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Primary Source Sets

Social Realism

Social Realism

Social realism was an art movement, associated with the era of the Great Depression in the US (roughly the 1930s), that depicted the everyday realities of life. Social realism was critical of the social, economic, and racial conditions that made life challenging for the working classes and poor. Social realism in the US took the form of painting, photography, literature, printing and drawing, sculpture, and more. Many of the artists were employed as part of the Depression-era programs of the New Deal, namely the Farm Security Administration and the Works Progress Administration. The resources in this set highlight the artists, art forms, and the subject matter that were central to the social realist movement.

Created By

Amy Rudersdorf, Digital Public Library of America

Time Period

The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945)

Subjects

Chicago citation style: Amy Rudersdorf. Social Realism. 2016. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/social-realism. (Accessed January 21, 2025.)
APA citation style: Amy Rudersdorf, (2016) Social Realism. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/social-realism
MLA citation style: Amy Rudersdorf. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America <https://production.dp.la/primary-source-sets/social-realism>.

Note: These citations are programmatically generated and may be incomplete.

Discussion questions

Using the items in this set, explain the primary concerns and themes of social realist art from the 1930s.
Using the excerpt from the catalog, explain the relationship between social realism and the goals of the Works Progress Administration art projects. Where did these intersect? Where might they diverge?
Interpret the social issue explored in the Walker Evans photograph. How does Walker Evans express his message through the composition of the photograph?
Examine the items in this set that are murals (or frescos, which is a type of mural). What opportunities did murals afford social-realist artists that traditional paintings did not?
Many social-realist photographers are also considered part of the documentary tradition. What is the relationship between documentary photography and social-realist art in their work? Use photographic sources in this set to support your answer.

Classroom activities

Ask each student to select a piece of art in this set. In independent research projects, students should seek out additional context for their piece and use this information to develop a detailed interpretation. Each should write a brief interpretive essay that summarizes the context of the artwork and explains how the artist’s choices create meaning.

For background information, research and identify:

the artist.
the environment or experience that provided inspiration.
the social issues depicted.

For interpretation, consider various aspects of the piece.

Emphasis: Where is the viewer’s eye drawn? How is this effect created by the artist?
Proportion: Which items are larger and smaller? Which items are in relationship to each other?
Perspective: From which vantage point does the viewer look at the subject? How does this impact what the viewer sees?
Color: How does color emphasize particular items or create contrast?

About This Guide

This teaching guide helps instructors use a specific primary source set, Social Realism, in the classroom. It offers discussion questions, classroom activities, and primary source analysis tools. It is intended to spark pedagogical creativity by giving a sample approach to the material. Please feel free to share, reuse, and adapt the resources in this guide for your teaching purposes.

Created By

Franky Abbott, Digital Public Library of America

Teacher Tools

Primary source analysis

For each source, ask students to indicate:

the author's point of view
the author's purpose
historical context
audience

For inquiry-based learning, ask students to:

explain how a source tells its story and/or makes its argument
explain the relationships between sources
compare and contrast sources in terms of point of view and method
support conclusions and interpretations with evidence
identify questions for further investigation

Additional tools

These sets were created and reviewed by teachers. Explore resources and ideas for Using DPLA's Primary Source Sets in your classroom.

To give feedback, contact us at info@dp.la. You can also view resources for National History Day.