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Social history gained significant traction in the late 19th century as a counter-movement to the focus on economic determinism.
Answer: False
Explanation: Social history gained significant prominence in the mid-20th century, particularly the 1960s, emerging as a reaction against traditional historical narratives that often focused on political events and elites, rather than economic determinism.
Early social history was significantly influenced by the Marxist concept of historical materialism.
Answer: True
Explanation: The foundational development of social history was indeed deeply influenced by Marxist historical materialism, which posits that societal structures and economic conditions are primary drivers of historical change.
'Old' social history, emerging in the 1960s, was characterized by a systematic approach centered on the experiences of ordinary people.
Answer: False
Explanation: The term 'old' social history generally refers to approaches predating the 1960s, which often lacked a central thematic focus. The systematic approach centered on ordinary people's experiences is characteristic of 'new' social history, which emerged in the 1960s.
E.P. Thompson criticized terms like 'labour movement' for implying an inevitable, progressive march towards a perfect future.
Answer: True
Explanation: E.P. Thompson critiqued 'Whiggish narratives,' such as the term 'labour movement,' for their teleological implication of a constant, inevitable progression towards a better future, which he felt misrepresented the complexities and struggles inherent in historical experience.
E.P. Thompson's *The Making of the English Working Class* is widely credited with popularizing the 'new' social history approach in 1963.
Answer: True
Explanation: E.P. Thompson's seminal work, *The Making of the English Working Class* (1963), is indeed widely recognized for popularizing the 'new' social history approach and championing the 'history from below' perspective.
C.J. Coventry proposed that the 'new' social history movement originated in the 1930s at the University of Cambridge within the Communist Party Historians Group.
Answer: True
Explanation: According to C.J. Coventry's perspective, the origins of the 'new' social history movement can be traced to the 1930s at Cambridge University, specifically within the milieu of the Communist Party Historians Group, influenced by economist Maurice Dobb.
Karl Marx's *The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte* is considered a foundational text for social history due to its focus on elite political maneuvering.
Answer: False
Explanation: While influential, Karl Marx's *The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte* is considered foundational for social history primarily for its comprehensive societal analysis and focus on the lives and actions of ordinary people, rather than solely elite political maneuvering.
Georges Lefebvre first used the phrase *'histoire vue d'en bas et non d'en haut'* to describe the approach of 'history from above.'
Answer: False
Explanation: Georges Lefebvre first employed the French phrase *'histoire vue d'en bas et non d'en haut'*, which accurately translates to 'history seen from below and not from above,' signifying the core tenet of social history.
E.P. Thompson's 1966 essay in *The Times Literary Supplement* helped popularize the concept of 'history from below.'
Answer: True
Explanation: E.P. Thompson's 1966 essay, titled 'History From Below' in *The Times Literary Supplement*, was instrumental in popularizing the phrase and bringing the concept to the forefront of historical discourse.
In which decade did social history gain significant prominence, largely as a reaction against the traditional 'Great Man' view of history?
Answer: 1960s
Explanation: Social history achieved significant prominence during the 1960s, largely as a critical response to the prevailing 'Great Man' theory of history, advocating instead for an understanding of history rooted in societal forces and individual experiences.
What philosophical approach significantly influenced the early development of social history?
Answer: Marxist historical materialism
Explanation: The early trajectory of social history was substantially shaped by Marxist historical materialism, which emphasizes the foundational role of economic structures and class relations in driving historical processes and societal change.
Which of the following best describes the distinction between 'old' and 'new' social history according to the source?
Answer: Old social history predated the 1960s and lacked a central focus, while new social history (post-1960s) was more systematic.
Explanation: The distinction lies in chronology and methodology: 'old' social history generally refers to approaches before the 1960s, often lacking a cohesive focus, whereas 'new' social history, emerging post-1960s, adopted a more systematic approach centered on the experiences of ordinary people.
Which influential book published in 1963 is often credited with popularizing the 'new' social history approach?
Answer: The Making of the English Working Class
Explanation: E.P. Thompson's *The Making of the English Working Class*, published in 1963, is widely regarded as a seminal work that significantly popularized the 'new' social history approach and the concept of 'history from below'.
