...Women’s Role in Ancient Times HIS 103 World Civilizations I Women's Role in Ancient times A woman in today’s society is somewhat equal to a man’s but the treatment of women in ancient times were strict and women had no rights as compared to men. During the Ancient times, there was the misconception of women and the different roles they played. They were to stay at home and took care of their households and such other womanly duties that were deemed appropriate for their gender during those periods. Also, it was very important for a woman to know the laws and requirements of their roles and how those roles were perceived in a society. In many countries, the women had similarities, and a few differences. Although time has progressed and there are some roles that are no longer in existence, the women of today and ancient times still have things in common. For example, women still have the role of caring for their children, instilling family values, and commitment to sacred vowels of matrimony. Throughout history, there are many cultures that shared the same common beliefs about the role of women. Women in the countries like China, Egypt, Rome, and the Mesopotamian society are a few places that women’s cultures are shared with common similarities but there are some with different aspects. Women were considered weaker than men and were unable to perform work that requires muscular or intellectual development. Because of this, women were restrained to accomplishing light...
Words: 2213 - Pages: 9
...The treatment of men and women was a big part of ancient societies as it is today. In all the different areas of living, masculinity and femininity are seen in drastically different ways. In ancient civilizations, gender played a great role in the way people were treated. In some cultures like ancient Egypt, women and men were treated equally for the most part. In other cultures, such as ancient Rome and China women were treated far worse than men. Different civilizations had very different ways and reasons for the treatment of women in comparison to men. Both of them had different everyday lives based on their gender roles and how the society viewed each gender. Gender difference existed in ancient...
Words: 1493 - Pages: 6
...Women’s Status in Ancient China Elane Yap Theng Yu HELP University Outline I. Introduction A. Opener: B. Thesis Statement: Women in Ancient China led a tough life as they faced discrimination in each and every day, no matter if it is in their roles in family, education, occupation and their dressing and makeup, thus these led to the revolution of some women. II. The ancient China society practiced the beliefs that men are dominant to women. A. Theory of Yin-Yang 1. low position of women compared to men 2. less useful and valuable than men III. Women in ancient were forced to make themselves to become beautiful. A. Foot binding 1. forced to bind since young 2. undergone painful and debilitating process 3. displaying of status and symbol of beauty IV. Women’s stages in their family were seen to be weak. A. Subject to their fathers 1. had no right to voice out B. Servant to their husbands 1. bear a male offspring to their husbands C. Not allowed to remarry after husband died 1. death penalty V. Women were only allowed to get limited education and job opportunities. A. Education 1. domestic duties 2. literatures that taught them the ways of complying with men B. Job 1. centered on the home 2. help their husbands VI. Conclusion: Women’s Status in Ancient China China, which is located in East Asia, has one of the oldest civilizations, dating...
Words: 1934 - Pages: 8
...journey of a hero is an ancient and universal theme. In every culture from ancient Greece to China, Southeast Asia, and the Americas, heroes have embarked on life-altering journeys (Kurtti 1998: 11). Stuart Voytilla states that there are twelve stages to a hero’s journey and no matter what the purpose is for their journey, in the end the heroes or in this case heroine, share the same destination. It does not matter if the hero gains a kingdom or returns home with the elixir, as mythologist Alexander Eliot puts it, “he actually earns self-integration, balance, wisdom, and spiritual health” (Kurtti 1998: 11). One of the most renowned and beloved of these “wandering heroes” says Kurtti, is a young woman named Mulan. It is a story that is well known in China and has been told from generation to generation. “Mulan” is a Disney animated film based on an ancient Chinese folktale about a brave young woman who is faced with the terrible dilemmas of war during ancient China. She is not like any of the other Disney heroines, such as Cinderella or Ariel from the “Little Mermaid”. You do not see her daydreaming or looking for her “Prince Charming” in the film. All she wanted to do was to please and honor her family. But every time she tried, it seemed as though she was destined to fail. She also had one simple motivation and that was to save her father from having to serve in the Imperial Army. So when the emperor sent his orders to the people of China that each family must...
