The topic I wanted to blog about for Tuesday’s class would be the role of women and gender norms that were expected during this time. Mencius mother seemed to fit the mold for how all women were “supposed” to act and how all women saw themselves in society. They knew their role and they knew not to stray to far away from it either.
The quote from the story that portrayed this well was this:
“A woman’s duties are to cook the five grains, heat the wine, look after her parents-in-law, make clothes, and that is all! Therefore, she cultivates the skills required in the women’s quarters and has no ambition to manage affairs outside of the house.”
Here we see the strict duties that women are supposed to follow. Are they unfair? Absolutely. Are these same attitudes carried from past generations to today? In America, no, but I am unable to answer on Chinese culture’s part. These are unrealistic expectations, as women are now more equal than men, however, we do still see pay gaps and inequalities in the workforce but efforts are increasing and the norms are flipping more and more every year.