How Confucianism Influenced Gender Equality in South Korea - Coursework Example

How Confucianism influenced gender equality in South Korea Introduction South Korea is among the countries that experienced social challenges, and gender inequality would become one of the problems. Women faced all manner of discrimination in South Korea ranging from legal rights, marriage, and inadequate education (Sung 342). However, today, roles have changed where women get the same opportunities as men. The society has evolved to accept equality for both men and women. Despite changes, South Korea still ranks among the countries that still experience discrimination against women. In fact, reports indicate that South Korea, despite electing a female president, ranks lowest among favorite countries where women can live in (Patterson and Brandon 19). The modern Korean society has numerous religious of which Confucianism is one of them. Therefore, this essay tries to found out how Confucianism as a tradition affected lives of Koreans with a strong emphasis on gender equality. It is imperative to discuss if the society still holds to such traditions especially those that discriminate against women. Confucianism in South Korea The Confucianism tradition in South Korea dates back to many Kingdoms that defined the society in terms of roles, and hierarchy (Sung 342). The ideology behind Confucianism is that men are superior to women and it became popular during Choson dynasty. Though the concept originated from China, Koreans would modify it to become part of their culture where societal values and culture were based on the ideology. In the Korean situation, Confucianism did not mean a system of governance, but rather ranking of the society with the aim of giving it an ideal image. Eventually, Confucianism became part of the Korean lifestyle and would form the basis of the societal organization. Come 1991, South Korean experienced some changes on family laws thereby changing roles in the entire society (Patterson and Brandon 24). Women rights activists moved to courts to challenge the harmonization of Confucianism ideologies with societal changes. They argued that the society was going through political and economic changes thus there was a need to make laws flexible for all genders. On the other hand, the women right’s advocates complained about the inequality environment that ideology created in the South Korean society (Sung 344). However, Confucianism ideologies were planted on the South Korean society, and they still hold even in modernity. The role of women in Korean culture Women’s role in the society has always been very important in the Korean culture both in modernity and the past. In fact, changes in the Korean society have majorly been on the role that females assume in the society. Confucianism created a patriarchal lifestyle where all males become superior to their females (Sung 342). However, there is always a misconception on the Confucianism concept since it advocates different roles of both males and females. In this case, Confucianism is not entirely against gender equality but rather advocates defined roles in the society (Patterson and Brandon 24). In fact, some of the concepts and underlying assumptions of Confucianism ideology suggests that men and women cannot survive without one another. The implication is that Confucianism advocated respect towards women but in a different perspective. Confucian ideologies also imposed many restrictions on women. For instance, women lived in separate quarters from the rest of the family, and were subject to many laws that they had to abide by as a way of preventing divorce cases (Patterson and Brandon 25). However, men had all the freedom to do what pleased them, and would not consult their wives before making decisions. Obedience became the guiding principle for women, and she had to uphold it in all relationships. The ideology still holds in modern Korea since most perceive themselves as being possession of their men or husbands. In fact, the modern Korean women sacrifice themselves, their images, and desires, for their family’s sake (Heo and Sung 919). Nonetheless, women practice obedience and submissiveness so that the society can accept them. Male dominant societies have no place in the modern world, and this explains the growing resistance to Confucianism from most South Korean women. Confucianism and gender inequality Since Confucianism involves ranking of the society, it placed women at the bottom of the hierarchy (Heo and Sung 918). The ideology obliged women to show exemplary behavior as well as dedicate their uncomplaining obedience to the society as a whole. Under the Confucianism customs, aristocratic women and men lived separately (Patterson and Brandon 25). The law gave men the authority to have as many wives as they could; even concubines. However, women were only supposed to see their husbands and close relatives but not mingle with other men. Besides, a woman would only see her master or visit eunuchs in the palace. The law also discouraged abortion though it was a bit considerate in situations when the mother’s health was in danger. Confucianism had a strong emphasis on the role that women played in the society (Patterson and Brandon 25). The woman was expected to uphold a high level of obedience, and would become part of her virtues in all stages of life. Girls had the obligation to respect their fathers, and wives were supposed to show respect and submissiveness to their husbands. Nonetheless, a widow would also show some respect her grown-up son. Therefore, Confucianism created a society where men would automatically control their women (Heo and Sung 920). Women’s role in the society denied them most rights, and would be the reason for the social changes that reformed the ideology. Confucianism ideologies would also find their way at workplaces where women were supposed to assume supportive roles (Heo and Sung 918). Women would not complain about huge salary gaps and few opportunities existed for female workers. Nonetheless, women would not have high job rankings than men. Despite the Korean governments efforts to reduce discrimination of women in the workplaces, many businesses and organizations still continued to look down on their female workers, and this has not changed a great deal in the modern society (Sung 342). According to Heo and Sung (920), Korean women contribute a small percentage to the countrys growth. However, it is ridiculous that an economy with biases towards employment opportunities is recording tremendous growth. The truth is that women are part