This clearly written and deeply informed book explores the nature
and meaning of work in early modern France. Distinguished historian
James R. Farr considers the relationship between material life
specifically the work activities of both men and women and the
culture in which these activities were embedded. This culture, he
argues, helped shape the nature of work, invested it with meaning,
and fashioned the identities of people across the social spectrum.
Farr vividly traces the daily lives of peasants, common laborers,
domestic servants, prostitutes, street vendors, craftsmen and
-women, merchants, men of the law, medical practitioners, and
government officials. Work was recognized and valued as a means to
earn a living, but it held a greater significance as a cultural
marker of honor, identity, and status. Constants and continuities
in work activities and their cultural aspects shared space with
changes that were so profound and sweeping that France would be
forever transformed. The author focuses on three salient,
interconnected, and at times conflicting developments: the
extension and integration of the market economy, the growth of the
state's functions and governing apparatus, and the intensification
of social hierarchy. Presenting a unified and compelling argument
about the role of labor in society, Farr addresses a complex set of
questions and succeeds masterfully at answering them. With its
stylish writing and clear themes, this book will find a broad
audience among students and scholars of early modern Europe, French
history, economics, gender studies, anthropology, and labor
studies."
General
Imprint: |
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Series: |
Critical Issues in World and International History |
Release date: |
December 2008 |
First published: |
October 2008 |
Authors: |
James R. Farr
|
Dimensions: |
230 x 154 x 19mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
246 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-7425-3400-1 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
0-7425-3400-6 |
Barcode: |
9780742534001 |
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