Women’s Rights & Global Development: A 21st-Century Perspective
Thinking About Women: The Women in the World Today
The Declaration of Human Rights and Women
The Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 defined the human rights of the individual, a concept which includes women. However, it also addressed specific rights of women and girls.
Between 1975 and 2000, the United Nations held five world conferences on the legal and social equality of women.
Poverty often has a woman’s face: around 1.5 billion people worldwide live in absolute poverty, and the majority are women.
Read MoreThe Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages: Kingdoms, Expansion, and Conflicts
1. Consolidation of the Hispanic Kingdoms
The Patrimonial Kingdoms
In the Middle Ages, kings were believed to be chosen by God to govern their kingdoms according to divine wishes. Kings considered their realms as personal inheritances.
The Crown of Castile
Castile and León were united under Ferdinand III. Later, Castile and Aragon would also join definitively.
Kingdom of Portugal
The Kingdom of Portugal emerged from the Kingdom of Castile when Afonso Henriques declared independence and took the title
Read MorePopulation Growth and Social Change in Late 19th Century Spain
1.2. Transf. Social. Population Growth Population growth in late nineteenth-century Spain took place during the demographic transition. This transition was more delayed than in Western Europe and of lesser intensity. It meant an increase in population due to a reduction in mortality while keeping the birth rate constant. Birth rates did not decline in Spain until the twentieth century, allowing the Spanish population to continue to grow. The birth and death rates remained higher than in other industrialized
Read MoreUrban Structure and Planning in Spain: An Overview
The Urban Structure of Spain
A) New Forms and Current City Structures
Influence Area of Cities
Cities are central places that supply goods and services to an area of influence. The German geographer Christaller in 1933 awarded to places of influence central hexagonal areas, so people within an influence area would have six villages, etc., to reach larger cities in the category. The result is an organized territory as a hexagonal grid.
Example: Madrid’s Influence in Spain
- Madrid is the main center and
Human Settlements in Space: Urban and Rural Development
Human Settlements in Space
Types of Settlements
Human settlements in space can be categorized into two main types: rural and urban. These differ in their size, characteristics, and predominant economic activities.
Rural Settlements
Rural settlements are typically smaller, including villages and towns, where the primary sector (e.g., agriculture) dominates. Factors influencing the location of rural settlements include physical features like relief, water availability, and soil fertility, as well as historical
Read More17th Century Spain: Crisis, Decline, and Golden Age
The 17th Century in Spain: Crisis and Transformation
The Crisis of the Habsburg Empire
The 17th century in Europe was a period of widespread crisis, marked by economic depression, epidemics, religious conflicts, and challenges to absolutist states. Spain, under the rule of the Habsburg monarchs Philip III, Philip IV, and Charles II, experienced this crisis acutely. Two key features defined this era:
- The decline of Spain’s European hegemony due to the ongoing crisis.
- The remarkable cultural and artistic