of the country’s workforce though they operate under low wages and poor working conditions (Heo and Sung 920). On the other hand, they work in low-class jobs. Female labor force has increased tremendously since the 1990s because women got employment in labor-intensive economic sectors like food processing, textile and manufacturing sector (Heo and Sung 918). The above are major contributors to Koreans economic growth, but the society does not appreciate efforts and contribution of women. Nonetheless, women represent a larger percentage of South Koreas untapped labor. Their participation rate is low, and the country has few economically active women above standard economies (Sung 342). The gender disparity and inequality at workplaces also manifests itself in the high rates of females leaving their jobs. Upon marriage, women are supposed to attend to family matters, and fend for their families, a role that is an element of the Confucianism ideology society (Patterson and Brandon 25). Therefore, gender inequality denies women the opportunity to participate in economic development since Confucianism ideologies also play at workplaces. Nonetheless, Korean women with higher levels of education face difficult times getting employment since Confucianism does not encourage female superiority society (Patterson and Brandon 26). Reports also indicate that the country has a bad ratio of men to women in the top management positions. The gender inequality problem in South Korea has created a situation whereby women with high academic qualifications do not find jobs that benefit their qualifications (Patterson and Brandon 34). Educated women who secure jobs also face the challenge of unequal and unfair remuneration. Sung (347) confirms that averagely, Korean women make 395 less than their male counterparts even if they have the same job group, and this ranks the country at the bottom with regard to equality in payment. However, the disparity between women and women in the labor force as well as management positions indicate the attitude that the society has about women. All issues of discrimination date back to Confucianism era when men automatically became superior in the society. Though the society has gone through tremendous changes, the Confucianism ideology is still common in modern Korea. Women are still holding inferior family roles through customary laws (Patterson and Brandon 34). Even efforts to encourage equality between men and women have always received opposition from the society. The slow social change for women is due to the residual effects that Confucianism ideologies still have in most Korean Institutions. Inequality between men and women is also present in the way Koreans register their families (Sung 344). The society still holds on to patrilineal family registration where women join the husband’s lineage upon marriage. The inequality between women and men stems from the family law that gives men more rights over women. New roles of women in the society Modernity and urbanization would later change the roles that women play in the society. Modern Korean women, thus, play more roles, and they have many opportunities that contribute to their well-being (Patterson and Brandon 34). Women have are finding their way in politics, social arenas, democracy, education, and employment or economic productivity. There has been an increased representation of women in the National Korean Assembly. The rate of women employment has also gone high reaching approximately 50% as from the meager 41.9% in the 1980s (Sung 344). Nonetheless, changing roles in the society have also increased the number of Korean women graduating from colleges and universities. The implication is that the society is increasingly accepting women as part of the workforce, and even offers them opportunities at top management positions (Sung 345). Moreover, there has been an increased acceptance of interaction between men and women. For instance, professional women can now mingle freely and easily with their male colleagues. Despite the growing resentment of Confucianism ideologies, the society is yet to come into terms with the new roles of women (Patterson and Brandon 35). There are still many cases of married women playing traditional gender responsibilities or roles. Therefore, a modern Korean woman still has to fulfill her role as a housewife. The same applies to employment situations where the Korean women still have to face challenges as the inferior gender. In most cases, employers underrate the contribution of women to productivity and are still not confident they can perform even better than men (Sung 344). On the other hand, employers are always concerned about commitment of women to their jobs since they still have to fulfill some obligating roles. Employers still find it difficult to believe that women can fulfill both employment obligations and household roles like child rearing. In this case, even the employers still have the traditional perception of women as having specific roles in the society. There are other roles that women play in the society apart from childbearing. Therefore, an employee Korean woman is also supposed to engage voluntary works like activities or programs where their children learn. For instance, many elementary schools in Korea request mothers of their students to help them with some school programs even after school programs (Sung 347). Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of the mother to educate her children even to the highest level. Therefore, Korean women have the responsibility of ensuring that their children have bright futures through the right education. Korean traditional norms hold that the academic success of a child reflects a parent’s success in life (Heo and Sung 918). The notion still holds in the modern Korea, which shows how the society is still sticking to the Confucianism ideologies. Thus, many Korean women spend much of their energy, time and money educating their children that include making sure that they do their homework despite having other responsibilities like job. The Roles have also not changed a great deal in the Korean society since women still have to provide for their families. On the other hand, rarely do the Korean husbands help with children homework or other simple house chores. Gender discrimination against women also manifests itself in the daycare facilities. Establishment of the daycare facilities, both private and public, does not support the working Korean mothers (Heo and Sung 919). Although the government has always made tremendous efforts of improving the