Figure 1.--Figure 1.-- One uniquely Chinese practice was foot binding a development after Confucius in the Song Dynasty. It was an elite practice, seen as enhancing attractiveness. It was meant to distinguish girls of the upper class and subsequently a way for to enhance social prospects. 【Cartwright】 It of course incapacitated the individual from any kind of active endeavor. The practice continued into the 20th century. We don't know the exact origin of this photo, which was taken in China in the early 20th century and is now at the University of Bristol (reference number Mx04-009). It may have been taken in a Christian mission. It shows three girls in different conditions. In the center is a girl from a traditional family with bound feet. On the right is a girl from a Christian family with unbound feet. On the left is a slave girl who probably never wore shoes.

China like all the great River Valley civilization with the advent of agriculture ad civilization relegated women to subservient roles. This only increased with the advent of Confucianism and the idea of 'filial responsibility'- the idea that parents, grandparents, and older people in general should be treated with honor and respect. And in China it was men who were afforded the greatest respect because they were seen as the core of the family. And China from very early times, men have been seen as the core of the family. Ancestors were linked not primarily, but exclusively through the male line. Women’s loyalties were often in question because they came outside the male line. Chinese writings present a mixed picture of women. There are depictions of loyalty, courage, and devotion, but often are over-shown by accounts of intrigue, manipulation, and selfishness. Confucius taught that women should abide by the direction of the men inn their lives their fathers as children, husbands as wives, and their sons if widowed. The value of sons far out weighed that of daughters giving rise to infanticide. A social convention that still holds true in modern China, explaining the male imbalance in the population. After Confucius gender issues were often described as yin and yang. Women were the yin, men were the yang and the world of men and women should be kept separate. One uniquely Chinese practice was foot binding a development after Confucius in the Song Dynasty. The practice continued into the 20th century. Chinese women have made great progress. There were Qing dynasty reforms, advances during the Republican era (1910s-40s) and the Communist era (1950s- ). Mao gave considerable attention to women's place in society. He famously said, "Women hold up half the sky." Since Xi Jinping has gained dictatorial control of China, he has taken an aversion to what had been the growing feminist movements in China. He has closed many activist NGOs and severely censored many feminist platforms. Feminism is increasingly being viewed as a toxic Western ideology. 【Lu】 China is today experiencing a serious unemployment crisis as many university graduates are finding that jobs they studied for do not exist. Young women seen to be most severely impacted and are being encouraged to return to the rural village from which they came. Xi Thought is today being pushed much as Mao's thought were once revered. And Xi today is encouraging young women to "actively foster a new type of marriage and childbearing culture." 【"China wants ..."】 China would have a huge impact on modern society because of the Silk Road. Silk was only one of the products carried over the network, but coveted by Roman and medieval Europeans. Even more important was the technology carried, mostly from east to west. In the 19th century this reversed after the Industrial Revolution, but for most of history the flow was from East to West and profoundly impacted European civilization. It was China that had the productive rich economy as Marco Polo reported to incredulous Europeans (13th century). Women's clothing varied over time from dynasty to dynasty, but when the Europeans reached China, it was the Manchu/Qing dynasty that ruled. Women wore the qipao (旗袍 qípáo) also called the cheongsam. The qipao originated with the Manchu which conquered China. Western styles began to make inroads in clothing styles (1910s-40s). Then than with the victory of the Communists (1948), under the leadership of the Communist Party (CCP), austerity and Maoist styles became the norm. This only began changing with market reforms (capitalism) began transforming China (1970s). Xi seems to have convinced himself that it was the CCP that has transformed China and not capitalism. We shall see.

Gender Studies

Gender studies have been become a popular subject and even majors at American universities. And in those courses students learn how terrible it has been for women in America and the tyranny of the patriarchy. Very rarely do gender studies professors point out that the situation for women in the West far exceeded that any where else in the world or why that was. And in the Western world, America led the world in gaining critical rights and protective legislation. The best know limits on women's rights come from the Muslim world, largely because women have gained many rights in countries while women in Muslim countries are limited by the medieval dictates of the Koran. The history of women in most countries is generally appalling and China is a example of this. One interesting question never approached by gender study professors is the role of women in Communist countries, probably because thry are obsessedv with demonizung Western society. But why is it that Comminist coubntries while in many ways promoting women's advances in the work place, never except women in decision making roles. This was undrstandable at first, but Cimmunist countries (or Communist influenced counrries like modern Russia), have been around since 1917 and we see this practice of excluding women from leadership roles in country after country.

