A History of Western Society: Printed Page 727
A History of Western Society, Value Edition: Printed Page 696
A History of Western Society, Concise Edition: Printed Page 725
As the quality of urban life improved across Europe, the class structure became more complex and diverse. Urban society featured many distinct social groups, all of which existed in a state of constant flux and competition. The gap between rich and poor remained enormous and quite traditional, but there were numerous gradations between the extremes.