1 / 15

Deviance in pre-modern society

Explore the concept of deviance in pre-modern society, including its definitions, identification, and the treatment of deviants. Learn about the role of religious, sexual, and social transgressions, as well as the stereotypes and metaphors associated with deviant behavior. Discover the societal tensions, stigmatization, and marginalization that marginalized groups, such as the Jews and Gypsies, faced in different regions and time periods.

mapp
Download Presentation

Deviance in pre-modern society

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Deviance in pre-modern society Definitions of deviance What is deviance? How defined in pre-modern (c.1750) period? Broad definition – religious, sexual, social Transgression of Church’s moral strictures How much concealed from the historian’s view?

  2. Dante’s hierarchy of deviance (from The Divine Comedy early C14th))

  3. Identification of deviant behaviour common to all societies • Suspect and threatening • Appearance, beliefs and/or lifestyle • Marginalisation, ostracisation, persecution of individuals or groups • Common stereotypes: sexual depravity, criminality, anti-social behaviour • Metaphors of sin, pollution, disease • Cf ‘terrorists’ (Dillinger, 2004)

  4. Accusations vs Deviant Groups (from Malcolm Lambert, Medieval Heresy (1992), p. 166)

  5. Extreme: blood libel/ritual murder accusation vs Jews

  6. Role of the courts/legislation auto da fe = show trial Official treatment of deviants Fluctuations Ecclesiastical e.g. Spanish Inquisition Secular courts often harsher (will execute) Could be surprisingly lenient Social relations > heightened tension in post 1500 period

  7. Treatment of the ‘Other’ • Diverse societies: minorities integrated • Expulsions > mobile communities • Refugees/diaspora especially by early modern period (post 1500) e.g. moriscos, Huguenots • Scapegoating

  8. Socially marginal and mobile Gypsies by Callot c. 1621 C16th and C17th Fear of vagrants on increase Criminal gangs imagined Gypsy/Roma people suspect Social stability and hierarchy central

  9. Social stigmatisation Executioner (C16th) Dishonourable trades Played important socio-economic role Ostracised from polite society Excluded from citizenship Physically and socially marginalised Developed own subculture/networks Definition of ‘margins’? (Milner)

  10. Medieval bath house: often frequented by prostitutes

  11. Treatment of diseased Fear of contamination: • Leprosy • Plague • Syphilis • Mental illness • Lunacy • Also strong metaphorical use re deviant groups

  12. The court dwarf: Spain and Italy

  13. Monstrous births: source of fascination & horror ‘Monk calf’ (C16th Germany) ‘Barking monster’ (C18th England)

  14. SIN: a sinful and virtuous woman

  15. Questions • In what way group defined as deviant? • What form did marginalisation take? • Was persecution systematic or sporadic, official or popular? • Are there geographical & chronological distinctions to be made? • What do local studies add? • What does it tell us about wider society?

More Related