Women in China and Western Europe

324 Words2 Pages
From the dawn of formal civilization, women were never as highly regarded as men. However, in China and West Europe between the years of 600 and 1450 C.E., traditions of how women acted and were viewed began to shift. Even if these new customs for women were not complex, they did have a great effect. Overall, people, of any gender would be more privileged if they were of a higher class. Even women, who were always viewed inferior to men, would be more fortunate if they were an aristocrat. In Western Europe, women could have power if they were upper-class aristocrats, monarchs, or members of the royal family. In China, women of upper classes would get their feet bound, which would deepen their reliance on men. Additionally, for both China and Western Europe a patriarchal society was at large. In China, though, the patriarchy was of Neo-Confucianism, which kept women away from education, civil service, inheritance, and other rights. In addition to new customs and traditions, the general attitude towards females became more dramatic. In China, for instance, the number of infanticides rapidly grew because parents preferred males to females, because they would be more successful in life. Males were definitely the favorable gender back then, and even now, parents in China will abandon their young daughters in parks and public places because they resent not having a boy. In Western Europe, males would reinterpret the Bible to place further restrictions on women, and reinstate more power for their own gender. Also in Western Europe, a more urban and complex culture was evolving, which led to more extreme male dominance. In summary, between the times of 600 and 1450 C.E., the role of women greatly altered, specifically in China and Western Europe. New customs were practiced, which usually resulted in the lessening of importance for females. Small these changes may be,
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