English Society Research Articles

Governmentality and the Common Law: Expansion of “Mind” 1835–1885

AbstractThe nineteenth century saw significant changes in how the law articulated the assessment of those who came before the courts. The judges made greater, and more refined, use of the concept of the mind as a way to refer to the internal lives of the parties. Using a Foucauldian lens, judgments from the sub-disciplines of criminal, succession and contract law will be assessed. Two specific aspects will be considered—the manner in which the law disciplined the subjects themselves and the manner in which the profession operated as a form of externalised governance. This deployment of the term “mind” used by the judges conforms with the idea that the law was taking on a new role in the governance of English society while emphasising specific tensions within each area.

From Popularity to Suppression: Cockfighting and English Society c.1730 to the 1835 Cruelty to Animals Act

ABSTRACT The reasons for cockfighting's relatively successful legal suppression by Act of Parliament in 1835 were complex, subtle and nuanced. This study begins by placing cockfighting's social and cultural functioning across the period from c. 1750 to 1835 in far clearer historical context, stressing the centrality of wagering. During this period, cocking had a key place in the cultural wars that increasingly focused on so called ‘blood sports' and animal-human relationships. Opposition to cockfighting came from two directions: concerns about animal suffering and the behaviour of attenders. There was a decline in plebeian cockfight reportage after 1800 but cockfighting continued to enjoy support amongst some groups, most importantly within the elite, up to and beyond 1835. There was increased humanitarian concern about cocks’ treatment, although such concerns were still not widely accepted. The success of reformers was less due to worries about cruelty to animals per se, than to their ability to link cockfighting to human behaviour and notions of moral degeneration such as gambling or drinking. Increased attacks on these aspects from the 1770s led by local magistrates, more pressure on Parliament from the 1820s, and wider social changes in the early 1830s, finally led to the Act.

Women as child carers: Arranging and compensating mothering in early modern Lancashire

ABSTRACT This article uses a database of fifty petitions submitted to the Lancashire Quarter Session Courts between 1660 and 1720 to locate mothers who cared for non-kin children in early modern England. While boarding children with non-kin was a practice not unknown to historians, the identities and experiences of the women who provided the childcare have hitherto been largely absent from previous scholarships. These petitions were brought by women who were not receiving the appropriate or arranged financial compensation for their caring responsibilities. Through their descriptions of disorder in their arrangements, we can uncover not only the attributes of the carers and their lived experiences but also more broadly what early modern English society expected from them. In addition, these petitions allow for a deeper understanding of how the practice of boarding children operated within and without the confines of the poor laws. Given the importance of child-rearing and the belief that it was a female task, this mothering gave common women authority that would otherwise be less accessible to them. This article thus argues that women understood the wider significance of this labour and used the influence it offered them to their advantage in their petitions. More broadly, then, this article provides a re-examination of the relationship between women, the poor law and authority in early modern England.

Climate in 14th-Century England: Catastrophic Change, Social Strategies and the Origins of Capitalism

This work aims to explore climate change as a decisive element for the transition from feudalism toward capitalism and considers the Marxist transition debate as a framework. In order to avoid the deterministic trap, climate must be considered as a condition framing the historical possibilities in a dialectical relationship with human historical agents. Thus, this paper explores the interactions between medieval English society, focusing on land use and class relation, and the conditions imposed by nature, particularly the change in rainfall and the transformation of ecological conditions around the North Sea Basin, especially on England’s east coast. Through the course of this research, we found out that the climate change that happened in the 14th century is one important condition for the rise of capitalism, as it creates certain pressures on both peasant and manorial economies that exacerbate their contradictions and sets a course for profound societal change.

Demographic History and English Culture

In England, the period from the late Middle Ages through early modernity was bookended by demographic change. On one edge, there was the Black Death and subsequent plague pandemics, which halved the population, reshaping English society in their wake. On the other, there was the demographic transition of the mid-eighteenth century, which reduced death rates and led to modern family structures. Between these two epochal events, demographic trends shaped English customs and values, and were in turn shaped by them. The articles in this special issue draw on cutting-edge demographic research to offer new interpretations of the effects of plague, patterns of marriage, evolving forms of labor, and the morality of crime and charity, among other subjects. Together, they illustrate how quantitative studies in historical demography can shed light on key transformations in culture and society—and vice versa.

