Description
Book SynopsisAccording to the author, the subordination of Chinese women continued under different models of sex equality in China in twentieth century. In Reconceiving Women''s Equality in China Lijun Yuan discusses and assesses four models of womenOs equality: first, the traditional Confucian view of women which advocates that womenOs role is to follow and support men; second, the liberal feminist idea of formal equality for women introduced into China at the beginning of the twentieth century, which is anti-Confucian and advocates womenOs equal rights in education, law, and employment; third, MaoOs view of womenOs equality in production, calling for substantive equality between men and women; finally, the idea of equal opportunity in the economic transformation in the post-Mao period, the revival of Confucianism in this period and its convergence with the declining status of women. According to Yuan, each of these models has a variety of problems in dealing with womenOs equality. However, she sees one common thread running through all of them, namely, lack of emphasis on empowering women to develop their own visions of equality. Ideologies imposed from the top-down have rationalized the continuing subordination and exploitation of women, either blatantly (Confucianism) or more subtly (Maoism). After exposing the common feature in their failure to reach the social ideal of womenOs equality, the author proposes a more democratic conception of womenOs equality that will allow ideals to continue changing as material circumstances change in different stages of social development. This book is a seminal work of research on the status of women in China during and after Mao''s cultural revolution. It is essential to studies of Chinese society, politics, and religion, as well as to women''s studies and philosophy.
Trade ReviewThis little book is likely to have a big impact. It is both an extraordinarily sound, well-researched historical analysis of women's equality in China during the last 150 years and a philosophic examination of the paradigms used to support (or suppress) women's progress—making intelligent use of sources from both Chinese and international feminist theory. Lijun Yuan's conclusions, drawing on traditional, modern, and western sources to develop a paradigm of democratic equality for women, will be of value for both those interested in women's situation and future in China and those who simply want to enlarge their grasp of feminist analysis. An important contribution to the literature! -- Marjorie C. Miller, professor of philosophy, women's studies, and Asian studies, Purchase College-SUNY
Table of ContentsChapter 1 Confucius, Confucianism, and the Confucian Rationale for Women's Inequality Chapter 2 May Fourth Era and Women's Formal Equality Chapter 3 Women's Equality in Mao's Time Chapter 4 Equal Opportunity in the Post-Mao Period Chapter 5 A Democratic Conception of Women's Equality