Words: 3444 - Pages: 14
...Oppression of Women in Ancient China Society in Ancient China, more specifically during imperial China, promoted gender inequality. This fostered the oppression of women in marriage. Society proved to have business-like views of marriage through their arrangement as well as foot binding and Nushu, a woman’s secret language. Further, religious views such as Confucius ideals on a woman’s role in society impacted how women were treated in society. Because religion and society viewed them as inferiors, women were forced to enter marriages that promoted oppression and gender inequality. In Ancient China, marriage was seen as a business decision rather than a union of love between two people. During the reign of the Zhou dynasty (1045-256 BCE), marriage among the elites was often viewed as the combination of two families. When a woman married a man, she often brought sisters along with her. These sisters, and sometimes female cousins, would be presented as accessory brides. (Shaughnessy, E., 2010) Women were never offered this luxury, therefore demonstrating how women were viewed as inferior. “Prejudice in China existed long before Confucianism. However, it was Confucianism that turned the marriage system into bondage of women, treating them as possessions for their husbands.” (Gao, X. 2003) Confucius was a man who...
Words: 1227 - Pages: 5
...It was thought that a woman had to have both physical attraction and mental attraction to be accepted. There were many different ways during this time period that a woman could show she was an intellect. This was dreamed to be portrayed in women everyday style. One of the first ways is through music. During the time an instrument called the Qin was very popular. This was a seven string instrument that was strung while played. Every scholar of the time learned to play this and if a woman of the time knew how is was extremely attractive. The next way a woman could show her intelligence was through the game of chess. Chess was typically thought of as a man’s game at this point in time. However, women were allowed to play other women and it was a privilege to know how to play. Another way they could show their intellectual side was through calligraphy and literature. This was not something men typically did at the time. Women of all backgrounds learn how to read and write though. They read to enhance their skills and improve their lives, they wrote poems to talk about their everyday lives and express their feelings and emotions and they did calligraphy as a pastime. Painting was also a way women could prove their intelligence. Many times their painting were not taking into consideration, as they did not have a high social strata, but many still did it for entertainment. Many of their pictures contained images of flowers and beautiful women. The last way a woman could show their skills...
Words: 1387 - Pages: 6
...The Epic of Gilgamesh, an ancient Sumarian text, along with two ancient Chinese poems: To be A Woman, written by Fu Xuan and Substance, Shadow, and Spirit written by T’ao Ch’ien, are all pieces of literature from the period of antiquity (the time prior to the Middle Ages). Reading each of them not simply for pleasure, but rather for the message injected into all parts of these works, allows a reader to learn a great many things other than the plot of the story they have written. The Epic of Gilgamesh takes us through the life of the King of Uruk, Gilgamesh, as he quests for the meaning of living life and for the comfort needed to accept his mortality. To Be a Woman presents to the reader the perspective of a young woman about the way that her society relates to women with an attitude even less than one of indifference. T’ao Ch’ien, author of “Substance, Shadow, and Spirit,” introduces us to the reality of the commoners of another society during that period who were without the power to control their circumstances. All of these pieces of literature delve into the painful realities of life and the embracing of death; however, they are from the perspectives of those who occupy very different stations in life, and thus have very different problems and experiences which gives the reader vastly different understandings of life during this period of time. The attributes of the characters in The Epic of Gilgamesh and those of the speakers in To Be a Woman and Substance, Shadow, and...
Words: 1496 - Pages: 6
...In our everyday lives, we have someone we follow. Whether it’s a teacher or the President. In order to function the structure of government is extremely important. Like most human beings we lead by example. Without some sort of leadership, we feel lost. In ancient Egypt, the people were lost without it. It was believed the Ancient Egyptians were had one of the best governmental functioning society's, ever. The leader of Egypt or the “pharaoh” was the “the divine representation of the gods on earth.” Together, religion and government ruled the Egyptian civilizations. The all the people looked up to the Pharaoh because they believe god had inhabited him, so they thought they were looking up to god and it would be a sin not to follow his orders. In ancient China Without government there would be no sense of control and the civilization would fall to the...
