LECTURE 2: STRUCTURES AND CULTURES OF SOCIETY Flashcards
What made up a medieval feudal society?
People who pray ( a cultural production, based on Latin culture), fight (aristocracy with their jousting) and work (peasants, low literacy levels).
How was society in this time?
Survival was an issue. People were very vulnerable/ insecure. Major players – four horsemen of apocalypse.
Was plague an issue?
Yes.
Mid 14thc, Black Death. The rise in urbanisation, dependence of migrants, long distance trade, mass bad hygiene all contributed to the spread. Plague was a cycle, once you were immune/ lived past it, you would resume old ways and increase likelihood of plague again.
Was the plague good?
Yes
1350-1450 – EU population declines following plague. This is good because there is a smaller population = less pressure on land/food/wages. There is an increase trade as there is less competition. Economically beneficial.
1450-1630 – Population growth. More pressure on resources, food, wages, trade. Leads to rural poverty = migration to towns/ urbanisation.
Government introduced legislations that discriminated against the ‘deserving poor’ crippled, widowed etc. and the ‘idle poor’/ able-bodied put in work houses/driven out (‘redemptive charity).
Define redemptive charity
Charity to create a community of Godly society.
What type of economy was developing?
Commercial capitalist economy which developed a monetised economy that was measured in cash.
What did the commercial capitalist economy result in?
Falling interest rates which meant you could borrow money cheaply. Privatization became popular where people bought land.
Did technological advancements help?
Advancements in agricultural techniques , e.g crop rotation. This made crops more sustainable.
What did peasants become?
Transformation to rural labourers and this in turn end town migration.
What was the situation in Eastern Europe?
‘Second serfdom’.
There was a social polarisation of status. Aristocrats bought land and had new capital which allowed them to buy Serbian peasants and transform the in labourers. They could sell the grain for export and receive profit. Money then further consolidated their power.
What happened in 1630-1720?
Population decline/ stagnant = people abandoned land, increase in late marriages acted like birth control, climate change effected farming, regional specialisation continues. There was a power shift from the Mediterranean to North EU. A power house emerged.
This was mixed pattern however, in some regions the reduced pressure means more land is bought and privatized. England’s benefits as their commercial is agriculture.
What did mobilisation of capital do?
Money ensured creation of stock market, more buying and selling.
What happened to traditional elites?
The appearance of wealth entrepreneurs from the economic opportunities presented challenges the status of traditional elites. Therefore, elites invest in commercial agriculture or become state officials.
What happened to armies?
Military increase/ revolution, 15c -17thc there was enough finance on the capital market to fund massive armies.
Was the plague ever tamed?
Yes, gradually disappeared last major outbreak 1630-31.
There was also taming of epidemic disease like small pox due to: better hygiene with sewers and plumbing, wooden houses turned to stones, animals moved from towns so less contact etc.
