An ideology is a set of ideas or beliefs of groups or individuals that often explains and evaluates social conditions, helps people understand their place in society, and provides a program for social and political action (Ideology - dictionary definition 2015). Ideologies also have core assumptions about human nature and freedom—assumptions that have led most ideologies, at one time or another, to call for revolution (Ball and Dagger, 2010). There are many other definitions of ideology however there is no agreed definition but it does come from social and historical circumstances. I have chosen this definition as it fits in with the ideological construct that this essay will explore which is social class. This essay will look at how class …show more content…
Social stratification continues over generations and people within these groups will have common interests and share similar lifestyles, which to some degree will separate them from other members of the hierarchy (Haralambos and Holborn, 2008). A hierarchy still exist in the UK today however the features are very different to what they were between the eighth and fourteenth century. At these times society was largely supported by the feudal system social hierarchy. The feudal system consisted of four classes which where the kings, the barons, the knights, and the serfs. Within the feudal system the majority of privileges would go to the upper class, the king was seen to be the most powerful and top of the rankings he held the power and the control and he ruled the kingdom and owned all the lands. The poorest of class within the feudal system were known as the serfs, their job was to provide food and service to the better classes, and they were not allowed to leave the Manor without prior permission as they had no rights. The feudal system provides a good example of what we would call a closed social stratification system, this is a system that provides very little opportunity for social mobility. Whereas today the UK the class system could be described as an open system as it is argued that it is possible that people would be upwardly mobile and improve their position through talent, hard work or even good luck (Haralambos and Holborn,
Others were more like slaves. They owned nothing and were pledged to their local lord. They worked long days, 6 days a week, and often barely had enough food to survive”(“Middle Ages History”). Knights were above the peasants and they were given land granted by the barons in exchange for their military services if the king needed it. They were responsible for protecting the baron who granted them land as well as the baron’s family and the manor they lived at. The knights were able to keep any amount of land they were given, and they gave out the rest to the serfs. The lord, or baron, was above the knight in the social class divide. They were given land by the king and in return they showed loyalty to the monarch. They provided the king with fully equipped knights if the king needed some to serve. If the baron “did not have an army, sometimes they would pay the king a tax instead. This tax was called shield money”(“Middle Ages History”). The king was at the top of the feudal system and held the most power and wealth. The king could not maintain control over all the land in England so he divided the land up to the barons which eventually
T.H. White’s novel, “The Sword in the Stone,” took place in the Middle Ages, when feudalism was the dominant political structure and knighthood held a high prestige. Thus, White wrote the novel stemming from the theme of warfare. However, he combined the themes of Medieval warfare with the contemporary warfare of the early-to-mid 20th century, the time period in which the novel was written. As a result, the historical allegories can be drawn between episodes in the book and warfare in the 20th century, especially World War 2. The episodes of the pike and the ants reflect totalitarian, fascist, and communist views, respectively in that order, whereas the geese serves as a society absent of violence, therefore demonstrating White’s pacifist values
The person's class status in the feudal system affected their social status in the Middle Ages. The serfs provide services and food when the knights needed it.
Social ranking and the hierarchy certainly proved to have a large presence among the people of that time. The frailty of the lower class, the greed of Sir Philip, the importance of her majesty the Queen, all these points do a great job in supporting the strength and affect the hierarchy had on its the people. Although the hierarchy and social ranking did have some negative influence on the people, it did a good job in keeping people in line. Despite the fact there were some major flaws with the hierarchy system back then, like great differences in power between rankings and corruption, it surely did its job of protecting the people from even bigger problems that could have occurred.
The evolution of human society consists mainly of ineffective ruling regimes and oppressed peasants. Medieval Europe falls into this same pervasive cycle. Social and political hierarchies intertwine which creates a grossly inefficient system. Hereditary lineage determines nobility. Commoners possess no hope of social mobility.
Feudalism dominated European social life during the Middle Ages (Doc.1). “Feudalism was a political, economic, and social system in which nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king” (Doc. 1) "Social" life in the Middle Ages was the only kind of life people knew. Whether nobility, craftsperson or peasant, your life is defined by your family, your community and those around you (OI). “The Church protected the Kings and Queens (OI).” “The King is above Nobles, Nobles above Knights, and the Knights are above serfs (Doc.1).”
