Local Societies and Peasantry Agencies in Medieval Iberia

Abstract

Despite the significant attention medieval scholarship has devoted to the study of peasant societies, these groups have traditionally been depicted as passive and homogeneous, merely able of resisting pressures from the state or powerful individuals. However, in recent years, the availability of new records, the widespread adoption of microhistorical analyses, and the renewal of conceptual frameworks have enabled scholars to undertake more detailed and nuanced investigations. This collective volume aims to explore the political, economic, and social practices of Iberian medieval peasant societies. A key finding of this multivocal analysis is the revelation of the relative subalternity of medieval ruling groups and the constraints on peasant actions across various geographical and chronological contexts.