Production And Maintenance Of Social Status In Medieval England

Mother Knows best explains about the medicine in medieval times was very different from today. There was no knowledge of germs or bacteria (microscopes weren't invented till the 17th century so we could not see the germs), no penicillin, and no knowledge of antiseptics (used to kill germs) and anaesthetics (which we use to dull pain or knock the patient out during an operation). Comparatively little was known about the human body as most studies of the body had been conducted on animals up to that point (such as pigs), as the church forbade dissection on humans. They did not even know the heart was a pump. There was no National Health Service (NHS) such as we have now so there was very little free healthcare. Mother Knows best explains about the medieval lawyers were either clerical or secular. Those who were clerical presumably lead rather simple lives, though there were surely a few who did not. The secular lawyers were well paid, and were able to live the lives of moderately wealthy people. They would have had to live near the courts, which meant in or very near cities or major towns. They would typically have had a number of servants, good quality clothing and food, and a comfortable home. Law became a formal profession with rather strict educational requirements during the last four centuries of the middle Ages.

In learned professions author discussed about the social status and material he explains that the belongings are increasingly becoming parameters for social status in this increasingly materialistic society. People are usually identified in terms of their material wealth. The same philosophy permeated in England in the medieval age. According to the social pyramid theory, one who was at the top considered as the king ...