Ancient China

Chinese women have been historically oppressed since civilization developed in China, a process that transpired as part of the transition from hunter gathering society. China like all the great River Valley civilization with the advent of agriculture ad civilization relegated women to subservient roles. This appears to have been a process that occurred as part of the Neolthic Revolution, although we are niot surevabout the Harapin/Indus Valley Civilixation. There is no dount that women had more status in hunter-gathering society, probably in part because they may have produced more food than the men. Women in China lived under an extremely patriarchal society--one of the most extreme such societies if not the most extreme. India is a close second is not even more extreme.

Confusianism

This only increased with the advent of Confucianism. The situation for women was strongly influenced by the Confucian philosophy centered on 'filial piety'-- the idea that parents, grandparents, and older people in general should be treated with honor and respect. And in China it was men who were afforded the greatest respect because they were seen as the core of the family. And China from very early times, men have been seen as the core of the family. Ancestors were linked not primarily, but exclusively through the male line. Women’s loyalties were often in question because they came outside the male line. Chinese writings present a mixed picture of women. There are depictions of loyalty, courage, and devotion, but often are over-shown by accounts of intrigue, manipulation, and selfishness. Confucius taught that women should abide by the direction of the men inn their lives their fathers as children, husbands as wives, and their sons if widowed. *

Infanticide

The value of sons far out weighed that of daughters, giving rise to infanticide. Thius is a powerful social convention that still holds true in modern China. It was exacerbated by Mao's One Child policy. Many Chinese families decidedv if they oulod only have ome child, it had ton be a boy. This explaining the huge male imbalance in the population. This is a major problem in China today. Tens of millions of men are finding that there are just not enough women for them.

Yin and Yang

After Confucius gender issues were often described in terms of yin and yang. Women were the yin, men were the yang and the world of men and women should be kept separate.

Foot Bunding

One uniquely Chinese practice was foot binding a development after Confucius in the Song Dynasty. The practice continued into the 20th century. It was an elite practice, seen as enhancing attractiveness. It was meant to distinguish girls of the upper class and subsequently a way for to enhance social prospects. 【Cartwright】 It of course incapacitated the individual from any kind of active endeavor--effectively cinfining them to the home.

Modern Changes

Chinese women made great progress in the 20th century. There were Qing dynasty reforms, advances during the Republican era (1910s-40s) and the Communist era (1950s- ). Mao gave considerable attention to women's place in society. He famously said, "Women hold up half the sky." And under Mao, women entered the non-agricultural workplace as never before and achieved educational parity. The New Marriage Law outlawed forced marriage and concubinage (1950). The Great Leap Forward, while a monumental failure and disaster notably opened up career opportunities for women. Women under Communist rule, however, rarely reached decision-making roles. This can be seen in the CCP leadership and state offices, in contrast to the situation on Taiwan. Since Xi Jinping has gained dictatorial control of China and destroyed the idea of collective leadeship. This is always a danger in Communist/Socialist countries. Xi has taken an aversion to what had been the growing feminist movements in China. Xi has closed many activist NGOs and severely censored many feminist platforms. Feminism is increasingly being viewed as a toxic Western ideology. 【Lu】 It was women who were targeted by China's one child policy. And now that Many Chinese women are choosing to marry late to prioritize careers, China's birth rate has fallen off a cliff. The demographic situation is so calamitous that one wonders if the CCP will eventually force women to marry and have babies. China is also today experiencing a serious unemployment crisis as many university graduates are finding that jobs they studied for do not exist. Young women seen to be most severely impacted and are being encouraged to return to the rural village from which they came. Xi Thought is today being pushed much as Mao's thought were once revered. And Xi today is encouraging young women to "actively foster a new type of marriage and childbearing culture." 【"China wants ..."】

Economics

China would have a huge impact on modern society because of the Silk Road. Silk was only one of the products carried over the network, but coveted by Roman and medieval Europeans. Even more important was the technology carried, mostly from east to west. In the 19th century this reversed after the Industrial Revolution, but for most of history the flow was from East to West and profoundly impacted European civilization. It was China that had the productive rich economy as Marco Polo reported to incredulous Europeans (13th century).

Clothig Styles

Women's clothing varied over time from dynasty to dynasty, but when the Europeans reached China, it was the Manchu/Qing dynasty that ruled. Women wore the qipao (旗袍 qípáo) also called the cheongsam. The qipao originated with the Manchu which conquered China. Western styles began to make inroads in clothing styles (1910s-40s). Then than with the victory of the Communists (1948), under the leadership of the Communist Party (CCP), austerity and Maoist styles became the norm. This only began changing with market reforms (capitalism) began transforming China (1970s). Xi seems to have convinced himself that it was the CCP that has transformed China and not capitalism. We shall see.

Sources

Lu, Shen. "Under Xi Jinping, women in China have given up gains," The Wall Street Journal (2022).

"China wants women to stay home and bear children, The Economist (November 9, 2023).

Created: 12:38 PM 3/26/2024
Last updated: 12:39 PM 3/26/2024