WOMEN,GENDER andFAMILY IN CH INESE HISTORY

GENDER RELATIONS INAncient CHINA: SOME GENERALIZATIONS

¢  differentandseparatesocialrolesexistedformenandwomen

¢  Strong division between men’s and women’s social spheres

¢  GenderstratiCicationmorepronouncedamongupper-class,urbanpeople•  Genderdivisionslessrigidinimpoverishedruralareas•  Familiesthatstruggledtosurvivemobilizedbothmenandwomenforagriculturallaborandvariouspeasanthouseholdtasks

SOCIAL CONTEXT OF GENDER RELATIONS:FAMILY AS PRIMARYUNIT

¢  Family,notindividual,wasmainorganizingunitinChinesesociety

¢  Filialpietyasidealprincipleforfamily life¢  Paternalauthority

¢  Fathers controlled property, income, children’s marriage ¢  Generallymeantmaledominationoverfemales

¢  Familyimaginedasmicrocosmofstateorganization� LoyaltytopaternalCigure=loyaltyto state� FamilystructurerepresentedhierarchicalnatureofChinesepoliticalandsocial order

SOCIALCONTEXTOFGENDERRELATIONS:CONFUCIANISM

o  Confucius:livedfrom551-479BCE

o  Fromafamilyofimpoverishedaristocrats;raisedbymotherinpoverty

o  Politicalcontext:EasternZhouDynasty(770-221BC)•  timeofpoliticalchaos:Emperor

ruledonlyasahonoraryCigurehead;inreality,Chineseterritoriesruledbydifferentfeudallords

o  ConfuciuswantedtobringorderbacktoChinesesociety

Picturesource:h-p://www.biography.com/people/confucius-9254926

CORECONFUCIANIDEASØ  Xiao=Filialpiety:

•  obligationtofamilysigniCicant•  Familyasmicrocosmoftheuniverse•  Strongrelationshipbetweenfathersandsonsextendstorelationship

betweenrulerandsubjectsØ  Ren=Humanity,reciprocity,empathy

•  EmphasisoncollectivegoodratherthanindividualbeneCits,needtoacthumanelytowardsothers

Ø  Li=Ritual•  BasedonancientChinesereligioustraditions•  HeavyemphasisofancestorworshipasoneaspectofCilialpiety•  ExtendsbeyondofCicialceremoniesofancestorworship

•  Includessocialrelations:properstandardsofbehavior,andpropersocialconventions

•  SigniCicantformaintainingspiritualwell-beingandthussocialorder

CLASS IC OF FILIALPIETY¢  Authorunknown,datedfromearlyHan dynasty¢  AllegedlytherecordedconversationsbetweenConfuciusanddiscipleZengZi

“Since we receive our body, hair, and skin from our parents,wedonotdareletitbeinjuredinanyway.ThisisthebeginningofCilialpiety.WeestablishourselvesandpracticetheWay,therebyperpetuatingournameforfuturegenerationsandbringingglorytoourparents.ThisisthefulCillmentofCilialpiety.ThusCilialpietybeginswithservingourparents,continueswithservingtheruler,andiscompletedbyestablishingone’s character.” Source: “The Classic of Filial Piety,” in Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 2nd Edition,ed.PatriciaBuckleyEbrey(NewYork:FreePress,1993), 64.

MORE EXCERPTS FROMTHE CLASS IC OF FILIALPIETY

“The proper relation between father and son is a partofnatureandformstheprincipleswhichregulatetheconductofrulersand ministers.Parentsgivelife– notieisstrongerthanthis.Rulerspersonallywatchoverthepeople– nocareisgreaterthanthis.Thereforetoloveotherswithout first loving one’s parents is to reject virtue. ToreverenceothermenwithoutCirstreverencingone’s parents is to reject the rules of ritual.”

Source: “The Classic of Filial Piety,” in Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook, 2nd Edition,ed.PatriciaBuckleyEbrey(NewYork:FreePress,1993), 66.

BOOK OF FILIALPIETYFORWOMEN¢  AdaptationofClassicofFilialPiety,byTang dynastyfemalewriter(ca.730 CE)

“Let me comment on the way a woman serves her husband.Fromthetimeherhairisarrangedandshemeetshim[duringtheweddingceremony],shemaintainstheformalityappropriatebetweenanofCicialandtheruler.Whenhelpinghimwashorservinghimfood,shemaintainsthereverenceappropriatebetweenfather and child.”

¢  Source: “The BookofFilialPietyforWomenAttributedtoaWomanNéeZheng(ca.730),” translatedbyPatriciaBuckleyEbrey,inUnder Confucian Eyes Writings on Gender in Chinese History,ed.Yu-YinChengandSusanMann(Berkeley:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001),57-58.

