《科技写作论文样稿》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《科技写作论文样稿（18页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、科技写作论文样稿 From a Confucian Traditionto thePostmodern World:Korean Middle-Aged Womens TraditionalRoles andModern Expectationsin aGlobalized SocietyQi Sunand SungRan ChoUniversity ofWyoming,Wyoming,USA Email:AbstractFrom aConfucian traditionto the postmodern world,informed bycritical theory,feminist pe
2、rspectives,and existingliterature,this paperidentifies andexplores perceptionsof Korean married middle-aged womens traditional roles in the globalizedsociety.It concludeswith theapplication of adult educationprinciples to the empowermentof Korean women andgender equity.KeywordsConfucianism;critical
3、theory;feminism;gender equality;Korean IntroductionDuring thelast severaldecades,Koreans havegone throughdifferent social,economic,and politicaltransitions,particularly transformationsof theeconomy andtechnologies inorder tocope with the fastpace of the worlddevelopments and to beepetitive in the gl
4、obalizedworld.Globalization andinformation technologyhave enabledWestern cultureand itsvalue systemto beincreasingly introducedand adoptedby Koreans.They havestrongly influencedKorean traditional values,including Koreans lifestyles and Korean womens roles.Deeply rootedin Confucianism,the traditional
5、Korean femalerole is that ofserving as a wife,a daughter-in-law,and amother butit appearsto beobsolete in the emergingglobal contextsof Koreansociety.These traditionalroles nolonger suitnew situations and variousdevelopments in the postmodern world.Aordingly,the expectationsfor Koreanmarried middle-
6、aged womenby the society,their family members,and evenwomen themselveshave beendramatically changed.This paperfirst,from aConfucian tradition,identifies anddescribes Korean traditional womens roles.Second,it examinesand analyzesperceptions andexpectations of Koreanmarriedmiddle-aged womens multipler
7、oles in the postmodernworld,as seenby themselves,family members,and society.Finally,it applies critical theory and feminist perspectives of adult educationas apossible wayto empowerwomen andimprove genderequality in the rapidlychanging Koreansociety.Confucian Tradition and KoreanGender RolesThe Conf
8、uciantradition startedwiththethoughts ofConfucius(551B.C.E.-479B.C.E.),who was an educator,philosopher,and politicianin thehistory ofChina,and developedas ahical systemthat governedsociety,politics,and educationin ancientChina.It hadbeen enrichedand joinedby thethoughts ofMencius(372B.C.E.-289B.C.E.
9、),Xun Zi(298B.C.E.-238B.C.E.),and otherfollowers andmerged intoConfucianism throughoutits historicalcontext(Sun,xx).Confucianism hasnot onlyinfluenced Chinaand Chineseculture,but alsomany otherAsian countriesincluding Korea.Confucianism wasintroduced toKorea in the ThreeKingdoms Period(57B.C.E-935A.
10、D.)(Lee,xx)and wasintegrated intoKorean cultureand the ideological systemthroughout historyand hasstrongly influencedKoreantraditionalvalues androles of family members(Lee,xx;Lee,Um,&Kimxx).Confucianism hasbeen thefoundation uponwhich socio-political affairsand individualethics and values werebuilt(
11、Sun,xx).Although Confuciantradition hashelped educateand cultivatepeople,its traditionalviews alsorequired thatall womenbe obedientand practicethe virtueof submission(Johnsrud,1995).Extending fromaConfucianfilial piety,five relationshipswere established:sovereign tosubject;parent tochild;husband tow
12、ife;elder toyoung sibling;and friendto friend.These relationshipshave beenuniquely appliedto ahierarchical order offamilymembers in Korea,which hasbeen historicallyvalued.Korean mentraditionally wereseen assuperior,thus father,husband,and sonare headsofafamily.They providefinancial support,make deci
13、sions,and enforcerules.Jang andMerriam (xx)pointed out,“Korean womenwere traditionallyseen asinferior to men andwere assignedto therole ofone whoprovides supportfor father,husband,and sons”(p.273).They mustfollow whatKim termedthe“three rulesof obedience”which areobedience tofather inchildhood,to hu
14、sbandafter marriage,and toson inher oldage(as citedin Soh,1993).Thus,“virtuous women”were expected to:take on the roles of wifeand motherbut haveno rightto takepart in social activities,obey herhusband andshould notget aheadof herhusband economicallyor socially,show filialpiety toparents andin-laws
15、byproducing ason for the suessionof thefamily,and prepareherself forexcellent performancein householdactivities(Park,2000).Consequently,Korean womens roles and liveshave beendominated andlimited bythis hierarchicalorderoffamily relationships.Today,living inthepostmodernworld,traditional cultureand v
16、alues are immenselychallenged byinternationalization,rapid economic,social,and politicaldevelopments,and by the speedyexpansion ofinformation technology,western culture,and globalization.These changingcontexts generatenew rolesfor Korean women thatconflict withthe traditionallydefined rolesthey haveperformed forcenturies.Social Contextsand KoreanMarried Middle-aged Womens NewRoles andSituations Modernization,industrialization,and globalizationhave respectivelycontributed to