Words: 551 - Pages: 3
...back before the modern twenty-first century right to the beginning of known and recorded history. 3. In this presentation, I will be sharing about the history of domesticated cats. Body 1. Egypt. a. Although it has been commonly accepted that cats were first domesticated in ancient Egypt 4000 years ago, their history among human beings goes back much further. b. Wild cats are now known to have lived among the people of Mesopotamia over 100,000 years ago and to have been domesticated there approximately 12,000 BCE at about the same time as dogs, sheep, and goats. c. The cat’s association with ancient Egypt, however, is understandable as Egyptian culture was famous for its devotion to the cats. d. Cats in ancient Egypt were domesticated to control vermin which was harming crops and causing diseases. e. This therefore changed the quality of living for the Egyptians and cats became a sacred creature representing life. f. The goddess Bastet, commonly depicted as a cat or as a woman with a cat’s head, was among the most popular deities of the Egyptian pantheon. g. Cats were so passionately worshipped that the penalty in ancient Egypt for killing/injuring a cat was death. 2. Europe. h. In spite of the Egyptians' efforts to prevent the export of their beloved cats, they were taken by the Greeks and Persians. i. The first domesticated cats appeared in Europe around 900BC. Eventually the Egyptians began...
Words: 663 - Pages: 3
...Demography is the statistical study of human populations. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic living population, i.e., one that changes over time or space (see population dynamics). It encompasses the study of the size, structure, and distribution of these populations, and spatial and/or temporal changes in them in response to birth, migration, aging, and death. “Demo-” from Ancient Greek δῆμος dēmos, means “the people” and “-graphy” from γράφω graphō, means “measurement.”[1] Demographic analysis can be applied to whole societies or to groups defined by criteria such as education, nationality, religion and ethnicity. Institutionally, demography is usually considered a field of sociology, though there are a number of independent demography departments.[2] Formal demography limits its object of study to the measurement of populations processes, while the broader field of social demography population studies also analyze the relationships between economic, social, cultural and biological processes influencing a population.[3] The term demographics refers to characteristics of a population. Contents * 1 Methods * 1.1 Direct methods * 1.2 Indirect methods * 2 Common Rates and Ratios * 3 Basic equation * 4 History * 4.1 Science of population * 5 See also * 6 Notes * 7 Further reading * 8 External links Methods There are two types of data collection — direct and indirect — with several...
Words: 2225 - Pages: 9
...1 ANCIENT CHINA 1 Introduction and General Remarks for Ancient China Ancient civilizations of the Egyptians and Mesopotamians have long disappeared, but Ancient Chinese civilization and its transformation to modern times has lasted as the largest and most enduring one in human history. This is even more remarkable when observing the numerous leitmotifs of the Chinese society that were inaugurated so long ago, and many of these themes still resonate today. Ancestral worship, the Mandate of Heaven, and the numerous philosophical ideas, especially of Confucius, have been practiced or used for thousands of years. Remote and mysterious are two adjectives that Western Society has applied to China until recently. China is the only civilization where western thought had no influence until modern times, and also practically the only large region in the world where western men never ruled. For westerners, Chinese customs seem reversed to theirs. White is the color of mourning for the Chinese not black, and for them the left side is one of honor not the right side. Writing is read vertically from the top right-hand corner downward. These few differences reveal that Chinese culture evolved independently of western influences. One can only marvel at the longevity of Chinese civilization. Influence of Geography 2 Geography has played an important role in Chinese History as in most ancient, medieval, and modern cultures. While 85% of China is arid or inaccessible steppes...
Words: 3234 - Pages: 13
...module, we learned many heroic females in ancient East Asia. Though the stories of these females vary dramatically through a vast historical period, the function of these stories are alike: descriptions of heroines--such as poetry, drama, fictions, folktales, etc.--all function to meet the need of ideological requirement to better serve the political purpose of certain groups by that time. This essay is going to examine the specific principal and value embodied by Hua Mulan in a historical review, and arguing that Hua Mulan and her tale is still affecting the youngster due to the latest revision and reinterpretation from a nationalism/patriotism perspective. According to Kua & Idema, the tales of Hua Mulan all come from one text: 木兰诗 (Mu Lan shi). In this 62 lines, 332 characters poem, Hua Mulan is depicted as a brave female who substituted her father to fulfill the Khan’s conscription demand. She concealed her true gender in the military, fighting along with other soldiers as a “man” for several years. After their triumph, she was provided a high position in the government by Khan as a reward. However, she rejected this proposal and asked for a return back home. Not until she arrived home did her true identity as a female revealed to the other soldiers. This is the main story line that seldom changes during the vast historical periods. Edwards, a scholar in Hong Kong University, explained in his paper Transformations of Woman Warrior Hua Mulan: From Defender of Family...
