LOOKING BACK
What were things like 50 years ago? here you have some articles on different topics of general interest.
FALSE MEMORIES
There is new evidence that children start forming solid memories when they are 2 years old. Nevertheless, can we trust our own memory?
A study, whose participants were 50 children aged between two and four, has been recently carried out in New Zeeland to test the veracity of early memories. The experiment’s conclusion was that the accuracy of the two-year-olds’ memory makes them even capable of being decent witnesses in court.
However, according to a well-known American psychologist, Elizabeth Loftus, memory might be not such a reliable database, not only for kids but for adults. Also, in her own words, “memory doesn’t work like a recording device, where you just record information, then you call it up when you need to answer questions or identify images”. This expert, after decades of work, has demonstrated that our memories are constructive, we can alter them, but other people can do so too.
In one of her investigations several photos were shown to different groups of people. Then they were asked for details of these pictures. The misinformation given when the request was made, in most of the cases, had some influence on their answers.
This misleading information can arise from our imagination, sibling’s stories, photos… consequently, we cannot assure how much is fictional in our memories.
Just because somebody tells you something with lots of details and is full of confidence, it doesn’t mean it really happened or that they actually remember it. I reckon that as long as we can only be sure of the fragility of our memories and not its reliability, we should just enjoy remembering but not trusting our remembrances.
IS LEARNING A LANGUAGE BENEFICIAL?
Ask a Spanish adult about whether he speaks another language besides Spanish, and you’re likely to receive an answer like this: “I studied English at school, but I can’t speak it, and, of course, I’m not able to understand a song or a film. Is it necessary?” Despite this, they’ll try to look for a language school or an English summer camp for their children because today, English is all around you, and everybody talks about the requirement of learning English. Certainly, there is an incredible interest in studying languages.
Even if you aren’t planning on living abroad, what happens if there is a situation where you have to express in other language comes to you? The increasing levels of international business, tourism, immigration, and cultural experiences, eventually, will place you face-to-face with someone who doesn't speak Spanish. That's why I think that the reasons for learning a foreign language are stronger nowadays.
Therefore, I have to recommend everybody to think about its benefits. Thanks to the knowledge of other languages you can get a promotion in your job, or at least, keep it. Currently, that’s essential. Being able to communicate in other languages makes you much more valuable for an employer. And what to say about your leisure? Travelling has never been so cheap. If you want to travel abroad a new language can make things easier for yourself. Consequently, you ought to develop your abilities and you should realize you are living in a constantly changing world which is waiting for you.
MEN: SHARING OR CHANGING ROLES
In 1962, when actor Alberto Closas starred in the film “The big family”, his character symbolised not only an exemplary head of the family, but also a summary of men’s role in that society. From then on, our world has been enormously transformed in many aspects and, surely, this is one of the most relevant. Therefore, did Alberto Closas play an outdated stereotype? If it is so, who would best represent men’s current role?
Certainly, the ancestral balance between women and men has been abruptly turned around throughout the last fifty years. The fair female demands have totally changed social relationships between genders at present. Consequently, the traditional male duties, such as a supplier of money and as a leader of family, are frequently shared with the so-called “weaker sex”.
No doubt these changes appear in the same way in work environments. We shouldn’t get surprised to see a handbag on the desk of a great company manager or hanging on a bus driver’s back. However, although the traditional allocation of spaces and responsibilities has been completely crushed, the old rule “home for housewives and work for yardmen”, in many cases, it still remains connected to house tasks.
To wrap up, nowadays, the drift of male role is not accurate at all. Perhaps, the indecisive uncle, played in the quoted film as a compulsory babysitter, would be a good example of sharing tasks with women. Nevertheless, the recent and gobsmacking Men’s Synchronized Swimming Championship could point in a different direction.
COULD SOMEONE WITHSTAND A MAN FROM THE 60'S?
I was visiting the website of my little village where a photo collection from the 60’s is exhibited. One thing that attracted my attention was the amazing difference between pictures showing men and women and the way they appear in these photographs. That made me remembers the different behaviour of men in contrast with today’s men.
In Spain, until the early 60’s, men and women used to be educated separately. Not only did they go to different schools, but also the subjects and the way they were educated were quite opposed. Men would be instructed to be triumphant and strong, while women to be obedient and docile, and this determined the different roles between men and women for ages.
When I was a child, only my mother would take care of my siblings and me. My father, like my uncles, always walked in the street some meters preceding the women and only the men would enter in a bar, while the women waited in the street with their children. Nowadays most fathers take care of their progeny, spending time with their little ones and sharing also the housework.
