Housing Culture : Traditional Architecture in an English Landscape

''Housing Culture'' is an inter-disciplinary study of old houses. It brings together recent ideas in studies of traditional architecture, social and cultural history, and social theory, by looking at the meanings of traditional architecture in western Suffolk, England. The author employs in an English context many of the ideas of Glassie, Deetz and other writers on the American colonies. In so doing, the book forms an important critique and refinement of those ideas, and should prove an indispensable background text for American historical archaeologists in particular. The study spans the late medieval and early modern periods, looking at the layout and structural details of ordinary houses. It argues for a ''process of closure'' affecting both technical and social aspects of houses. The context of the process of closure is explored and related to wider social and cultural changes including the feudal/capitalist transition. ''Housing Culture'' embodies an innovative and exciting approach to the study of artefacts in an historic period. It will interest historians, historical geographers and archaeologists of the medieval and early modern periods in both England and America. It is also sure to be of interest to students of all areas and periods who seek a theoretically informed approach to the study of traditional architecture and material culture in general. This book is intended for archaeologists, historians (particularly of landscape, architecture, the medieval period, social and cultural) historical geographers, students and researchers of material culture; such groups are found within departments of archeaology, history and anthropology. BOOK COVER......Page 1 TITLE......Page 3 COPYRIGHT......Page 4 DEDICATION......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 6 PREFACE......Page 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION......Page 15 Continuity and change......Page 16 The study of traditional architecture......Page 20 Structure of the study......Page 27 CHAPTER 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO WESTERN SUFFOLK......Page 30 Notes......Page 40 Functional perspectives......Page 42 Questions of meaning......Page 44 Grammatical approaches......Page 47 Towards a conception of craft tradition......Page 51 CHAPTER 4 OPEN HOUSES......Page 57 Interpretation......Page 64 Notes......Page 71 Conversion of open houses......Page 76 Interpreting transitional houses......Page 81 Notes......Page 96 CHAPTER 6 CLOSED HOUSES......Page 98 Grammar......Page 99 Notes......Page 111 CHAPTER 7 THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE TECHNICAL SYSTEM......Page 113 Household goods in the 1570s......Page 135 Household goods in the 1680s......Page 137 The closed farmstead......Page 139 Notes......Page 149 CHAPTER 9 STATUS, CLASS AND RELATIONS BETWEEN HOUSES......Page 150 Notes......Page 169 CHAPTER 10 A PROCESS OF ENCLOSURE......Page 171 Closure of houses, enclosure of fields......Page 172 Puritanism and the middling household......Page 177 Notes......Page 182 CHAPTER 11 CONCLUSION: OLD HOUSES, MODERN MEANINGS......Page 184 A contextual analysis......Page 186 APPENDIX ONE LIST OF HOUSES......Page 190 Early sample......Page 194 Late sample......Page 195 REFERENCES......Page 203 INDEX......Page 213 An interdisciplinary work treating vernacular architecture in terms of its archaeological and social-historical significance, the book draws together a wide range of perspectives around the case study of mediaeval houses. Matthew Johnson. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 195-205) And Index.