Words: 1605 - Pages: 7
...Unfortunately, it seems that this is one of those arguments that keeps us from moving forward. What frustrates me the most about the whole argument is how unnecessary—and ridiculously riddled with misconceptions and outright insulting fabrications—it is. Homosexuality seems to be too difficult a concept for our society to accept, but it is too real, and too ancient, an issue to deny. My purpose for writing this paper is to address one of the myths about homosexuality, and in doing so make a vital point about the biggest misconception that exists on the subject. In a society where each consecutive generation pushes the boundaries of social norms and acceptable behavior further outside of polite society’s comfort zone, fads and rebellions are commonplace. Often homosexuality gets lumped in with these fleeting trends and is seen as something transitory, something that will go away if denied acceptance long enough. On the contrary, homosexuality is not something new or impermanent. Rather it is a concept, a fact of life, which has been with us since the earliest recorded histories of man. In this essay I will show how ancient societies—the ancestors of everyone in this great country—reacted to the presence of homosexuality. I will explain how all of these diverse peoples, all over the globe, recorded in their histories and their art not only the presence of homosexuality in their societies, but also their acceptance of...
Words: 4291 - Pages: 18
...has its roots in the teachings of the Chinese scholar Confucius, who lived over twenty-five hundred years ago. Confucius devised a set of guidelines for individual moral development and for creating a harmonious, orderly society. During the early twentieth century, Confucianism lost its dominance in the political and educational systems of China. Throughout the modern era, the moral teachings that form the heart of Confucianism have continued to shape the attitudes and behaviors of millions of people worldwide.(Coogan, 1998) The contemporary issues can be understood by examining the common characteristics of Confucianism and other eastern religions, analyzing the interactions between the modern world and Confucianism, and studying how those interactions influence Confucianism and the modern world. Common Characteristics Among Eastern Religions Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism are three religions that make up the essence of traditional, Chinese culture. While all three religions have differences, the religions also share fundamental elements such as purpose, principle, and teachings that have created a strong and long lasting way of life for the Chinese culture. When comparing religions a person can deduce that all religions have a purpose and follow a specific set of rules, guidelines, and traditions. The vessel that leads each individual to their ultimate purpose can be different, as well as where the instructions originate from. The similar purpose of these Eastern religions...
Words: 2341 - Pages: 10
...Abortion Abortion happens when an unborn baby’s life ends. About 200 million women get pregnant every year. During the same time 44 million abortions are carried out around the world. Fortunately, the abortion ratehas gone down because more and more people, especially in developing countries, are receiving a better sexual education. Better family planning also leads to fewer abortions. History of abortion Abortions have been performed for thousands of years. The ancient Romans and Greeks were not veryconcerned about the lives of unborn babies. In the Old Testament women had to pay a fine if they had amiscarriage. Abortion laws have changed in most of the western world throughout the past centuries. Types of Abortion Spontaneous abortions happen naturally. Doctors call them miscarriages. They occur for many reasons, for example, because of a disease that a pregnant woman might get or a horrible event that occurred to her. In an induced abortion the fetus is taken out of a mother’s body on purpose. Methods of Abortion In many cases doctors perform abortions through operations. In a very common method the unborn baby issucked out of a mother’s womb with a tube. An abortion can also be carried out with drugs. RU-486, a drug that was developed in France stops a natural hormone from preparing a woman from bearing a child. In some cases doctors use other methods and drugs to end a pregnancy. As a result the unborn babypasses out of a female body. In most countries...
Words: 1118 - Pages: 5
