GENDER ROLES
HOW FAR HAS CHINA COME IN ITS AIM FOR EQUALITY?
China's traditional views on gender roles have been challenged the past few decades but there is still a strong need for equality. In order to get a full view of the current gender roles in China we first need to take a step back in history and see how their traditions and beliefs have shaped modern day China.
YIN AND YANG
The terms Yin and Yang set the ground work for gender roles in China and are still used to this day. Yin or "women" is described as soft, passive and weak. Yang or "man" is viewed as hard, dominating and assertive. Yin and Yang are opposites that complement each other but not necessarily equally. Traditionally it was very important to make sure that Yang was always dominate over Yin. This led to a separation of men and women with in the home, women were kept in the inner most part of the home while men were able to go freely. The thoughts that women should follow the lead of men led to the view that women should not have influence in public affairs. Women were obedient to men who were seen as the head of the family. At a young age women were taught to be obedient, to follow the lead of men. Women were first subservient to their father, then were married at a young age and in many cases moved in with her in-laws. Their main role was to produce a male in order to carry out the families blood line. If a women was able to give birth to a male she was more respected but still did not have a voice in the family. If her husband died the wife was only able to act as the head of the house until her eldest son was of age to take over. The views of Yin and Yang also account for the high rates of male births. After the law was passed that restricted the people of China to have only one child the rates of male births increased. People would have abortions if they found out they were expecting a girl, some would/will even pay to have a male embryo implanted to ensure a male baby. The strong traditional ties and views of Yin and Yang have had a strong impact on the current gender roles in China. This Link is an interactive view of the gender roles and family structures in China
The photo to the right depicts foot binding. It was a practice that involved weaving clothes around young girls feet to prevent growing and in some cases to try and narrow the feet and curve the toes under. It was a status symbol, having bound feet meant that you could afford not to work. In addition to status you were also considered to be more attractive if you had bound feet. Several attempts were made to outlaw foot binding but it was not until the early 20th century that foot binding was officially outlawed. Traditions such as this is another example of how women were valued in China.
Women in the Workplace
The modern day Chinese women have moved from passive wives too passive workers. It was not until 1949 when when the communist government took over that the percentage of women going to school jumped from 20 percent to over 96 percent. The rates of women contributing to household incomes also rose from 20% of the household income provided by women in 1950 to 50% of the household income in 2009. Currently women account for 44% of the workforce in China. China has been working hard to bridge the gap between men and women in the workplace. In less then 60 years women went from being uneducated to being astronauts. This relatively sudden shift in the roles of women in society has not meant that women are viewed equal to men. The video below is the story of a young women who worked hard to become an engineer. She talks about how being one of the only women in her area at work means that men look out for her. This means that they treat and view her as a women first and then a colleague. (Statistics taken from China Mike: Facts About China) |
Being a man in china
As previously discussed under YIN AND YANG, being a man in China comes with a lot of weight. Traditionally you are the head of the house, you would have controlled every aspect of your families life, in most cases you would be the sole provider and you were responsible for continuing your families blood line. Being the 'Yang' part of Yin and Yang means you are dominate, assertive and responsible for taking care of the 'Yin". With the one child policy many families did all they could to ensure that they would have a boy. Boys carried on the family name and were the more respected gender. This caused a gender imbalance. The video below depicts some of the struggles that Chinese men now face. It also raises the question: Is it really better to be a male in modern day China?
Males are receiving pressure to act like a respectable male at young ages. The picture to the left is an example of "sex-appropriate" play. As you can see the boys are given army men and a battle field during their play time. With all of the energy and time spent on helping females to have the same education and equal opportunities as men many people are now afraid that males are starting to be more submissive the females. Some schools and day cares now have playtime designed to increase the masculinity of the boys. This shows us that the views of Yin and Yang are still alive and well in China. Tradition has always been a crucial aspect of the Chinese culture. This is seen in their importance for passing on their families name, their rituals and tributes to their ancestors and their views on the traits of men and women. Men need to be more masculine, brave, and dominate females. This may be successful with testosterone rich males, but what happens to every other male? What happens to homosexuals or men with feminine traits? Are they accepted or forced to play with army men from a young age and taught how to act and think? While many people may debate that the benefits of being a male in China may out way the inequality that women still face in the workplace and in their personal lives, I would argue that being born any sex in China would be stepping into personality traits and gender roles that were predetermined for you years ago.
References
Ancient Peoples. (2012, October 24). - Women in Ancient China Women's roles in  family.... Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://ancientpeoples.tumblr.com/post/34231056874/women-in-ancient-china-womens-roles-in-family
Facts about China: WOMEN, MARRIAGE, & DIVORCE. (n.d.). China Mike RSS. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.china-mike.com/facts-about-china/facts-women-marriage/
Florcruz, M. (2013, October 8). Boys Will Be Boys: Chinese School Goes For Very, Very Traditional Education. International Business Times. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/boys-will-be-boys-chinese-school-goes-very-very-traditional-education-1416044
Florcruz, M. (2013, October 10). Not If You're A Woman: Some Jobs In China Still Restricted For Females. International Business Times. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/chinas-traditional-gender-roles-start-young-theme-park-lets-children-test-conventional-career-paths
Women in Traditional China. (n.d.). Asia Society. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/women-traditional-china?page=0,0
*Videos obtained from YouTube
Ancient Peoples. (2012, October 24). - Women in Ancient China Women's roles in  family.... Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://ancientpeoples.tumblr.com/post/34231056874/women-in-ancient-china-womens-roles-in-family
Facts about China: WOMEN, MARRIAGE, & DIVORCE. (n.d.). China Mike RSS. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.china-mike.com/facts-about-china/facts-women-marriage/
Florcruz, M. (2013, October 8). Boys Will Be Boys: Chinese School Goes For Very, Very Traditional Education. International Business Times. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/boys-will-be-boys-chinese-school-goes-very-very-traditional-education-1416044
Florcruz, M. (2013, October 10). Not If You're A Woman: Some Jobs In China Still Restricted For Females. International Business Times. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.ibtimes.com/chinas-traditional-gender-roles-start-young-theme-park-lets-children-test-conventional-career-paths
Women in Traditional China. (n.d.). Asia Society. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://asiasociety.org/countries/traditions/women-traditional-china?page=0,0
*Videos obtained from YouTube