A Cultural History of Work in the Medieval Age: (The Cultural Histories Series)

Winner of the 2020 PROSE Award for Multivolume Reference/Humanities Work was central to medieval life. Religious and secular authorities generally expected almost everyone to work. Artistic and literary depictions underlined work’s cultural value. The vast majority of medieval people engaged in agriculture because it was the only way they could obtain food. Yet their work led to innovations in technology and production and allowed others to engage in specialized labor, helping to drive the growth of cities. Many workers moved to seek employment and to improve their living conditions. For those who could not work, charity was often available, and many individuals and institutions provided forms of social welfare. Guilds protected their members and created means for the transmission of skills. When they were not at work, medieval Christians were to meet their religious obligations yet many also enjoyed various pastimes. A consideration of medieval work is therefore one of medieval society in all its creativity and complexity and that is precisely what this volume provides. A Cultural History of Work in the Medieval Age presents an overview of the period with essays on economies, representations of work, workplaces, work cultures, technology, mobility, society, politics and leisure.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures General Editors’ Preface Contributor Notes Introduction – Valerie L. Garver (Northern Illinois University, USA) 1. The Economy of Work – James Davis (Queen’s University Belfast, UK) 2. Picturing Work – Deirdre Jackson (Fitzwilliam Museum, UK) 3. Work and Workplaces - Marie D’Aguanno Ito (American University, USA) 4. Workplace Cultures – Peter Stabel (University of Antwerp, Belgium) 5. Work, Skill, and Technology - Valerie L. Garver (Northern Illinois University, USA) 6. Work and Mobility - Nicholas Dean Brodie (Independent Scholar, Australia) 7. Work and Society – Holly J. Grieco (Siena College, USA) 8. The Political Culture of Work – Robert Braid (University of Montpellier, France) 9. Work and Leisure - Jeremy Goldberg and Emma Martin (both University of York, UK) Notes Further Readings Index

About the Author :
Valerie L. Garver is Associate Professor of History at Northern Illinois University, USA. A specialist in Carolingian social and cultural history, she has published on women, childhood, family, and material culture (especially textiles). She is the author of Women and Aristocratic Culture in the Carolingian World (2009).