3 - Now Abideth Faith, Hope and Charity: Place, Neighbourhood and People

Summary

This chapter discusses the ways in which speech was related to class and gender. It shows that boundaries between public and private were blurred in early modern communities, and that reputation was central to people’s lives. National, regional and local identities receive attention, especially the meaning of ‘Country’, alongside attitudes to foreign communities. Urban neighbourhood receives attention, especially the issue of the extent to which neighbourly values obtained in small districts of towns and cities, and the extent of urban anomie. Dispute settlement is studied, especially informal settlements made within communities. Gender and neighbourhood receives attention, in particular masculine artisanal identities, women’s networks and mutual support, and neighbourly reactions to male domestic violence.