East Asia and Western Europe roles of women shift during the periods of 1750-1900
Sharon Wong Pd. 3
AP World 2/8/15
In the period of 1750-1900, the role of women in East Asia and Western Europe began to shift. Traditionally, women were kept domestic and were expected to keep quiet; away from the affairs of men. Influenced by the modernization processes during this time period, the fight for women's rights was initiated which allowed women to play an increasingly greater role in shaping politics. In both regions, women were to look appealing for men, and were never truly seen as being "equal" to the male. The two regions were different in which Western European women were more involved in, and successful in acquiring rights than East Asian women. In both East Asia and Western Europe, women were urged to appeal to men. Foot binding in China was used to symbolize the high status of the woman, while peasants needed their feet to perform hard labor and work the fields. Binding the feet also created a sexual appeal because it was considered beautiful, elegant, and the swaying motion of the woman's body while she walked was considered highly attractive. By crippling a woman's feet in the process, this prevented women from having a greater effect on society, and bounded them to their homes. In a way, it was telling them to just sit there and look pretty. In Japan, some women gained status and fame as geishas. Although they were not valued as sex objects like prostitutes, the white paint on their faces and the symbol on the back of their necks were viewed as beautiful and erotic. During the period of the second industrial revolution, the development of a new social structure emerged. The new structure recognized the rights of all people to education, health assistance, and quality living conditions. Women began to hold more jobs as well. The nursing profession was created. Florence Nightingale introduced hygiene and reforms which revolutionized the nursing profession. Many women started to work in factories and took on what was
AP World 2/8/15
In the period of 1750-1900, the role of women in East Asia and Western Europe began to shift. Traditionally, women were kept domestic and were expected to keep quiet; away from the affairs of men. Influenced by the modernization processes during this time period, the fight for women's rights was initiated which allowed women to play an increasingly greater role in shaping politics. In both regions, women were to look appealing for men, and were never truly seen as being "equal" to the male. The two regions were different in which Western European women were more involved in, and successful in acquiring rights than East Asian women. In both East Asia and Western Europe, women were urged to appeal to men. Foot binding in China was used to symbolize the high status of the woman, while peasants needed their feet to perform hard labor and work the fields. Binding the feet also created a sexual appeal because it was considered beautiful, elegant, and the swaying motion of the woman's body while she walked was considered highly attractive. By crippling a woman's feet in the process, this prevented women from having a greater effect on society, and bounded them to their homes. In a way, it was telling them to just sit there and look pretty. In Japan, some women gained status and fame as geishas. Although they were not valued as sex objects like prostitutes, the white paint on their faces and the symbol on the back of their necks were viewed as beautiful and erotic. During the period of the second industrial revolution, the development of a new social structure emerged. The new structure recognized the rights of all people to education, health assistance, and quality living conditions. Women began to hold more jobs as well. The nursing profession was created. Florence Nightingale introduced hygiene and reforms which revolutionized the nursing profession. Many women started to work in factories and took on what was