Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Social sciences for Secondary education

Understanding Key Political and Economic Ideologies

Darwinism: Evolution by Natural Selection

Darwinism refers to a set of ideas described by Charles Darwin in On the Origin of Species (1859), based on the theory of evolution by natural selection. While evolutionary theories existed before, Darwin's concept of natural selection was entirely new at the time. Another key point of Darwinism is the "tree of life," the idea that different species of living organisms descended from common ancestors.

Evolutionism: Species Adaptation Over Time

Evolutionism is a school of thought based on the premise that species change and adapt to their environment over time. It has roots in antiquity, drawing from the ideas of the Greeks, Romans, Chinese, and Muslims....

Class Society Analysis

Which estates grouped more people?

The underprivileged strata, specifically the Third Estate, which included the bourgeoisie, artisans, workers, and peasants.

What were the two privileged classes?

The nobility and the clergy.

Absolute Monarchy Characteristics

Copy these sentences in your notebook and underline the one regarding absolute monarchy:

• The king was only one among the nobles.
• King concentrated all powers.
• The parliament limited the power of the king.

Intensification of 18th-Century Foreign Trade

Foreign trade in the eighteenth century was enhanced by the development of shipping and increased trade with the colonies.

Significance of the 1689 Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights 1689 is considered highly important because, from...

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...

The Global Reach of Spanish

The reach of the Spanish language is vast, with the majority of speakers concentrated in Spain and the countries of Central and South America, excluding Brazil, where Portuguese is spoken. Additionally, there are single-state areas where Spanish is the primary language.

In areas formerly under Spanish rule, such as the Philippines, Western Sahara, Morocco, and Equatorial Guinea, Spanish remains influential. Judeo-Spanish, a 15th-century form of Spanish, is spoken in Israel.

While Spanish may be a third language for some, it is widely studied as a second language. The Cervantes Institute promotes the international diffusion of Spanish.

The Spanish of the Americas

We generically refer to the Spanish of the Americas as 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

Understanding the Text

A text consists of a sequence of words or phrases that convey a complete message; it is considered a communicative act. Its length has a precise limit, and within it, other smaller units are included, such as paragraphs and sentences. Each type of text has a specific organization. For example, a novel is divided into chapters, paragraphs, and sentences, while a poem is structured into stanzas and lines.

Key Properties of a Text

For a text to make complete sense, it must possess certain properties. The text has to adapt to the circumstances of the communicative situation in which it is produced.

Adequacy

Adequacy is the property of choosing the appropriate language for each situation, ensuring there is a correspondence between...

Economic and Social Transformations

Demographic Revolution

The Demographic Revolution is due to increased food production and, to a lesser degree, the progress of hygiene and medicine.

Impact of Railway and Steamship on Trade

The railway and steamship facilitated the establishment of a market economy by expanding market reach, particularly into foreign markets.

Defining the Market Economy

The market economy expanded local markets. This expansion was driven by free trade (or laissez-faire), which facilitated overseas delivery. However, this system often contrasts with protectionism, where tariffs must be paid when selling a product in another country.

Core Principles of Liberalism

Liberalism is a group of political, social, and economic ideologies centered...

The Council of the European Union

The Council of the European Union is the main political body, composed of ministers from member states. The presidency rotates every six months among the heads of government of member countries. Its headquarters is in Brussels.

Functions

• Adopt European laws.
• Coordinate economic policies.
• Approve the EU budget alongside the Parliament.
• Direct foreign and security policy.

The European Commission

The European Commission serves as the engine of the EU. Its president is elected by the governments of EU countries and ratified by the Parliament.

Functions

• Manage and implement EU policies and the budget.
• Implement Council decisions.
• Enforce European legislation in cooperation with the European Court.

The European Parliament

Created...

Liberal and National Revolutions

The Revolutions of 1820

Circa 1820, a series of uprisings led by liberal activists—particularly military personnel—attempted to end absolutism and seize power through armed insurrection in several countries. However, these movements were defeated by the intervention of the Holy Alliance armies.

The 1830 Revolutionary Wave

The second revolutionary wave occurred in Western and Central Europe between 1829 and 1835, with significantly greater impact. These insurrections garnered substantial popular support. Wherever they triumphed, they replaced absolutism with constitutional political systems, marking the rise of the bourgeoisie to power.

The Springtime of Peoples: 1848

In Western Europe, the revolution of 1848 signaled...

Remember:

• In a democratic society, citizens have the power and participate in politics.
• The foundations of democracy are the Constitution, the separation of powers, and national sovereignty.
• In a constitutional monarchy, the monarch or king acts as the Head of State under the control of the legislature (Parliament) and the executive (government).
• Political parties are groups of citizens who share a common ideology and participate in elections for representative bodies, providing access to political participation.
• Spain is composed of multinational regions, each governed by a Statute of Autonomy.
• Europe is a continent divided into numerous small states. The European Union works for peace, security, economic and social stability, and promotes a model