To be labeled "of ill repute" in medieval society implied that a
person had committed a violation of accepted standards and had
stepped beyond the bounds of permissible behavior. To have a
reputation "of good repute," however, was so powerful as to help a
person accused of a crime be acquitted by his or her fellow peers.
Labeling a person in medieval times was a complex matter. Often,
unwritten codes of behavior determined who was of good repute and
who was not. Members of the nobility committing a "fur-collar
crime" might have considerable leeway to oppress their neighbors
with violence and legal violations; however, a woman caught without
appropriate attire and without the proper escort hazarded the label
of a "woman of ill repute." Gender, class, social statutes, wealth,
connections, bribes, friends, and the community all played a role
in how quickly or how permanently a person's reputation was
damaged.
'Of Good and Ill Repute' examines the complex social regulations
and stigmatizations that medieval society used to arrive at its
decisions about condemnation and exoneration. In eleven
interrelated essays, including three previously unpublished works,
Hanawalt explores how social control was maintained in Medieval
England in the later Middle Ages. Focusing on gender, criminal
behavior, law enforcement, arbitration, and cultural rituals of
inclusion and exclusion, 'Of Good and Ill Repute' reflects the most
current scholarship on medieval legal history, cultural history,
and gender studies. It looks at the medieval sermons, advice books,
manuals of penance, popular poetry, laws, legal treatises, court
records, and city and guild ordinances that drew the lines between
good and badbehavior. Written in a lively, accessible, and
jargon-free style, this text is essential for upper level
undergraduate history courses on medieval history and women's
history as well as for English courses on medieval literature.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!