Archive for the
'Social' Category

This act of homage to the one who deserves it, to the one who is still with us, to the one who really forged a generation of physical anthropologists guided by a deep knowledge of the subject, scientific rigor and standards of duty, behavior and punctuality, consistent with a research professional, was undoubtedly worthwhile.

Why? Because it allowed us to celebrate with a sincere motive, admiration and respect, because it united in a single day, students, colleagues from different parts of the world, her family, always with a common memory, Prof. Betty.

Because it contributed to every member of Asesórate, adding a good idea, so that the event was a success, so that no one or nothing was missing, so that our Honoree felt at home. One more example that teamwork is what works. Thank you!

Because, in addition, it is evident that time passes, but people and their deeds remain. This is very important. It allows to discern with clarity and certainty that you did not make a mistake in your path, that you found great people in it and that walking together, forming teams, is what enhances the value of science.

For my part, I feel happy, satisfied. I can say, a tribute that was conceived from the sincere affection, admiration and gratitude to a great teacher.

I think the best way to write this Let's talk about the event, is by several hands. I now pass the pen to Josefa, who has been the architect in the consolidation of this event and who, having listened to the words of our honoree, expresses: “...The summary we have heard is a beautiful memory of her life. And precisely, I would like to take advantage of this space to share a brief academic reflection on the subject: The usefulness of memories in research. Memory is not just a nostalgic recollection. In science, memory, understood as the sum of trajectory, experience and documented legacy, is an essential tool. The legacy of Dr. Méndez that we celebrate today is irrefutable proof of this. In research, especially in Physical or Biological Anthropology, memory operates at two crucial levels and Dr. Méndez has been a constant reference for her academic demand, ethics, discipline and order in research. This is methodological memory in action. She has taught us that the way research is conducted is as vital as the result. The memory of her rigor is what prevents us from making past mistakes and what ensures the quality of the data today. It is his example of how to get a measurement right, how to interpret data, and how to maintain scientific integrity. His commitment to order made it clear to us that rigorous methodology must be an institutional memory that is passed on from generation to generation, ensuring that knowledge is cumulative and reliable.

The second level is the documentary memory, which is embodied in his valuable scientific production. His recent article: “Academic journey: from curiosity to specialty.” published in the journal Anales de Nutrición (2025, https://doi.org/10.54624/2025.38.1.005 ) exhibits what is a memory in itself. He not only presents data, but contextualizes his journey, offering the map of an intellectual journey of great magnitude, in which each of us has played our part. His work becomes, once again, a bibliographic reference of the first order. His constancy and dedication reflect that memory is not static, it is a dynamic memory that is continually updated.

Professor Betty's Anthropology is not a museum discipline, it is an applied science that has strengthened fields such as health, nutrition and sports. This is where the usefulness of this memoir becomes tangible.

Today, as we celebrate her academic and human legacy, we are celebrating the usefulness of memory personified. Profe Betty has left us more than articles; she has left us a didactic memory in the classroom, an ethical memory in research and an affective memory in every sustained encounter. She taught us that the best way to honor the scientific past is not only to remember it, but to use it to move forward. She is the integral colleague and the constant referent of a journey of excellence, curiosity and commitment...”

Dear Profe Betty - Dr. Betty Méndez de Pérez: the mark you have left on us is not just a memory. It is the living memory that drives us. Thank you, we have learned a lot. Thank you for your immense legacy!

Josefa Orfila - Adelaida Struck - Rita Amelii - Mony Vidal - Francisco J Fernandez

