"Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own"

By: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Joan Miro

Neo Industrialism?

We all have heard several things about industrialization. In fact, thanks to Industrialization is why we’re still progressing technologically, economically, and socially. Even though we’re still living times of change and growth, there are certain things that are not changing yet. Indeed, we’re still sharing some characteristics from modernity. Before I make comparisons and similarities, I’m going to explain what Industrialization means.

We need to be clear about the fact that Industrialization belonged to modernization, in which “modern states would be wealthier and more powerful, and their citizens freer and having a higher standard of living”[1]. Unfortunately, the prize for having progress was a task that lower classes should do.

The transformation of the Industrial Revolution started in the late part of the 18th century and early 19th century in Great Britain. Then it spread to some countries from Western Europe and North America. Other countries also go into the process of Industrialization, but after the most important nations.

The characteristics of those times are tremendous: there were huge social and economical changes. For example, workers preferred to migrate to industrial towns[2] than being in a city. Of course this brought more than one consequence: another working class was created. At present, people think they could have better life conditions if they migrate in a city, because towns have: hospitals, schools, universities, police stations, and places to work. That means that people preferred to live near to their jobs, regardless of which can the possible consequences be. For example, in those times, “the countryside was healthier. A baby born in a large town with a population of more than 100,000 in the 1820s might expect to live to 35 - in the 1830s, life expectancy was down to a miserable 29”.[3]

They also received low salaries, and they had to work 14 hours per day (approximately). Nowadays, people should work 9 hours per day. There is obviously a huge difference in terms of time, but: Do you think we take advantage the rest of the day without being working? Not actually. The rest of the day people are still working, in fact, at lunch time, people spend these 40 minutes doing other stuff, neither eating something healthier but fast-food, nor having moment for relaxing and forgetting that there is more in life than being working.

Another thing that it must be considered is that women and children were incorporated in the working environment, because industries and factories needed more and more people for a better productivity. As conditions of working and sanity were horrible, several diseases appeared such as: Cholera epidemics, the 'Great stink ’, miasmas ”[4] , and other illnesses caused by pollution in towns. Evidently, these issues have been almost resolved through these last two centuries, but if we think in our recent years, many people who live in the city have suffered illness, especially related to air pollution.

Finally, and the most important subject that must be focused is about how children and adolescents had spent being educated, which has been a very progressive process. As it was explained before, children were used as slaves for industries, because as families were numerous and needs were many, so as a difference from nowadays, is that education was indeed a privilege. Although the educational system is still a privilege, at least the majority of children have the right to enter into a school. But we can’t confuse quantity/quality, due to that many schools have been opened lately, and I think that those school’ missions are to incorporate children, but not more than that.

As a way of conclusion, I would like to mention that it’s intrinsically important this subject for students, because:

1) It is really interesting to know about History.

2) We might know where we belonged to, because what they were is what we are.

3) To make them conscious about the things that are repeating now, what kind of things we’re provoking, and the possible consequences, due to that nobody would like to live their entire life on strikes, economical crisis, poverty, and massive illness because of “pollution” (we already know that we are responsible to produced it).


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Sources:

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modernization

[2] http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/victorian/topic_1/welcome.htm

[3]http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/social_conditions/victorian_urban_planning_01.shtm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Stink

[4]http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/trail/victorian_britain/social_conditions/victorian_urban_planning_01.shtml

We're Still Living Modernity

"Modern Times" was a really interesting movie directed by Charles Chaplin, in 1936. This "silent" movie was based in the result of industrialization, in which many people tried to survive the consequences of this huge change.

Chaplin was a modest worker. He suffered a breakdown because of the machine age. As he got mad working efficiently and quickly, he was transferred into a mental hospital. When he finished his treatment, doctors advised him to stay relaxed, but when he got out of the hospital, he discovered that this was really impossible: He saw people struggling against factories (all of them got unemployed). Unfortunately, police caught him, because he was holding a red flag (which meant he was communist) and he was abruptly sent into jail.

Life in jail was better than being outside, and Charles preferred to stay in prison, than being poor and unemployed. As everything has an ending, he had to confront the cruel reality, but he suddenly met a lonely girl who was trying to survive too. They both were fighting very hard, because they wanted to live a “normal life”, and many times they took risks. At the end of the movie, they had to leave their city for having better opportunities and expectations.

“Modern times” has clearly expressed that changes could be tremendous; if they wanted to get success, capitalism, consumerism and efficiency, they had to work hard, without having time for break, and for themselves.

