Open AccessElites in the Early Middle Ages: Identities, Strategies, Mobility
Author(s) -
François Bougard,
Geneviève Bührer-Thierry,
Régine Le Jan
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
annales
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2398-5682
pISSN - 2268-3763
DOI - 10.1017/s2398568200000169
Subject(s) - elite , middle ages , eleventh , aside , politics , power (physics) , sociology , position (finance) , social mobility , social group , period (music) , social position , political economy , history , social relation , social science , political science , law , ancient history , economics , aesthetics , art , philosophy , physics , literature , finance , quantum mechanics , acoustics
When considering status within early medieval societies, it is necessary to set aside juridical classifications in favor of concepts derived from political sociology—the notion of an “elite” can thus encompass any individual occupying an elevated social position within his or her community, be it through wealth, power, or culture. Using textual and archaeological sources, historians can seek out the processes of distinction and social recognition that were characteristic of elites throughout the early Middle Ages (from the sixth to the eleventh century). The Carolingian period shows signs of increasing hierarchization, which led both individuals and groups to devise strategies for bolstering their position and forestalling the loss of social status. Within the framework of these processes of social mobility, it becomes possible to examine elites at various levels and from different chronological and regional perspectives while avoiding an overly structural analysis.