Thistraditionalsocialdivisionputthefamilysupport,especiallyeconomicsupport,andoutside-homeresponsibilitiesonthemen.Tobalancetheircontributiontothefamily,theyhadabsoluteauthorityathome,andtheirpowerinthefamilywasakintothatoftheemperorinthecountry.
Thewifewassupposedtobeherhusband’secho,andhermainresponsibilitiesweretotakecareoftheelders,educatethechildren,andhandlethehousechores.Inruralareas,womenalsodidsomefarmwork,buttheirmainresponsibilitieswereathome.
TheChinesesocietyisbuiltonthebasisofapatriarchalsystememphasizingbloodrelations.Familyunityisthefoundationofsocialandnationalstability,andindividualinterestshavelongbeenconsideredtobesecondary.ThepowerofthefatherinthefamilyandthemonarchialpowerwereintegratedthroughoutChinesehistory.
AstheChinesesayinggoes,“Therearenevertwomonarchsinonestate,andnevertwohomemastersinonefamily.”Thefatherwasthecoreofthefamilyandhispowerwasthehighest.Inthefeudalsystem,theemperorwasthecoreofthegovernmentandhispowerwassuperiortoanyoneandanythingelse.Therefore,thedominatingpowerofthemalehadasolidsocialbackgroundandsystemicguarantee.
TheConfuciusphilosophyconsidersagentle,refinedandkind-heartedfemaletheidealwoman.TheChinesecharacterforwomanisactuallycomposedoftwoelements:femaleontheleftandabroomontheright,suggestingawomankeepingtheroomclean.InancientChina,womenwerecalledthe“kitchenkeepers,”andlaterthe“oneswhomasterhousechores.”
TheoldChineseethicrequiredwomentofollowtheThreeObediencesandFourVirtues,whichwereasetofbasicmoralprinciplesspecificallyforwomeninConfucianphilosophy.TheThreeObedienceswereobediencetofatherbeforemarriage,obediencetohusbandaftermarriageandobediencetosonafterthedeathofherhusband.Onlythosewhounderstandandfulfillthesedutieswereconsideredperfectwomen.
TheFourVirtuesreferredtomorality,properspeech,modestmanneranddiligentwork.Awomanmustbemodest,pureandfaithful,becarefulinherspeechandbehavior,neveruserudewordsandalwaysknowwhentostoptalkingandnevergossip.Shedidnothavetobeverybeautiful,butmustbecleanandproperlydressed;shedidnothavetomasteraprofessionalskill,butmustbediligentandgoodatknittingandhousechores.Whenguestswerevisitingthehouse,sheneededtoknowhowtobehaveandnotmakethefamilyloseface.
ThesedeeprootedpatriarchalvirtueshadabigimpactonChinesepeople’ssocialpsychologyandnormsofbehavior.Menandwomenmustfulfilltheirrightsandobligationsathome,keeptheirsocialandfamilyposition,andsustainfamilystabilityandharmony.Intoday’sChina,wheremenandwomennowenjoyequalrightsandfreedom,onecanseethatinmanyfamilies,husbandsstillbearthemaineconomicresponsibility.
However,withtheeconomicandsocialdevelopment,thenumberoffamiliesinwhichboththehusbandandwifebearcommonresponsibilityforfamilyexpensesisincreasingonayearlybasis,especiallyintheyoungergeneration.ThetraditionalandbackwardfamilyconceptinChinaisgraduallybeingabandonedbyyoungChinese.
Accordingtoarecentsurvey,asmorewomenleavetheirhomeandtakepartinsociety,theyaregainingevenmorerightsinthefamily.Decisionsmadetogetherasacoupleormainlybythewifenowaccountfor60-70percentofthetotalfamilydecisions,andmoreandmorewomenaredecidingpersonalaffairsforthemselves.
ItisnoteworthythatinruralareasofChina,asmanymenmovetothecitiestoseekjobs,thewomenhavetoassumetheresponsibilitiesofdailyfamilylife.Astheirresponsibilitygrows,sodotheirrightsinthefamily.Furthermore,theirself-confidenceandtheirabilitytodealwithvariouskindsofcomplexaffairshaveimprovedsignificantly.Accordingtoasurvey,overtwo-thirdsofChinesewomenaresatisfiedwiththeircurrentmarriage,family,andmaterialandspirituallife.