The impact of inequality on social vulnerability in pre-modern Breckland
- Maïka De Keyzer
Abstract
This article analyses the impact that wealth and power inequality had on vulnerability to natural hazards. It analyses how the rising wealth and power of manorial lords and their flock masters affected the prevention and mitigation of sand drifts. In addition, it questions what type of society was able or willing to invest in a robust ecosystem. Via the case study of pre-modern Breckland (East Anglia, England), this article shows that it was only when high levels of wealth inequality was combined with an uneven distribution of power, that Breckland society became incapable of preventing and mitigating the threat of the most important natural hazard in the region: sand drifts. Vulnerability, however, did not become a universal feature in this society. Whilst cottagers and smallholders were badly affected, rural elites could thrive thanks to their involvement in economic activities that were not hindered by the drifting sand.
How to Cite:
De Keyzer, M., (2020) “The impact of inequality on social vulnerability in pre-modern Breckland”, Journal for the History of Environment and Society 4.