Defamation, gender and hierarchy in late medieval Yorkshire

This article focuses on a late-fourteenth-century defamation suit from the ecclesiastical court of York to demonstrate the granular nature of gender identity and homosocial cooperation and competition across status groups. In this case, a dispute between two gentry families developed into an accusat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Social history (London) 2018-08, Vol.43 (3), p.356-374
Main Author: Kane, Bronach C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
14th century
Cooperation
Courts
Defamation
Disputes
Etiquette
gender
Gender identity
Honesty
Households
Legal history
Masculinity
medieval
Middle Ages
Network analysis
Norms
Patriarchy
Pregnancy
Protection
reputation
Reputations
Scandals
Sexual behavior
sexuality
Social anxiety
Social classes
Social identity
Speech
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Summary:This article focuses on a late-fourteenth-century defamation suit from the ecclesiastical court of York to demonstrate the granular nature of gender identity and homosocial cooperation and competition across status groups. In this case, a dispute between two gentry families developed into an accusation of sexual dishonour against the father of an unmarried pregnant woman. The analysis of networks of homosocial interaction reveals the gendered composition of reputation and identity at the social level. Male anxiety solidified around honesty in sexual and personal dealings, while concerns about social and religious status arose as the scandal became widely publicized. The study qualifies works on masculinity and insult in late-medieval society, demonstrating the significance of sexual honour and speech in men's disputes over reputation. It also illustrates the extent to which patriarchal authority could be enforced through control over the sexual activity of dependent men. Despite the involvement of gentry and lower aristocratic parties, the perspectives of women and non-elite men are visible and reveal the limits of patriarchal control in gentry households. Thus, the article delineates the nature of disputes between elite and lower-status men, tracing the boundaries of reputations, as well as their protection and maintenance in periods of conflict.
ISSN:0307-1022
1470-1200
DOI:10.1080/03071022.2018.1472886