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Social progressivism
 
 
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Social progressivism is the view that social mores
Mores

Mores are norm or convention s. Mores derive from the established practices of a society rather than its written laws. They consist of shared understandings about the kinds of behaviour likely to evoke approval, disapproval, toleration or sanction, within particular contexts....
, human nature
Human nature

Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' human beings have in common....
, and morality
Morality

Morality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct which is held to be authoritative in matters of right and wrong....
 is not fixed throughout history but is revisable. It is assumed for example that marriage
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
, family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
, gender roles, and gender identity
Gender identity

Gender identity is a person's own sense of identification as male or female. The term is intended to distinguish this Psychology association, from Physiology and Sociology aspects of gender....
, are socially constructed. Social progressives
Progressivism

The term progressive has varying meanings in different countries.In some countries, the word refers to left-wing politics. For instance, in the United States, the term progressive emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternativ...
 are often secularists who believe that science and rationalism
Rationalism

In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive" ....
 render tradition
Tradition

The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:...
al beliefs obsolete. Social progressives are opposed by social conservatives who contend that radical changes to long standing traditional institutions not only ignores the existence of a fixed human nature, but also the fact that traditions contain practical knowledge that is the product of many generations of trial and error.

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, some social progressives advocated the abolition of slavery, Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage

The term women's suffrage refers to the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage ? the right to vote ? to women. The movement's modern origins lie in France in the 18th century....
 and civil rights
Civil rights

Civil and political rights are a class of rights ensuring things such as the protection of peoples' physical integrity; procedural fairness in law; protection from discrimination based on sexism, religious intolerance, Racism, Homophobia, etc; individual freedom of freedom of belief, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom...
 reforms. Some advocated the passage of prohibition
Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as The Noble Experiment, refers to a sumptuary law which prohibits alcohol....
 while others worked towards its repeal.






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Social progressivism is the view that social mores
Mores

Mores are norm or convention s. Mores derive from the established practices of a society rather than its written laws. They consist of shared understandings about the kinds of behaviour likely to evoke approval, disapproval, toleration or sanction, within particular contexts....
, human nature
Human nature

Human nature is the concept that there are a set of characteristics, including ways of thinking, feeling and acting, that all 'normal' human beings have in common....
, and morality
Morality

Morality has three principal meanings.In its first, descriptive usage, morality means a code of conduct which is held to be authoritative in matters of right and wrong....
 is not fixed throughout history but is revisable. It is assumed for example that marriage
Marriage

Marriage is a social, spirituality, or law union of individuals. This union may also be called matrimony, while the ceremony that marks its beginning is usually called a wedding and the married status created is sometimes called wedlock....
, family
Family

Family denotes a group of people affiliated by a common ancestry, affinity or co-residence. Although the concept of consanguinity originally referred to relations by "blood," some cultural anthropology have argued that one must understand the idea of "blood" metaphorically, and that many societies understand 'family' through other concepts r...
, gender roles, and gender identity
Gender identity

Gender identity is a person's own sense of identification as male or female. The term is intended to distinguish this Psychology association, from Physiology and Sociology aspects of gender....
, are socially constructed. Social progressives
Progressivism

The term progressive has varying meanings in different countries.In some countries, the word refers to left-wing politics. For instance, in the United States, the term progressive emerged in the late 19th century into the 20th century in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternativ...
 are often secularists who believe that science and rationalism
Rationalism

In epistemology and in its modern sense, rationalism is "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification" . In more technical terms it is a method or a theory "in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive" ....
 render tradition
Tradition

The word tradition comes from the Latin traditionem, acc. of traditio which means "handing over, passing on", and is used in a number of ways in the English language:...
al beliefs obsolete. Social progressives are opposed by social conservatives who contend that radical changes to long standing traditional institutions not only ignores the existence of a fixed human nature, but also the fact that traditions contain practical knowledge that is the product of many generations of trial and error.