SOCIO-AFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF LIFE, THE INVISIBLE FOUNDATIONS OF THE HUMAN BEING
Accompanying emotional development in the first years of life is fundamental for the formation of the human being. Every look, hug and word leaves deep traces in the mind and heart. It is not just about caring, but about connecting. Developmental neuroscience has shown that children's brains are shaped by the quality of the bond with their attachment figures. Feeling protected and listened to activates circuits of calm and trust, while indifference generates stress and alertness.
From developmental psychology, we know that the first five years are the stage where children build their self and develop the foundations of their identity, self-esteem and ability to relate to others. From the first year, they experience security by feeling protected and cared for; this basic trust will be the seed of their future emotional well-being. Between the ages of two and three, autonomy and curiosity emerge; around the ages of four and five, empathy, cooperation and the first signs of moral awareness appear.
During this stage key emotional skills are strengthened such as: Self-regulation: calming down and waiting; Empathy: recognizing other people's emotions; and Self-esteem: feeling capable, valuable and loved.
The role of caregivers is irreplaceable: it is not about being perfect, but about being present, listening, containing and accompanying. Simple gestures such as looking into the eyes, responding calmly and maintaining safe routines convey the message: «you are important, you are safe, you can trust».
These capacities, sustained by a stable affective relationship, constitute the foundation of personality and psychological well-being. International agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF emphasize that early childhood from 0 to 5 years of age is a critical window for emotional, social and cognitive development, and recommend safe, nurturing and stimulating environments where children can explore freely, feel loved and understood.
When I see families in consultation, I often observe how adolescents and adults who grew up in stable environments show greater resilience, empathy and ability to relate; and those who express insecure attachments show difficulties in trusting and managing emotions.
Today, these learnings are especially relevant in a changing, technological society, where human interactions are often replaced by screens and immediacy has replaced waiting. While technology can be a valuable learning tool, its overuse can limit emotional communication, attention and patience. In contemporary homes, it is essential to create spaces for real connection, where dialogue, shared play and mutual gazing remain the primary language of love. Children need adults who really look at them, not just watch them from a screen.
In a fluid world where certainties change rapidly, firm emotional roots are the compass that helps children and future adults remain stable, empathetic and resilient.

Msc. María Elisa Pizzutti

For centuries, conflicts have been interpreted, confronted and resolved - or aggravated - from the traditional zero-sum view in which someone has to win by force or imposition. Women, historically removed from the formal spaces of negotiation and decision-making, have instead exercised an often invisible mediation: that which takes place in communities, in homes, in family ties.  

Women, especially those who come from community struggles, experiences of exclusion or from ancestral traditions that assign them the maintenance of social equilibrium, bring a different vision: based on listening, empathy, mutual recognition and the search for solutions that heal, that repair and not only impose agreements. 

It is becoming increasingly evident that conflicts, far from being simple confrontations, are complex expressions of inequalities, emotions, unheard stories and unmet needs. Resolving them requires tools, yes, but also a gaze capable of seeing in the fracture an opportunity for care, for repair and for transformation.

Therefore, when women have access to training in conflict resolution, they not only acquire useful techniques for their communities, but also broaden the horizon from which to understand power, justice and peace. And that is where the feminist perspective makes a difference.

A woman who learns to mediate does not limit herself to 'calming tempers' or 'conciliating' from a neutrality that often perpetuates inequalities. A woman mediator, aware that crises affect women and girls differently, understands that not all conflicts are symmetrical, that silenced voices need to be heard and that there is no peace without justice.

Tools for conflict transformation - such as active listening, identification of deep needs, facilitation of dialogue and collective construction of solutions - are essential to break cycles of violence. But these tools are not applied in a vacuum: they make sense in the context of ethical relationships, trust and mutual recognition. 

Many women who today are trained in these methodologies do so not from abstract theory, but from their daily experience of oppression, exclusion or violence. These experiences, far from being obstacles, become sources of legitimacy, empathy and connection with other women. By learning to listen deeply, by being able to name and express what hurts them and by being able to build agreements with others, something changes in them and they become referents for transforming the power dynamics in their communities.

In contexts marked by polarization, crisis and social fragmentation, the training of women as mediators, facilitators of dialogue and promoters of restorative solutions represents a powerful political strategy. Without idealizing them or burdening them with a new responsibility, it is a matter of giving them the opportunity that their knowledge, their experiences and their capacity for care also have a place in decision-making processes.

When women intervene in conflict resolution with a feminist perspective, what they contribute is not only the concrete agreement they reach, but also the way in which this process takes place: did they all feel heard, was there space to show their vulnerability, were emotions taken care of, was the damage repaired, was there transformation or only agreed silence? Sometimes these women who learn the tools of mediation agree to silence on some difficult issues in the hope of being able to air them in the future, but while they are weaving networks of trust, they listen to each other, they take care of each other.

From this perspective, training in conflict resolution does not offer a magic formula, but rather an ethical framework, useful tools and, above all, a space where women can recognize themselves as political subjects capable of transforming realities. Women who not only survive conflicts, but who re-signify them, go through them together with others, and in this gesture, open new paths for justice and peace.

The future of our communities will depend, to a large extent, on our ability to dialogue without fear, to repair what has been damaged without vengeance, and to support each other when there seems to be no way out. In that future, women must be present.

Natalia Brandler

@nataliabrandler

At the crossroads of the 21st century, we can say that humanity faces challenges that demand bold and transformative responses. The climate crisis, social inequality and energy precariousness call for an ethical look at the development model. In this context, the energy transition is not only an environmental imperative, but also represents an unprecedented opportunity to rethink global welfare from a social justice perspective.