For serfs life was hard. They worked long hours so their family had a place to stay and food to eat. If your parents were serfs you were born into being a serf. Serfs were required to stay on the manor and had to work several days a week for the lord of the manor. Serfs didn't travel from the manor because when they left they had no protection. A serf had to pay rent and taxes to the Lord of the manor. The Lord provided serf housing, farmland, and protection. The serfs had to pay a tax that was 1/10 of their income to the church.
All throughout history and even in modern day countries have been structured by a social class system, however sometimes terrible disasters can set off this social balance. The Black Death was an appalling pandemic that swept through Europe killing thousands of medieval Europeans. Feudalism was a social system based on each level giving and getting products and services to keep the medieval society and it’s people alive. All classes during the Black Plague were affected, noble or serf, this caused a monumental power shift and the social classes never to be the same again. With feudalism’s tight social structure, the Black Death in the late 1300s demolished the population and feudal ties in medieval Europe.
In the middle ages lots of suffering and decentralization had occurred. There are many reasons as to why this had occurred and solutions to theses rising conflicts were feudalism and manorialism. But why were these ideologies used or caused? The reasons for the occurrence of medieval feudalism and manorialism is the political , social decentralization and economic problems that had occurred during and after the disappearance of the roman empire , invasions of the barbarians , rise of barbarian kingdoms , civil wars within the barbarian kingdoms and the need of stability and safety that made the people of that time desperate.
A large majority of people living in villages had to work in fields in order to grow food. These people who needed to work the fields were known as serfs or peasants. There was no mechanization of agriculture in the Middle Ages, “so a very high proportion of the population-probably around 90 percent-was needed to raise food” (Singman 65). Although many people lived and spent their lives in the villages, others spent their days in the manor house. “Daily life in the Middle ages was dictated by wealth, power and status and the feudal system” (Lords and Ladies). The manor was a very organized area, with roads connecting everything, so if someone needed to get from the manor house to the fields, they could easily without getting lost (Singman 67). Even though the villages mainly housed serfs and peasants, it was very organized. A typical village was located “in the center of an open-field was the living space of the inhabitants, consisting of a cluster of homes, often gathered around a village green or a dirt street, and in many cases with a church and manor house in the same area” (67). In conclusion, daily life was always filled with hard work, no matter what social group someone was
The concept of ideology is highly controversial and it has been defined in several ways throughout history. It can be defined as an idea that distinguishes the consciousness of a class at a given historical moment. It also is beliefs adopted for influential purpose of a nation, making them support the status quo. Have you ever wondered what it would be like if we live in a country where everyone had everything equally and there was not a difference in class? In such a society, everyone is equal and there is no privilege which means no high pay and the motivation to succeed in higher levelled jobs such as doctors, lawyers, business owners (everyone owns business basically) will be high. Marxism is a sociopolitical ideology and method of economic change based on materialist and social factor. Marxism states that the economy cannot grow if means of production is controlled by private owners instead by the people. The society can do without feudal lords, land lords, private owners and slave-owners.
In the Medieval Period, life was either very great or very bad, according to your class. Only 2 classes existed during this time: the nobles, such as kings and knights who lived inside the castle, or the peasants, such as working-class people who lived in often unspeakable conditions. The peasants treated the nobles with the utmost respect, for if they didn’t, then the nobles could have them beheaded. (Sanders, p 34). The nobles were almost always the ones who owned land, and the peasants worked on this land in exchange for a small portion of it, in a sense, rented out in exchange for the labor. Peasants often worked 16-hour days as long as they could see into the nighttime and got very bad nourishment. The noble was not interested in the health of the peasants working on his land, as there was a significant supply of others who were very willing to take his or her place.
The feudal system was a political, military, and economic system based on the holding of land. The system was developed since the whole entire basis of rule from all the civilizations before the Middle Ages was lost. Early Europe was in desperate need of such a system since they were constantly being raided by the Vikings and other outsiders.
Although scholars dispute its roots, Feudalism was mostly seen in Frankish lands around the 9th and 10th century. ("Feudalism: History of Feudalism in Europe." Infoplease.) The system was first introduced as a means of protection for the king. However, as time grew the opportunity to use it as means of exchange for services between the king and vassal was found. Instead of just forcing people into the king’s army the idea of giving fiefs to those who would pledge their life to service the king was decided on. Likewise, vassal, or the knights saw the advantages they had that could be used to their advantage.
The feudal system of ancient Europe may be dead, but its format is similar to high school athletics today. Although these two topics are not identical, the resemblance is striking. The feudal system, as well as high school athletics, has five tiers in a pyramid. At the top of the pyramid is the Pope.