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, some social progressives advocated the abolition of slavery, Women's suffrage
Women's suffrage

The term women's suffrage refers to the economic and political reform movement aimed at extending suffrage ? the right to vote ? to women. The movement's modern origins lie in France in the 18th century....
 and civil rights
Civil rights

Civil and political rights are a class of rights ensuring things such as the protection of peoples' physical integrity; procedural fairness in law; protection from discrimination based on sexism, religious intolerance, Racism, Homophobia, etc; individual freedom of freedom of belief, freedom of speech, freedom of association, and freedom...
 reforms. Some advocated the passage of prohibition
Prohibition

Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, also known as The Noble Experiment, refers to a sumptuary law which prohibits alcohol....
 while others worked towards its repeal. Current issues associated with social progressivism in the Western world
Western world

The term Western world, the West or the Occident can have multiple meanings dependent on its context . Accordingly, the basic definition of what constitutes "the West" varies, expanding and contracting over time, in relation to various historical circumstances....
 include legal recognition of same-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage and gay marriage are terms for a Law or socially recognized marriage between two people of the same sex. While state-sanctioned same-sex marriage is a relatively new phenomenon in the modern world, same-sex unions have been documented throughout human history....
, contraceptives, embryo
Embryo

An embryo is a multicellular organism ploidy eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, Egg , or germination....
nic stem-cell research and abortion
Abortion

An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the uterus, resulting in or caused by its death....
. Public education
Public education

Public educatoin is education mandated for or offered to the children of the general public by the government, whether national, regional, or local, provided by an institution of civil government, and paid for, in whole or in part, by taxes....
 is a subject of great interest to social progressives, many of whom support comprehensive sex education
Sex education

Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sex organ, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior....
 but oppose school prayer
School prayer

School prayer in its most common usage refers to state approved prayer by students in state schools. Depending on the country and the type of school, organized prayer may be required, permitted, or proscribed....
.

Social progressives may be either left-wing
Left-wing politics

In politics, left-wing, leftist, and the Left are terms applied to Social progressivism and Egalitarianism positions. Originally, during the French Revolution, left-wing referred to seating arrangements in parliament; those who sat on the left opposed the monarchy and supported Political radicalism reform....
 or right-wing
Right-wing politics

In politics, right-wing, rightist and the Right are terms applied to Conservatism and reactionary positions. Originally, during the French Revolution, right-wing referred to seating arrangements in parliament; those who sat on the right supported the monarchy and aristocracy....
, depending on the kind of mores they wish to change vis-à-vis the status quo
Status Quo

Status Quo, also known as The Quo or just Quo, are an England rock music band whose music is characterized by the twelve-bar blues....
. A social progressive advocating drug legalization may be seen as left-wing (anarchist) or right-wing (libertarian). In Canada the former federal Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada

The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canada political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and a centrism stance on social issues....
 often combined a social progressive agenda with a right-wing economic agenda, such as Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney

Martin Brian Mulroney, Queen's Privy Council for Canada, Order of Canada, National Order of Quebec was the List of Prime Ministers of Canada Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993....
 supporting multi-culturalism and a neo-liberal economic agenda.

See also

  • American Civil Liberties Union
    American Civil Liberties Union

    The American Civil Liberties Union consists of two separate non-profit organizations: the ACLU Foundation, a 501 organization which focuses on litigation and communication efforts, and the American Civil Liberties Union, a 501 organization which focuses on legislative lobbying....
  • Canadian Civil Liberties Association
    Canadian Civil Liberties Association

    The Canadian Civil Liberties Association or CCLA, is a non-governmental organization in Canada that is devoted to the defense of civil liberties and civil rights....
  • People for the American Way
    People For the American Way

    People For the American Way is a Progressivism in the United States, Liberalism in the United States advocacy organization in the United States....
  • Third-wave feminism
    Third-wave feminism

    Third-wave feminism is a term identified with several diverse strains of Feminism activity and study beginning in the early 1990s.The movement arose as a response to perceived possible failures and backlash against initiatives and movements created by second-wave feminism of Circa 1960s through the 1980s....
  • Anti-clericalism
    Anti-clericalism

    Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious institutional power and influence, real or alleged, in all aspects of public and political life, and the involvement of religion in the everyday life of the citizen....


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