Annotated Bibliography: Society in the Early Renaissance vs. Today

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Annotated Bibliography
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This annotated bibliography examines the early Renaissance period and compares it to contemporary society. The introduction sets the stage by highlighting the Renaissance as a period of societal awakening and the dawn of modernity. The bibliography includes five scholarly sources that explore various aspects of Renaissance society. Alfani's article discusses economic inequality, Cohn's article analyzes material culture, Meek's article focuses on women's property rights, Withington's article examines the emergence of citizens and soldiers, and Sapsed & Tschang's article compares art techniques and innovation. Each annotation summarizes the source, highlights key terms and controversies, and evaluates its relevance. The bibliography highlights how the Renaissance laid the groundwork for many aspects of modern society, while also acknowledging the divergences. The sources emphasize the evolution of urban centers, financial systems, gender roles, social structures, and artistic innovation. The annotated bibliography provides a comprehensive overview of the Renaissance and its enduring legacy, while also encouraging critical reflection on how these historical developments relate to our present-day society.
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Annotated Bibliography
Introduction
The early Renaissance period roughly dates during the 14th century, and is considered a
period of awakening for European society. It is considered the onset of modernity. In many ways,
present-day society is an outgrowth of the great developments which culminated in the
Renaissance; however, the divergences suggest that to mistake likeness with actual similarity is
incorrect. In terms of technology, culture, values, no matter how much the present society owes to
the Renaissance, it is on the verge of transformation beyond limits set by modernity.
Annotated Bibliography
Alfani, Guido. (2015). Economic inequality in northwestern Italy: a long-term view
(fourteenth to eighteenth centuries). The Journal of Economic History, 75(4), 1058-
1096.
This article presents a long-term perspective of economic inequality between 1300 and 1800
CE. It shows that with the coming of modernity during the early Renaissance era, inequality among
the people arose. From a predominantly agrarian society based on feudal lines, there emerged
significant “urban centers” which were the crucial zones of the Renaissance, where “new arts and
skills” developed, leading to greater wealth. It is this dynamic between the rural and urban the
regulated inequality since the Renaissance.
While the article presents a very useful and conceptually robust overview of inequality in
modernity, the formulation of the rural-urban dynamic needs to be reconsidered in the present age,
because the rural has become almost insignificant today. Rather, there are gradiently inequal zones
of urban inequality in today’s society which have resulted from a spread of urban culture all over.
Cohn Jr., Samuel. (2012). Renaissance attachment to things: material culture in last wills and
testaments 1. The Economic History Review, 65(3), 984-1004.
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This article presents an investigation into the material culture in early Renaissance. It shows
the pattern in which inheritance of material goods after the death of the owner worked before and
after the Black Death. The author shows that while before the Black Death, this wealth was
“converted into coin and distributed” among the near ones, the devout, and the lay, after the Black
Death, this wealth was accumulated in the form of savings such as estates, legal bonds, and other
such forms, thus making finance stronger.
This is an interesting parallel between Renaissance material culture and the present day: the
value of wealth as finance for investment is something crucial to both. In fact, the author shows
how the Black Death precipitates a crises of commercial requirement, thus spurring a savings
revolution. However, it is also necessary to understand how this wealth was invested to understand
closely what is happening in these two periods.
Meek, C. (2017). Women between the law and social reality in early Renaissance Lucca.
Fabula, 51(3-4), 235-250.
This article inquires into the forms of property which women could come into in the early
Renaissance Italian province of Lucca. Few as these forms were, dowry was one among them,
which the author notes was not only demanded with authority by women, but records show that it
was also voluntarily given by the father of the woman at the time of her marriage. Thus, it became a
focal point for governing the gendered property relations during this time.
Interestingly, this aspect of early Renaissance society shows stark divergence from the
present day gender relations. It is seen today that women are not dependent on their male
counterparts for property, but rather considered independent individuals.
Withington, P. (2011). Introduction—Citizens and Soldiers: The Renaissance Context. Journal
of Early Modern History, 15(1-2), 3-30.
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This article argues how the two categories of social type – soldiers and citizens – emerged as
polar opposites during the early Renaissance period, with the development of city-states. Earlier, the
notion of citizens was weak, given that most people were part of serfdom. With the citizens emerges
the earliest expression of a capitalist citizenry, while the soldiers first acquire a new and distinct role
compared to earlier societies. This role was protection of property.
Withington’s linking the emergence of civilians and soldiers with the historical development
which resulted in Renaissance society is a very useful conceptual demonstration. However, it needs
to be reconsidered in today’s time. Particularly, with advanced methods of military strategy, it needs
to be understood how the roles of soldiering have transformed and become less specific.
Sapsed, J., & Tschang, F. T. (2014). Art is long, innovation is short: Lessons from the
Renaissance and the digital age. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 83, 127-
141.
This is a comparative article that considers two important aspects of artistic production in
early Renaissance period and the present-day digital age: technique and innovation. Technique
refers to the long-lasting methods by which art is produced, while innovation is the improvements
in technique which change the nature of production. The authors find that there are two stages to
innovation of technique found in both contexts: first, certain motifs, materials, and ideas which are
not part of the established technique are experimented upon by artists; second, when the successful
experiments are understood, they slowly become part of established techniques.
The Renaissance is most directly associated with art. Hence, this article is a very good
starting place for understanding the dynamics of aesthetic movement in Renaissance society.
Moreover, it also ties this method of analysis to the present society. Thus, it offers an apt
comparative model.
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References
Alfani, G. (2015). Economic inequality in northwestern Italy: a long-term view (fourteenth to
eighteenth centuries). The Journal of Economic History, 75(4), 1058-1096.
Cohn Jr., Samuel. (2012). Renaissance attachment to things: material culture in last wills and
testaments 1. The Economic History Review, 65(3), 984-1004.
Meek, C. (2017). Women between the law and social reality in early Renaissance Lucca.
Fabula, 51(3-4), 235-250.
Sapsed, J., & Tschang, F. T. (2014). Art is long, innovation is short: Lessons from the Renaissance
and the digital age. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 83, 127-141.
Withington, P. (2011). Introduction—Citizens and Soldiers: The Renaissance Context. Journal of
Early Modern History, 15(1-2), 3-30.
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