Which group of people were studied in folklore studies, thus giving us a sense of English customs?

1. What is Thompson’s thesis?
2. Which group of people were studied in folklore studies, thus giving us a sense of English customs?
3. Why is it important to note the division that was caused by literacy when it comes to who follows custom and who does not?
4. According to Thompson, what is common law derived from?
5. What does lex loci mean?
6. In the industrial revolution what source of law did people turn to in determining such things as wages?
7. What do the terms patrician and plebeian mean?
8. Why is it important to note that customary practices, which were sometimes codified, were in constant flux in the 18th century?
9. Yes or no? The church and authorities are the ones who set the cultural norms that are followed by the plebs.
10. How much control does the gentry have over the plebian culture?
11. Where do we philosophically find custom? What land (physical) does one find sharply defined custom? What sort of institution is sharply enforced? What about middle custom?
12. Why is it so challenging to know the customary practice of the plebs? (100-101)
13. What does Thompson mean when he writes “agrarian custom was never fact. It was ambience” (102)?
14. Why were places like forest a source of conflict in the 18th century? Note what the landowners are doing when they do things like build new hunting lodges. Also note the use of common right to justify particular actions in some cases.
15. What is the tragedy of the commons? How is this illustrated in terms of some of the disputes Thompson covers?
16. What is the term common referring to in “right of common” and why would issues of enclosure be a concern regarding the right of common?
17. Why is it the case that custom can be seen as a place of class conflict?
18. What was it a big deal that King Charles enclosed Richland Park?
19. Ultimately how did the commoners gain access to the park and what was an issue with this solution?

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