Why did the social and religious branches develop in the way of providing for the aged in medieval English countryside?

In the Middle Ages, especially in the late period, all aspects of British society were in a period of transition, and even the rural old-age care in British society began to enter the process of transformation, and it experienced a transition from a single old-age care method to a diversified rural old-age care.

First of all, the old-age care in rural England is mainly based on the family. Many historians' studies show that the families in the West are mainly nuclear families, mainly composed of couples and their unmarried children, so the old-age care model has become very important to the whole society.

Then, with the trend of social transformation in Britain in the late Middle Ages, why did the rural old-age care model in Britain change from a single family old-age care mode to a diversified and diversified one?

First, there is something in Christian theology about the ideological education of children supporting the elderly

In the early Middle Ages, the old-age care in rural areas in British society was mainly based on family care, which had its foundation and opportunity.

First of all, it is the social economy and mode of production that can absolutely influence people's lifestyle in rural society. In the early Middle Ages, the British rural society was mainly the agricultural mode of production under the farming society, and the main body in the rural society was people and land, so land played a very important role in various relationships.

So first of all, the popularity of family pension, or the inheritance and transfer of land, has become the foundation of this kind of pension, because in the Middle Ages, British families were mainly composed of parents and unmarried children. Based on this reality, rural pension was closely linked with land transactions.

At that time, many ways of providing for the elderly in rural England were carried out together with land transactions. Just like blood relationship and land inheritance, children's support for the elderly became a natural inheritance, so children's support for their parents became an unwritten rule.

despite land inheritance and transaction, all this, including pension? Interest relationship? There are no clear written evidence and documents, but the emergence of family pension naturally digests the problem of pension in society from the inside.

In addition to the foundation of the economy and mode of production mentioned above, the influence of patriarchal theology also plays an important role. The power and influence of the Christian church in society is no less than that of the king and the royal family.

Therefore, the problem of providing for the aged in rural areas, which frequently appears in the society, has also become a concern of Christianity. At this time, a family-based way of providing for the aged in rural areas of England has just solved such social contradictions and problems in the most peaceful way.

therefore, some ideas of Christian theology in the later period began to be respected? Children have the obligation to support their parents and the elderly? Wait and so on? Responsibility? In addition, the Middle Ages happened to be an important stage of the expansion and development of Christian forces. In order to consolidate their authority, these religious theological concepts first began with promoting the truth, goodness and beauty of human nature.

Therefore, in the end, the force of Christian theology directly acquiesced in the way of family support for the aged as the mainstream of rural support for the aged and the main concept of support for the aged advocated by it.

Second, towards modernization: there has been a force in society that rivals Christian thought

1. The trend of economic modernization has led to the change of rural old-age care mode

Earlier, we said that the main mode of rural old-age care in Britain was the economic development and production mode on which it depended, so in the late Middle Ages, the British rural old-age care mode underwent a great transformation, and it was also because of its foundation that the economic development mode began to change.

On the one hand, it takes into account the economic development mode of Britain in the middle and late Middle Ages. In the late Middle Ages, with the opening of new sea routes, Sponsorship? The feudal royal class opened up by the new route gradually began to emerge in British society, which was the first step in the transformation of British economic development.

In the Middle Ages of Europe, these countries were basically trapped in epidemics and disasters, while Britain embarked on a road to modernization. The feudal monarchy that devoted most of its strength was the most prominent part of promoting the development of handicrafts and commerce in British society in the 14th and 15th centuries.

Secondly, the development of agriculture also determines the development trend of rural society in Britain, because the development of agriculture, handicrafts and commerce complement each other, because in? Darkness? In the Middle Ages, it was the most important thing to ensure people's daily life, and then there was room for wealth to play its role, and the development of production in agriculture provided it with more, more convenient and more favorable material basis for development.

There is developed agriculture as the foundation in British society. The opening of new air routes has provided more fresh opportunities and opportunities for the development of handicrafts and commerce. The vast overseas market brought by the opening of new air routes has greatly promoted the economic development. The wealth brought by economic development has provided a strong material foundation for the rural pension in British society, which is an important factor for the socialized development of rural pension in Britain.

The huge wealth has provided material guarantee for the improvement of the conditions of rural old-age care in Britain, promoted the popularization of old-age care in the whole society, and also provided more opportunities for rural old-age care to develop and play.

2. The establishment of the capitalist system has higher requirements for the way of providing for the aged in rural areas.

Apart from the consideration of economic development, political factors also play a very important role, because providing for the aged will eventually develop into a social problem, even though it is digested within the family at first, social problems have to consider the influence of politics.

in the late middle ages, with the gradual development of British capitalist economy in society, it even grew into a force with considerable strength that could compete with the Christian forces in society, so that it even occupied a leading position in politics in the later period and became the decider who really grasped power in the national society.

Therefore, in the late Middle Ages, corresponding to the capitalist economy, a capitalist political system appeared in society. Under the influence of this political system, the capitalist system and capitalist relations of production established with the development of industrialization must win people's hearts if they want to become the mainstream in society.

The most important thing for the people is welfare. Therefore, rural pension in this period has become a social and family pension model.

On the one hand, in order to gain their own interests, capitalism and the bourgeoisie must contribute part of their wealth to the construction of rural old-age care for the society. On the other hand, the development of capitalism provides many labor opportunities, which can be regarded as part of welfare.

Therefore, due to the consideration of carrying out the capitalist system politically, the bourgeoisie has provided welfare for the rural old-age care and the families involved to the greatest extent. The job opportunities and the construction of old-age care facilities make the rural old-age care present a dual model of social old-age care and family old-age care.

In fact, even though the capitalist economy occupies a very important part of the British society, the influence of Christianity in the whole European society cannot be eliminated in a short time, and no amount of wealth can erase it. Therefore, the British rural pension itself has religious characteristics.

Third, the process of urbanization is accelerating: a diversified model of family, social and religious support for the elderly has emerged

Britain was a shining country in the whole world from the 13th century to the 18th century, perhaps after and before. It was the first country to enter the capitalist society, and it was the first to appear industrialization. In the dark Middle Ages, it made its own way to the bright future.

In the late Middle Ages, simple and preliminary industrialization began to spread in rural areas of England, and the production of industrial machines led to the transformation of production methods in rural areas.

At this time, more and more new economic factors have been brought to rural development, because economic development has more demand for female labor force. It is under such circumstances that the old-age care model in rural areas of Britain has begun to transform.

In addition, with the development of economy, the population mobility has been strengthened, and the family structure has been dispersed and broken to some extent, which has led to various modes of rural old-age care in this period, including family-style, socialization and even religious old-age care mode under the influence of Christian theology.

So, at this time, rural old-age care is more characterized by social old-age care. On this basis, family old-age care has also retired to a relatively secondary position with economic development. In the late Middle Ages, with the establishment of capitalism, the issue of providing for the aged began to develop at a deeper level.

IV. Conclusion

To sum up, there are many influencing factors for the transformation of rural old-age care in Britain in the Middle Ages. Politics, economy and potential religious ideology and culture are absolutely the most important factors for the social problem of old-age care, or the old-age care model that developed into a social problem in the later period.

The influence of religion in British society is self-evident. Secondly, the new demand for rural old-age care brought about by economic development and the establishment of political system is an important factor affecting the transformation of rural old-age care in Britain in the later period. At this point, the rural old-age care model in Britain has developed from a single old-age care to a diversified one of religion, society and family.