At the heart of this transformation are alternative energies, catalysts for a future where sustainability and equity must go hand in hand. Historically, the most vulnerable communities have borne the burden of pollution generated by traditional energy production systems. At the same time, millions of people still lack basic access to energy, so social justice must be placed at the center of the debate, considering it as a universal right and not a privilege. 

Alternative sources - solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal and sustainable biomass - offer us concrete possibilities to break with these patterns of exclusion. Their ability to generate energy in a decentralized way brings it closer to those who need it most, reducing territorial inequalities and strengthening the autonomy of communities. This is not just electrification: it is a real improvement in their quality of life.

This energy transition also has a direct impact on public health. It replaces polluting sources with clean technologies, reducing emissions of toxic gases and harmful particles that affect respiratory and cardiovascular health. Breathing cleaner air is not only an environmental issue, it is an investment in health and dignity.

I deeply believe that this transformation can also be the basis for a new, fairer and more inclusive economy. The new alternative energy sector is generating thousands of green jobs: installers, technicians, engineers, manufacturers. For this wave of employment to be truly equitable, we must ensure that it includes people who today depend on fossil fuels, through training and retraining. A just transition leaves no one behind and contributes to reducing social gaps. Resilience is also strengthened by investing in clean energy. By generating energy locally, we reduce dependence on global chains and exposure to geopolitical or economic crises. Furthermore, investment in renewable infrastructure can revitalize forgotten territories, generate local value chains and foster community-based innovation.

We can conclude that the energy transition is much more than a technical transformation, it is an ethical decision. Betting on alternative energies in the service of social justice is one of the ways to build a more equitable, resilient and sustainable world. It means putting people, their rights and their territories at the center.

Dubraska Rodriguez

August 2025

Migration is a phenomenon inherent to the history of mankind, which has shaped cultures, economies and political structures. Spain, like other European countries, has historically been both a sender and a receiver of migration. In recent decades, the arrival of migrants has driven important social and economic transformations.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), in 2024 foreign residents accounted for 16.6 % of the population, playing a key role in sustaining the labor market and the pension system. OECD (2025) indicates that more than 25 % of employment growth in the last two years was generated by migrant population, especially in sectors such as hospitality, care, construction and agriculture. Since 2022, 45 % of new jobs were filled by migrants, contributing to economic growth of 3 % in 2024, well above the Eurozone average. The Bank of Spain has pointed out that without this contribution, population growth would have stagnated and the welfare system would be unsustainable.

This panorama reinforces the need to position migration policies as a strategic axis, not only as a response to emergency situations, but also as a planning tool aimed at economic development, social cohesion and democratic sustainability.

Some countries have designed effective models that can serve as a reference. Canada and Australia, for example, use point systems that prioritize training, work experience and market needs. These models have improved the labor market insertion of skilled migrants, reduced unemployment among this population and raised their incomes, with positive effects for the economy. During the first half of the 20th century, the United States also integrated massive migratory flows from Europe as part of its industrial expansion. More recently, Germany has promoted dual training as a way of integrating migrants into key productive sectors.

These experiences show that effective migration policies are those that anticipate, plan and include. In contrast, restrictive models have proven to be counterproductive. France, with a more securitarian approach in recent years, has seen an increase in social exclusion, segregation and xenophobic discourse. At the European level, the approach focused on border control and the externalization of responsibilities, such as the Dublin system, has overburdened countries such as Spain, Italy or Greece without ensuring fair redistribution or effective reception mechanisms.

Within this framework, Spain needs to move towards a planned, fair and sustainable migration model, based on principles of inclusion, social justice and co-responsibility. Aligning migration policy with the needs of the labor market, preventing both labor shortages and the precariousness of migrants. 2. Guarantee legal and safe entry channels, reducing the power of trafficking networks and promoting orderly migration. 3. Strengthen reception and inclusion programs, with access to rights, decent employment, education and housing. 4. Combat discrimination and hate speech, through awareness campaigns and regulatory frameworks that promote a positive narrative about the migrant contribution.

An effective migration policy has a direct impact on economic growth, the sustainability of the welfare state and the quality of democracy. It is not a marginal issue, but a structural component of national development. Well-managed migration is a source of innovation, demographic revitalization and cultural enrichment.

It is essential for Spain to move towards a concerted State policy, with the participation of political and institutional actors at all levels. At the same time, it is necessary to promote a critical review of the migratory agreements within the European Union, promoting a more supportive and co-responsible approach. This effort is key to preventing more complex social fractures, such as those already observed in other countries of the bloc.