According to C.J. Coventry's perspective mentioned in the text, where did the 'new' social history movement actually originate?
Answer: In the 1930s at the University of Cambridge within the Communist Party Historians Group
Explanation: C.J. Coventry's perspective suggests that the 'new' social history movement originated in the 1930s at the University of Cambridge, specifically within the context of the Communist Party Historians Group, influenced by economist Maurice Dobb.
Karl Marx's *The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte* is considered foundational for social history primarily because it:
Answer: Offered a comprehensive societal analysis focusing on ordinary people.
Explanation: Marx's *The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte* is considered foundational due to its detailed societal analysis that moves beyond elite actions to examine the broader social forces and the lives of ordinary people influencing historical events.
The French phrase *'histoire vue d'en bas et non d'en haut'*, used by Georges Lefebvre, translates to:
Answer: History seen from below and not from above.
Explanation: Georges Lefebvre's influential phrase, *'histoire vue d'en bas et non d'en haut'*, directly translates to 'history seen from below and not from above,' encapsulating the fundamental orientation of social history.
Which historian is credited with popularizing the phrase 'history from below' through a 1966 essay?
Answer: E.P. Thompson
Explanation: E.P. Thompson's 1966 essay, 'History From Below,' published in *The Times Literary Supplement*, is widely credited with popularizing this key concept within the field of social history.
The 'cultural turn' and 'linguistic turn' led to a narrowing of focus within social history, concentrating solely on discourse analysis.
Answer: False
Explanation: Rather than narrowing the focus, the 'cultural turn' and 'linguistic turn' significantly broadened social history's scope. They encouraged the analysis of discourse, representation, and cultural practices, leading to the expansion of its sub-fields and analytical methodologies.
In the UK, social history was often politically motivated and consciously opposed the traditional focus on elites.
Answer: True
Explanation: In the United Kingdom, social history emerged with a distinct political impetus, actively challenging and opposing the traditional historiographical focus on elites and 'great men,' thereby championing 'History from below'.
Social historians utilized a narrower range of sources compared to traditional historians, focusing mainly on official government documents.
Answer: False
Explanation: Conversely, social historians employed a significantly broader range of sources than traditional approaches, incorporating quantitative data, oral histories, and materials from everyday life to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the past.
In the United States, 'people's history' is a term often associated with Howard Zinn's work.
Answer: True
Explanation: In American historiography, the approach often termed 'people's history' or 'history from the bottom-up' is strongly associated with the influential work of historian Howard Zinn, particularly his book *A People's History of the United States*.
Charles Tilly proposed that social historians should focus solely on documenting large structural changes in society.
Answer: False
Explanation: Charles Tilly outlined three key tasks for social historians: documenting large structural changes, reconstructing the experiences of ordinary people during those changes, and critically connecting these two dimensions, rather than focusing solely on structural changes.
The Annales School in France influenced social history by synthesizing insights from economics, sociology, and cultural studies.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Annales School, a dominant force in French historiography since the 1920s, profoundly influenced social history by integrating historical analysis with insights from diverse fields such as economics, sociology, cultural studies, and even psychoanalysis.
The Bielefeld School in Germany, led by Hans-Ulrich Wehler, focused primarily on theological interpretations of German history.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Bielefeld School, associated with Hans-Ulrich Wehler, was characterized by its application of modernization theories and social science methodologies to German history, aiming for an integrated and comparative study of society, rather than theological interpretations.
Jürgen Kocka identified only one primary meaning for 'social history' as a specific subdivision of the discipline.
Answer: False
Explanation: Jürgen Kocka identified two principal meanings for 'social history': first, as a specific sub-discipline focusing on social structures and processes, and second, as a broader approach encompassing the history of an entire society, termed *Gesellschaftsgeschichte*.
After the end of Communism in Hungary, Marxist interpretations of history became dominant in social history research.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following the end of Communism in Hungary in 1989, Marxist historiography declined, allowing social history to flourish with a renewed focus on diverse areas such as urban history and everyday life, rather than Marxist interpretations becoming dominant.