IMAGES OF ARISTOCRATES AND COMMON PEOPLE IN THE TRAGEDIES OF BENJAMIN JOHNSON

The article describes the interpersonal relationships of various states of society of the «post-Shakespearean» era in the artistic work of the outstanding English playwright and actor Benjamin Johnson. Relying on sources and scientific literature, the author of the article tries to recreate the layer of everyday life in London at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, to reveal the problem of the «survival» of actors in the first stationary theater «Globus», their attempts to communicate with aristocrats, the attitude towards famous actors and directors in the English late Middle Ages society The central problem of the research is also the relationship between V. Shaksrip and A. Ferabosko, whose acting troupes shared the «stage» of the «Globus» theater. All these questions are most vividly revealed in Benjamin Johnson’s tragedy «Thrice Crossing the Thames», which was published after his death at the author’s request. The image of English society revealed through the thoughts and worldview of his contemporary is simply amazing. In the author’s opinion, it is also valuable that Benjamin Johnson personally knew V. Shakespeare and A. Ferabosko, the unforgettable young actress Catherine Loster. Research methodology. The content-comparative method, the method of modification of concepts and terms, generalizing and problem-searching methods to reproduce the realities of the era were used to write the article. Conclusion. we see that the place of man and the concept of «humanity» in the English dramaturgy of the «post-Shakespearean» era have changed significantly. In English art, more and more realistic «notes» are felt. Instead of “elevated” and “low” on the pages of books, «street life», «urban slums», relations between new states of society, new social morality come to the English stage. In order to fully feel the depth of these changes, it is worth discovering the realistic human images reproduced by contemporaries of the «post-Neckspearian» era, understanding the criteria of their morality and humanity from the point of view of the author of the dramatic work, who wrote at the crossroads of two great eras.

THE HISTORY BEHIND THE FICTION: THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT PRESENTED IN SAXON STORIES , BY BERNARD CORNWELL

The purpose of this article is to present the historical context of the narrative space of the literary series Saxon Stories (2004-2020), by British author Bernard Cornwell. After briefly summarizing the plot of the first three novels in the series, we aim to explore the historical backdrop by discussing the Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian peoples, as well as their interactions in the 9th century British lands. Notably, the cultural exchange between these groups is significant. Moreover, the relations between these two peoples led to cultural “hybridity”, which influenced the formation of English society and identity. This aspect is particularly relevant to the historical novels comprising Saxon Stories, as the protagonist and narrator, Uhtred, embodies this hybridity. Throughout the narrative, Uhtred experiences a sense of division between the two cultures: he is not able to state whether he considers himself an Anglo-Saxon or a Dane

Medieval Pasts and Eugenicist Futures: Grant Allen, Masculinity and Early English History

ABSTRACT Grant Allen was a Victorian scholar and novelist who published widely on science, literature and history. Embedded within these publications is a fascination with early England, particularly early English masculinity. Allen saw in England's origins a blueprint for the kind of white, hegemonic masculinity he wished to see reproduced not only in contemporary English society and culture but also in the eugenic makeup of the English people as well. By reaching to early English history to legitimise his own visions of imperial white masculinity, Allen weaves a fantasy of medieval male virility into the fabric of his Victorian present. This essay discusses Allen's interest in the social apparatus of gender, contemporary eugenicist discourse and the interpretive potential of an imagined medieval past and argues that Allen uses early English history to justify ongoing colonial projects and to frame white men as the rightful heirs to global power.

É Astrologia MA non É Astrologo: John Aubrey's Brief Lives and Astrology

This article explores John Aubrey's (1627–1697) extensive use of astrology in his biographical collection Brief Lives (1680–1681), which has been widely celebrated for its vivid portrayal of seventeenth-century English culture and society. Aubrey's life writing was not only informed by his antiquarian pursuits, the vibrant coffee house culture of his time and his lively scientific community, but also by the practice of astrology. Through Aubrey's horoscope collection, Collectio geniturarum (1674–1690), and his correspondence with a wide astrological network, this article traces his deep engagement with the practice. In squarely focusing on these two sources, I argue that Aubrey greatly relied on astrological methods to inform his life writing. In making his collection of horoscopes, Aubrey drew on a long tradition of astrological data gathering. Aubrey's careful collation and calculation of data to verify birth times, identify major life events and determine ‘ingenious’ traits also contributed to a wider effort to reform astrology considering the nascent experimental philosophy. By examining Aubrey's multifaceted astrological writings, this article clarifies one of Aubrey's key techniques used in his early sketches of Brief Lives . More broadly, it further complicates the historical narrative that astrology was largely marginalized in late seventeenth-century English intellectual and scientific communities.

