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Social Classes And Gender, Ideology, And The Daily Lives Of The Poor

Decent Essays

There is a differentiation among both social classes and genders in regards to how they experienced poverty in Medieval Paris. In Sharon Farmer’s Surviving Poverty in Medieval Paris: Gender, Ideology, and the Daily Lives of the Poor , the opposition between those of the upper and lower classes is evident by her observation of the impoverished being seen as less trustworthy. The distinction between how both genders experienced poverty is addressed. Women were viewed as a liability that could only be controlled by the male figure in their lives, usually a husband or father. Meanwhile, men were responsible for not only their own successes, but also the prosperity of their family. Jussi Hanska agrees with these claims made by Farmer, except he feels that there is some debate regarding how the penniless were perceived. The upper and lower class were regarded with different approaches by general society. Men and women of higher social standing were seen as equals. Their ability to work for an abundance of money defined them as less likely to be sinful and more able to control any desire to sin than those in poverty. In medieval times, their surroundings produced people who believed there was a correlation between the amount of money a person possessed and their dependability. If an underprivileged person witnessed a crime, but they did not own land, their word was disregarded and could not be trusted. In contrast, landowners were viewed as having more validity behind their words,

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