Fascinating essay: many thanks, Katie! It raises lots of further questions: is Britain the only country in which 'peasant' is a pejorative term? in which countries does 'peasant' encompass both land owners and landless agricultural workers (fundamentally different economic circumstances)? in British/English culture how did the concept of 'peasant' come to have negative meanings but that of 'yeoman farmer' positive connotations? to what extent is peasant culture valued more by those who adopt it or aspire to it, than those born in to it? what socio-economic factors lead peasants to aspire to leave the land, and what factors lead people in complex, industrial economies to aspire to peasant life? is the peasant way of life and culture devalued as much by orthodox (state) socialists (e.g. the kulaks) as by champions of capitalism? etc. etc....
On a minor historical detail, I never knew that feudalism only came to Britain with the Normans. Didn't Anglo-Saxon kings rule through the feudal system?
Thanks again for such an informative and elegant essay!
Fascinating essay: many thanks, Katie! It raises lots of further questions: is Britain the only country in which 'peasant' is a pejorative term? in which countries does 'peasant' encompass both land owners and landless agricultural workers (fundamentally different economic circumstances)? in British/English culture how did the concept of 'peasant' come to have negative meanings but that of 'yeoman farmer' positive connotations? to what extent is peasant culture valued more by those who adopt it or aspire to it, than those born in to it? what socio-economic factors lead peasants to aspire to leave the land, and what factors lead people in complex, industrial economies to aspire to peasant life? is the peasant way of life and culture devalued as much by orthodox (state) socialists (e.g. the kulaks) as by champions of capitalism? etc. etc....
On a minor historical detail, I never knew that feudalism only came to Britain with the Normans. Didn't Anglo-Saxon kings rule through the feudal system?
Thanks again for such an informative and elegant essay!
Thought provoking. I enjoyed it.
Brilliant and informative piece of writing Katie.
A fascinating and critical piece of writing, thank you so much!
really interesting piece. a life on the land is profoundly cultured! and I loved the illustrations.