National peculiarities of a traumatic experience in H. Mantel’s novel “A Change of Climate”

This article examines the problem of depicting traumatic experiences in modern British literature based on H. Mantel’s novel “A Change of Climate” (1994). In the course of the trauma literature development and its research (trauma studies), new opportunities and ways of depicting a traumatic event in fiction appear, for example, the attention of writers shifts from a large-scale description of historical trauma to the private lives of certain people and individual traumas. Mantel’s work presents several traumatic events at once, but only one is actual – the loss of a child by the Eldred family during their missionary trip to South African. In addition to the “standard” devices of trauma literature (unreliable narrator, lacunae, etc.), H. Mantel also introduces a national component into the novel, which determines the specifics of the main characters’ traumatic experience. So, such concepts as family, religion, virtue, good manners and missionary work become important for the characters born and raised by English society, through the prism of these concepts they perceive reality and try to overcome their trauma. However, this trauma is not only a personal experience, but also a cultural one in a certain sense, since leaving Africa after the child’s death at the hands of aborigines shows the failure of their mission. Thus, in his novel, H. Mantel demonstrates how deeply English national character traits are rooted in people’s lives, and how they become an obstacle in overcoming a traumatic event.

Voices from the Shadows: Intergenerational Conflict Memory and Second-Generation Northern Irish Identity in England

Recent scholarship has highlighted the heterogeneity of second-generation Irish identities in Great Britain, yet the varieties of self-identification espoused by the English-raised children of Northern Irish parents remain almost wholly unexplored. This article redresses this neglect by examining the relationship between parentally transmitted memories of the Northern Ireland Troubles (c.1969–1998) and the forms of identity and self-understanding that such children develop during their lives in England. Drawing on original oral history testimony and using the concepts of narrative inheritance and postmemory as interpretive tools, it demonstrates the complex correlation that exists between parents’ diverse approaches to memory-sharing and their children’s negotiation of inherited conflict memory as they position themselves discursively within contemporary English society. Based on a close reading of five oral history interviews, the analysis reveals a spectrum of creative postmemory practices and identity enactments, whereby narrators agentively define themselves in relation to the meanings they attribute to inherited memories, or the dearth thereof, as they navigate their tangled transnational affinities and allegiances. The article also explores how these practices and enactments are subtly responsive to narrators’ changing relationships to their narrative inheritances as their experience and awareness of their own and their parents’ lives deepen over the life course.

Linguistic and cultural specificity of euphemistic gender nominations (on the material of Uzbek, Russian and English languages)

The research work is devoted to euphemistic nominations, created according to the pragmatic principle of politeness, which contain national and cultural information. The object of the research work was the euphemisms of gender (about 100 units), obtained by continuous sampling from the most representative explanatory dictionaries of the Uzbek, Russian and English languages. The subject of the research work is the linguistic and cultural specificity of euphemistic nominations of gender. The purpose of the research work is to identify the linguacultural specifics of euphemistic gender-related nominations. Since euphemistic substitutes are used in a particular community and are influenced by socio-cultural factors, they are strongly marked by socio-cultural features used by male and female representatives of Uzbek, Russian and English society. Using the cross-cultural method, we found that in addition to the idiosyncratic national context, there are phenomena in language systems, both universal and differential, including semantic universals and linguo-pragmatic maxims. The novelty of the research work lies in the comparative analysis, which makes it possible to identify universal and differential approaches to the use of euphemistic nominations in different cultures and social contexts. This is an innovative approach that contributes to the understanding of how sociolinguistic factors influence the formation and use of euphemisms in different languages. The results of the research work showed that gender-polite euphemistic nominations that arose within the framework of politically correct ideology contribute to the preservation of the communicant's cognitive space, recognizing the rights of women and expressing respect. They prevent insults but are not necessarily sincere expressions of sympathy and interest, rather, as the analysis of the study showed, these are formal and etiquette constructions. It has been proved that the specifics of the national culture and lifestyle of the Uzbek (in family relations, male family members refer to the female gender by certain word forms), Russian and English peoples, as well as the unique features of their mentality, are the basis for using euphemistic nominations to describe the gender-thematic group.