50 years ago, it was absolutely improper that a man didn’t take the first step in a romance or allowed a woman to pay for a bill. In contrast, nowadays, it is quite frequent that men and women divide the cost of the bills and take indistinctly the initiative in a new relationship.
However, the men of my parent’s generation had a very high sense of responsibility about their families and they worked very hard, in order to improve their lives, in a very difficult era.
Times have changed, fortunately, and today’s men have a more convenient role in society, but, personally, I think we have to change a bit more, giving women the opportunity of getting their own position in society.
PARENTING: A DIFFICULT TASK THAT HAS CHANGED OVER THE LAST 50 YEARS?
Parenting has a great aim: helping our babies to grow up healthily, offering an appropriate
education and teaching them rich values in order to turn our little children to independent,
happy and complete adults in the future. On the other hand, society has enormously evolved
over the last 50 years so, do you think parenting has always developed in the same way?
“We really had a hard life when we were young! Nowadays, you have all you want!”
This was what an old woman told me last week while I was complaining to a friend about our
stressful life. Maybe, the elderly woman didn’t notice my neglected hair or my dark circles but
I felt a bit upset. In the past, women didn’t work outside the home therefore, most of the time
they spent the day doing their housework and taking care of their children. Consequently, kids
grew up in a family atmosphere which, possibly, was more comfortable, of course the rhythm
of their lives was relaxed.
However, a common parent today is a person who works away from home for eight hours per day, and has to make a balance between their professional career and personal life, which can prove difficult at times.
Moreover, I do not remember my parents playing with me. In the past children played outside
with their peers but today, they play with their devices in their rooms. Aware of the lack of
time spent with their children, parents today are much closer to their kids, so they are much
more conscientious of other needs such as affection and understanding.
In my opinion, parents have always looked for the welfare of their children. We make mistakes
but I’ll never agree on how easily parents are criticised. Maybe it's not as easy as people
reckon. Don’t you think?
PARENTS TODAY VERSUS THE PAST
Parenting has changed in the last 50 years but, can we say that this transformation has been a progress?
Our grandparents had a strict and distant relationship with their offspring, they had to always respect and obey their parents. Children never decided anything within their family. Today it could be said that this is totally the opposite: the young people have a closer relationship with their progenitors and their opinions are, in fact, highly regarded.
Fifty years ago, there used to be large families where the young would learn from each other and share the few things that they had. Now the only child is the most frequent family model and parents tend to overprotect and surround them with all type of toys and facilities. Children are not aware of the effort and sacrifice their parents make to provide them with everything they need, therefore do not appreciate it.
Finally, the role of women in society is so different that it has produced several changes in the function of family members. In the past women were firstly mothers and nothing else, and men worked away from home and never did any housework. At the present time, many couples distribute their duties at home and educate their children in gender equality.
Whether all these changes guess some advance or not, it is extremely difficult to say. I personally think it is but, when parents excuse or justify their children's bad behaviour, I doubt it.
IS A DATE INVITATION NOWADAYS THE SAME AS 50 YEARS AGO?
Why not write about dating over the last 50 years if it is essential for our human species?
In the 50s most people did not have cell phones and even landlines. The only way to get hold of someone was to call their home if they had this line, hoping they will answer or they will call back if you have left a message or to be the perfect man at a guateque.
Now, just about everyone is available all the time. Do you purposefully avoid answering calls, sms, etc. to give the impression you are busy or not waiting for the person to contact you?
I am sure the improvements in technology have changed dating strategies, however, dating changed not only because of that fact, but also for the reason that women have more rights nowadays than before.
It was always the man who proposed a date. It was not polite or acceptable for women to suggest an evening out together. In the 50s, there was not any confusion about what a date meant. It was rare for men and women to be just friends. So if a man called a woman and asked her out for dinner, he certainly had romance on his mind, and this was the beginning of a relationship that could end up in marriage if not encountered with the family’ s opposition. Women and men are now often friends, and can stay friends, without any affair involvement, even once a relationship has come to an end.
For the rest, there haven’t been to many changes. On the first date, it is quite normal to be on time if you want to be polite and meeting in public is a good idea.
If we are talking about introducing your date to your family, it means it is serious most of the times as 90% of people think. And regarding the payment matter, many men still feel that they should pick up the bill, but paying is a tricky issue. For some men, traditional notions are outdated. It is polite to always offer to “Go Dutch” , and I totally agree because both, men and women work.
Don’t you think we should meet or treat each other as equals? Find your answer by yourself! This is my advice.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHOOSE YOUR NEXT DATE?
