West European Studies

The period between 1000 and 1300 is popularly referred to as High Medieval Europe. It was during this period that social classes were on the increase.  In both the hierarchical and communal order of the Middle Ages, everyone had a place and knew it. Ones individuality was associated to affiliation, class, and faith to ignore these boundaries during those days was to threaten the order of society.
         
In reaction to the alleged risk of non-Christian peoples, such as Jews, Muslims, Gypsies, and religious heretics, prejudiced laws positioned these groups on the precincts of society. The hatred of Jews also known as Anti-Semitism, sometimes inspired Christian mobs to murder Jews as Christ killers,as when the Crusaders passed through Germany in 1096.
         
However, in spite of the discrimination and fear that oftentimes constrained their businesses and social contacts, Jewish communities maintained a sturdy domestic network through family, synogogue, and contacts with Jews across and outside Europe. In fact, Jews played an essential role in medieval society by influencing medieval learning.
         
The High Middle Ages was the high point of western civilization with emerging monarchies as well as the church authority that gave rise to major changes in economic, political, intellectual as well as religious life. In Western Europe, Christianity played a critical role as the outright unifying force culturally though it had to change with the times as the European society established itself.
       
It was after the year 1000 that religion was fully understood and taken to new levels. The clergy emphasized the importance as well as the role of faith in comprehending the religious mysteries. As time went by, the importance of religion was emphasized in universities that led to rational avenues that were not available in other civilizations. All these created conducive atmosphere for learning as well as thirst for more knowledge. Apart from religion as well as culture taking foothold in Europe during this period, the west demonstrated great ability of innovation through economic as well as social changes. Europe became a common commercial zone as businessmen mover commodities from one region to another.
         
High Medieval Europe was the onset of civilization that spread out to other parts such as the Mediterranean zone. This was also the onset of conversion of European polytheistic faiths to Christianity by the Christian missionaries.  It is also around this period in history that Europe played an active role in the emergence of the international community that had a profound effect as far as technological advancement was concerned as well as expansion of agricultural output through the use of new tools as well as better farming methods. All these made it possible for Europe to dispel off any fears of incursions from the then more powerful Islamic world.
         
The options made by women in the patriarchal civilization of High Medieval Europe demonstrate the new and increased diversity of societal classes. Womens responsibilities were usually defined in relation to men in cases of marriage as well as childbearing being their main social and political functions.
       
Nonetheless, women were dynamic and significant throughout society. Both noble as well as upper-class women wielded influence in courts and managed intricate households, as Blanche of Castile did when she reigned as Frances regent for her son, King Louis IX. The urban men managed brewing as well as weaving businesses and even for a short time formed their own unions. Peasant women engaged in rigorous manual labor, producing food and sustaining their households. Other women left such conditions to serve as household servants in mansions or in towns, where their rights were nominal.
         
The spiritual women opted to switch over from the material life of marriage and family for a saintly and scholarly life in a cloister. Although women could not become priests, they positively influenced the society as visionaries, religious advisors as well as writers. One such prominent woman was Abbess Hildegard of Bingen, Germany who regularly spoke out on the religious, political as well as communal issues of her time. As the social as well as economic life became increasingly complex, womens roles became more limited. Their role was mainly restricted to domestic and family issues as other alternatives were few and limited. Apart from domestic chores and other family related matters, women played a major role in religious matters and majority of them were influence by the Virgin Mary who became their role model at the time. All these factors made women lose their ground and became hemmed in by male dominated society and at the end of it all patriarchal structures were decisively established.