situation, country is far from realizing its goals. Reports indicate that women, with their education and high professionalism, still have to take heavy responsibilities of caring for their homes, children, and husbands families as well. According to Sung (347), the society still expects married women to provide exceptional child care, education as well as good care to the in-laws. Therefore, the roles that modern Korean women play the society are barely different from the Confucianism eras. All their responsibilities revolve around family and not their well-being like the need to pursue their dreams like getting employment. The new societal perception Though the issue of gender equality revolves around family roles, the perception of the current is highly debatable. Many Korean women, for instance, are yet to free themselves from their traditional roles. Many Korean women resign promptly from work upon marriage while others may consider postponing their marriages (Pascall, and Sirin 181). In this case, the society has only changed a bit about gender roles and equality. Nonetheless, the role that women play in the society force educated women to consider divorcing their partners because the society has no reservations for women despite their level of education. The new society is not far much different from the Confucianism era since family hierarchy still defines the relationships (Heo, and Sung 934). The manner in which modern and young educated Korean women long for independence shows that the society has not accepted their new roles. Middle-aged women long for participating in community and social activities. Nonetheless, women are yearning for equality in their rights and still have a long way to go especially in convincing the society of the changing roles. The society still devalue women’s work, and this explains the little help or support they received in the professions (Heo, and Sung Deuk 932). Upon employment of female workers, employers least ensure that they receive equal pay, promotional opportunities, and respect. The same notion is also common in Korea’s organizational cultures since they perceive women as inferior employees (Pascall and Sirin 181). The implication is that though modernity is changing value systems and lifestyles in Korea, there are still limitations on gender roles. Therefore, the new society still views women as lesser sexes and compels females to societal imposed rules that deprive them equal rights and recognition as men. Hope for the future Before the establishment of the Confucianism ideology, Korean women had freedom and could do whatever they wished in the society and had no defined roles (Heo and Sung 934). However, Confucianism made the society aware of the importance of gender equality. Were it not for Confucianism, women rights advocates would not have challenged the Family Law. The effects that gender inequality left on the Korean women made the society aware that some traditional norms are discriminatory in nature. The present day Korea has some reservations and respect for the female gender, thus, cases or situations that discriminate against women always attract resentment from the public. One of the great steps towards gender equality in Korea was the revision of the marriage law (Heo, and Sung 936). The changes favored women, and recommended that marriage should be based on mutual agreement, but not automatically determined by men. The new changes imply that a woman entering into a marital relationship offers to help a man rather than being submissive to him and his family. Another change concerns divorce where the new laws entitle women to sharing property, but must be proportionate to their contribution in wealth accumulation (Sung 347). Though the society is still sticking with the Confucianism ideologies, there is seemingly an increasing awareness on gender equality. Situations that discriminate women are becoming unpopular in the Korean society, and it is not unusual to spot resentment of such acts in the streets, among families and other social contexts. Election of a female president sparked joyous celebration among women living in a male dominated society. However, it beats logic as how gender inequality and discrimination is a topical discussion in Korea. Men still see women as inferior and show a little respect to them (Sung 347). Therefore, the country needs initiatives that would help women to exhaust their work potentials even after bearing children. On the contrary, the sitting president has not mentioned any initiatives for dealing with the issue of gender inequality (Pascall and Sirin 181). Thus, it is only possible to move forward if the society reconciles its past with the present so that women can become equal partners. Absence of plans, as well as initiatives for the future, implies that the society will still carry on with the Confucianism ideologies that encourage gender inequality. Conclusion In summary, the Korean situation is a classic example of a society trying to come out of the unpopular traditional norms and beliefs. Introduction of Confucianism ideology changed the roles of women in the Korean society. In this case, the family became the unit that defines relationships in the society (Sung 342). However, the approach focused on ranking of roles thus giving women inferior ranks. Due to the adoption of Confucianism, women have been facing all manner of inequality in areas like education, employment, family roles, and even marriage. Conversely, modernity came with changes, and some practices would not be tolerable. The government and other lobby groups advocated changes that would see improvement of the status of women in the society. Despite the changes, gender inequality and discrimination against women are still at large in South Korea. Yes, the society has changed its perception about women, but the country still has a lot to do with a society whose behaviors has been over time shaped by the Confucian ideologies. Works Cited Heo, Uk, and Sung Deuk Hahm. "Political Culture and Democratic Consolidation in South Korea." Asian Survey 54.5 (2014): 918-940. Pascall, Gillian, and Sirin Sung. "Conclusion: Confucianism or Gender Equality?." Gender and Welfare States in East Asia: Confucianism Or Gender Equality? (2014): 181. Patterson, Louise, and Brandon, Walcutt. "Explanations for continued gender discrimination in South Korean workplaces." Asia Pacific Business Review 20.1 (2014): 18-41. Sung, Sirin. "Women reconciling paid and unpaid work in a Confucian welfare state: The case of South Korea." Social policy & administration 37.4 (2003): 342-360. Read More