Social history
Related: cultural history - social - history - world view - zeitgeist
Compare: great man theory
Definition
Social history is an area of historical study considered by some to be a social science that attempts to view historical evidence from the point of view of developing social trends. In this view, it may include areas of economic history, legal history and the analysis of other aspects of civil society that show the evolution of social norms, behaviors and mores. It is distinguished from political history, military history and the so-called history of great men. While proponents of history from below and the French annales school of historians have considered themselves part of social history, it is seen as a much broader movement among historians in the development of historiography. Unlike other approaches, it tries to see itself as a synthetic form of history not limited to the statement of so-called historical fact but willing to analyse historical data in a more systematic manner. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_history [Oct 2005]
History from below
History from below is a form of historical narrative which was developed as a result of the Annales School and popularised in the 1960s. This form of social history focuses on the perspectives of ordinary individuals within society as well as individuals and regions that were not previously considered historically important. This includes women and the working class, as well as regions such as India or Africa. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_from_below [Oct 2005]
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