I am writing an essay for my uni on either the persecution of minorities or the enforcement of conformity in Middle Age Europe. I've not decided yet but since the questions are similar I've started my reading of Secondary literature.
Does anyone know of any good primary sources linked to either of these themes that would help me structure an argument?
From my secondary reading I've decided to play into the enormous breadth of the question in both a geographical and chronological sense, and try to map how attitudes changed over time and varied according to region. I will need a range of primary sources, then, to begin to construct my argument.
The book "Witchcraft in Europe: 400 to 1700" has a wealth of primary sources related to the persecution of perceived witches during the medieval period. Since many people accused or suspected of witchcraft were also women, Jews, people of color, etc., you may find some useful texts there.
Regarding conformity, "Guidance For Women in Twelfth Century Convents" by Vera Petch Morton has some fascinating resources for how women entering convent life in the high middle ages we're expected to act, and what the powerful men around then found most worrisome about their behavior.