Both Social realism and socialist realism are forms of realist
art(or literature).... Realism in art means - the depiction of
subjects as they appear in real life, everyday life, without
embellishment or interpretation. It also means showing things as
they truly are, with complete accuracy - even if they are ugly or
evoke concern. As an artistic movement it began in France in 1850s.
Social Realism: (or socio-realism) - It became popular mostly as an
American artistic movement that began during the Great Depression.
It depicts artistically, the instances of social, racial injustice,
hardships (particularly of the working class) and other forms of
life's struggle. We can trace this school back to the French
realists. It went out of fashion in 1960s. What must be remembered
is that social realism combines realist art with socialist (not
marxist) political views. And in that sense it may be seen as
similar to socialist realism. Socialist Realism: It is the school
of realist art that has as its end the furtherance of goals of
socialism/communism. It holds that successful art should depict and
glorify the proletariat's struggle toward social progress.
Socialist realism became the officially approved form of art in
Soviet Union. And because all means of production belongs to the
state, so did art (as it was a powerful means of propaganda). The
tendencies toward socialist realism began in the late 19th century.
Maxim Gorky's novel Mother is considered to be the first true work
of socialist realism. Social Realism is different from socialist
realism because it is not an official art and allows subjectivity.
But Socialist realism is considered to be an outgrowth of the
Social Realism school of art.