CH. 8: I WAS ANGRY TO READ THAT...
I was angry to read about the Women in the Song Dynasty. It made me to sad to read this because it is something that is still very prevalent in China, and that is sexism. I do understand the roles than men and women played back then, and men did serve a higher purpose because of their skills. I realize that back then women were degraded, and not allowed to do many thing, but it angers me that not much has changed.
“The boy leads the girl, the girl follows the boy; the duty of husbands to be resolute and wives to be docile begins with this.” For men, masculinity came to be defined less in terms of horseback riding, athleticism, and the warrior values of northern nomads and more in terms of the refined pursuits of calligraphy, scholarship, painting, and poetry. Corresponding views of feminine qualities emphasized women’s weakness, reticence, and delicacy. Women were also frequently viewed as a distraction to men’s pursuit of a contemplative and introspective life, (331)."
My cousin, who is now 18, was adopted from China. The adoption agency found her when she was just born, wrapped in a blanket on a park bench. Luckily, she was adopted by my aunt and uncle, and lives a very happy life. She is a very happy, outgoing girl, and you wouldn't even think of the terrible upbringing that she had. Her parents simply "didn't need her" and placed her on a bench and walked away. There is a one child rule in parts of China, and because she was a girl she wasn't needed. She's very open about her childhood, and has not been interested in meeting her birth parents. I guess why I am bringing up this story, is because it is something that hits home for me, and it is sad that is started so early on and still exists in this world.
Also, the most compelling expression of a tightening patriarchy lay in foot binding. It was a painful process of tightening the foot, because it made a female more compelling to marry off.
Although I use this example of something that made me sad/angry, the Song Dynasty did start to accept women more, and they started to operate restaurants, sell fish, be maids, dressmakers, etc... still with some restrictions.
“The boy leads the girl, the girl follows the boy; the duty of husbands to be resolute and wives to be docile begins with this.” For men, masculinity came to be defined less in terms of horseback riding, athleticism, and the warrior values of northern nomads and more in terms of the refined pursuits of calligraphy, scholarship, painting, and poetry. Corresponding views of feminine qualities emphasized women’s weakness, reticence, and delicacy. Women were also frequently viewed as a distraction to men’s pursuit of a contemplative and introspective life, (331)."
My cousin, who is now 18, was adopted from China. The adoption agency found her when she was just born, wrapped in a blanket on a park bench. Luckily, she was adopted by my aunt and uncle, and lives a very happy life. She is a very happy, outgoing girl, and you wouldn't even think of the terrible upbringing that she had. Her parents simply "didn't need her" and placed her on a bench and walked away. There is a one child rule in parts of China, and because she was a girl she wasn't needed. She's very open about her childhood, and has not been interested in meeting her birth parents. I guess why I am bringing up this story, is because it is something that hits home for me, and it is sad that is started so early on and still exists in this world.
Also, the most compelling expression of a tightening patriarchy lay in foot binding. It was a painful process of tightening the foot, because it made a female more compelling to marry off.
Although I use this example of something that made me sad/angry, the Song Dynasty did start to accept women more, and they started to operate restaurants, sell fish, be maids, dressmakers, etc... still with some restrictions.
Hi. I think most of us are outraged by the habit of foot binding. Incredible the fact that I came to be accepted. You are right, we still have restrictions. Thanks for sharing your stories. I love reading you blog. Thank you.
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