The opening of Soviet archives after 1991 had a negative impact on the development of social history.
Answer: False
Explanation: The opening of Soviet archives after 1991 significantly benefited social history by providing access to vast records, thereby enabling the field to flourish and expand its research possibilities.
Canadian social history is particularly recognized for its contributions to the study of political diplomacy and international relations.
Answer: False
Explanation: Canadian social history is notably recognized for its strengths in fields such as demography, women's studies, labour studies, and urban studies, rather than political diplomacy and international relations.
The 20th-century social history of most African countries primarily concerns the period before colonization.
Answer: False
Explanation: For the majority of African nations, the 20th-century social history is predominantly concerned with the colonial era and its subsequent impacts, with exceptions like Ethiopia and Liberia which were never colonized.
Ann Curthoys and Humphrey McQueen noted that Australian social history had a strong Marxist theoretical foundation.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ann Curthoys and Humphrey McQueen observed that Australian social history was characterized by a non-Marxist focus on neglected populations, often exhibiting less theoretical rigor and scholarly attention compared to other national historiographies.
The study of ordinary people's lives was revolutionized in the 1960s primarily through the use of literary analysis.
Answer: False
Explanation: The revolution in studying ordinary people's lives during the 1960s was primarily driven by the adoption of sophisticated quantitative and demographic methods, often utilizing census data and sociological models, rather than literary analysis.
Historical demography studies population history using statistical data and is considered a specialty within social history.
Answer: True
Explanation: Historical demography, which analyzes population history and demographic processes through statistical data, is indeed recognized as an important specialty within the broader field of social history.
The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois in 1915.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) was founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1915, not W.E.B. Du Bois, though both were pivotal figures in African American history.
Labor history exclusively focuses on the economic policies of trade unions.
Answer: False
Explanation: Labor history encompasses more than just economic policies; it primarily focuses on the study of labor unions and the broader social history of workers, examining their experiences, organizations, and societal contributions.
Feminist historians critiqued early social history for its tendency to focus predominantly on the experiences of men.
Answer: True
Explanation: Feminist historians, emerging prominently in the 1970s, offered a significant critique of earlier social history, arguing that it often overemphasized the experiences of men and neglected the specific roles and perspectives of women.
How did the 'cultural turn' and 'linguistic turn' impact the field of social history?
Answer: They expanded social history's sub-fields and introduced new analytical approaches.
Explanation: The 'cultural turn' and 'linguistic turn' significantly broadened the scope of social history, encouraging the analysis of discourse, representation, and cultural practices, thereby expanding its sub-fields and introducing novel analytical methodologies.
In the United Kingdom, social history distinguished itself from traditional history by:
Answer: Adopting a strong political impetus and opposing the focus on elites.
Explanation: In the UK, social history emerged with a pronounced political orientation, consciously challenging and diverging from traditional historical narratives that centered on elites and political institutions.
Compared to traditional approaches, social historians utilized a wider array of sources, including:
Answer: Quantitative data and oral histories.
Explanation: Social historians expanded the historian's toolkit by incorporating a broader spectrum of sources, notably quantitative data derived from census records and other statistical compilations, alongside oral histories, to capture a more inclusive historical narrative.
In American historiography, the term 'people's history' is strongly associated with which historian and work?
Answer: Howard Zinn and *A People's History of the United States*
Explanation: The concept of 'people's history' in the United States is most prominently associated with historian Howard Zinn and his influential work, *A People's History of the United States*, which offers a narrative from the perspective of marginalized groups.
Charles Tilly outlined three key tasks for social historians. Which of the following is NOT one of them?
Answer: Analyzing the philosophical underpinnings of elite decision-making.
Explanation: Charles Tilly's framework for social history emphasizes documenting structural changes, reconstructing individual experiences, and connecting these two aspects. Analyzing the philosophical underpinnings of elite decision-making falls outside this specific tripartite model.
The Annales School in France was known for:
Answer: Synthesizing historical patterns from diverse fields like social, economic, and cultural history.
Explanation: The Annales School significantly influenced historiography by synthesizing insights from various disciplines, including social, economic, and cultural history, thereby moving beyond traditional political narratives.
