Gender, Nature, and the Transition to Capitalism in Europe

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on the transition to capitalism in Europe, focusing on the impacts on gender roles, economic systems, and social dynamics.

Feudalism

A social system where peasants worked land owned by nobles in exchange for protection.

Enclosure Movement

The process of consolidating common lands into privately owned parcels, disrupting peasant life.

Black Death

A pandemic that significantly reduced the population in Europe, leading to improved living conditions for surviving peasants due to labor shortages.

Wage Dynamics

The fluctuations in wages observed during the transition from feudalism to capitalism, often resulting in declines.

Proletarianization

The transformation of individuals into wage laborers, particularly during capitalist development.

Patriarchal Control

A systemic dominance over women's bodies and roles in society.

Primitive Accumulation

The historically necessary process of transforming communal land into private property to facilitate capital accumulation.

Gendered Divisions of Labor

The separation of work roles based on gender, often leading to unequal labor dynamics.

Witch Hunts

Historical persecutions primarily targeting women and LGBTQ+ individuals, often framed as threats to emerging capitalist structures.

Caliban and the Witch

A key text discussing the relationship between capitalism, gender, and violence against women in historical contexts.

Rising Real Food Prices

The significant increase in food prices between 1511 and 1600, outpacing wage growth.

Economic Exploitation

The act of benefiting financially by taking advantage of others' labor conditions.

Black Death's Effect on Wages

Post-Black Death wages improved dramatically due to reduced population, increasing worker bargaining power.

Environmental Imaginaries

Cultural perceptions and representations of the environment, influenced by economic systems.

Labor Discipline

The methods used to control labor and enforce compliance among workers in capitalist systems.

Collective Social Reproduction

Community-centered modes of sustaining life and labor prior to capitalist individualism.

Sex Work Rise

The increase in sex work among women as traditional economic roles diminished during the transition to capitalism.

Medicinal Plant Access

The traditional knowledge of plants for health that diminished alongside the rise of capitalist frameworks.

Crisis of Feudalism

The decline of feudal structures due to peasant rebellions and the rise of capitalist economies.

State Persecutions

Government-led actions against specific groups deemed threatening to the social order, notably witches.

Economic Systems Shift

The transition from feudalism to capitalism, altering wealth distribution and societal roles.

Female Dependence

The societal trend that reduced women to dependent roles as communal resources disappeared.

Urbanization Effects

Consequences of population movements from rural to urban settings that impacted labor and gender roles.

Economic Disparities

The inequalities in labor conditions and compensation that emerged during capitalist development.

Elites and Peasants

The power dynamic between the wealthy ruling class and the working class during societal transitions.

Resistance to Capitalism

Forms of opposition by laborers, particularly women, against capitalist structures.

New Gender Dynamics

The changing roles of women within the family and workforce as capitalism evolved.

Colonial Plantations

Large-scale agricultural operations that relied on enslaved labor and were connected to capitalism.

Social Hierarchy

The ranking of individuals in society based on wealth, power, and class.

Communal Knowledge

Shared understandings and skills used within peasant communities, often threatened by capitalist interests.

Systemic Control

Deliberate measures taken to maintain order and maximize profit in capitalist frameworks.

Exploitative Labor Practices

Working conditions that devalue or neglect the rights and needs of laborers.

Rising Sex Work

The growth of sex work as women faced diminished roles in traditional economic systems.

Knowledge as Power

The idea that understanding nature and community dynamics can empower individuals against oppressive systems.