Revise essay. east asia and gender essay

Korean Gender Roles in the Modern Era: Two Different Paths toward Modernity

This essay is focus on the happenings that took place between the years 1880 to 1940. I will also be speaking about the country of Korea and how feminism was able to seize. I believe that it was not easy for the women to come out as strong and intelligent as they did especially after the colonization as well as the main gender stereotypes that were there in Korea and the traditions that the people they are embraced. Moreover, the neo-Confucian society in Korea also permitted and dictated that the norms that affected the manhood positively were divided into staged of the class lines. The Korean tradition that allowed people to fight for prowess was allowed as a musicality pattern as a pre-modern society for the commoners. In that case, I would want to state that in Korea, the women fought for their rights as much as they could through education and religion as modernization had started to set in (Tikhonov, 1034). (This introductory paragraph contains a lot of useful information, but it is still a bit unclear what is your thesis. Is the main focus of your essay the contrasting paths taken by Korean men and women toward a modern lifestyle? And if so, then is your thesis that Korean men were able to build upon tradition in their quest for modernity, but that Korean women had to reject tradition completely, and instead reach modernity through Western education and religion? )

First, the women in Korea were inspired by the Christian ways that came along during the late 1800s. For instance, several publications that were made by missionaries usually gave examples of the novel ways that the women who were identified as “oriental” had begun to live after they were transformed by Christians to begin living with regards to Christianity. Moreover, most of them were lucky to acquire sponsorships that allowed them to go and study abroad (Choi, 145). After their studies, they would travel back to Korea, and there they would become the leaders since the sense of hem being educated drew a lot of attention towards them. In addition to this, the women were also transformed into Christians who was crucial for the proliferation of the communities that believe in Christianity it was believed during those times that no nation could become a Christian without a Christian mother; therefore, nurturing the women to become leaders was imperative (Tikhonov, 1035). (Also, the fact that European countries were Christian was also impressed Koreans, in that in seemed to suggest that Christianity was a key part of being a modern nation. )

The Korean mission was able to produce multiple Christian women leaders who were also well educated as well as under good guidance (Choi, 148). These women left important footprints through their mission work mission schools as well as various large and small scale Institutions that belonged to Christians. They aimed to spread both the good news as well as impart spiritual growth to their members who were mostly women. They also very and deeply engaged themselves in activities that involved impacting social enlightenment by providing the learners with literacy education and training. The children and women were mostly affected in rural areas. These groups together with the organizations and institutions played a very significant role for the New Women to learn their skills in leadership, solidarity strengthening, and also reaching out to other women.

A good example of a woman that passed through this was “Grace Sufficient”: Kim Hwal-lan. Kim Hwal-lan lived through1899 t0 1970 and represented Ewha and YWCA via her leadership of some institutions, ideas that are symbolized as Christian womanhood as well as demonstrated the outcomes that are related to Christian desired in Korea. She went ahead to become one of the most influential leaders in the twentieth century of Korea. This was reflected mostly in the education sector, however, she was also known for being mostly controversial woman intellectual since she ended up in collaboration with their neighbors the Japanese colonial power in the Second World War. She was also able to leave a vital mark on the YWCA of Korea, which was the first women’s organization (Choi, page 149-150).

The other feminine that lived in Korea and made a difference because of her education and religious beliefs was Pahk Unduk (1896-1980). She was a woman hat represented the ones that could succinctly capture the turbulent transition from the novel womanhood that was being recognized in Korea. She believed in Christianity and that means that she was like an ambassador for ethics as well as modern yearnings which are very secure. When she was at Ewha, she created a great reputation for herself (Choi, 157). This is because she was recognized as the best and fluent English speaker, music talented, and every attractive physically. Her capabilities to speak in front of people gave her and other women the morale to keep on going even as they started to modernize and have the rights that they so deserve.

In conclusion, I would like to state that the lives of people normally change, as if they 1were meant to be like that even before they happen. In the lives of the women that I have talked about, we have seen that it is only the presence of physical distractors that make things not work as they should. Women have always deserved better in this life but the men have always ruled over them, despite their need for humility and submission. To wrap it all up, I would like to also say that the two factors that I spoke of before; religion and education have been of great relevance when it comes to women empowerment in Korea during the period of 1880 up to 1940. Therefore, the work of women change significantly as they became more aware and powerful and the men still above them but respected them and did their responsibilities as required. (Your conclusion does not fully match your introduction. There, it seemed you were going to contrast the ways in which Korean men and women changed during the modern era. However, your body and conclusion only mention women. I suggest you either add a new paragraph in the body talking about Korean men, and how they built upon some native traditions in their path to become modern and to contrast them with Korean women.)

References

Choi H. (2009). New Women, Old Ways: Seoul-California Series in Korean Studies. Gender and Mission Encounters in Korea, 1, 145-147

Tikhonov V. (2007). Masculinizing the Nation: Gender Ideologies in Traditional Korea and in the 1890s-1900s Korean Enlightenment Discourse. The Journal of Asian Studies,, 66, 1029-1065