being defeated by the Holy Alliance.

The 1830 Revolutions

In 1830, liberal uprisings gained popular support in France. Victory was achieved in Belgium, where a conservative liberalism was imposed based on census suffrage and limited freedoms (known as Doctrinal Liberalism).

The 1848 Revolutions

In 1848, progressive liberal uprisings emerged with democratic... Continue reading "19th Century Political Ideologies and Revolutions" »

The EC was created to approve a new constitution for Spain. The reform law established three procedures for initiating the process:

• Government Initiative: Presentation of a constitutional text for discussion, approval, and submission to the Chambers.
• Parliamentary Initiative: The Chambers themselves initiated a proposal without prior government intervention.
• Royal Initiative: The King could push a text through a referendum without it going through the courts.

The second option, parliamentary initiative, was chosen as the government waived its right to present a constitutional text. Given that no single party held a majority, maximum participation from all parties was essential.

• Selection, Sorting, and Organization: Congress appointed a committee

English Language Vocabulary

Common Nouns

• Reliance
• Employer
• Employment
• Experiment
• Population
• Scanner
• Amusement
• Assistance
• Belief
• Trainer
• Darkness
• Attraction
• Exhaustion
• Retirement
• Promotion
• Responsibility
• Conservation
• Accommodation
• Knowledge
• Admission
• Advertisement
• Annoyance
• Approval
• Arrangement
• Arrival
• Assumption
• Improvement
• Application
• Argument
• Brilliance
• Payment
• Disappointment
• Relief
• Departure
• Isolation
• Denial
• Friendship
• Boredom
• Proposal
• Strength
• Loyalty
• Illness
• Allowance
• Marriage
• Censorship
• Success
• Complaint
• Achievement
• Comedian
• Childhood
• Failure
• Proof
• Punishment

Useful Adjectives

• Payable
• Preceptive
• Pleasurable
• Successful
• Supportive
• Suspicious
• Safe
• Resistant
• Shameless
• Sleepy
• Mechanical
• Moral
• Mysterious
• Courageous
• Creative
• Cruel
• Changeable
• Childish
• Civil
• Golden
• Avoidable
• Able
• Accidental
• Curious
• Additional
• Adequate
• Admirable
• Affectionate
• Alcoholic
• Anxious
• Advantageous
• Productive
• Proud
• Protective
• Punctual
• Pure
• Famous
• Faulty
• Forgetful
• Meaningful
• Less
• Excited
• Fashionable
• Fortunate
• Fit
• Comic
• Responsible

Global

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

Nouns: Words with Gender and Number

A noun is a word that has gender (feminine or masculine) and number (plural or singular).

Types of Nouns

• Common: chair, furniture, bed, piano, horse, etc.
• Proper: Antonio, San Juan, Malaga, etc.
• Concrete: Refer to material objects that are perceived by the senses (not just by sight): perfume, music, star, book, etc.
• Abstract: Designate intangible realities, which are included as concepts: sympathy, freedom, equality, etc.
• Singular: Refer to a single unit in the singular form: stylus, pond, person, etc.
• Collective: army, public, neighborhood, people, etc.
• Countable: Refer to existing objects that can be counted and numbered: home, planet, notebook, car, etc.
• Uncountable: flour, water, oil, salt, etc.

Determiners: Accompanying

Systems of Colonial Administration

Colonial Administration involved the creation of specific systems of government to manage territories. These systems varied based on the goals of the metropolis:

• Colonies of Exploitation: These saw little emigration from the mother country and were primarily responsible for the systematic exploitation of resources.
• Settler Colonies (Poblament): These featured a strong contingent of European population enjoying the same rights and privileges as the metropolis, which they imposed on the indigenous population.
• Direct Rule Colonies: These had no self-government and were directly under the administration of the metropolis. Authority was usually held by a governor assisted by officials, constituting a true ruling elite.

The Nature of the Political Oligarchy

The system was defined by those who formed an oligarchy in power, while the mass of the people—especially the rural, illiterate, apolitical, and conformist—remained aloof.

The Formula of Political Turnismo

Political Turnismo was a political formula of immediate advantage. Thanks to electoral manipulation, it gave both parties the possibility of alternating in government peacefully. As was already agreed, the system was based on permanent counterfeiting, which meant not only an agreement with the Crown and the Constitution but also socio-economic approaches based on capitalist production and private property. This was a government that worked "from the top down."

The system was secured by a party leadership... Continue reading "The Turnismo System and Political Oligarchy in Spain" »