What are the best secondary sources on how the Black Death affected social/family life of late Medieval/Early Modern Europeans?

by cephalopod17

I'm an undergraduate history major taking one of my final courses, a course on Marriage, Family, and Sexuality in Early Modern Europe, and currently discussing the Black Death and reading the Decameron. I find it interesting, especially given how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected things. I'm trying to find some good monographs or journal articles on the subject but I am having difficulties. I would appreciate any recommendations for sources.

y_sengaku

Hello, sorry for as late response.
I suppose this is a kind of 'homework question thread', so I'll just give a few introductory literature for you below as a departure point for your research.

You should at first refer to the following state of research essay: Aberth, John. 'Ashes to Ashes, We all fall down: The Black Death'. In: Id., Contesting the Middle Ages: Debates that are Changing our Narrative of Medieval History, pp. 243-315. Routledge: London, 2019.

In this comprehensive essay, the author (the specialist in the Black Death and its aftermath) he discusses the social as well as economic impact of the plague in 'late medieval demography: mortality vs. fertility' (pp. 256-66) and in 'the plague economy' (pp. 266-76) respectively, citing many relevant literature in footnotes.

Alternatively, I wonder by chance you use his collection of primary texts, John Aberth (ed.), The Black Death: The Great Mortality of 1348-1350: A Brief History with Document, 2nd ed., Boston: Bedford, 2017 (1st ed. 2005) as a textbook for your course. Then, check the introductory section of each chapter and especially its footnote. They also cite some essential literature there.

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Anyway, I can list some literature also by myself below:

  • Borsch, Stuart. The Black Death in Egypt and England: A Comparative Study. Austin, TX, 2005: seems to be favorite of Aberth to summarize the economic impact from a comparative point of view.
  • Campbell, Bruce M. The Great Transition: Climate, Disease and Society in the Late Medieval World, Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2016: includes detailed information on the economic condition in the 14th and 15th centuries, though he proposes not only the plague, but also some natural disasters in the 14th century together had a severe impact on medieval people as well as economy (so it might be difficult to distinguish the Black Death from other factors).
  • As for possible changes of marriage pattern (marriage age) after the Black Death, you have to check some of the article on medieval Demography on the following scholars: Richard M. Smith, Larry Poos, P. J. P. Goldberg, and John Hatcher.
  • Goldberg, P. J. P. Women, Work, and Life Cycle in a Medieval Economy: Women in York and Yorkshire c.1300-1520. Oxford: Clarendon, 1992.
  • Hatcher, John, 'Understanding the Population History of England 1450–1750', Past & Present, Volume 180, Issue 1, August 2003, Pages 83–130, https://doi.org/10.1093/past/180.1.83
  • Nightingale, Pamela, 'Some New Evidence of Crises and Trends of Mortality in Late Medieval England', Past & Present, Volume 187, Issue 1, May 2005, Pages 33–68, https://doi.org/10.1093/pastj/gti009
  • (Open Access) Razi, Zvi, 'The Myth of the Immutable English Family',Past & Present, Volume 140, Issue 1, August 1993, Pages 3–44, https://doi.org/10.1093/past/140.1.3

Good Luck for your paper!