English Society: 1580 - 1690

English Society brings together the results of recent historiography, together with much original research by the author, to provide a fascinating picture of society and social change in the period. The first section of the book discusses some of the enduring characteristics of society: social stratification and social mobility, kinship, neighborliness, patronage and deference, courtship and family formation, relationships between husbands and wives, parents and children. The second half of the book charts the course of social change: problems of public order, crime and social control, educational and religious developments, and profound changes in popular culture brought about by the growth of popular literacy and the consolidation of the Protestant Reformation. At every point, Keith Wrightson brings his material to life with his arresting use of contemporary diaries and texts.