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. Social history is often described as 'history from below' or 'Grass- roots history' because it deals with the every-day people, the masses and how they shape History rather than the leaders. 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. A question in social history is whether the masses follow the leaders or whether it is the other way around.

An example of social history can be seen in the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Typical history would focus on the who, what, when and where; whereas social history focuses on the causes of the movement itself. Social historians would pose such questions as, "Why did the movement come about when it did?", and "What specific elements fostered the growth?" "What elements hindered the development?" This approach is favored by scholars because it allows for a full discussion on the sometimes less studied aspects. By understanding the past, we can begin to understand who we are now.

See also

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• history of sociology

More on [ Social history ]

Social History - Twitter Search

And make a game out of it :P @sidekickstudios there has to be a way to integrate people's digital social stream with their medical history.
JurieOnGames (Jurie Horneman) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:06:42 -0000
And make a game out of it :P @sidekickstudios there has to be a way to integrate people's digital social stream with their medical history.
@claudiovaccaro - Ottimo post - Il Social Media ROI esiste: metriche e case history per non perdere la bussola - http://bit.ly/1AFvrB
alessandropucci (Alessandro Pucci) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:01:34 -0000
@claudiovaccaro - Ottimo post - Il Social Media ROI esiste: metriche e case history per non perdere la bussola - http://bit.ly/1AFvrB
RT @60MD: Good article by social media rockstar A Brief History of Social Media - http://shar.es/aKxZ2
TBsocialmedia (SocialMedia Buzz) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:24:29 -0000
RT @60MD: Good article by social media rockstar A Brief History of Social Media - http://shar.es/aKxZ2
"Control Vs Convince" part of this TED Talk made me think about Agile (How social media can make history - http://tinyurl.com/kwf2xd)
laurentbristiel (Laurent Bristiel) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:18:57 -0000
"Control Vs Convince" part of this TED Talk made me think about Agile (How social media can make history - http://tinyurl.com/kwf2xd)
Shōwa Japan: political, economic and social history, 1926-1989 - Google Books Result http://tinyurl.com/yjla7bn
mbrebeccjadw (Rebecca Reed) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:12:43 -0000
Shōwa Japan: political, economic and social history, 1926-1989 - Google Books Result http://tinyurl.com/yjla7bn
RT @60MD: Good article by social media rockstar A Brief History of Social Media - http://shar.es/aKxZ2
dorothydalton (Dorothy Dalton) Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:11:32 -0000
RT @60MD: Good article by social media rockstar A Brief History of Social Media - http://shar.es/aKxZ2

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