Ways of the World

In Chapter 8 in the Women in the Song Dynasty section, it was interesting to learn about foot binding. The book stated that this was the most compelling expression of a tightening patriarchy. Apparently beginning among dancers and courtesans in the tenth or eleventh century C.E., this practice involved the tight wrapping of young girls’ feet, usually breaking the bones of the foot and causing intense pain. During and after the Song dynasty, foot binding spread widely among the elite families and later became even more widespread in Chinese Society (Strayer 371). After reading about foot binding, I just thought it was a terrible thing all together. I see that foot binding was associated with new images of female beauty and eroticism but if it involves torturing yourself than it should not be worth it. I agree with the mothers who imposed this painful procedure at the time because I do not believe. For many women in this era it became a rite of passage and source of ...

I found the Confucian Answer to China’s disorder interesting because it drew on some good points. There approach to the China’s problem was different from the Legalists, who focused on laws and punishments. The Confucian answer focused on the moral example of superiors to restore social harmony. The text states, for Confucius, human society consisted of primarily of unequal relationships: the father was superior to the son; the husband to the wife; the older brother to the younger brother; and, of course, the ruler to the subject (Strayer 170). Confucius believes that if the superior party behaved with sincerity, benevolence and genuine concern for others, then the inferior party would be motivated to respond with deference and obedience. Once this is achieved, then harmony would prevail. This whole concept of unequal relationships is interesting because we still see it in parts of the world today. For example, fathers who work and provide for their families are considered “bread winn...

I found the section of Hierarchies of Class interesting because the text stated that this transition represented one of the major turning points in the social history of humankind. The First Civilizations paved the way for the erosion of equality and for them it became to be normal and natural. The upper class people had the finest of everything and were distinguished by the clothes they wore. It was interesting to know that in Mesopotamia, the punishments prescribed in the famous Code of Hammurabi depended on social status. If a commoner struck a person of equal rank, he or she had to pay a small fine. This to me seems to be like the laws we have in place today. If you commit a crime against another person, assault, for example, we would be punished and the punishment would depend on the severeness of the crime. However, in the First Civilizations, if a commoner struck a man who is his superior, he shall receive 60 strokes with an oxtail whip in public. I found this to be a very hars...