Comparison of Women's Lives in China, Korea, and Japan Before 1700 BCE (Essay Sample)

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Comparison of women and their life in China, Korea, and Japan before 1700 BCE
Introduction
In pre-modern times, women had different roles in society in China, Korea, and Japan. These three societies were patriarchal, and the men were dominant in all spheres of life. In most cases, women were content to handle household duties and maintain their homes. Although there are some differences, the various civilizations that spread in these countries influenced the role of women in society negatively and in other instances positively. Confucianism is one of the main influencing philosophies for impacting women negatively in the three nations. Most Confucian teachings were based on Chinese traditions, which spread it to the rest of the countries. Despite the challenges, some women still managed to thrive, own businesses, become writers and create a reference point about empowering women for future generations to use. Thus, although women were underprivileged in the patriarchal societies of China, Korea, and Japan, few of them set the bar for improving their welfare high, and others picked the moment in a march towards the modern world.
Women in Pre-Modern China
In pre-modern China, women were not active participants in social life beyond their households. Even at home, men were the head of the households. Gender stratification was more pronounced in urban areas and among the upper class in society. However, the division of labor was not very pronounced in poor rural areas. In these regions, families mobilized all available labor to fend for them. In most rural areas, agriculture was the primary source of income, and families worked together on farms to earn a living (Chan and Tan 11). In pre-modern China, the family was the organization and not the individual. However, fathers had control over major family decisions, and the wives had to follow the instructions.
Filial piety was the guiding principle of explaining the role of women in society. In this structure, paternal authority was critical, and all members of society had to adhere to it. The organization of the family was similar to the state. People at home had to be loyal to the paternal figure the same way they were loyal to their nation. The concept of filial piety meant that fathers and their representatives in their absence had the power to control income, children's marriage, and family properties (Chan and Tan 11). The structure ensured that men were in charge of their families and women were subservient to them. 
The Confucian traditions taught women how to treat their husbands with devotion, humility, and industry. Humility entails a person acting respectfully and putting others first and oneself last. It does not allow a person to mention good deeds or denounce their faults. A humble person endures mistreatment and insults. An industrious person gets up early and never stops working. They ensure that they complete what is completed in time and neatly. Wives were to maintain the formality appropriate between an official and the ruler. They were to maintain reverence similar to the one between father and child (Fan and Wu 2). Thus, pre-modern Chinese society made wives subservient to their husbands and reduced them to the levels of their children.
In most cases, the marriage of daughters was arranged by the father. Once married, a lady had to move in with the husband and mother-in-law (who became her mother). According to Chinese rites, a man had a right to marry a second wife, but a woman could not enjoy similar privileges. There was a ranking of wives, with late arrivals being viewed as concubines or secondary wives, and were subordinate to primary wives. The primary wife outranked the legal status and family hierarchy (Song 4). The practice of taking concubines made life difficult for women in families. Wives who suffered in the hands of their husbands took out their anger on the concubines. Therefore, a woman had to focus her attention on pleasing their husband and ensuring the success of their families. 
In pre-modern China, women did not occupy public spaces. Their primary role was to serve their male relatives throughout their lives. When young, they lived according to their fathers' wishes, and when married, they followed their husbands’ laws. When widowed, they had to work with their sons. However, women from the ruling families participated in public service as a duty to their husbands. Some used their positions in authority to manipulative successions. In exceptional circumstances, some women became leaders in society. For example, Empress Wu (630-705) became a powerful leader in their generation (Song 4). However, that was an exception to the norm. Therefore, women in ancient China had to only deal with family responsibilities, except they occupied a public office in exceptional circumstances. The placing a lot of emphasis on the siring of sons led many to be disappointed at the birth of daughters. The stigma of raising daughters hurt some women forcing them to abandon their newborns in the streets. 
In pre-modern China, there was a culture of foot binding for young girls. The purpose of tradition that began during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 CE) was to modify the shape and size of their legs. The practice was supposed to improve the beauty of a lady since small feet were considered a sign of beauty and refinement. Initially, the practice was rampant among the nobles but spread to the rest of society by the 17th century (Blake 676). The practice was a dilemma for the peasants who thought of increasing their daughter's chances of marrying the elite or using their labor to till the land (Fangqin and Yiping 8). In most cases, they did not bind their children, preferring to work them in the fields to improve their live hoods.
By the Song dynasty, women were performing more duties than the ones prescribed by Confucian texts. By this time, widows were running inns, midwives were delivering babies, and nuns taught Buddhism to the community. Additionally, girls were making money by weaving mats, and others began to learn to read and write like their brothers to improve their standards of living (Song 47). Women in rural areas were expected to help with farming. Since most of them did not own the farms, they were subject to abuse by wealthy employers. During crop failure and drought seasons, women were forced into prostitution to sustain their families. Despite the difficulties of living as a woman in pre-modern China, some women overcame the obstacles and succeeded in some fields. Some women became pioneers in academia, literature, and government. 
Women in Pre-modern Japan
Women played various roles in ancient Japan, depending on the influence of the day. Like China, the main influence of the treatment of women in Japan was the Confucian philosophy. The military structure of the society also had a role to play in influencing the role of women. Before the advent of Confucianism and patrilineal traditions, women participated in all spheres of life of society. They were farmers, soldiers, and rulers. Women were allowed to rule due to their abilities to bring peace and order to society (Song 51). Thus, during this time, they had the power to direct or affect their nation's social structure, political practice, and economic production. 
Various civilizations introduced various customs and responsibilities to women in Japan, changing it significantly from the traditional approach. The main influence of Japanese women was Confucian ideals and feudalism (Walthall 139). The traditional Japanese society expected a woman to be restrained, modest, chastity, respectful, and organized. Samurai feudalism did not give value to the role of women in society. In some cases, women joined the samurai ranks but were expected to be loyal to their owners. Aristocratic women were used to building political alliances and in family investments. When Confucian ideas reached Japan, they were accepted as part of the code of practice. The traditional core tradition gave men dominance over their households, and it was applied in Japan when it became the main guiding philosophy for rulers.
For many centuries, women were referred to as yin and men as yang. Yang is supposed to be domineering, assertive, active, and hard, while yin is yielding, soft, tranquil, receptive, and reflective. The differences were part of the natural order of the universe. In the yin yang theory, the two critical ideas do not compete but complement each other. Separating yin and yang was the first step to ensure that women did not have men in their lives. The Confucian tradition stressed that segregation has to start at home. There were inner courts occupied by women and outer courts occupied by men at home. As a result, women could not participate in public life but should concentrate on weaving and performing household chores (Song 47). The traditions gave the head of the family authority to have control over all the residents in the household, including their spouses. It was common for the eldest male in a household to be its leader, and women would use only them when their spouses died while their sons were not old enough to exercise control over it. However, once they were old enough, they could take charge of their father's household.
Women in Pre-Modern Korea
The Korean traditions had different ways of treating women than their Chinese counterparts. In pre-Confucian Korea, it was normal for sons and daughters to inherit their parent's estates, mainly land and slaves, because they enjoyed equal rights and responsibilities. Additionally, polygamy was allowed in Korea, but men could not rank their wives...