An Analysis of Approbation and Sympathy Maxims Based on Leech’s Politeness Principles in Emma Movie

This research aims to identify the most dominant type of politeness principles especially on approbation and sympathy maxims and the application both of them in Emma movie. This research was descriptive study. The corpus of this research was the transcript of dialogue spoken by the characters in Emma movie. The data are collected using the theory of Creswell which consists of five interrelated steps. These steps respectively deal with identifying the movie, gaining information relate to that movie, considering the focus of information, designing tool named datasheet, and administering the data. Then the data were analyzed descriptively using the theory from Miles, Huberman, & Saldana which consists of data condensation, data display, and drawing conclusion. The researcher used the theory of Leech to analyze the most dominant type of politeness principles especially approbation and sympathy maxims and also the application of both of them in the movie. The findings of this research found the most dominant type of politeness principles in Emma movie is approbation maxim with 37 data (72.55%) out of 51 data. It is followed by sympathy maxim with 14 data (27.45%) out of 51 data. The application of these two maxims happens in family discourse. This is because the context of language usage in the early 19th-century English society. The abuse of power and wealth, all prove that the class status of Emma’s family plays a significant role in the shaping how the politeness works in society.

Child Labor in English Literature

Child labor is an old social problem. It peaked during the Industrial Revolution which greatly influenced English society, such as rural exodus, lack of equal job opportunities, miserable living and working conditions, social classes, lack of mandatory education, poverty, and, most importantly, child labor. The paper investigates the crimes against children carried out under the cover of child labor and poses the question of whether authorities, governments, religious institutions, businesses, and even parents are complicit in these crimes or have chosen to overlook them in spite of the constant backlash against them. The main aim of this study is to show the positive role of some authors like Charles Dickens, William Blake, Frances Trollope, Charles Kingsley, Robert Southey, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Caroline Norton, and Elizabeth Barret Browning who refused to ignore such atrocities and their consequences. These writers showed their opposition to child labor through great literary works such as Oliver Twist, Hard Times, David Copperfield, The Chimney Sweeper, A Voice from the Factory, The Water-Babies: A Fairy Tale for a Land- Baby, and The Cry of the Children. The study follows the close reading method and the sociology of literature approach. The study concludes that poverty and urbanization were some of the adverse outcomes of the Industrial Revolution. It reveals the official’s role in profiting from child labor and presents the authors’ role in changing The Poor Laws and Factory Acts to ban hiring minors. The study recommends national child labor regulations that should be enacted and enforced in order to prevent or at least control child work, as recommendations for further research.

MULTICULTURALISM AS A TROJAN HORSE OF BRITISHNESS

This study is devoted to the multilayered and controversial problem of multiculturalism, in the context of national identity in the territory of modern Great Britain. The article deals with the problems of the transformation of the linguistic and cultural components of the life of the country, and the perception and acceptance of ethnic diversity by the population of Britain. Particular attention is paid to the emergence of new varieties of the English language - ethnolects and multiethnolects, resulting from the relationship between different ethnic groups in the context of multiculturalism. In the article, the author gives examples that testify to the fiasco of multiculturalism and reflects on the social and linguistic aspects of the process of integrating non-racial, non-religious migrants into European and, in particular, English society. The paper considers such a phenomenon as the “cancellation culture” of the white race. The questions of the formation of a hybrid identity are touched upon, as well as concerns are expressed about the possible negative impact of the osternization of Europe.

A taste of Francophobia: ragout in eighteenth-century English literature

ABSTRACT This essay examines the depiction of French ragout in eighteenth-century English literature, arguing that the dish reflects social apprehension regarding ideological, cultural, and military conflicts between England and France. This essay first traces a brief history of ragout, along with an overview of the dish’s cultural connotation and complexity, in eighteenth-century English society. It next delves into the concept of eighteenth-century English Francophobia, demonstrating that this sentiment was a mixture of national pride and anxiety amid England’s identity crisis under the potential French cultural threat. Finally, the essay examines ragout in eighteenth-century English literature and identifies the dish as the target of French pretension and cultural invasion. This research highlights the fact that eighteenth-century English authors’ satirical portrait of ragout underscored xenophobic gastronomy and cautioned against a simple interpretation of the dish. The caricature and representation of ragout as a feminized, artificial, and laughable dish reinforces eighteenth-century English writers’ concern for the invasion of foreign culture by emphasizing the contrast between authentic ‛Anglo’ meat consumption and ‛Franco’ sophistication.

