Postive Effects of Medieval Social Classes Essay

Even though English society was hierarchical, it was easy to move up or down from one generation to the next. Most people got their status from birth and land ownership. England changed a lot during the 16th century. There were several internal changes in England which affected England’s class system. The respect for the middle class grew and the Gentry class grew.

The wage-earning class was the debtors, debtors who owed money and had to work to make a living for creditors, most of whom made up what would be known as the middle class. The tradition of fathers passing their land on down to their sons was slowly dying such as with Mayo Greenleaf Patch and his sons. Mayo Patch’s life was riddled with owing debts to the middle

It would appear that there is a class of nobility, a class of common people, and lastly a slave class. In the part of

Unlike upper class they did not necessarily inherit their money but earned it off their own hard work. They could afford their own town house and servants to run the household. Over time these class of people grew more influential and eventually gained the right to vote in 1832. They were below the aristocracy but above the workers.

Theoretically, the Three Estate system represented the natural order of society (not surprisingly, this societal structure mirrored the hierarchy espoused by the Catholic Church ) and was seen as absolute: "in it [the Three Estate system], all individuals should unquestioningly accept their inherited occupation and place" (Aers 14). Subjects were to view the Estates system as a communal safety net where, when working together, all elements of society benefited and prospered: "massive differences in power, access to resources, and status were allegedly in everyone's interest, the 'common profit'" (Aers 14). Regardless of the nature of the system, lower class people were encouraged to see the Estates structure necessary to avoid chaos and to ensure the overall prosperity (Introduction to Sociology). However, Chaucer himself represents a paradox to this system. How does one categorize secular individuals who neither work "to sustain the basic life processes of the community (the lowest estate)," nor, "defend the community (the knightly estate)?" According to Micro History and World Timeline (2008), by the late 1300s, a new social class was taking shape: it was the

* The middle class lay in the middle and was the group of people in society that had bigger better houses on their own block of land and were quite well off when it came to money and resources.

The upper, middle, and lower class. The upper class streamed from the aristocrats of earlier time periods. The middle and lower classes were the working classes. The middle class however had jobs with better pay, a better standard of living ,and better sanitation then the lower class but still had struggles with day to day necessities. The lower class were very poor and had difficult lives. Many children worked in the lower class. This relates to A Brave New World as the lower classes were not focused on in society very often, and had difficult jobs and less access to resources from their conception, this caused the lower classes to in general have low

In conclusion, in Europe during the Middle Ages, the social, economic and political life was influenced by feudalism and the Church. The social status is about how you were ranked. The economic status was about the dependent on the farming and trade. Lastly the political status was influenced by the Catholic Church. Those are the social, economic and political life in the Middle

The following class, which was by far the largest, was the middle class. (Population and Social Rank) This included owners of small stores and businesses, small farmers, and craftsmen. (1727: Colonial America) They were mostly educated, and lived successful lives. They also had very high moral standards and some were deeply religious. (Population and Social Rank) Most middle class men could vote, but few held public office, as the gentry used their wealth and influence for political control. Middle class women ran self-sufficient households, and made their own clothes, candles, cheese and soap. Few were educated. (1727: Colonial America)

In the Middle Ages your social status depended on your rank. The ranks were kings, nobles, knights, and then serfs.(Doc.1) Typically, the serfs did the most for everyone else, they provided food and services when demanded in exchange for protection and maybe something to eat.(Doc.1) Knights provided protection and military service for nobles in exchange for land. (Doc.1)

During the Middle Ages social class much different than modern day. In a feudal society “nobles were granted the use of land that legally belonged to the king,” (Doc. 1). The nobles, in return, would give the lord loyalty and military services (Doc. 1). As peasants or serfs worked for nobles and knights they received protection and a portion of the harvest to feed their families (Doc. 1).

The social class below this one was the middle class. The middle class were the tradesmen, shop owners, doctors and lawyers in the town. These people had some political power, but only within your close communities (“Lifestyles During the Civil War”). The next lower tier of the social divisions was the lower class. These people were unschooled and untrained.

Social classes play a major role in society and shape the roles of the people. Since the Elizabethan period began, the social classes were well structured with many influences, such as prestige or wealth. Many citizens found ways to elevate their status and become more successful citizens in the public. The social class structure in the Elizabethan Era was thought to be strict and very well organized, yet still had many opportunities and flaws which lead to changes in citizens’ lives.

The commoner class was made up of farmer, merchants, artisans and low level priests. Commoners would usually live in calpulli or neighbourhood ward lead by a single noble or group of commoner elders. The merchants and artisans had it the best of all of those in this class with more freedom and wealth than those around them.

By: Aria Lugo, Alexandra Barrera, AriAnna Camoia, and Kristen Allen Historical Context: During the Industrial Age, urban life was the new standard of living for many people. There was a large call for workers in the cities so people moved to find jobs, and hoped to start a new life. Often times this was not the case, as working conditions horrible especially for women and children. A new social order came out of the Industrial Age as well—the middle class.