In closing, I suggest understanding the new migratory dynamics in the light of global changes. Human mobility in the 21st century responds to structural causes such as inequality, conflict, climate crisis or demographic transformations that must be addressed from an integral, human and prospective perspective. To bet on well-managed migration is to bet on a more cohesive, just and future-ready society.

Dr. Elena Estaba Briceño

August 2025

As a teacher, consultant and trainer of generations, I ask myself: how can we incorporate AI without our students losing their capacity for reasoning, logical thinking and interest in research and reading, and how can we teach them to think in an era where machines already answer for us?

Artificial intelligence is here to stay in education. We cannot ignore it or fear it. But neither can we allow it to replace the most valuable process of teaching: the development of critical thinking, analysis, the ability to reason and make informed decisions. Our work as teachers is not limited to transmitting content, but to accompany students in the construction of criteria, autonomy and meaning.

I see with concern how many students start using AI as a shortcut, without understanding it, without questioning it. And here is the real challenge: it is not about banning AI, but teaching them how to use it well. Let them know how it works, what biases it may contain, when it is useful and when it is not. Let them learn to distinguish between an automatic response and their own reasoning.

AI can be a great ally if we know how to incorporate it with purpose. But the leading role must remain human. Our task is not to compete with algorithms, but to teach what no machine can replicate: empathy, creativity, critical reading of the world.

UNESCO says it clearly: AI should complement, not replace, the work of teachers or the cognitive development of students. That is why I insist: education should focus not on the tool, but on thinking; not on the immediate result, but on the process of learning, making mistakes, asking questions and trying again.

From Asesórate, I would like to invite my colleagues, teachers, researchers and trainers to open this debate with courage. Educating in the age of AI requires more than adapting, it requires deciding how we use it, for what purpose and in the service of what values.

Prof. Rita Amelii

The history of humanity is, in large part, the history of its migrations. However, in the contemporary world, the phenomenon of migration has been progressively hijacked by narratives that simplify, distort and manipulate it. Instead of understanding its root causes or assuming our collective responsibility, we have opted for fear, criminalization and exclusion.

Migration has gone from being a manifestation of the right to seek a dignified life to becoming an ideological battlefield where States and their governments, many of them democratic, deploy discourses and policies that erode fundamental rights. There is talk of secure borders, demographic threats or cultures at risk, while ignoring the fact that behind every migrant there is a human story, a face, a dignity.

In this context, restrictive immigration policies are not only an ineffective response, but profoundly unjust. Imprisonment, arbitrary deportations, separation of families: these are practices that delegitimize the law as a guarantor of justice. As we have repeatedly pointed out, migration policies based on the friend-enemy logic feed a spiral of intolerance that ends up justifying the unjustifiable.

This is not to deny that States have the right to regulate entry into their territories. But this right cannot be exercised in isolation from the higher principle of human dignity. No policy will be legitimate if it strips the migrant of his or her status as a subject of rights.

For this reason, I have argued that the migration phenomenon requires an interdisciplinary approach. Law, economics and sociology are not enough. It requires an ethical framework that recognizes the complexity of migration and, at the same time, assumes its treatment as a moral duty. We propose a philosophy of migration that articulates social justice, respect for cultural identity, pluralism, and a sense of human responsibility.

This will also be the approach that I will share in the webinar "Migrations and Rights: new routes to justice", promoted by Asesórate, where we will talk about the urgency of opening paths of dialogue, hospitality and commitment. It is certainly possible to build regulatory frameworks that recognize the legitimate concerns of receiving countries, without sacrificing the lives, rights and dignity of those who migrate.

As John Paul II said, the causes that today drive millions to abandon their homes are not an inevitability: they are an ethical challenge to our collective conscience. And in the face of that challenge, silence is not an option.

Dr. Tulio Álvarez

It is not possible to remember everything, nor to forget completely. Every act of remembering also implies an act of forgetting. While this happens on the individual level, where remembering is always a selection, conscious or not, it also happens on the social level. Thus we speak of collective memories, as if human groups were capable of remembering or forgetting in a unified way. But even those who lived through the same episode, side by side, do not remember it identically. Their memories diverge, fragment, contradict each other. Yet we continue to speak of a "social memory" as if it were natural and homogeneous, without asking ourselves how it really works.

The problem is that we tend to think of social memory as a sum of individual memories. But this is not so. Social memory is shaped. Often, it is induced. Collective memory does not emerge spontaneously: it is the result of multiple operations of selection, repetition and silencing. These operations are not neutral. They are exercised by powerful bodies: the State, political parties, school systems, academies, the media, religions. These actors not only propose a version of the past: they institute it. They make it official. They tell us what we should remember and also, and this is fundamental, what we should forget.

