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The topics of gamily and gender are among the most controversial in China. The country’s past one child policy has been widely criticized for leading to instances of gender imbalance. This is evident in the fact that the male population is significantly larger than the female population. The gender disparity is as a result of society favoring male children over female children and as a result a section of families chose to abort female fetuses (Li 2004).
Even though China has adopted a number of Western influences over the years, traditional family values and structure remain highly regarded and hold prominent positions in Chinese societies. Both traditional and modern Chinese families have similar morals and values that have been part of Chinese society for centuries. For this project I reviewed Chinese family and gender values through the use of YouTube and other social media platforms. I will feature the url and screenshots of the Youtube video and comments and screenshots from platform that’s will be used. The paper will then provide an analysis of the video and comments used in the section reviewing how they relate with family and gender values in Chinese society.The video titled, “ Chinese Family Tradition and Culture,” by Lauren Chu provides information on basic Chinese family culture values. The video effectively describes the fundamental aspects of Chinese values and how they are reflected in gender roles of the society. Through the video, one is introduced into the basic family unit of Chinese society. It is evident that traditional Chinese family values are based on clearly defined and differentiated rights and roles for women and men (Chu 2018).
This most evident when the narrator states the responsibility of women once they wake up in the morning is to prepare breakfast for the family. The responsibilities of individuals are also based on the different age groups in which they belong. Another important aspect of Chinese culture that is reflected in the article is patrilineal descent (Hu, and Scott 2016). This is evident in the author’s discussion on importance of the bonds that exists between father and son. It is also seen in the discussion of the importance of the family name in Chinese society (Chu 2018). This entails calculating the Child’s descent from the lineage of the father.
Through the comments issued in the video one gains a lot of insight on what people think of Chinese family values. The comment below hints that there exists a difference between traditions of rich and poor families. The difference is also reflected in the video in which the author argues that traditions and values are based on social needs.
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Rich families tend to have fewer needs and as a result their traditions are centered around the minimal needs that they have, on the other hands poor families have a lot of needs and their traditions are centered on the needs (Chen et al 2016). An example of this is evident in the tradition of seeking, “ Feng Shui.” A large section of those who are rich strive to attain Feng Shui in the arrangement of their homes because they are able to afford houses that provide for elaborate floor design (Chu 2018). On the other hand most people who are categorized as poor live in cramped apartments and as a result of this they do not strive to attain Feng Shui in the arrangement of their living quarters.
The issue of gender values is effectively seen in the video, “Being born a girl in China,” by Yuqiong Li. Through the video one develops an understanding of the circumstances around the practice of gender inequality in China. It introduces the viewer into the concept of sex-selected abortion which is a form of discrimination against women in Chinese society (Li 2018). Through the practice of selective abortion, the number of men has significantly surpassed that of women leading to a disproportionate gender disposition in the society. One is also introduced to the phenomenon of early death which is largely as result of discriminatory treatment of female children. The narrator indicates that within the last century over 35,590,000 women are categorized as missing because they have died due to discriminatory practices against women in China (Li 2018).
Through an analysis of the video, it is evident that Chinese society is bias against women. This has resulted in discriminatory practices against the female gender in China. It is also evident that despite efforts to ensure gender equality in the society, the fact that most discriminatory actions stem from traditional practices makes it difficult to stem the challenge of gender inequality in the country.
Through a review of the comments in the video, it is evident that opinions regarding gender bias differ from one person to the other. From the comments, it is evident that clostsin believes gender bias has not led to the disenfranchisement of women as females (Li 2018).
This is evident in his argument that the ratio of male to female millionaires in china is greater than that of other Asian nations and as a result of this gender discrimination in the country is not so detrimental to the welfare of females. This statement is vehemently opposed by Ali A and abc who argue that the practice of discrimination against women has resulted in there being 30 million more men than women in the country (Li 2018).
Another comment by Yuchen Zhang highlights the fact that the practice of selective abortion is largely prevalent among lower income families (Li 2018). Through this statement, it is evident that a family’s social status plays a significant role in determining gender practices and values.
The challenges of gender are also reflected in the video titled, “ Gender Equality in China, Trapped in Tradition.” Through the video, one is introduced into the concept of discrimination against women in Chinese society. The video reveals that women in China are discriminated in both economic and societal fronts. The author argues that discrimination against women in the country is likely to lead to both social and economic problems for the country (Smith 2018). The fact that more than 63% of all the women in China are unemployed is quite damning to the economy as a large section of the society is left out of the work force thereby inhibiting the production capacity (Smith 2018). This is reflected in the fact that women get fewer employment opportunities than men (Lijuan 2014). The exclusion of women from China’s politics is also a major issue contributing to discrimination against women (Tian, and Klasen 2018). This is because without adequate representation policies cannot be made in support of women rights.
Chen, W., Zhang, Y., Sanders, K. and Xu, S., 2016. Family-friendly work practices and their outcomes in China: the mediating role of work-to-family enrichment and the moderating role of gender. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, pp.1-23.
Hu, Y. and Scott, J., 2016. Family and gender values in China: Generational, geographic, and gender differences. Journal of Family Issues, 37(9), pp.1267-1293.
Li, J., 2004. Gender inequality, family planning, and maternal and child care in a rural Chinese county. Social Science & Medicine, 59(4), pp.695-708.
Lijuan, W., 2014. Job placements and job shifts in China: The effects of education, family background and gender (Vol. 4). World Scientific.
Chu, L. (2018). Chinese Family Culture and Traditions Project Video.
Li, Y. (2018). Being born a girl in China.
Smith, M. (2018). Gender Equality in China, Trapped in Tradition.
Tian, X., Yu, X. and Klasen, S., 2018. Gender discrimination in China revisited: a perspective from family welfare. Journal of Chinese Economic and Business Studies, 16(1), pp.95-115.