What was the primary characteristic of the Bielefeld School in German history?
Answer: It applied modernization theories and social science methods to study society.
Explanation: The Bielefeld School, associated with Hans-Ulrich Wehler, was characterized by its application of modernization theories and social science methodologies to analyze German society comprehensively, aiming for an integrated historical perspective.
Jürgen Kocka identified two main meanings of 'social history.' One was a specific subdivision, and the other was a broader approach termed:
Answer: Gesellschaftsgeschichte
Explanation: Jürgen Kocka identified two primary meanings for 'social history': a specific subdivision and a broader approach termed *Gesellschaftsgeschichte*, which signifies the history of society viewed holistically through social-historical methods.
Following the end of Communism in Hungary (1989), what happened to social history research?
Answer: It flourished with a renewed focus on areas like urban history and everyday life.
Explanation: Post-Communism in Hungary saw a decline in Marxist historiography and a subsequent flourishing of social history, which expanded its focus to include areas such as urban history and the study of everyday life.
What was the impact of the opening of Soviet archives after 1991 on social history?
Answer: It enabled social history to flourish by providing access to vast records.
Explanation: The opening of Soviet archives post-1991 dramatically expanded the source base for historians, significantly enabling social history to flourish by providing access to extensive bureaucratic and societal records.
Which fields are highlighted as key strengths of Canadian social history?
Answer: Demography, women's studies, labour studies, and urban studies.
Explanation: Canadian social history is particularly noted for its robust contributions and strengths in the fields of demography, women's studies, labour studies, and urban studies.
For most African countries, what historical period is central to their 20th-century social history?
Answer: The colonial era.
Explanation: The 20th-century social history of most African countries primarily revolves around the colonial era and its profound societal impacts, with notable exceptions like Ethiopia and Liberia which maintained their independence.
According to Ann Curthoys and Humphrey McQueen, what characterized Australian social history?
Answer: A non-Marxist focus on neglected people, with relatively less scholarly interest and a-theoretical approach.
Explanation: Curthoys and McQueen characterized Australian social history as primarily non-Marxist, focusing on neglected populations with less theoretical rigor and scholarly attention compared to other national historiographies.
The revolution in studying ordinary people's lives in the 1960s was significantly aided by the use of:
Answer: Sophisticated quantitative and demographic methods.
Explanation: The significant advancements in studying ordinary people's lives during the 1960s were largely propelled by the adoption of sophisticated quantitative and demographic methods, enabling detailed analysis of population data and social mobility.
Historical demography is best described as:
Answer: The analysis of population history and demographic processes using statistical data, functioning as a specialty within social history.
Explanation: Historical demography is defined as the study of population history and demographic processes, utilizing statistical data, and it functions as a crucial specialty within the broader field of social history.
What is the significance of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)?
Answer: It publishes the *Journal of African American History* and sponsors Black History Month.
Explanation: Founded by Carter G. Woodson in 1915, the ASALH is significant for publishing the *Journal of African American History* and for its long-standing sponsorship of Black History Month, promoting the study and dissemination of African American history.
Labor history primarily focuses on:
Answer: The study of labor unions and the social history of workers.
Explanation: Labor history's core focus lies in the examination of labor unions and the broader social history of workers, encompassing their experiences, organizational efforts, and contributions to society.
When did women's history gain prominence, and what critique did feminist historians offer regarding early social history?
Answer: 1970s; they critiqued its overemphasis on the male experience.
Explanation: Women's history gained significant prominence in the 1970s. Feminist historians critiqued early social history for its tendency to predominantly focus on the experiences of men, thereby marginalizing women's perspectives.
Joan W. Scott significantly influenced which subfield of history with her 1986 article?
Answer: Gender History
Explanation: Joan W. Scott's seminal 1986 article, 'Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis,' profoundly influenced the development and conceptualization of gender history as a distinct field of historical inquiry.
The 'new urban history' that emerged in the mid-20th century is characterized by:
Answer: Viewing the city as a process and using quantitative methods to study ordinary populations.
