Understanding Elite Theory, Political Ideology, and State Power
Elite Theory: Power Dynamics in Society
In political science and sociology, elite theory describes and explains power relationships in contemporary society. It posits that a small minority, comprising the economic elite and policy-planning networks, holds the most power, independent of democratic elections. Through positions in corporations or on corporate boards, and influence over policy-planning networks via financial support of foundations or positions with think tanks or policy-discussion groups,
Read MoreSpanish Unions, Business Organizations, and Political Culture
The General Union of Workers (UGT) and Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) have been the two dominant organizations in Spanish union activity for the last 25 years. Their role was enhanced by the support received from public authorities. Since the late 1980s, they have maintained what they call trade union unity, forming a homogeneous block in relation to successive governments and employers. However, their public presence as social actors is disproportionate to their relatively small degree of rootedness
Read MoreMarxist Materialism: Class Struggle and Historical Analysis
Marxist Materialist Conception of History
Marx’s materialist conception of history diverges from Hegel’s idealism. Marx believed that material conditions, not abstract beliefs, shape the laws of nature and society. Understanding these material conditions is crucial for understanding social laws. This approach, known as the materialist conception of history, emphasizes economic analysis as the foundation of political science.
According to Marx, the worker’s revolution stems from the inherent indignity
Read MoreSocialist Marxist Theories in Education: Key Figures
Socialist Marxist Theories in Education
Socialist Marxist theories form the foundation of socialist education. It is a multipurpose education centered around work that transcends class-based education. It advocates for the “Unified School,” encompassing three crucial aspects: Intellectual Education, Physical Education, and Polytechnic Education (education closely tied to labor).
Background
- Plato (4th Century BC): His works, *The Republic* and *The Laws*, laid early groundwork.
- Thomas More (15th-16th
Community Intervention: Negotiation and Strategic Action
Negotiate and Discuss the Proposed Intervention
The community worker should negotiate with the entity’s own project or institution and establish a treatment (more than a tacit agreement—a contract, as some authors refer to it). This need for negotiation, or better yet, transaction, is because projects that provide for participation do not always receive the same consideration by the community worker, popular organizations, or the administration. Rebollo highlights how the expectations for participatory
Read MoreUnited Nations: History, Structure, and Goals
The United Nations: Origins and Evolution
Initially, there was the League of Nations, founded around 1920. It was one of the principal factors in the ending of World War I, and its primary mission was to preserve peace. Following this, the Atlantic Charter was created in 1941 on board a ship navigating somewhere in the Atlantic. It was signed by Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill. This charter outlined a series of principles that initiated the UN Charter, established in 1945 after World War
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