‘Prudence, Foresight, Courage, Oeconomy’: glass beehives and English society, 1650–1680

ABSTRACT During the English Civil War and subsequent Restoration, beekeeping provided a ready set of moral examples for those seeking answers about the ‘natural’ structure of society. The practice itself also underwent a number of substantial changes, moving from a traditional craft practice to a more knowledge-focused, technologically complex one. The advent of glass-windowed hives in the latter half of the sixteenth century allowed intellectuals from across the political spectrum to directly observe bees as a way of gathering knowledge about how to understand the divine plan and, with that understanding, improve human society.

The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English Society, 1580–1660, by Misha Ewen

The Virginia Venture: American Colonization and English Society, 1580–1660, by Misha Ewen

Intersections of Identity: Race, Legacy, and Belonging, within Caryl Phillips’s Historical Narrative “Dr Johnson’s Watch” as Part of Three English Lives

This essay examines Caryl Phillips’s portrayal of the historical figure Francis Barber. This formerly enslaved person rose to become the companion and heir of Samuel Johnson, the renowned lexicographer and writer. Phillips’s narrative, ‘Dr. Johnson's Watch,’ encapsulates two pivotal episodes from Barber’s life: his poignant attendance at Johnson's funeral in Westminster Abbey and his encounter with an unnamed narrator years later in Lichfield. Through these episodes, Phillips delves into profound themes of race, identity, belonging, and legacy against the backdrop of eighteenth-century England, a society entrenched in slavery and colonialism. The essay offers a nuanced literary analysis of the complex relationship between Johnson and Barber, both of whom existed as outsiders within their own contexts. It prompts reflection on the representation and agency of black individuals in history and literature, grappling with the challenges and opportunities they confronted in a largely hostile and indifferent society. At its thematic core lies Johnson’s watch, symbolising the enduring connections between individuals of diverse backgrounds and underscoring the legacy of figures like Johnson in advocating against the injustices of slavery. Through Phillips's narrative, the essay elucidates the intricate dynamics of race, power, and belonging in English society, shedding light on the struggles faced by immigrants and marginalized individuals during this tumultuous period. Ultimately, ‘Dr. Johnson’s Watch’ serves as a powerful testament to the humanity and dignity of Barber and other foreigners, inviting readers to contemplate the enduring impact of historical figures in advocating for justice and equality.

ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE MARRIAGE OF MARY TUDOR AND PHILIP OF HABSBURG IN ENGLISH AND EUROPEAN SOCIETIES

A comprehensive study of the rulers matrimonial policy in the early Modern period is one of the most relevant and important areas in historical science. Some questions related to clarifying the significance and influence of the marriage between Mary Tudor and Philip of Habsburg on the foreign and domestic policy of England are still debatable. The purpose of the study is to clarify the importance of a dynastic marriage as an integral part to the political system of the leading countries of medieval Europe, to study the prerequisites, causes and consequences of the marriage between Mary Tudor and Philip of Habsburg. Materials and methods. The article is based on the study of written sources of the era under study and modern scientific literature. The work uses both general scientific and particular methods of historical research: the method of analysis, ideographic and synchronization method. Study results. The article focuses on considering the attitude to the marriage between Mary Tudor and Philip of Habsburg, the future king of Spain (1556–1598). The emphasis is placed on the conditions of marriage, the content of the prenuptial agreement, which caused unrest in the English society. Conclusions. The marriage of Mary Tudor and Philip of Habsburg was traditionally negatively assessed by historians. It was believed that it was the reason for deterioration of relations with France, tougher domestic religious policy. This union caused discontent among both Catholics and Protestants. However, there are positive aspects: the marriage of Queen Mary with Philip was successful for England, since an alliance with the strongest and the richest country in Europe at that time was the only way out for England, which was in a difficult economic situation, and the war with France allowed to distract attention from religious disagreements in the country.