Is Confucianism to be blamed for gender inequality in East Asia?

Abstract

It is certain that Confucianism led to the gender role system, but it cannot be said to be to blame for gender inequality in East Asia. Confucianism has the characteristic of flexibility, it has survived incorporating diversity. In other words, Confucianism has flexibly changed in history due to women's active agencies, and it shows diverse forms in each region, Prof. Leung said. In the feminist historical studies that started in the early 20th century, women in East Asia (China, Japan, Korea) were considered as main victims of the traditional Confucian culture and emphasized that they were released by modernization (westernization). In contrast, recent gender studies focus on ① gendered space and ② gendered body. ① In pre-modern East Asian society, the separation between 'inside' and 'outside' was not strict, and the two were organically connected. Women played a public role regarding house management, labor, and education in the 'inner' world, supporting the Confucian political order of 'outside'. ② The issue of bound feet was also politically dramatized. There are not many historical materials left with records on foot-binding and many foot-binding women worked. Women also had controlled fertility, including female infanticide which Confucian male doctors worked to prohibit. The way of imposing responsibility for gender inequality on Confucianism does not solve any modern gender inequality.