In the present, these dynamics are intensifying. With massive digitalization and the multiplication of narratives in social networks and global media, the control of memories no longer passes only through school texts or national dates, but through algorithms, communication campaigns, bots, tags. Memories go viral or fade away according to strategic decisions. Forgetting is programmed. Memory is managed. In this context, the figure of the historian and of those who research the past becomes even more vulnerable: their work can be disproved, manipulated or made invisible in seconds. History runs the risk of being displaced by the immediacy of the dominant narrative.

That is why it is urgent to study social memories as constructions that can be manipulated by power. Before speaking of "collective memory", we must make sure that it is what identifies a given people and ask ourselves: who remembers? what is being left out? Is manipulation possible in that context and at that moment? Only in this way will we be able to resist prefabricated memories and make way for true and deeply human memories.

Dr. Yara Altez

The methodology of research for social transformation is distinguished by a deep and active commitment to generating positive and significant changes in society. Unlike traditional research, which often focuses on theoretical understanding or description of phenomena, this methodology prioritizes action and tangible improvement of the living conditions of people and communities, especially those in vulnerable situations.
A fundamental principle is the active participation of the social actors affected by the problem under investigation. This implies involving them not only as subjects of study, but also as essential collaborators in each stage of the process, from the initial definition of the problem to the implementation and evaluation of the proposed solutions. The aim is to create an environment of horizontal collaboration, where the expert knowledge of the researchers is complemented by the lived experience of the participants, enriching the understanding of the problem and increasing the probability of finding effective and sustainable solutions.
Reflexivity is another key pillar, which requires constant self-evaluation by the researcher about his or her role, possible biases and how their presence can influence the research process and results. This transparency and intellectual honesty are essential to ensure the validity and credibility of the findings, as well as to avoid the reproduction of unequal power dynamics between the researcher and the participants.
The action orientation is what fundamentally distinguishes this methodology. It is not simply a matter of generating knowledge, but of generating useful knowledge for decision-making and the implementation of concrete actions that contribute to social transformation. Research results should be translated into strategies, public policies or social interventions that have a real impact on people's lives, addressing the root causes of problems and promoting long-term solutions.
Social justice is the ethical horizon that guides the entire process. The research focuses on identifying and addressing inequalities, discrimination and social exclusion, seeking to empower marginalized groups and strengthen their capacity to defend their rights and interests. It seeks to generate knowledge that is relevant to the fight against poverty, gender inequality, racism, sexual orientation discrimination and other forms of social injustice.
A variety of methods are used to conduct this research, including participatory action research (PAR), which involves a continuous cycle of reflection, planning, action and evaluation in collaboration with participants; case studies, which analyze specific situations in depth to understand complex social dynamics; qualitative research, which uses interviews, focus groups and participant observation to understand participants' perspectives and experiences; and quantitative analysis, which identifies patterns and trends in large data sets.

Josefa Orfila

Research is not just a tool for understanding the world: it is a powerful way to transform it. Throughout my experience, I have found that data, when collected rigorously and interpreted with social sensitivity, can open unexpected paths, give voice to the invisible and generate concrete solutions to our societies' most pressing challenges.
But research for research's sake is not enough. Knowledge that is not translated into action runs the risk of becoming a dead letter. For this reason, I believe in committed, situated research, with ethical roots and a vocation for impact. For this reason, we need methodologies that do not stop at diagnosis, but that inspire, mobilize and transform. Methodologies that dialogue with the territories, that recognize community knowledge, that value experiences and that include people as protagonists of the processes of change.
Social innovation, in this context, is not only about introducing new technologies, but also about rethinking our ways of seeing, listening and acting. To innovate is to dare to ask uncomfortable questions, to question obsolete models and to explore more collaborative, empathetic and sustainable paths. It is to design projects with real impact, based on rigor and methodological versatility, strategic thinking and a genuine connection with the reality we want to improve.
In this approach, research becomes a bridge: between critical analysis and transformative action, between data and decisions, between social challenges and the policies that address them. It is not just about getting results, but about making those results count; making them count; making them count to influence, to inspire public policies, to strengthen community networks, to build fairer and more inclusive narratives.
In short, we do research not only to understand, but to co-create the future. To build fairer, more caring, more conscious societies. And that requires not only knowledge, but also passion, active listening and a real commitment to society.

Mony de Lourdes Vidal A.