Daughter of Han, on Confucian Values - 1616 Words

No matter what one s social status was, if one was born in China pre twentieth century, one would have at least rudimentary knowledge of Confucian gender values, whether through direct study or through traditions that were already soaked in Confucian ideology. In upper-class society, daughters are taught through study of classical Confucian texts and as a result most have a great understanding and following of those values; sons are likewise taught their role and are required to follow it if they desire to move up in society. In the lower social strata, it is a bit more difficult to tell how integrated Confucian gender values are because one can see from accounts by upper class scholars, artists, and during late-Imperial China,†¦show more content†¦The few differences, I believe, were mostly a simple result of difference in time periods. Many other women previously studied experienced adulthood at least fifty and most at least one hundred years before Ning Lao T ai-t ai did. The other possible cause for difference was previously discussed: socioeconomic gap. While it seems not fair to compare her behavior to those of a different and higher class, that exact difference in social status is where one can see differences in application of Confucian gender values in respective lives. The difference itself is can be summed up in a quotation of Ning s words concerning one of her masters at one of the households she worked at: the Third Mistress had power6. This power to control household matters was one shared by all free women, but the difference lied in the extent of the power. It was a power that allowed them to not only control the development of their children, but also the hired work within the household who served them. It was a power from social status that comes with the price of freedom of movement, which Ning and other lower class women hadÂâ€"to a much greater degree than well off women had. Ning and her fellow peers in servitude to ot hers were sometimes permitted to leave the household, which was a privilege denied to the wives, concubines, and daughters of the household. Even Ning, before she abandoned the Confucian ideology ofShow MoreRelatedFoot Binding in China1784 Words   |  7 Pagesattitude and behavior of people. This commonly occurred to values, norms, customs, and laws in all societies. In the traditional Chinese society, it was very common for the bride to obey her parent-in-laws, do housework, and have a low social status within and outside of the household. Ancient China based its livelihood off of Confucian principles. Confucian principles act as a guide for the people to live and behave according to. Confucian principles included relationships such as the relationshipRead MoreChinese Philosophy Essay1408 Words   |  6 PagesWarring States Period, a period in which small feuding kingdoms or fiefdoms struggled for supremacy. 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