Explanation: The 'new urban history,' emerging in the mid-20th century, conceptualized the city as a dynamic process and employed quantitative methods to analyze the experiences of ordinary urban populations, shifting focus away from elites and traditional narratives.
Stephan Thernstrom's *Poverty and Progress* (1964) is considered influential for its:
Answer: Use of census records to study social mobility in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Explanation: Stephan Thernstrom's *Poverty and Progress* (1964) was a landmark study that utilized census records to meticulously examine social mobility in 19th-century Newburyport, Massachusetts, significantly influencing quantitative approaches in urban and social history.
What is the primary distinction between agricultural history and rural history as presented in the text?
Answer: Agricultural history deals with farming economics and technology, while rural history focuses on the social aspects of countryside life.
Explanation: Agricultural history primarily addresses the economic and technological dimensions of farming practices, whereas rural history encompasses the broader social and cultural aspects of life in the countryside.
The recent historiography of religion has seen a shift towards studying:
Answer: The social history of religious behavior and belief.
Explanation: Contemporary historiography of religion has increasingly shifted its focus from purely theological or institutional studies towards examining the social history of religious behavior, lived experiences, and belief systems.
Which of the following historians is mentioned as influential in American 'people's history'?
Answer: Howard Zinn
Explanation: Howard Zinn is prominently mentioned as an influential figure in the development of American 'people's history,' advocating for narratives centered on the experiences of marginalized and ordinary individuals.
What does the term *Gesellschaftsgeschichte* specifically refer to in the German context?
Answer: The history of German society, viewed broadly and using social science methods.
Explanation: *Gesellschaftsgeschichte*, meaning 'history of society,' refers to a German approach that applies modernization theories and social science methodologies to analyze the entirety of society from a comprehensive social-historical perspective.
The 'history of childhood' is described as a subfield that:
Answer: Maintains close ties with the history of the family.
Explanation: The history of childhood is recognized as a burgeoning subfield that maintains significant connections with the history of the family, often drawing upon similar research methodologies and source materials.
Which of the following is NOT listed as a strength of Canadian social history in the text?
Answer: Political science
Explanation: The text highlights demography, women's studies, labour studies, and urban studies as key strengths of Canadian social history, while political science is not explicitly mentioned in this context.
E.P. Thompson used the term 'social nexus' to describe the isolated experiences of individual historical actors.
Answer: False
Explanation: E.P. Thompson defined the 'social nexus' not as isolated experiences, but as the interconnected web of social relationships and structures through which broad-scale societal change occurs, which he aimed to reveal in his historical work.
E.P. Thompson's criticism of 'Whiggish narratives' in labour history was primarily aimed at:
Answer: Their tendency to imply a constant, inevitable progression towards a better future.
Explanation: Thompson's critique of 'Whiggish narratives' targeted their teleological assumption of inevitable progress, arguing that such interpretations misrepresented the complex struggles and contingent nature of historical experience.
E.P. Thompson defined the 'social nexus' as:
Answer: The interconnected web of social relationships and structures driving societal change.
Explanation: Thompson utilized the term 'social nexus' to denote the complex, interconnected web of social relationships and structures that underpin and drive societal transformation, a concept central to his analysis of historical change.
How did social historians influence the field of political history after 1960?
Answer: By shifting the focus away from elites and institutions towards the politics of ordinary people.
Explanation: Following 1960, social historians significantly influenced political history by redirecting its focus away from traditional elite-centered narratives towards the political engagement and experiences of ordinary people, including voters and collective movements.
What theoretical tools have social historians recently used to analyze political history?
Answer: Cultural hegemony and governmentality.
Explanation: Recent social historical analyses of political history have increasingly employed theoretical frameworks such as cultural hegemony and governmentality to explore complex relationships between state power, social control, and everyday life.
What was the nature of the 'crisis' in the history of education in the US during the 1960s?
Answer: A challenge to traditional views by scholars seeing education as a source of societal problems.
Explanation: The 'crisis' in the history of education during the 1960s involved a critical re-evaluation by scholars, particularly from the New Left, who began to perceive the educational system not merely as a solution but as a potential source of societal problems like inequality and discrimination.