Social conservatism refers to support for traditional morality and social mores and the desire to preserve these in present day society. Social conservatives are not opposed to change per se, but believe that all change should be directed in such a way as to leave supported traditions intact. The opposite of social conservatism is called social progressivism.

Social conservatism is widespread throughout the world, as there are people within each nation and culture who seek to retain what they consider to be an ideal or traditional social structure. However, the meaning of social conservatism varies between locations, depending on the social, religious and national traditions of a particular place. It may be, for instance, socially conservative to promote traditional Western marriage in a Protestant, Catholic, or LDS community, but socially conservative to promote polygamy in a devoutly Muslim community. What is considered to be socially conservative is therefore very much dependent on what is considered traditional.

In addition to supporting traditional mores, social conservatives may also support a degree of government intervention in economic life for the benefit of the community, and as such will tend to support the concept of a social market economy. This concern for material welfare, like advocacy of traditional mores, will often have a basis in the religion of the social conservatives in question. Examples of such social conservatives include the Christian Social Union of Bavaria and the Democratic Labor Party of Australia.

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Carlson, Alan, The Family in America: Searching for Social Harmony in the Industrial Age (2003) ISBN 0-7658-0536-7
Carlson, Alan, Family Questions: Reflections on the American Social Crisis (1991) ISBN 1-56000-555-6
Chesterton, Gilbert K., Brave New Family (1990) ISBN 0-89870-314-X
Fleming, Thomas, The Politics of Human Nature, (1988) ISBN 1-56000-693-5
Gallagher, Maggie, The Abolition of Marriage: How We Destroy Lasting Love (1996) ISBN 0-89526-464-1
Himmelfarb, Gertrude, The De-moralization Of Society (1996) ISBN 0-679-76490-9
Hitchens, Peter, The Abolition of Britain. (1999) ISBN 0-7043-8117-6
Jones, E. Michael, Degenerate Moderns: Modernity As Rationalized Sexual Misbehavior. (1993) ISBN 0-89870-447-2
Kirk, Russell, The Conservative Mind, 7th Ed. (2001) ISBN 0-89526-171-5
Magnet, Myron, Modern Sex: Liberation and Its Discontents (2001) ISBN 1-56663-384-2
Medved, Diane and Dan Quayle, The American Family: Discovering the Values That Make Us Strong (1997) ISBN 0-06-092810-7
Sobran, Joseph, Single Issues: Essays on the Crucial Social Questions (1983) ISBN 1-199-24333-7.