Encyclopedia of Social History

by Peter N. Stearns (Editor)

Overview

A reference surveying the major concerns, findings, and terms of social history. The coverage includes major categories within social history (family, demographic transition, multiculturalism, industrialization, nationalism); major aspects of life for which social history has provided a crucial per

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815303428
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	12/01/1993
Series:	Reference Library of Social Science , #780
Pages:	892
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Peter N. Stearns

Table of Contents

Introduction, List of Entries, Topical Contents. Contributors, The Encyclopedia, Index of Subjects and Names

Editorial Reviews

Social history, as a specific discipline or method of research looking at human social behavior over the ages, has grown in prominence since the 1960s. This encyclopedia presents an overview of the field defining "the most characteristic features and issues" and "without pretending to cover each regional social history thoroughly, presents basic features of social history geographically defined." It therefore includes such entries as "Chinese Gender Relations", "Latin American Ethnicity", and "Russian Women" as well as the more general topics "Hunting and Gathering", "Mass Culture", "Cleanliness", and "Punishment and Prisons" Edited by Stearns, Heinz Professor of History at Carnegie-Mellon University and editor of the "Journal of Social History", all entries were written by scholars at primarily American institutions. Arranged alphabetically, entries range from one-half page to more than six pages in length ("Family"); the average is two pages. Each is signed and includes a brief bibliography (usually approximately six items); most are books, but a few periodical articles were noted. Other books may also be mentioned in the text of the entry; for example, "Gauchos, Llaneros" includes mention of several memorable novels depicting these horsemen. All time periods and regions are covered, though not always consistently. The volume has a topical table of contents that divides the entries into some 22 subject categories (e.g., "Arts", "Culture and Beliefs", "Methodology") and 6 regions ("Africa", "Classical Civilizations", "United States"), so one can find linkage to all entries on a broader topic. There is also a detailed index to people and concepts mentioned in the entries and frequent "see also" references to other entries "The Encyclopedia of Social History" is both broader and narrower than the three-volume "Encyclopedia of American Social History" ["RBB" Ag 93] in that it has shorter entries that attempt to cover the entire world. Touching on the whole range of the discipline, in a scholarly yet readable way, it can provide an excellent introduction to the many concepts of social history, even though it does not provide in-depth coverage of any one area. Academic, public, and high-school libraries will want to consider it for their collections.

Zom Zoms

A reference surveying the major concerns, findings, and terms of social history. The coverage includes major categories within social history (family, demographic transition, multiculturalism, industrialization, nationalism); major aspects of life for which social history has provided a crucial perspective (adolescence, child abuse, prostitution, retirement, sports); and a broad range of topics for which social history has provided new vantage points (the Russian Revolution, apartheid, the environment, organized crime, unions). Less extensive entries consider such aspects of social history as quantification, mentalities, and mobility studies, as well as explore social protest, abortion, religion, class structure, and other subjects. Accessible to non-specialists. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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