How Asian Countries' History and Culture Affect the Gender Roles?

        History and culture are two prominent parts in every country as they both organize and affect the society up to the present. They influence different areas in the society including education, employment, tradition and family etc. Although they have certain amount of influence in these areas, gender roles are influenced significantly. Gender role occurs in everyone’s life and they construct the cognition of people. Different gender roles include “set of behaviors, attitudes and personality characteristics expected and encouraged of a person based on his or her sex” (Sparknotes 1). The reason that history and culture affect the gender role is because gender is socialized. The terms ‘Gender Socialization’ means that the gender roles are separated with the help of social agencies and “a tendency for boys and girls to be socialized differently” (Sparknotes 1). Since the gender roles are mainly socialized, the main effects of society – history and culture are influential enough to build the model of gender roles. In the history, there were some cases which may affect the society status of men and women. Also, the traditions of different cultures may form or ruin the behaviors of the gender roles.

        In global, the issues of gender roles may be very different. They may be affected by different ways or even different countries may be in contrast with each other. Gender inequality is one of the most common results of constructing gender roles and it can be easily found in Eastern countries. In this research article, I would like to focus on how the history and culture in Asian countries affect the gender roles, especially Japan and China. They are two dominant countries in Asia and both of them have abundant histories for me to analyze the ways that affect gender roles. After reading relevant information, I found that the situations of how the histories affect the gender roles in Japan and China are very similar because women in these two countries were trying to improve their society status and right in different historical events. However, the cultures in their own countries still limit their freedom even though there is improvement of status throughout the years. Men are paid much attention to and the traditions strengthen their status and ability.

Foot binding in China

        The issue of gender roles has been appeared in Chinese history for more than thousands years. There were many historical events which had discussed or concerned about the gender roles. From the very beginning of history in China, women were treated negatively and unfairly. They were supposed to stay at home to do housework and not to study and participate in society. Confucianism, a Chinese ethnical and philosophical system developed by Kung Fu Zi, was mainly the first event in China that placed women in China at certain status. Kung stated that “an ignorant woman is virtuous” which discouraged women to study and improve their society statuses. Hence, the Confucian followed this concept and the activities or movement of women were then restricted by it. Neo-Confucian in Song dynasty (960—1279 C.E) stratified the status of women much more and they promote their beliefs through actions such as the practices of foot binding, insistence on widow chastity, and the selling of unwanted daughters. This situation continued until the May Fourth Movement in 1919 which also called the New Cultural Movement. Women in China first “experienced their own emancipation and wrote about social restraints within the traditional authoritarian family system” (Reese 3). Although they were not successful enough to improve their status, they showed their determination and it was a milestone of the situation of gender roles in China. Because of following historical events in China, Mao Zedong, the first Chairman of the People’s Republic of China, devised a slogan “Women Hold Up Half the Sky” to encourage women to join the campaign and fight for their rights. These actions attracted the society, however, the problem remained. In 1978, the Chinese government changed their policies for countries and it revoked the restrictions of women till now.

        Though the gender difference isn’t erased, it is exactly an improvement for the status of women in China. They were placed at the lower end of the patriarchal family structure in the past but they now have definite freedom to act in the society. Men in China had powerful authorities in the past as China is a Patriarchal society. The history doesn't affect their roles a lot because they are still important characters in the society. The Chinese history is very meaningful in explaining how the gender roles are affected. It is obvious to see the behaviors and attitudes of female gender changed through this long period.

        The history of Japan is a slightly different from China’s as women were powerful before the 8^th century due to Shintoism, a religion in Japan which power is held by women. It emphasized the female mystical power so women had high society status at that time. In Heian era, women were admitted to inherit, own and manage property. The abilities in marriage and education were equivalent to both men and women. However, things became differently in Tokugawa era as the samurai culture occurred. Men were the only one who was “allowed to become the house hold head and have authority and ownership of family property” (Kumar 1). Also, women needed to follow Three Obediences: “When she is young, she obeys her father; when she is married, she obeys her husband; when she is widowed, she obeys her son.” It was clear that women didn't have high position in society and their responsibilities were just to assist husbands. As Japan needed to modernize its society and rise its position in global, female was invited to participate in society during the Meiji Restoration. As Japan had industrialization in 1868, a larger number of women started working although what they earned was very low comparing to men’.

