French Society: 1589-1715 (Social History of Europe)

Book Title: Social Change in France: The Long Seventeenth Century
Author: Kettering, Sharon
Brand: Taylor & Francis Ltd
Edition: 1
Binding: Paperback
Number of Pages: 216
Release Date: 01-05-2001
EAN: 9780582307063
Package Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
Languages: English

Product Description:

This book provides a "birds eye" view of social change in France during the "long seventeenth century" (1589-1715), covering one of the most dynamic phases of French history. It explores the reigns of the first three Bourbon kings: Henri IV, Louis XIII, and Louis XIV.

The author delves into the upheavals in French society during this period by examining the bonds that tied various classes and groups together, including rank, honour, reputation, family, household and kinship, faith, and obedience to the King. Acting as a social glue against instability and fragmentation, these social solidarities were eroded in some areas while new ones emerged in periods of great transformation.

Sharon Kettering highlights how:

• Nuclear family ties emerged at the expense of extended kinship ties.

• Traditional rural ties were weakened by demographic crisis and agricultural stagnation.

• Urban ties of neighbourhood, sociability, and work grew with rapid urbanization.

By 1715, France had become a more peaceful and civilized place, and this book discusses some of the key reasons behind this transformation.