Mastering Assertiveness, Careers, and Communication
Assertiveness and Its Applications
Assertive behavior means standing up for yourself, but in ways which respect the rights of others. This distinguishes it from aggression (fight), which involves violating the rights of others, and from evasion (flight), which involves respecting the rights of others at the expense of your own.
Assertiveness is useful in the following contexts:
- Stating your own views
- Disagreeing with others’ views
- Making a request
- Refusing a request
- Offering criticism
- Responding to criticism
Scripting
Read MoreFranco’s Dictatorship in Spain: Consolidation & State
The Consolidation of Franco’s Dictatorship
Franco aimed to create a new state, a “regenerator of Spain,” which banished all ideas of liberalism and liberal democracy, as well as communism. It was based ideologically on a conservative, Catholic, and unitary conception of the state, contrary to all autonomous nationalist ideas.
A Totalitarian Regime
A new political system was established as a totalitarian system, with no constitution and no democratic freedoms. Franco concentrated powers and organized
Read MoreThe Enlightenment and 17th-Century European Conflicts
The Enlightenment: A Cultural Movement of the 18th Century
The Enlightenment was a cultural movement in 18th-century Europe that emphasized reason as the primary source of authority. It aimed to combat ignorance and superstition, fostering faith in human progress and personal merit. This era saw the rise of new economic theories:
- Physiocracy (Quesnay)
- Capitalism (Adam Smith)
The Enlightenment criticized absolutism and established the foundations of new political and social systems, notably liberalism.
Spain Under Alfonso XII: Politics and Reform
Alfonso XII’s Reign: Cánovas System and the 1876 Constitution
The reign of Alfonso XII marked the beginning of the Cánovas system of government, based on what Cánovas termed the “internal constitution” of Spain. This concept encompassed core ideals such as homeland defense, hereditary monarchy, individual freedom, and private property. Cánovas also established a two-party political system inspired by the English model, featuring only the *Conservatives* and the *Liberals*.
In the first parliamentary
Read More17th Century Spain: Socio-Economic Crisis & Golden Age
Economic and Social Developments in the Seventeenth Century
The seventeenth century is characterized by a socio-economic crisis caused by the following reasons:
- Reduction of the population (from 8 million to 7 million). The reasons were epidemics (plague), constant wars (Flanders, Portugal, etc.), emigration to the Indies, the decline in the birth rate by reducing the number of marriages, and the expulsion of the Moriscos.
- Monetary Policy. This consisted of altering the currency to deal with the financial
German Reichstag and the Weimar Republic: A Historical Analysis
The Reichstag in Imperial Germany
Furthermore, the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) was, at least nominally, the representative body of the German nation, elected by direct universal male suffrage (over 25s) throughout. Despite this representativeness, it could not hold the Imperial Chancellor liable, as the Emperor exclusively named the latter (who used to be named Chancellor of Prussia). The Reichstag’s work focused on legislation and budget approval, sharing that capability with the Bundesrat. The electoral
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