Final answer:
In medieval towns, guild membership played a role in moderating craft production by allowing newcomers to join and addressing labor shortages. However, advancement to higher levels was limited to the sons and sons-in-law of current guild masters, preventing peasants from becoming independent masters.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medieval towns, guild membership played a role in moderating craft production. Guilds were professional organizations that had rules and regulations for artisans. These rules were sometimes relaxed to allow newcomers to join, which helped address labor shortages.
However, guild masters often restricted advancement to only the sons and sons-in-law of current masters, preventing peasants from becoming independent masters or employers themselves.