Carolinearistakessianportfolio

The subordination of women has been a universal problem in the world’s history. As mentioned in our text, women of the Song dynasty were stripped away from their freedom. This was due to the rise of the patriarchal restrictions that was accompanied by a rapid economic growth and the return of Confucianism. The perception of women was shaped by various ideas such as women being a distraction to men and therefore should be kept separate in every domain life unless otherwise summoned. Foot binding was another extreme form of tightening patriarchy, which was involved tight wrapping of young girls’ feet. This practice often resulted in breaking the bones of the foot and causing extreme pain. Foot binding is disturbing to me, but for the people of the Song dynasty it was associated with feminine beauty and had a deeper meaning. The practice of foot binding was also used as a way to distinguish elite women from commoners and peasants, which was important because it enhanced marriage pro...

Confucianism and Daoism Reading through chapter 4 about culture and religion made me think and reflect on the two most interesting school of thoughts that existed in China’s history which are Confucianism and Daoism.  It was intriguing  to see how China, being as one of the first civilizations with a tradition of state building tracing back to around 2000 B.C. E., going through legalism and several dynasties such as Zhou, Shihuangdi and Qin, searching for law and order in the midst of the chaos.  China’s answer to its problems came to reality by the birth of Confucius. Confucius, a sage (551-479 B.C.E.) was born in the state of Liu in north of China to a noble family.   He wanted to help people find answers to their problems not through laws and punishments rather by moral values and harmonious living.  Is Confucianism a religion or a philosophy one might ask?  Confucianism is often characterized as a ...

While reading through the prologue in the Ways of the World book, I was intrigued by the three Cs mentioned and the importance of them in the World History.  The change, comparison and connection were the three words that kept me thinking and trying to reflect on the change that occurred from the Paleolithic era and through the Neolithic revolution all the way to the present.  These three words are not only important and practical in the world history but can also be applied in our daily lives.  Looking back at the change in humans from the Paleolithic era of being hunters and gatherers and the revolution in agriculture and the change humans experienced in the Neolithic era is immense.  The whole world in different part of it experienced this change.  Places from Middle East, to Australia, Europe and all the way in America humans, tribes, women, men had a change in their lives.  There was a question on page lxi about "How did the lives of women change as a ...