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

Languages in Catalonia

Spanish Language Presence

Spanish is the second most significant language within Catalan society. The establishment of Spanish in Catalonia is seen in several ways: it's considered the native language in parts of the historically linked Valencian Community, and its speaker base grew significantly due to immigration starting in the 20th century. It is the first language for about half the population and the second language for the rest. Spanish is also an international language, ranking as the 4th most spoken language globally.

English Language Influence

English is the third most significant language in Catalonia. Its relevance stems from its status as the most widespread international language.

Other Languages

Due to immigration,... Continue reading "Language Dynamics in Catalonia: Spanish, Catalan & More" »

The Global Presence of Spanish

Spanish is spoken by approximately 360 million people worldwide, holding official status in 21 countries. It is also a prominent language in international organizations where Spain or Latin American countries are members.

Latin American Spanish: Key Characteristics

Latin American Spanish represents the most significant geographical expanse of the language, spoken in over 18 countries. While there is no universal agreement on the precise delimitation of various Spanish-speaking regions, several features are common to all varieties of Spanish in the Americas:

Phonetic Features

• Seseo: The absence of distinction between the /s/ and /θ/ sounds (e.g., "casa" and "caza" pronounced identically).
• Weakening of /s/ in Syllable-

Globalization: A Multifaceted Process

Economic Impact

Globalization is driven by the interdependence of financial markets, facilitated by information and communication technologies, and furthered by deregulation. This has led to growing interdependence among all regions, influencing government decisions and increasing the mobility of information and opinions. National economies are integrated into a global market, with the movement of goods and money occurring on a global scale.

Political Impact

Supranational political institutions and global organizations are increasingly making decisions that impact nations worldwide.

Communication and Technology

Centralized media networks extend globally, and new communication technologies connect more users... Continue reading "Globalization: Impacts and Future of a Connected World" »

Marx's Economic Study Plan

Marx explains his plan to study the system of bourgeois economy. His initial focus was on commodities and money, reserving a comprehensive exposition of the system for his major work, Capital. According to Marx, bourgeois society is traditionally divided into three classes: the bourgeoisie (owners of capital), landowners, and the proletariat (employees). However, he argues that bourgeois society can effectively be reduced to two primary classes: the capitalist and the proletarian.

From Philosophy to Political Economy

Marx details his transition from Hegelian influence and theoretical questions of law and philosophy to economics, a field that would definitively shape the rest of his work. This shift was driven by his... Continue reading "Karl Marx's Core Economic and Historical Theories" »

Understanding Linguistic Registers

Our way of speaking depends on the communicative situation. The set of linguistic particularities a speaker chooses to adapt to the situation defines a type of language variety called a register. It is an index of the speaker's communicative competence.

Classes of Registers

Registers vary in formality, ranging from formal to informal. Formality is expressed in the speaker's concern for the form of the message. Registers can be planned or unplanned (spontaneous). Between these two extremes, there are many intermediate registers, for example:

• Intimate: Family and friends
• Friendly: Among neighbors and coworkers
• Neutral: Encounters with strangers
• High: Lectures, exams
• Ritual: Ceremonies

Factors Influencing Register Selection

Register... Continue reading "Understanding Linguistic Registers: Formal and Informal Language" »

Understanding Textual Analysis: A Comprehensive Framework

This framework provides a comprehensive approach to analyzing texts and communication. Understanding these elements is crucial in today's communication-driven world, as effective communication is indispensable.

I. Context and Communication Analysis

• Source and Intent

  Source of Origin: Identifying the author's intent and encoding skills, and the intended audience.

• Scope of Use

  Communicative Situation: Whether private or public. Areas: Academic, journalism, family, or literary contexts.

• Text Genre

  Categorizing the text as poetry, a story, or an opinion article.

• Communication Channel

  Analyzing if the channel is written, prepared, or unidirectional.

• Emitter-Receiver Dynamics

  Analyzing deictic elements

Modernism: Ideological and Aesthetic Currents

Current Ideological and Aesthetic:

• Regenerationist: Believed art could transform society; therefore, art's destination is the service of society. Promoting cultural workers saw the regeneration of society. They were influenced by the ideas of Nietzsche and Ibsen.
• Aestheticists: Considered that art had no purpose other than to seek aesthetic pleasure, a form of escape from everyday reality. Were influenced by Baudelaire and Verlaine (symbolism), Oscar Wilde, and Maurice Maeterlinck.

Regenerationism vs. Aestheticism

• Art and culture as means for changing society. Rejection of art-as-evasion.
• Art as a shelter for those of a sensitive nature to the insensitivity of society.
• Propose art-for-art's-sake.
• Art

Decentralization in Venezuela: Administrative Regions

As a result of investigations and work, administrative regions were created by executive decree number 72, dated June 11, 1969. Eight regions were initially created. Later reformulations and new divisions occurred during the administrations of Carlos Andres Perez. The latter increased the number of entities to 16 with the creation of the sub-region south and west of Tachira, Páez Municipality of Apure state.

The creation of administrative regions aimed at decentralization. Therefore, the most viable approach for decentralization was the regionalization policy. Without it, progress would stagnate. This allowed for more practical government activities, whether at work or in domestic attention... Continue reading "Decentralization in Venezuela: Administrative Regions & Reforms" »

Varieties of Language

• Geographic: Varieties that a language presents depending on where it is used.
  • Causes: Degree of Romanization, other influences (pre-Roman languages, Germanic languages, Arabic, Italian, Indian languages, French, English).
• Diastratic: Varieties that coexist in one place, related to the sociocultural level of the people who use it.
  • Causes: Habitat, age, sex, occupation, socio-cultural level.
  • Types:
    • Learned: Careful language at all levels.
    • Media: Language that meets the linguistic requirements of communication but is cultivated.
    • Colloquial: Conversational language used by speakers in a relaxed environment without much concern for linguistic correctness (characteristics: cooperation, subjectivity, linguistic economy, spontaneity).

Sociology's Passage from Europe to America

The transition of sociology from the nineteenth to the twentieth century marks a shift from Europe to the U.S. Sociologists emigrated, settling in Germany and then returning to Chicago, where an intellectual movement emerged, shaped by the people who formed there.

Leading Sociologists: Late Transition and Early 20th Century

• Tönnies: Identified community with a pre-industrial society.
• Veblen: (Theory of the Leisure Class) Focused on pre-industrial social change in the field of leisure, conspicuous recreation, and conspicuous consumption.
• Simmel: Analyzed what happens in small groups, focusing on the meaning of money, fashion, etc., without focusing on the major criteria that cause social change.
• Durkheim: