The Pre-modern Europe - Free Essay Example

There are quite some disagreements between writers regarding early modern Europe. However, this paper provides some insights into the then continents social system by identifying and assessing the social values for instance. This work scrutinizes to some detail the ideologies, beliefs, and institutions that were valued in the olden day Europe. For example, in the pre-modern Europe, religion was a critical constituent part of social life. Nevertheless, the place of the male gender, as well as the role of females in these times, is significantly explored in this work. In the early middle ages, Europe gradually emerged out of the devastation and destruction of the Roman Empire, seeing the church appear as one of the leading ways of instilling civilization in Europe. The church was explicitly one of the most respected institutions in early European days. Through religious education such as evangelism training for young people, Christianity education initially got spurred up at such old ages (Woods Jr, p. 15). The role of the church in the olden Europe was of far greater importance than can be underestimated. For instance, especially prior the Reformation, when unity described the church so succinctly, the church was the gateway to the majority of the services in the society. Religion at the time defined the fabric that sustained the community (Hughes and Fries, p. 9). Essential functions of the church included matters such as culture and inspiration. Christianity, the dominant religion of the time, determined the moral stature of individuals by providing guidance in general life concerns of the European people. Organized teaching was offered to various people groups such as to children, youths and other age categories of the time (Abramson, p. 5). The people were thus enhanced and well rooted in Christian teachings and therefore were accustomed to Christian ways. As a result, the culture of the people at early ages was a formation of the Christian became a predicate product of the instill ed Christian doctrines. This particular religion, therefore, shaped the pre-modern European culture. The middle age Europe was also highly reliant on the church to answer most social aspects. Primarily, it is impressive that when such happenings as famine, diseases, and other events, people turned to religion to get answers to the various issues. The church was, therefore, an essential and integral part of someones life (Abramson, p. 5). The influence of the religion was so vast that it commanded the order of business in the political leadership. Church input was a crucial driver in the lands administration by the Monarchs and emperors. The European continent experienced civilization at an early age relative to other parts of the world. This new trend was a considerable effect on the church. New developments such as the establishment of schools, philosophies, and hospitals marked the onset of a civilized society. The church participated in the creation of schools in various parts of the land. These comprised primary, elementary institutions as well as advanced systems. The societies thus engaged an evolution in practices into a modern way of doing things, with individuals embracing education, which initially begun as religion-oriented learning. This era also saw the rise of philosophies and scholars, some of whom are recognized to date for their outstanding work. All these were however instigated by religious purposes and subjects. Directly speaking, the church was the foundation for almost everything (Abramson, p. 5). The position of the two genders at the pre-modern day Europe is a matter of importance at the time. For instance, men were considered the breadwinners of the families. Like in most of the societies around the globe, the male was also viewed as the head of their families and plausibly the most important people in the basic social unit. Their role in providing for the family was at the time given and a fundamental responsibility every man had to meet. Women on the other hand submitted to men, respected and sought to please them. They also notably tended to their home and their children (Hughes and Fries, p. 9). In this era, the status of a man in the society was depended on the wealth he owned, and particularly the amount of land he commanded ownership. Wealthy men often played the role of employers, employing the peasants and women to look after their property, specifically land. Thus, in brief, masculinity was upheld in the medieval Europe. The place of femininity in the then medieval era in Europe is highly contrasting with the present day scenario. At the time, women were considered fit only for domestic functions at the homestead. They did not have equal rights as men, neither could their rights match the present. The female gender was considerably sanctioned against the male sex, such as because women neither could actively participate in politics either as leaders nor could they choose leaders (Hughes and Fries, p. 9). All decision-making function was the work of the then most important people in the society: men. Decisions as fundamental as whether to marry or not were also reserved for women, even the question of whether to have children or not. This importantly shows the evolving nature of the society, especially juxtaposing femininity in the medieval era with the present age. The place of women in the community has considerably evolved with an increased respect for womens rights and advanced rights, even the ne w gender equity considerations, concepts that never were but are instead just modern developments in the social arena. Art was a primary activity of the ancient and medieval Europe. For instance, at around 1000AD, one essential development in art was the emergence of the Romanesque art to the rise of the Gothic style. The term was coined by the art historians of the 19th century and particularly for the Romanesque architecture. This architecture was highly characteristic of the Roman design, which was at the time a superior approach in construction. Various developments occurred in the field of art such as featuring the Renaissance art of the 1400 (Encyclopedia.com, n.p). These developments in art reflect the progressive nature of the society that features movement into advanced and better ways of life. The Ancient day, medieval or pre-modern ages of Europe had interesting social aspects. Most importantly, the great place of the church in those days and its place in the majority of the elements of life is undeniable. The differences in the role of men and women in the family and society equally draw attention. The civilization of the then Europe, which revolved around the church, and the participation in the art are all essential social practices in early Europe (Encyclopedia.com, n.p). The various aspects of the society, such as the high reliance on faith shows the orientation of the people at the time, which is different from the present scenario. Currently, many people in Europe have taken on secularism, humanism and other counter-religious philosophies. It is thus true to assert that societies highly evolve, such as the key changes in femininity. Works Cited Abramson, Glenda. Modern Jewish Mythologies. Cincinnati Hebrew Union College Press, 1905. Encyclopedia.com. Early Modern Europe. 2004. Website. 30 Nov 2017. . Hughes, Paul L and Robert F Fries. European civilization : basic historical documents. Littlefield, Adams: Totowa, N.J., 1965. Print. Woods Jr, Thomas. How the catholic church built western civilization. [sic]: Regnery Publishing, 2012. Print.