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Why Chinese Neo-Confucian Women Made A Fetish Of Small Feet, Aubrey L. Mcmahan Dec 2012

Why Chinese Neo-Confucian Women Made A Fetish Of Small Feet, Aubrey L. Mcmahan

Grand Valley Journal of History

Abstract for “Why Chinese Neo-Confucian Women Made a Fetish of Small Feet

This paper explores the source of the traditional practice of Chinese footbinding which first gained popularity at the end of the Tang dynasty and continued to flourish until the last half of the twentieth century.[1] Derived initially from court concubines whose feet were formed to represent an attractive “deer lady” from an Indian tale, footbinding became a wide-spread symbol among the Chinese of obedience, pecuniary reputability, and Confucianism, among other things.[2],[3] Drawing on the analyses of such scholars as Beverly Jackson, Valerie Steele …


The Successful Integration Of Buddhism With Chinese Culture: A Summary, Xinyi Ou Apr 2012

The Successful Integration Of Buddhism With Chinese Culture: A Summary, Xinyi Ou

Grand Valley Journal of History

Buddhism has commonly been credited as the sole foreign religion to truly gain access to the hearts and minds of the Chinese people. Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam were likewise spread along the Silk Roads to China, yet these religions did not take root. What culminating factors played a role in the acceptance of Buddhism into Chinese culture? Is it possible that Buddhism should not be regarded as a foreign religion, but as a seed of thought that was nurtured by the missionary monks and the Chinese into a form almost unrecognizable from it's initial origins? Through a survey …


Korean Perceptions Of Chastity, Gender Roles, And Libido; From Kisaengs To The Twenty First Century, Katrina Maynes Feb 2012

Korean Perceptions Of Chastity, Gender Roles, And Libido; From Kisaengs To The Twenty First Century, Katrina Maynes

Grand Valley Journal of History

The kisaengs were highly educated performing artists that contradicted the historical view that Korean women should be chaste, quiet, and inconspicuous. Beginning in the twentieth century, kisaengs declined in popularity as sexual services became widely available, and despite the abiding insistence on chastity, millions of Koreans became involved in the prostitution industry. Although the traditional kisaengs have disappeared, the sexual and social oppression that has pervaded throughout Korean history has resulted in the enduring dominance of the prostitution industry. This paper accordingly traces the historical foundation of Korean kisaengs, analyzing the contradictions they posed to traditional values and accounting for …