Continuity and Change in Family Arrangements in China. a Comparison with the Uk Family

Continuity and change in family arrangements in China. A comparison with the UK family

Student name: GuiQuan Huang (Michael)

Student’s ID number: 200779251

Tutor for this module: Lea Deborah

Module code: FC005

Programme: LS1

Date: 18 November 2010

This essay will discuss about how the status of women changed from low standing to high standing gradually between China and UK and will use three disciplines to answer this question, those are history, economy and sociology. Through this approach to explore the change in its process of development and what effects for family by this change.

The structure of family is relative with its historical background. In China, for example, in the period of Song dynasty, there was a custom about binding the foot—aiming only at female. The foot-binding, which made the foot muffled tightly by gauze and the shape of foot might become like a taper. This practice must begin from their childhood because only in their childhood can prompt the shape of the sole to be easily changed. Why this custom make women have to muffle their foot and could it be said that it is perfect of things? Levy (1966) claimed that foot-binding brought about more painful to women. It is obvious that women are much inconvenient to do anything in their lives because their feet have been changed to malformation. They would feel a large of pain to them when they moving, so, women always stay at home and look after their children.

Surprisingly, women might be despised by other people when they did not make their feet muffled. The most important reason was this concept, which have been remembered deeply in people’s mind. They thought the foot of women should be the smaller the better. On the contrary, women would be looked down upon if they have not bound their feet, actually, That is a slighting perspective of people who can not receive that has a big feet with women, so, males were not willing to getting married with them. After many years, people...