Questions tagged [social-history]
Social history is a methodological approach to history that focuses on examining what the 'ordinary' people in a given time and place were doing. It is strongly influenced by the mindset and techniques of sociology and often makes heavy use of quantitative methods to make statements about groups of people who left behind few written records.
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When boys were required to swim completely naked at the YMCA, were girls allowed to be present and watch the swim classes?
A user on Quora linked these two news articles that advertised swimming lessons at the YMCA and the user said boys' sisters and female classmates were allowed to attend these classes. Both articles ...
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Did any society take astrology so seriously that people's birthdays greatly affected their life outcomes?
Although entirely unscientific, countless human societies have created systems of astrology and fortune telling based on a person's date of birth. However, people do not typically take astrology ...
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How fair were non-state allocations of common rights?
I need to compare allocation of rights deriving from formal governance to allocation of rights through informal/community based decision making.
I'm seeking a specific reference, (see below), but if ...
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When did the practice of correlating birthdays to zodiac signs begin?
When did the practice of correlating birthdays to zodiac signs begin ?
For this to happen, 3 preliminary stages must have been completed as prerequisites:
Someone had to develop the zodiac circle.
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Reference books to read for persecution of Jews in 16th century Europe to 20th century Europe? [closed]
I am from South Asia but I am interested in the history of other countries as well. There is a lot of media coverage since many years on Israel- Palestine issue and a lot of anti-Semitism and hatred ...
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How prevalent were pets among serfs and peasants in the middle ages?
I searched articles about this but most of them talked about the pets of the high society. Hunting dogs, cats eating mice in church, and so on. The wealthier classes are excluded from the scope of ...
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How far back can we derive reasonably accurate survival function estimation from historical records?
Actuarial science is the profession of modeling and managing risk. Modern actuary started some point between the 18th to 19th century to address the need of pension planning. It estimates the ...
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Looking for a Globe and Mail editorial cartoon about the return of Hong Kong to China
Sometime in 1997, or shortly after, the Globe and Mail ran an editorial cartoon commenting on the return of Hong Kong to China. The setting was a drab boardroom, with several drab functionaries ...
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The Crown, and social attitudes in nightclubs during WW2 in London?
In The Crown Season 6 episode 8, the depiction of a basement nightclub in the Ritz Hotel in London seems highly inaccurate.
In Matthew Sweet's West End Front the bar beneath the Ritz is described as a ...
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What's the male equivalent of a lady's companion?
I've been wondering if men used to have a paid attendant comparable to a lady's companion.
I've seen it being compared to a valet but valets were normally more subservient and of a lower social status ...
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Are there methodologies for the didactic study of history?
When you ask someone what the purpose is of studying history, a standard response is that by studying history we come to understand its patterns which can inform us on our own circumstances and the ...
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When did the Toronto Club become gender neutral? [closed]
The Toronto Club is one of the most exclusive and oldest member's only clubs in Canada. It's entirely gender neutral today, but, presumably, that wasn't always the case.
So I'm wondering, when did ...
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How did the Cold War contribute to the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act?
I understand from Dudziak's "Cold War Civil Rights" that Soviet criticism of the US's civil rights record influenced the passing the 1964 Civil Rights Act. However, I was wondering if there ...
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Was Dumas' Three Musketeers portraying 17th century France accurate? Alternatives?
Considering not only that Alexander Dumas wrote them ~200 years later, but that this and his other works were explicitly fiction, is the society portrayed in The Three Musketeers reasonably close to ...
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Did Karl Marx openly advocate violence? (or oppose it?)
Whether Marxism is inherently violent is often a point of contention. The supporters of Marxism often claim that the violence of the Communist regimes of the XX-th century was of their own making, and ...