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

Political Liberalism: 18th-19th Century Foundations

Political philosophy associated with fundamental principles that laid the foundation for modern liberties of the 19th century and the evolution towards democracy. It distinguished the 'political' from the 'economic' (especially concerning wealth expressed as money).

Core Principles of Political Liberalism

• Freedom of the individual
• Civil liberties
• Representative constitutional government
• Parliamentarism

Initially revolutionary and progressive, political liberalism fought against feudal aristocracy, absolute monarchy, and church doctrine.

Economic Liberalism: Principles and Challenges

Economic liberalism brought significant shifts in societal values and economic practices:

• Change in the perception of

The Interplay of Nature and Culture in Human Existence

We are nature and culture. Eating is a natural, biological process that all living things need to survive. Cooking or adhering to table rules are cultural activities. As the saying goes, “Man is a bipedal, implume, and unanchored animal.” Throughout our lives, elements of both cultural and natural origin are present.

Defining Natural and Cultural Behaviors

• Natural behaviors: Information is transmitted genetically.
• Cultural behaviors: Acquired through social learning.

Biological Foundations: Genotype and Phenotype

Biology distinguishes between:

• Genotype: The combination of genes on chromosomes.
• Phenotype: The interaction of genotype with the environment.

Phenotype = Genotype + Environment

Anthropology... Continue reading "Humanity's Dual Nature: Biology, Culture, and Evolution" »

The Republican-Socialist Coalition: Challenges and Decline

The proclamation of the Republic aroused high hopes among the masses for changes in the distribution of income and wealth. However, it also caused fear and mistrust among landowners and businessmen, whose investments were critical for increased production and employment.

An Economic Downturn

The regime change coincided with the most severe phase of the global economic slump, which began with the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange in October 1929. The crisis reverberated more strongly in Spain than in other Western countries, paralyzing emigration to America, a common escape valve during global crises. During the Republican era, the international crisis worsened traditional problems... Continue reading "Spain's Republican-Socialist Coalition: Crisis and Conflict (1931-1933)" »

Early Protests: The Bullangues Movement

The origins of Catalan nationalism as a political movement had antecedents in a series of popular protest movements against the new liberal state. This state was based on a centralized political, economic, administrative, legal, and military system designed to strengthen the state and foster economic development. The first signs of popular opposition movements were known as the "bullangues." These movements were directed against those considered responsible for this malaise (clergy, political authorities, etc.). The uprising in Barcelona in 1842 led to the formation of local and provincial government boards, which proposed political and social reform programs with a democratizing spirit while defending... Continue reading "Catalan Nationalism's Genesis: Bullangues and Federalist Ideals" »

Political and Geographical Terms

Territory

A territory is an extension of land with defined boundaries. These can be geographical or administrative boundaries.

Status

Status refers to a political unit - an independent administrative institution with the authority to exercise an independent judiciary.

Nation

A nation is a whole population that shares cultural traits.

Frontier

A frontier is a border limited to a specific geographic area.

Nation-State

A nation-state is a state that contains only one nation.

Multinational State

A multinational state is a state with many nations.

Stateless Nation

A stateless nation is a nation without a state.

Centralist State

In a centralist state, the legislative power resides in a single government.

Decentralized State

In a decentralized

Components of Socioeconomic Development

• Progress: Movement and change of civilization, in social, political, and economic aspects, towards a more desirable and favorable state.
• Modernity: Massive social change that affects political, economic, administrative, family, and religious structures. It involves significant aspects of societal transformation.
• Social Well-being: A situation where people have enough to live in peace because most of their basic needs are met. Considered basic variables include education, employment, health, food, and security.
• Social Cohesion: Stability and social organization. Members of a cohesive group typically share proximity, similar behaviors, and skills. Members of a cohesive group participate in meetings, take responsibility,

Management Functions: Execution

Activities involved in putting into practice the philosophy of empowerment for all concerned:

• Drive and challenge others to do their best.
• Motivate members.
• Communicate effectively.
• Develop members who realize their potential.
• Communicate effectively with recognition and reward; provide good pay for a job well done.
• Supervise the efforts of execution in the light of monitoring results.

Management Functions: Control

To check and monitor what is being done to ensure that the work of others is progressing satisfactorily toward the predetermined goal.

Activities:

• Compare the results with the general plans.
• Evaluate the results against performance standards.
• Effectively devise means to measure operations, which are the means to

Aging Populations

Population dynamics involve births, deaths, and migration. Spain is experiencing demographic aging, a trend expected to continue for decades. The baby boom generation represents a significant portion of the population, with a notable increase in older women compared to men. This largely urban population presents challenges, particularly regarding pension costs, especially in Mediterranean Europe.

Effects of Aging

• Feminization of old age
• Increased social presence of seniors
• Superannuation and its impact
• Growth in the number of older adults

Consequences of Aging

• A growing proportion of elderly individuals without children (primary caregivers)
• The existence of multigenerational families, altering family dynamics in both rural and urban

Evolution of Moderate and Progressive Approaches in Spain (1808-1855)

Fernando VII's reign began in 1808. The start of the decade saw an absolutist Spanish formal university curriculum by 1824, known as the Calomarde Plan.

This plan was a major achievement in college, boosting its government. It transformed the figure of the rector while limiting it to the cloister (the process of centralization). Teachers ought to have sound doctrine and be examples of good conduct, and be responsible for the *aprovechamiento* (academic progress) of their students. Access to the chair was in opposition, in which human, moral, and political qualities were valued, as well as academic ones. There were three types of teachers: owners, substitutes, and *sustitutos*... Continue reading "Moderate and Progressive Education Reforms in Spain (1808-1855)" »

Techniques and Technologies

Techniques are the knowledge, skills, and tools used internationally to achieve a goal, such as creating management systems or knowledge that can generate inventions to facilitate a particular job.

Technologies are applications of scientific knowledge to the production of useful objects.

Brief History of Techniques

It was only in the late eighteenth century, with the Industrial Revolution, that human productive capacity became sufficient to make extensive and deep changes. The industrial age is responsible for the emergence of technical means, made up of industrial concentration, farmland, cities, and infrastructure established over the last two centuries.

World-Economy

The initial cycles of the industrial era opened the... Continue reading "Techniques and Technologies: A World-Economy Perspective" »