CLASSICO

FFILIALP

IETYINPICTU

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SongdynastyerapaintingbyLiGonglin(ca.1041–1106)illustrating theClassic of Filial Piety.Source:http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1996.479

IllustrationforBook of Filial Piety for Women (Source: Greg Smits, “Men and Women in Society,” from online textbookTopicsinPre-ModernChineseHistory,accessedOctober25,2013.http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/j/gjs4/textbooks/PM-China/ch11.htm

DAOIST COSMOLOGY ANDGENDER ROLES

¢  Daoism:ancientChineseideathatfollowingtheway(thedao)ofnatureandtheuniverseledtoharmony

¢  Conceptsoriginatedasearlyas6th centuryBCEandfurtherdevelopedasspeciCicschoolof thoughtca. 100BCE

¢  YinandYang¢  Daoist ideathatoppositeforcescoexisttoprovidebalanceinnature

¢  Yin:associationwithfemininity,darkness,passivebehavior,weakness

¢  Yang:associatedwithmasculinity,strength,power, action,brightness

AWOMAN ’SL IFE INPRE-MODERNCHINA ¢  Marriagearrangedbyfather¢  Oncemarried,movedinwithhusbandandhismother(woman’smother-in-law)

¢  Placeinhouseholdhierarchydependedonwhethershewasaprimarywifeoraconcubine(secondarywife)

¢  Hadlittletonoeconomic independenceoutsideoffamilystructure¢  Primaryfunctions

�  Performhouseholdtasks�  Produceoffspring(preferably sons)

CHANGE S IN GENDER ROLES fromTANG(618-906CE) TO MING DYNASTY(1368-1644CE)

¢  Education:somedaughtersofscholarsandofCicialslearnedtoreadandwrite� Womenfrompeasantfamiliesstillilliterate

¢  Publiclife:womenfromelitefamilies playedlargerpublicrole

¢  Economy: some peasant women earned extra income bymakingandsellingcraftsatlocalmarketplaces�  SupplementincomeofaCinanciallystrugglingfarmingfamily

¢  NOTE:PowerfulwomenlikeEmpressWu(630-705CE)werestilltheexceptionratherthanthenorm

CONCUBINES ¢  Marriedmen(usuallyfrommiddleorupperclass)couldbringotherwomenintothehouseholdinasubordinate,quasi-marital relationship�  SongDynastyonward:legaldistinctionbetween wife(primarywife)andconcubines(secondary wives)

¢  Concubinesoftencamefromimpoverished families¢  Primarywifeoutrankedconcubinesinfamilyhierarchyandlegalstatus

¢  Practiceoftakingconcubinesmadefamilyrelations(especiallyamongfemalesinahousehold)morecomplex�  Cooperation,indifference,and conClictbetweenwomen� Wiveswhosufferedfromabusefromhusbandsometimestookouttheirangeronconcubines

FOOTBINDING¢  OriginatedinSuidynasty(581-618CE)

¢  Practice of bindingyounggirl’sfeetwithstripsof clothtomodifytheirshapeandsize¢  smallfeetconsideredasignofbeautyandreCinement

¢  Initiallyonlypopularamongelites¢  Eventuallyspreadtoallsocialstrataby17th century�  Peasants’ dilemma: binding a daughter’s

foot increasedherchangesofmarryingintowealth,butpeasantfamilies could not afford to sacrifice daughter’s ability to performmanuallabor

Imageofafootdeformedbyfootbindings.Source:h-p://library.uoregon.edu/ec/e-asia/imagesa/boundfoot-1.htm

RECAP:CONSTRUCTIONOF GENDER ROLES INCH INESE SOCIETY

¢  ChinesegenderrolesstronglyinCluencedbyConfucianidealsandbeliefsincosmology

¢  Chinesethinkersconstructedpatternofbehaviorexpectedofwomen,basedontheirinterpretationofclassicalConfucian t e x t s

¢  Girlssubordinatedtoboys¢  Wivessubordinatedtohusband¢  Motherssubordinatedtoadultsons

SOURCES ¢  AsiaForEducators, ColumbiaUniversity. “ConfucianTeaching: ThreeConfucianValues.” AccessedJanuary4, 2015. http://afe.easia .columbia.edu/at/conf_teaching/ct01.html

¢  AsiaforEducators, ColumbiaUniversity. “IntroductiontoDaoism.” AccessedJanuary4, 2015. http://afe.easia .columbia.edu/special/china_1000bce_daoism.htm

¢  Cai , Fangqin,andYipingDu. “Localizing the Study of Women’s History in China.” Chinese Studies in History,vol.5,no.4(2012),7-23.

¢  Ebrey,PatriciaBuckleyetal.East Asia: A Cultural, Social and Political History, 2nd Edition.Boston:HoughtonMifClin,2009.

¢  Fairbank,JohnKingandMerleGoldman.China: A New History.Cambridge:HarvardUniversityPress,2006.

¢  Greenhalgh,Susan.“Bound Feet, Hobbled Lives: Women in Old China.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, vol.2no.1(1977),7-21.

¢  Smits,Greg.“Men and Women in Society,” from online textbookTopics in Pre-Modern Chinese History.accessedOctober25,2013.http://www.personal.psu.edu/faculty/g/j/gjs4/textbooks/PM-China/ch11.htm