Although separated by geography and distinct in experience, both European and Chinese civilizations formed a patriarchal structure. These patriarchal structures, however, were shaped by different societal values that were established over the process of building civilizations.
Although each European country had a distinct culture, Europe, as a whole, had a similar social structure due to the way European countries built their empire. The process of building the
Chinese and European empires shaped the patriarchal standards imposed on women in different manners. In building the Chinese and European empires, Christianity and Confucianism laid the foundation of each civilization’s social ideology. Europe’s division into smaller states and countries breeded competition for greater wealth and power while China’s large and unstable empire sought
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In the Analects, it is written that “They are few who, being filial and fraternal, are fond of offending against their superiors. There have been none, who, not liking to offend against their superiors, have been fond of stirring up confusion.” Confucianism enabled the government to demand complete 8 obedience from its officials and citizens. This allowed the Chinese empire to seek complete unification of their empire. Due to the utilization of Christianity and Confucianism in building European and Chinese empires, European societies centered on religious purity and China’s society focused on moral purity. European settlements in new areas formed new defining social constructs of race and religion. Religion was perceived to be inherited and European fathers even feared that their children may be tainted with seemingly horrendous ideas by drinking the breast milk of a wet nurse that had a different denomination. This fear shows European societies’ obsession with religious purity and the dominance and importance of religion in their social group. The