Social Darwinism vs Social Gospel The Progressive Movement

Social Darwinism vs. Social Gospel The Progressive Movement During the American Industrial Revolution Includes lecture-notes template & fun review activity!

PAIR-SHARE • During the Industrial Revolution many people had ideas on how to improve society. • Who’s job do you think is it to help the poor and fix the problems in society (ie government, churches, people themselves)? • Explain your answer.

CA Standard 11. 2. 7 • Analyze the similarities and differences between the ideologies of Social Darwinism and Social Gospel (e. g. , using biographies of William Graham Sumner, Billy Sunday, Dwight L. Moody).

Objective • Students will be able to analyze the similarities and differences between the ideologies of Social Darwinism and Social Gospel by completing a graphic organizer and reflective journal.

Essential Vocabulary • Ideology: An organized collection of ideas. • Social Reform: Changes in society for the better • Natural Selection: Process that living things survive due to their favorable traits

Take notes on this graphic organizer;

Social Darwinism • Definition: • An application of theory of natural selection to social, political, and economic issues. • "the strong survive"

Social Darwinism • Where was it used? • The theory was used from the late 19 th century to support laissezfaire capitalism and political conservatism. • During the age of New Imperialism, this theory justified the exploitation of "lesser breeds without the law" by "superior races”. • Nazism and Fascism used to justify extreme nationalism

Social Darwinism • What did people who believed in this theory want? • To promote laissez-faire capitalism (no government regulations) • To justify extreme nationalism (jingoism)

Social Gospel • Definition: • The movement applied Christian ethics to social problems, especially issues of social justice such as excessive wealth, poverty, alcoholism, crime, racial tensions, slums, bad hygiene, child labor, inadequate labor unions, poor schools, and the danger of war. • (ie. YMCA, Salvation Army)

Social Gospel • Where was it used? • In the United States prior to World War I, the Social Gospel was the religious wing of the progressive movement which had the aim of combating injustice, suffering and poverty in society.

Social Gospel • What did people who believed in this theory want? • The Presbyterians described its goals in 1910 by proclaiming: – The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.

Activity: Social Darwin or Social Gospel? • A few students in the class will be assigned to read an autobiography about a specific progressive reformer. • As you listen to the autobiographies, try to figure out if they believe in the ideology of Social Gospel or Social Darwinism.

William Graham Sumner t s i n i w r a D l a i c So

William Sunday l a i c So l e p s Go

Washington Gladden l a i c So l e p s Go

H. G. Wells n i w r a D l a i c o S

Dwight L. Moody l a i c So l e p s Go

Herbert Spencer n i w r a D l a i c o S Coined the phrase “survival of the fittest”

Jane Addams l a i c So l e p s Go

Wrap-Up Pair-Share • What are the similarities and differences between the ideologies of Social Darwinism and Social Gospel