If there is something that called my attention, was that hierarchy was highlighted: you were a worker or a consumerist, even though it was very easy to become poor, due to competence among factories were evident. I also noticed that workers were becoming as human machines, due to the fact that they couldn’t get neither tired, nor “wasting” time. In spite of everything, we’re still living the same epoch, but with a different context. Do you agree with me?

George I (1714-1727)

George was born in Hanover, Germany, in 1660. He was son of the Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and Sophia, who was the heiress of the English throne.

After his mother died, he became king of Great Britain in 1714, because he was the closest Protestant relative.

During his reign, he had two rebellions against him, in 1715 and 1719, but he was able to end up with those rebellions.

George was active in English foreign policy, and his shrewd diplomatic judgment helped to establish an anti-Spanish alliance with France.

Unfortunately his reign suffered an economic crisis, so his “prime minister”, Robert Walepole, was able to administrate. As the king and his ministers were unpopular, George became less involved in government, and also because of his inability to speak English, made him less interested in Great Britain.

He died in 1727, when he was visiting Hanover, and his son George II succeed to the throne.

What it means being a Queen?

Most of the girls have wanted to be a queen once but, have you think of the consequences that this would carry?

Before you answer, let me tell you first about Queen Elizabeth, according to the movie "Golden Age" and some articles.

She was daughter and heir of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Her reign started in 1958. She is described as "a very clever young woman" due to the fact that she domained many languagues, eventhough she received good flatteries, people called her "The Virgin Queen". The reasons why she refused to mantain her lineage are unknown.

Curiously enough, we watched the Queen in the movie as: A normal human being, with a enviable strong personality that fell in love of Sir Raleigh. On the other hand, we shouldn't forget that she was very vain, high-handed and selfish. In spite of continuing judging her faults, it's necessary to explain why she behaved like that.

First of all, there were rainy days for England. All the people were wishing for a miracle. Moreover (and this was the main problem she brought on) was about her beliefs. She was Protestant, and deceided to stablish a protestant church in her reign. Besides, her country were governed by old Catholic laws, in which make people hate or love her. As religious beliefs were crutial in this scheme, her cousin Mary, Queen of Scots, was an option to overthrow Elizabeth. Indeed we could watch through the film that she made a plot against her, that didn't work. Moreover Spain was a Catholic country, so they wanted to finish with her reign at all cost through the "Spanish Armada"(what a good pretext!) because it's known that in those times (and still) they just wanted to conqueer as much as they could!

Eventhough the plot is more based in love than war (the basic requeriments of a holliwoodense movie) it's captivating at the same time. Now, do you want to be a Queen?

Stonehenge

The Stonehenge was and still is one of the most magnificant places in which visitors consider it as a worldwide monument . At the same time this place keep many secrets and misteries about its creation (when and why).

It is said that this temple was built a thousand of years ago, and that the purpose of its creation it's still being an object of study by many scientists and historians.

As nowadays we could decode some misteries, it is believed by some pagans that the purpose of the Stonehenge was for "esoteric ceremonies and priestly incantations of human sacrifices" (Hibbert).

In my personal view, I knew that many tourist tend to go there because of its magic healing powers, and the Stonehenge could help them to get rid of their illness. I also knew that these blocks of stones were put in a circle for looking astronomical events, as we have seen in some videos and articles.

There are some old momuments in which perhaps we are never going to reveal the truth or the origins, but I really think that instead of trying to reasons for everything, it would be better if we stop and observe these fabolous creations, and try to guess our own reasons or theories.

What is Civilization?

When I think about the word “civilization” it comes to my mind a lot of words, and some of those are: a complex society, urbanization, superiority, knowing past and present, citizen, and so on.

For example, I could define this as citizens who are joined together economically, culturally, socially, and religiously. When we hear “a civilize country” I can understand this as a place in which they’re totally organized and at the same time it’s a place that is growing through the time. That’s what I could define civilization, according to me, but it’s always important to make a short definition about this word that we always tend to confuse with culture:

“Is a society or culture group normally defined as a complex society characterized by the practice of agriculture and settlement in cities”.

As I told before, it’s closely with urbanization, due to we’re talking about people who wants a better life quality, and if they want to make a progress, they have to settle into cities. One example is the Maya civilization, due to they suffered a huge advance in those times in terms of writing, epigraphy, and its art.

Do you think we're civilized?