Porter is studying the influenza pandemic of World War I. He is examining letters, journal entries, autobiographies, and newspap
er articles from that time to see how fear of the disease affected the daily life of millions of people throughout Europe during that era. Which statement describes the type of history Porter is writing? A) Porter is writing social history because he is focusing on lives of large numbers of ordinary people.
B) Porter is writing medical history because he is focusing on the cause of the epidemic and the number of people who died.
C) Porter is writing cultural history because he is focusing on how the epidemic was portrayed in literary sources.
D) Porter is writing economic history because he is focusing on the cost of developing vaccines.
E) Porter is writing biography because he is focusing on the actions of certain individuals.
The correct answer is A) Porter is writing social history because he is focusing on the lives of large numbers of ordinary people.
Porter is studying the influenza pandemic of World War I. He is examining letters, journal entries, autobiographies, and newspaper articles from that time to see how fear of the disease affected the daily life of millions of people throughout Europe during that era. The statement that describes the type of history Porter is writing is "Porter is writing social history because he is focusing on the lives of large numbers of ordinary people."
Social history is the branch of history that studies major issues of people's daily life activities or problems. Social history focuses on social structures and interactions of the many groups that are part of society. Social history does not differentiate any social classes. It studies people interacting with each other and their circumstances. That is why it is supported by ethnology and sociology.
In 1957, when the leaders of the former British colony of the Gold Coast sought an appropriate name for their newly independent state—the first black African nation to gain its independence from colonial rule—they named their new country after ancient Ghana.
