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Agreed, a lot of common misconceptions about what "chivalry" entailed (and there are different applications of that term over different periods of time) have molded the typical thought regarding that word.
Likewise however, the role of the Church is equally misunderstood. But I'm looking at a time period later than medieval so I'm facing a double problem: not only do people not understand concepts like chivalry, they don't understand them beyond the medieval sense of that word. Chivalry actually had numerous restrictions upon men as well in later times. Both genders were constantly on their toes about every aspect of their behavior.
You're also right about the lower classes, for whom a lot of this just didn't apply. They had better things on their minds, like survival, to think about. But in the countryside, you'd still find chivalry and its nuances practiced. It was more class-oriented than geographic in its use.
Take care,
Jason
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