POPULAR CULURE ESSAY PLANS
"To what extent did popular culture act as a tool of social control in early modern
Europe?"
Argument: Popular culture was not a tool for social control as it often went against the
beliefs and want of the authority, most significantly the religious authorities
P1: Religious Authorities
Beginning
Towards the beginning of the period popular culture was not a tool of social control as
both religious authorities and common people were involved in the same activities
Going to church every Sunday
Being involved in carnivals and festivals e.g. England ‘Feast of Innocents’
16th century on average 17 annual festivals
Religion wasn’t using it as control but community building
SYNOPTIC LINK: United popular culture different in Southern Europe as the warmer
weather meant there were more frequent carnivals so there was a greater sense of religious
community, showing how religious unity was promoted organically rather than through
enforcement
KICKBACK: Involvement in these activities was mandatory and therefore it could be argued
that the church used popular culture to mandate religious unity
Middle
Reformation meant that the religious authorities needed to maintain control and they
did this using popular culture, 1517
Puritans would purge churches of religious images
Council of Trent 1545-63 catholic council that suggest changes to festivals
Both Catholics and Protestants suggesting changes to festivals and carnivals shows
how they were using popular culture to control people and instil moral discipline
SYNOPTIC LINK: Reformation more of a movement within western Christianity so there
were more changes to popular culture in these areas in order to maintain control whereas in
places such as the Mediterranean the feast of fools continued into the 18th century as there
was no need for popular culture to change as control wasn’t needed
KICKBACK: However, popular culture was changed for religious control but instead was a
result of the religious conflict causing new popular cultures to arise. Additionally, changes to
popular culture due to elites withdrawal not religious control
P2: Secular Authorities
Middle
Authorities felt they needed to control popular culture as it was getting out of hand,
control was needed due to urban unrest
May Day riots of 1517
, POPULAR CULURE ESSAY PLANS
20 carnivals in Germany in 1520s-30s turned into anti-Catholic parades
Authorities respond, such as in England when they ban mystery plays in 1560
Council of Trent also enforce moral behaviour showing how authorities are
expressing social control
KICKBACK: revolts and unrest due to poor socio-economic condition and therefore
controlling popular culture would have no real impact on their actions, this is shown by how
Witchcraze accusations increased during periods of war e.g. thirty years war 1618-1648
End
In 1560s secular authorities take over from church courts and this is when witchcraft
accusations flourish
1590s demonological beliefs introduced allowing deviance to be framed as diabolical
Authorities using demonological beliefs to control by creating Witchcraze panics
In Transylvania and Turkey very few accusations due to a lack of demonological
beliefs indicating that were secular authorities didn’t impose beliefs the control
mechanisms had no effect
SYNOPTIC LINK: New England and Norway it is noted that the accused were people who
were beggars or social outcasts. By instilling beliefs of diabolical magic the authorities could
remove individuals they viewed as a threat who ‘surprisingly’ fitted with the ideas of a witch
KICKBACK: In Bamberg the elites were accused, demonstrating that if used as a tool of
control it quickly spiralled out of hand
P3: Elite
Beginning
United beliefs with the majority
Not used as social control due to a common popular culture
Participate in events such as Feast of Fools
Educated men in 1600 believe witchcraft is real
KICKBACK: Sebastian Brant 1495 Ship of Fools
End
Elites break from ‘popular culture beliefs’ and associate them with lower classes
In order to maintain control important to fuel ideas of diabolic magic in order to instill
fear
Switzerland peasants from immediate area pillaged the city during the 1513 Berne
Carnival
Germany experienced major peasant revolt against clerical landowners and their
privileges in the 1520s
Less than 3% lived in towns of over 100,000 by 1800
Literacy rates improved slowly; only a third of Europeans were literate by 1700
In order to keep the social divide they may have fuelled belief in order to maintain the
status quo
"To what extent did popular culture act as a tool of social control in early modern
Europe?"
Argument: Popular culture was not a tool for social control as it often went against the
beliefs and want of the authority, most significantly the religious authorities
P1: Religious Authorities
Beginning
Towards the beginning of the period popular culture was not a tool of social control as
both religious authorities and common people were involved in the same activities
Going to church every Sunday
Being involved in carnivals and festivals e.g. England ‘Feast of Innocents’
16th century on average 17 annual festivals
Religion wasn’t using it as control but community building
SYNOPTIC LINK: United popular culture different in Southern Europe as the warmer
weather meant there were more frequent carnivals so there was a greater sense of religious
community, showing how religious unity was promoted organically rather than through
enforcement
KICKBACK: Involvement in these activities was mandatory and therefore it could be argued
that the church used popular culture to mandate religious unity
Middle
Reformation meant that the religious authorities needed to maintain control and they
did this using popular culture, 1517
Puritans would purge churches of religious images
Council of Trent 1545-63 catholic council that suggest changes to festivals
Both Catholics and Protestants suggesting changes to festivals and carnivals shows
how they were using popular culture to control people and instil moral discipline
SYNOPTIC LINK: Reformation more of a movement within western Christianity so there
were more changes to popular culture in these areas in order to maintain control whereas in
places such as the Mediterranean the feast of fools continued into the 18th century as there
was no need for popular culture to change as control wasn’t needed
KICKBACK: However, popular culture was changed for religious control but instead was a
result of the religious conflict causing new popular cultures to arise. Additionally, changes to
popular culture due to elites withdrawal not religious control
P2: Secular Authorities
Middle
Authorities felt they needed to control popular culture as it was getting out of hand,
control was needed due to urban unrest
May Day riots of 1517
, POPULAR CULURE ESSAY PLANS
20 carnivals in Germany in 1520s-30s turned into anti-Catholic parades
Authorities respond, such as in England when they ban mystery plays in 1560
Council of Trent also enforce moral behaviour showing how authorities are
expressing social control
KICKBACK: revolts and unrest due to poor socio-economic condition and therefore
controlling popular culture would have no real impact on their actions, this is shown by how
Witchcraze accusations increased during periods of war e.g. thirty years war 1618-1648
End
In 1560s secular authorities take over from church courts and this is when witchcraft
accusations flourish
1590s demonological beliefs introduced allowing deviance to be framed as diabolical
Authorities using demonological beliefs to control by creating Witchcraze panics
In Transylvania and Turkey very few accusations due to a lack of demonological
beliefs indicating that were secular authorities didn’t impose beliefs the control
mechanisms had no effect
SYNOPTIC LINK: New England and Norway it is noted that the accused were people who
were beggars or social outcasts. By instilling beliefs of diabolical magic the authorities could
remove individuals they viewed as a threat who ‘surprisingly’ fitted with the ideas of a witch
KICKBACK: In Bamberg the elites were accused, demonstrating that if used as a tool of
control it quickly spiralled out of hand
P3: Elite
Beginning
United beliefs with the majority
Not used as social control due to a common popular culture
Participate in events such as Feast of Fools
Educated men in 1600 believe witchcraft is real
KICKBACK: Sebastian Brant 1495 Ship of Fools
End
Elites break from ‘popular culture beliefs’ and associate them with lower classes
In order to maintain control important to fuel ideas of diabolic magic in order to instill
fear
Switzerland peasants from immediate area pillaged the city during the 1513 Berne
Carnival
Germany experienced major peasant revolt against clerical landowners and their
privileges in the 1520s
Less than 3% lived in towns of over 100,000 by 1800
Literacy rates improved slowly; only a third of Europeans were literate by 1700
In order to keep the social divide they may have fuelled belief in order to maintain the
status quo