Everything is constantly changing. Therefore we have done this article to clarify dating 50 years ago versus today. Feel free to choose the way you want to tackle this issue.
What do you think dating means? Date should be the most successful way to keep in touch with people who are interested in finding a partner. All of us have thought of meeting with perfect person for us.
You could get a date in different ways. These ways are: classical (like 50 years ago) or contemporary (nowadays).50 years ago, it was always the man who proposed a date. It was not polite or acceptable for women to suggest an evening together. It´s still traditional for a man to suggest a kind of offer. However, today women can often ask men out. Many first dates are organised by an e-mail or a text phone, this allows them to have a bit more courage to ask.
In the 60s and 70s, there was no confusion about what a date meant. It was rare for men and women to be just friends. So if a man called a woman and asked her out for dinner, he certainly had romance on his mind.
Men and women are now often friends, and can stay friends without any romantic involvement. So inviting someone to a pub or restaurant or accepting such offer doesn´t involve a romantic purpose.
NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU THIS ABOUT MARRIAGE
When you were younger, you saw happily married couples walking holding hands. However, there are a few things nobody has told you yet.
To begin with, marriage is built day after day.
Everyday you choose your partner, you make concessions, you remain silent about some things but you cannot avoid arguing over others. You realize that small things become big. A week not being on speaking terms because of leaving clothes strew around the room is not surprising. When your husband was your boyfriend that could be tender but once married the simplest irritating habit can annoy you.
If you believe you know your husband well, of course I say: no! After a few years, you will see the young man you fell in love has become a sweet memory. And you can be sure he has not changed; it is only that now you know his real personality. But you will only realize that in marriage.
And what can I say about decisions? When you were single, you took your own decisions thinking about what was best for you. In contrast, when you are married you must think how each decision will affect your family life. You always have to think about the beauty of everything. And in top of all, there are no holidays when you are married.
In my opinion, this is exhausting and hard to do. Therefore, marriage should be a five-year renewable contract. Once the document is revised, each partner could decide whether they renew it or not.
HOME-BASED JOBS, THE LATEST REVOLUTIONARY WORK POLICY
Nowadays statistics show an increase in home-based jobs in our modern and technological society and it is assured that this is marvellous for de improvement of the quality of worker´s life. But who this is a fantastic idea for? For workers or for companies?
My sister, who lives in Madrid, works for an international company from home. She avoids commuting every day and, consequently, the terrible traffic jams, saving time and money on petrol or bus tickets. Besides, she has flexible working hours, which allows her to fit in her work life with her family duties. All this sounds fantastic! But think now that she has to define her work schedule very thoroughly in order to delimit her private life from her job. And this is really difficult because she can easily gets distracted o even ends up multitasking with housework, relatives, you name it, while she is working from home. Moreover, she also feels lonely due to not belonging to a working group.
Considering that it is demonstrated that workers are much more productive at home-based jobs, as well as that companies reduce a huge amount of costs in renting offices, electricity, cleaning services, and what it is more, can hire people from any country expanding easily their business without needless investment, therefore what do you think now?
Home-based jobs is a wonderful idea, both for businessmen and their workers, especially those ones who need to conciliate family and work life and cannot be easily get distracted.
DO WORKING CONDITIONS REALLY MATTER?
Labour transformations have emerged over the last 50 years. Examining how they changed can give us an in-depth point of view about how social progress gets to be over time. Causes such as globalisation and technological development are driving the chance, but they are not alone.
Different types of work are cause and consequence as well, transforming the type of job: employment changes from agriculture and manufacturing to services. Service jobs deal with more flexible forms of work organisations, where workers have access to more paid leave entitlements than those of 50 years ago and a work-life balance is possible. But it is not able to do it for everybody because of temporary contracts.
The proportion of workers with a fixed-term contract has been rising over time. They feel less secure in their jobs than workers with a permanent contract, specifically in periods of crisis where the gap is widening.
Lower skilled manual workers are the least confident about finding another job in case of losing their current position. Self-employment is quite similar to temporally contracts because of the uncertainty of the incomes and so, workers try to avoid it for a start. As a result, the level of self-employment remains constant over the last 50 years.
On the other hand, technological development helps us to increase productivity but in the end, there is an increment in intellectual challenges due to monotonous jobs which seem to be more likely than 50 years before. Thanks to these technological advances, workers have healthier and safer working conditions than years before but, more boring as well.
These changes mean that similar work problems over the last 50 years are not solved and every generation has to dead with them, although the same problem is named differently over time.