Changing Gender Roles in Chinese Society

According to Confucian philosophy， the main source of traditional Chinese culture， the husband is responsible for handling external affairs， while the wife takes charge of home affairs. In this social order， men are superior to women.

This traditional social division put the family support， especially economic support， and outside-home responsibilities on the men. To balance their contribution to the family， they had absolute authority at home， and their power in the family was akin to that of the emperor in the country.

The wife was supposed to be her husbands echo， and her main responsibilities were to take care of the elders， educate the children， and handle the house chores. In rural areas， women also did some farm work， but their main responsibilities were at home.

The Chinese society is built on the basis of a patriarchal system emphasizing blood relations. Family unity is the foundation of social and national stability， and individual interests have long been considered to be secondary. The power of the father in the family and the monarchial power were integrated throughout Chinese history.

As the Chinese saying goes， “There are never two monarchs in one state， and never two home masters in one family.”The father was the core of the family and his power was the highest. In the feudal system， the emperor was the core of the government and his power was superior to anyone and anything else. Therefore， the dominating power of the male had a solid social background and systemic guarantee.

The Confucius philosophy considers a gentle， refined and kind-hearted female the ideal woman. The Chinese character for woman is actually composed of two elements： female on the left and a broom on the right， suggesting a woman keeping the room clean. In ancient China， women were called the “kitchen keepers，” and later the “ones who master house chores.”

The old Chinese ethic required women to follow the Three Obediences and Four Virtues， which were a set of basic moral principles specifically for women in Confucian philosophy. The Three Obediences were obedience to father before marriage， obedience to husband after marriage and obedience to son after the death of her husband. Only those who understand and fulfill these duties were considered perfect women.

The Four Virtues referred to morality， proper speech， modest manner and diligent work. A woman must be modest， pure and faithful， be careful in her speech and behavior， never use rude words and always know when to stop talking and never gossip. She did not have to be very beautiful， but must be clean and properly dressed； she did not have to master a professional skill， but must be diligent and good at knitting and house chores. When guests were visiting the house， she needed to know how to behave and not make the family lose face.

These deeprooted patriarchal virtues had a big impact on Chinese peoples social psychology and norms of behavior. Men and women must fulfill their rights and obligations at home， keep their social and family position， and sustain family stability and harmony. In todays China， where men and women now enjoy equal rights and freedom， one can see that in many families， husbands still bear the main economic responsibility.

However， with the economic and social development， the number of families in which both the husband and wife bear common responsibility for family expenses is increasing on a yearly basis， especially in the younger generation. The traditional and backward family concept in China is gradually being abandoned by young Chinese.

According to a recent survey， as more women leave their home and take part in society， they are gaining even more rights in the family. Decisions made together as a couple or mainly by the wife now account for 60-70 percent of the total family decisions， and more and more women are deciding personal affairs for themselves.

It is noteworthy that in rural areas of China， as many men move to the cities to seek jobs， the women have to assume the responsibilities of daily family life. As their responsibility grows， so do their rights in the family. Furthermore， their self-confidence and their ability to deal with various kinds of complex affairs have improved significantly. According to a survey， over two-thirds of Chinese women are satisfied with their current marriage， family， and material and spiritual life.