StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...

Changing Women status - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Delayed by Democracy: Justice for Women in Korea Introduction It is most important to note that the family head system which prevailed in Korea for many years was abolished only in the 2005 family law revision. Until then, it is the gender hierarchy of traditional feudal society that prevailed in a supposedly modern democracy…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.2% of users find it useful
Changing Women status
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Changing Women status"

Download file to see previous pages

The conservatives as usual took a pro-patriarchy position which aims at chaining the women to the clutches of family and patriarchy. They also highlight the role of gender hierarchy in shaping the wider Korean culture. It is also an open argument for preserving the structures which keep the Korean women subordinate to their male counterparts. The pro-women groups have always maintained that the essence of democracy lies in gender equality. Extension of Korean democracy is by definition linked to widening of democracy to transform the existing gender relations.

The Women Sub-species and the Gendered Nation The very lack of discussion on issues affecting women was one of the defining features of the Korean political system. For instance, the issue sex workers in Korea who mainly live by the surrounding areas of American military bases were never discussed by the civil society as they were seen as the “comfort women”. Choi is of the view that “what should be shocking is that the chongsindae issue has never been debated in Korea or elsewhere” (98).

The general invisibility of the women and marginalization of women’s issues in particular had been at the center of protecting patriarchy in Korea. According to Moon, the mainstream nationalist discourse in Korea presupposes that “while men are the founders of the nation with heavenly origins, righteous warriors or patriotic soldiers, and heads of households, women have sub-human origins and are the bearers of sons who will inherit the nation and defend it” (57). It means that men are consider to be the original citizens by the so-called Korean democracy and women degraded to the status of modern serfs.

It has been pointed out that, especially by Choi, “long before World War II, the Japanese colonial exploitation left poor women with little choice but to perform hard labor in Japan. It was part of the way the Japanese exploited women in general to speed industrialization” (99). Therefore, one could easily argue that women’s empowerment is very much a question of decolonization in general as colonialism always consider the subjugation of women as a structural need. It is also important to look at the overlapping between colonialism, neo-colonialism and capitalism in women’s oppression in Korea.

Choi points out that, as argued by the socialist feminists in Korea that “patriarchy is an essential instrument of capitalism and the never ending process of capitalist accumulation is not possible without an asymmetrical male-female relationship that enables domination and exploitation of women and thus maximizes the surplus value, the profit gained by holding down production costs, particularly wages” (115). As more women are working with multinational companies, the exploitation women is being enhanced.

As a primary step for achieving greater gender equality, the old family laws must be totally eradicated. In Korea, the debate on nation-building is essentially linked to the question what role women must play in both family and the society in general. This standpoint is fortunately part of both the pro-feminist and anti-women discourses. In the colonial period, the family laws were considered as inherently part of the Korean tradition.

...Download file to see next pages Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Changing Women status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words”, n.d.)
Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411327-changing-women-status
(Changing Women Status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words)
https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411327-changing-women-status.
“Changing Women Status Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/environmental-studies/1411327-changing-women-status.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Changing Women status

Woman Changing Tradition

They say that this domesticity has to be ruled out from women's lives if they want themselves to be treated at an equal status with men and considered as modern.... women Changing Traditions women have made an impact in changing gender roles in the workplace, political field, and the military.... … [Your full name] [Instructor's name] [Course name and code] November 28, 2011 women Changing Traditions women have made an impact in changing gender roles in the workplace, political field, and the military....
4 Pages (1000 words) Research Paper

Changing Of The Status Of Women Around The World Over Time

The paper "Changing Of The status Of Women Around The World Over Time" aims to discuss the status and position of the women in society by conducting a comparative investigation into the proposition that whether or not their status has witnessed any significant alterations with the passage of time.... hellip; women were ruling over a few kingdoms and states and used to issue decrees on different matters of national and international concern....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Changing Role of Women in the American Family

This paper explores the role of women in the American family and its development over time.... hellip; women had for years been traditionally relegated to an inferior position in all cultures, societies and religions.... At home, the man was lord and master for women to love, honor, and obey.... The paper argues that the impetus for change in women's position was not entirely due to feminist activity, but to a variety of historical factors....
23 Pages (5750 words) Essay

Women and Economics during Colonial America and Before and After American Revolution

The women mainly held a passive role in the society and the work culture.... That makes us interested to examine the social and economic role of the women in colonial America, and the change in pattern of the society and the emerging role of female in social and economic perspective1.... (Ulrich, 1991) In the colonial period of America, especially the mid and late 17th century the women of America used to lead monotonous lives full of work and duties....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Changing role of women in society

The role and the status of women have gradually changed since the efforts that were set up to change the attitudes that were labelled against them in the society.... During the early 19th century, women were subjected to the concept of domesticity.... Additionally, the women were regarded as… However, the efforts that were staged up by the women during the late 19th Century were considered as effective and advantageous to the position of women in the society as it challenged traditional Therefore, it is well noted that the role of women has changed a lot since the 1860s based on the efforts of the women with respect to economic, cultural and societal factors....
5 Pages (1250 words) Assignment

The changing status of American women since 1770s

The denial of the women participation in the voting process worsened the already poor socio-economic status of the American women.... Apart from the economic status that made the women more vulnerable compared to men, gender was effectively used to prevent the women participation in political processes such as voting and holding public offices.... The post-colonial America witnessed episodic insubordination of women rights to own and transfer property and the right to vote....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Determination of the Changing Status of Women's Role in the Qatari Health Industry

The purpose of this mixed research study is the determination of the relationship between critical dimensions of social challenges, and the female employment rate by surveying 100 Qatari women in the health sector based in Doha in the State of Qatar.... Random sampling will be used in this study by targeting different healthcare institutions in Doha of different levels and of different sizes in which the participation of female workers will be sought  This dissertation will focus generally on the health sector and specifically on the women employed in the sector....
25 Pages (6250 words) Dissertation

The Changing Status of the Chinese Women in Modern Times

The paper "The Changing status of the Chinese Women in Modern Times" describes that the status of Chinese women has been a subject of historical development.... In modern times, there is evidence that the status of Chinese women has changed and there is the development of female liberalism.... From this perspective, the Chinese women have acquired a higher status through cultural development.... From this perspective, Women had a low status within the Chinese social setting....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us