Gossip and street culture in early modern Venice

Cowan, Alexander (2008) Gossip and street culture in early modern Venice. Journal of Early Modern History, 12 (3-4). pp. 313-333. ISSN 1385-3783

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

This is a study of the spatial, social and cultural context of gossip in early modern Venice based on oral testimony to the magistracy of the Avogaria di Comun, and centering on the making of marriages. Recent studies in sociology and anthropology suggest that gossip was part of a complex system of social relationships, particularly within an urban context. Far from being an exclusively female practice, both men and women engaged in gossip, and this exchange of information has much to tell us about a range of social norms. A consideration of the spatial locations within which gossip took place concludes that the circulation of information undermined formal distinctions between the public and the private. It also emphasizes both the importance of visual observation in starting a chain of comments based first on unspoken assumptions, and the role of individuals in deliberately supplying information about themselves to gossip networks.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	L900 Others in Social studies V300 History by topic
Department:	Faculties > Arts, Design and Social Sciences > Humanities
Depositing User:	EPrint Services
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2010 12:39
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2021 08:39
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/663

Downloads