The answer depends on whose side you were on. The crusades were a time of much death, hardships and poverty on all sides as in all wars.
In Europe, most of the important people across the lands joined the crusades and travelled to the middle east to fight and "reclaim the holy land". Due to this large exodus, much of the wealth went with it, never to return and Europe became more lawless and poverty-stricken as a result.
Yes, if you could give us the examples, that would help us answer your question.
Answer:
Participation was far from open to all residents, but was instead limited to adult, male citizens (i.e., not a foreign resident, regardless of how many generations of the family had lived in the city, nor a slave, nor a woman), who "were probably no more than 30 percent of the total adult population".
