Encyclopedia of Social History

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.