Over the years, there’s been
a constant struggle for equality between the male and female in regards to the
role that they play in the society that we live in. However the male counterpart
is known to have dominated most of the past, especially during the early
civilizations. This phenomenon is described as Patriarchy, which
according to the dictionary is a social system in
which: males hold primary power; males predominate in roles of political
leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property; and, in
the domain of the family, fathers or father-figures hold authority over women
and children.
In China, women were to be respected according to traditional
Confucian values. Women lived in the shadow of men. However, the man was
considered weak if he did not control his woman with all respect due. He was
not allowed to beat his woman, and she maintained power within the household.
At the time of manhood, the eldest son also gained power of his mother. Women
in classical China aimed to have married sons as they gained power over their
daughter-in-law.
In India, women were also considered subordinate according to
classical Indian writing. Women were also portrayed as devoted to their husbands. Women were to only concern themselves with family matters. In Rome, the law gave most authority to males. As with China,
the eldest male ruled the household. These males rarely abused their
power. In fact, they often placed women in charge of many household
affairs. At middle age, women had a lot of influence. They could help arrange
marriages or manage finances. Although illegal, many found ways to let women
inherit property.
In our
modern time feminism refers to a series of campaign for change on sensitive
issues which may include reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity
leave, equal pay, women's suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence etc. According
to Livy, the women of Rome in the early first century displayed actions similar
to modern day feminist actions when they rallied against the Oppian law which states
that “no woman might own more than half an ounce of gold nor wear multicolored
dress nor ride a carriage in the city or a town within a mile of it, unless there
was a religious festival”. It was a law that degraded role of women in the
society, placing them completely under the control of men. However, just like
feminist groups present in the world today, their unity and perseverance made
the tribune to repeal the law.
During
the classical era civilizations, Patriarchal values were absolute as it affects
all aspect of a culture from religion to, politics, and education etc. Women were minorities at that time and had no
power to rival the laws. However, According to Ban Zhao, first century Chinese women
valued humility, respect and obedience. A
Chinese woman in that era had to be humble and respectful to her husband; she
has to do this in honor of her clan and ancestors. Chinese women from that era
also valued obedience and I believe that they accepted it because it was likely
that they too would one day become Parents-in-laws.
If I
was a woman living in the classical era, I would have preferred living in the
Chinese civilization simply because women were allowed education. To conclude, I
do believe tackling such questions in this manner is a valid approach to
historical inquiry because it shows us how “a change” in a civilization can
influence the way we live our lives today. For instance should we still have
Patriarchal values today, I believe divorce rates won’t be as high as it is
now. However I still believe in equality regardless of race and gender.
