One of the common misunderstandings about the guilds during the Middle Ages is the fact that they were one of the strongest entities within society. Many people assume that the “economic/political strength” of these organizations does not compare to that of their modern counterparts (big businesses, corporations, etc.). However, that is certainly not the case. These close knit organizations were one of the most powerful/influential aspects within society during these times. In fact, many of these guilds had representatives within the Council of One Hundred and Corts Catalanes who could sway the decision making of the king. In fact, some would argue that it was these organizations which made Catalunya (Barcelona in particular) one of the most democratic kingdoms within all of Europe. At the height of their influential power, the guilds’ “lobbyists” effectively worked like their modern counterparts and ensured that their “client’s” interests were best served by the head of state. This close interaction between these organizations and the king must certainly be related to the “commercial/economic” mindset of the Catalonian people and the rest of Europe; otherwise, kings would have just ruled over them with an iron fist and imposed their own wishes.
However, this “democratic existence” between guilds and the monarchy is not what interests me most about their existence. The thing that grabbed my attention the most during this trip was the fact that the entire system of guilds was so closely knit. It says something about a business when the owner of the company/guild lives amongst the lower members of the social hierarchy. Essentially, during these times, the head of the guild would live on the “nobility” floor of the house (1st floor) and the servants would live on the top floor (as you move up on the floors, you move down on the social later). This idea of servants living with the [wealthy] owner is something that was extremely interesting to think about. It is absolutely impossible to think that something like that would happen today. Can you imagine the CEO of General Motors living with one of the workers on the assembly line? I’m quite certain that ‘absolutely not’ is the answer that comes to mind.
That being the case, it leads me to question whether or not the same “value/care” is placed into the daily proceedings of the workers within a particular company today. Back during the Middle Ages, individuals had a greater sense of pride working within their particular crafts; individuals made their products by hand and countless hours of work went into the perfection of their trade. Furthermore, their blood, sweat, and tears went into the shop day in and day out in order to maintain the high standards of the guild. Such pride and appreciation for their work can be experienced within the walls of La Santa Maria del Mar. This church was built “by workers for workers” during the fourteenth century. Although it is not as extravagant as one of its counterparts (Cathedral of Barcelona), you get the sense of care and emotion once you walk through its doors. In a lot of ways, this church does not give off the gaudy/extravagant feel or many other cathedrals/churches of the time. However, it proves to be extremely special in its own way as its quite apparent, through the dedicated floor tiles, that people truly cared about the building and were filled with pride when it was finally constructed.
However, this “democratic existence” between guilds and the monarchy is not what interests me most about their existence. The thing that grabbed my attention the most during this trip was the fact that the entire system of guilds was so closely knit. It says something about a business when the owner of the company/guild lives amongst the lower members of the social hierarchy. Essentially, during these times, the head of the guild would live on the “nobility” floor of the house (1st floor) and the servants would live on the top floor (as you move up on the floors, you move down on the social later). This idea of servants living with the [wealthy] owner is something that was extremely interesting to think about. It is absolutely impossible to think that something like that would happen today. Can you imagine the CEO of General Motors living with one of the workers on the assembly line? I’m quite certain that ‘absolutely not’ is the answer that comes to mind.
That being the case, it leads me to question whether or not the same “value/care” is placed into the daily proceedings of the workers within a particular company today. Back during the Middle Ages, individuals had a greater sense of pride working within their particular crafts; individuals made their products by hand and countless hours of work went into the perfection of their trade. Furthermore, their blood, sweat, and tears went into the shop day in and day out in order to maintain the high standards of the guild. Such pride and appreciation for their work can be experienced within the walls of La Santa Maria del Mar. This church was built “by workers for workers” during the fourteenth century. Although it is not as extravagant as one of its counterparts (Cathedral of Barcelona), you get the sense of care and emotion once you walk through its doors. In a lot of ways, this church does not give off the gaudy/extravagant feel or many other cathedrals/churches of the time. However, it proves to be extremely special in its own way as its quite apparent, through the dedicated floor tiles, that people truly cared about the building and were filled with pride when it was finally constructed.
Today, it is unlikely that individuals within the trade unions and other such “worker” organizations actually feel a sense of pride for their work. These individuals recognize that they are nothing more than pawns within the greater [business] game of life and are practically dispensable. Therefore, you will never see workers and CEOs living together. Furthermore, these individuals, whom I must stress we rely on, do not care about what they are producing. This lack of care/interest in their efforts translates into a lack of value within the company’s products and a decreased sense of value for all humanity.
No comments:
Post a Comment