Sport and Society: Pre-Industrial Britain Flashcards
What are the 4 C’s?
. Cruel
. Clear class division
. Countryside
. Communications
What was the class’ like?
There was a clear division between the upper and lower class
Where did most people live?
People lived in the countryside or rural areas
What was peoples time management like?
They had limited free time as the work was based on land (farmers). They were dictated by the agricultural seasons
How did the upper class live?
They lived in comfort and luxury
How did the lower class live?
They dealt cruelty and violent experiences. This was the norm for them
What was the illiterate rate like?
It was wide spread illiteracy meaning lower classes were uneducated with little ability to read or write
What was the communication and transport like?
It was very limited
What is popular recreation?
The sport and pastimes of people in pre-industrial Britain
What is the feudal system?
A way of structuring society around a relationship derived from the holding of land in exchange for service of labour
How did long hours of work affect the lower class in popular recreation?
The popular recreation activities were occasional so either on festivals or holy days (Christmas)
How did limited transport affect popular recreation activities?
The activities were local and specific to each community
How did the literacy rate affect popular recreation activities?
Because it was a low rate the rules were basic and applied to a particular community
What were the activities like?
. Male dominated
. Reflected a harsh society
. Activities were aggressive
. Lots of injuries
. Lots of damage to property
What is mob football?
An activity played in pre-industrial Britain which very much reflected the characteristics of popular recreations and socio-cultural factors evident at the time
Who was mob football played by?
They were played by the lower class reflecting the clear division of society into two tiers
Where was mob football played?
It was a localised form of activity due to limited transport being available as well as very little development in the way of communications such as newspapers
How was mob football played?
It was played in the fields by the lower class using natural resources like pigs bladder
When was mob football played?
It was played on occasions like holy events such as Shrove Tuesday
What was mob football like?
It was male dominated and very violent and often unruly in nature reflecting conditions in society. The illiteracy was widespread in the lower class so there was very little in ways of rules and regulations
What was real tennis?
Was another activity played in pre-industrial Britain but did not reflect the typical popular recreations characteristics of many activities of the time.
Who was real tennis played by?
It was an exclusive activity played by the upper class males of society
How was real tennis played?
It was played to a high moral code so it lacked violence and was instead played in a civilised manner with opponents mutually respectful of one another
When was real tennis played?
Due to having plenty of leisure time, the upper class were able to play real tennis on a regular basis in expensive, purpose built facilities using expensive specialist equipment
Where was real tennis played?
The upper class had the ability to travel to play real tennis so it was non-local in nature
What was real tennis like?
It was a skilful game with difficult technical demands which enabled the upper class to show their ‘Superiority’ over the lower class
What is athletics?
Another activity known as foot racing in pre-industrial Britain.
Who was athletics played by?
Footmen (hired servants) competed as messengers for the upper class for their speed of movement across open land
What was athletics like?
Involved feats of endurance. Racing developed with some ‘challenge rules’. The foot racers/pedestrians were allowed to compete against one another with a wagering on how many miles they could cover in a specified time period
What impact would success have for the upper class and the performer?
Success in athletics meant increased social status for a ‘gentleman’ so the upper class were very happy to act as patrons to the working class performers
What is a patron?
Member of the gentry who looked after the lower-class performer
Why were popular recreation activities banned in the 19th century?
. They were violent or unruly in nature
. Led to injury or sometimes even death
. Damage to property
. Involved gambling/wagering
. Linked to alcohol consumption/drunken behaviour
Analyse the impact education had on participation in sport during pre-industrial (pre 1780) Britain?
Lower class
. Rules were simple
. Led to a rise in violence as rules were not enforced
. Activities were simple to understand such as Mob Football
Upper class
. Enforced rules into sport
. Enforced etiquette and were gentleman
. Rules were complex such as real tennis
Describe the term Foot Racing
A form of competitive running/walking in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries involving FEATS OF ENDURANCE