In recent years, the problem of gender roles has been weakened since the society now pays attention to the equality between male and female. They both have the same access to education, health care and some other public services. Besides, women in Japan nowadays are independent enough to change their jobs and choose when and whom to marry. It is a success of Japan that liberates women in their society and it is hopeful that the situation will be much improved due to the globalization. As Japan first increased women’ society statuses because of the restoration, globalization will help on this issue, too.

        Not only the histories affect the gender roles, the culture of country also influences them a lot. In China, the culture exactly separated the gender roles. Since people in China follow the traditions, the gender roles are constructed differently and they have their own behaviors, attitudes and personality characteristic.

        Men in China are supposed to be strong and responsible as they are the leader of the family. As China is a Patriarchal society, men need to in charge of the work and also the society. Therefore, they need to be wise enough to make decision. People prefer giving birth to male since they think male can earn money through different kinds of work which female cannot. They will be sent to school and study because only men have chances to be hired by the government.

        The situation is totally different for women in China due to the serious gender inequality. Once people find that they give birth to female, they will either abandon or kill the baby girl. There are two reasons for them to do that: lower manpower and violation of the government policies. Thinking that female cannot earn money and work in farm, parents will not choose to raise female. Moreover, the Chinese government carries out birth control and parents will be punished if they give birth to more than two babies. My grandparents used to live in mainland China years ago and they gave birth to six children including three females. Knowing that they would be punished, they left two children in China and went to Hong Kong to escape from it. They told that it was too unfair to kill or throw away baby girls and that’s why they chose to escape. Furthermore, women are not expected to study at school because the attitudes of their gender role. Women are deemed that it is meaningless for them to learn as they are too stupid. Also, China’s society appears the condition of glass ceiling, “a promotion barrier that prevents a woman’s upward mobility within an organization” (Giddens 260). Even if they have same social standing with men, women can never be a superior or boss. Seeing as helpless and incapable, women can only reach or move beyond mid-management ranks.

        In Japan, culture also affects the gender roles, especially the youngsters’. Nowadays, many young men focus on comics and video games which are extremely popular in Japan. Based on news, these men don't have economic foundation and they are lack of experience and education to find jobs. They become silent, autistic or even feminine. Their social status has been lowered and the number of people is still increasing rapidly. Also, these teenagers admire the girls in the comic and they help increased the social position of women indirectly. Since the manga is one of the most popular culture in Japan, it is undoubted that the culture takes part in affecting the gender roles of youngsters.

        Another culture that affects the gender role in Japan is the Geisha culture. From mid eighteenth century, women became important roles in Geisha culture. Geisha is still a symbol of Japan now and it shows the traditional Japanese culture. It is very rare and precious to be a Geisha since it needs high tuition fee and difficult and long practice period. Girls need to be trained when they are young. Everything that they do and act is restricted and all they need to present is respect, elegant and gorgeous. However, it is an honor for a family to have a geisha in Japan because geisha is a very decent job. It is remarkable for girls to become a qualified geisha. This tradition also raises the social class of women indirectly because it holds women in a high place. The amount of geisha is now decreasing and their social statuses will be much higher in the future.

         To conclude, the history and culture of Asian countries such as Japan and China have affected the gender roles relatively. Even if the gender roles can be influenced by different ways, it is very likely to believe that the history and culture play the most important part of it. Without considering the history and culture, the gender roles will not be divided clearly and be so influential. Since the history and culture of countries affected the gender roles significantly, it will definitely change a society’s structure and take part in different influences. For instance, the family structure will be directly regulated as the gender roles shape differently. Education and career choices will be arranged because the traditional expectations are no longer exist. History and culture of countries is not only the model of the past but they also change and impress everyone at the moment. The effect of gender roles is a momentous one.

Citation:

Giddens, Anthony, Mitechell Duneier, Richrd P. Appelbaum, and Deborah Carr. Essential of Sociology. 2nd edition. New York: W W Norton & Co Inc, 2007. 250-252. Print.

SparkNotes Editors. "SparkNote on Socialization." SparkNotes.com. SparkNotes LLC. 2006. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.

Kumar, V., Kimberley Heit, Jennifer Smith, and Steve Lussing. "Japanese View of Gender Roles." Helium April 20,2008:1-4. Web. March 18 2011.

Reese, Lyn. "Gender Difference in History: Women in China and Japan". Women in World History Curriculum, March 2003. Web. March 20 2011. http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/essay-04/html.

McLelland, Mark. "Constructing the 'Modern Couple' in Occupied Japan." Australian National University 23 (2010_:Web. March 20 2011. http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue23/mclelland.htm.