Similarities Between Ming And Qing Dynasty

Society during the Ming and Qing dynasties placed patriarchal constraints on women that put them in subordinate roles, displayed evidently through the lack of education and the prescribed roles of women in families. Despite these limitations, women were able to establish their role in society through other ways. The patriarchal norms during the Ming and Qing Dynasty were largely shaped by Confucianism. Confucian ideology affected the roles of women because it heavily emphasized a hierarchical social structure. The emphasis on the importance of family reinforced male dominance and the idea that women were subordinate to men. It dictated the expectation that women were primarily viewed as wives and mothers that worked to serve their husband and

In the late Ming Dynasty and Qing Dynasty, the roles of Chinese women in the religious and cultural sphere were ever changing. Eventually, they had carved out a significant role in these areas of society, through their participation in Mazu activities. The devotion to the sea goddess Mazu created spaces for women to express their concerns, fulfill their needs, and create a space where they could dominate, even in a patriarchal society. Women and the Cult of Mazu: Goddess Worship and Women's Agency in Late Ming and Qing China by Yanchao Zhang discusses how Mazu challenged Confucian expectations: “Mazu’s choice to lead a life of austerity and renunciation challenges the Confucian value of filial piety, which is grounded firmly on a woman’s familial obligations as a good daughter, and later as a good wife and mother.” Mazu emphasized what she believed to be the true meaning of filial piety. She explained that her commitment to serving others and honoring her parents did not necessarily confine her to domestic duties. For many women at this time, Mazu served as an example of a woman who could balance societal expectations while disrupting

Communities emerged and it provided women with a platform to build networks and support systems. The activities that were held were forms of public engagement for women, as they were able to obtain religious importance. By participating in the public activities, women asserted their religious authority and leadership. While women were not completely rejecting the traditional roles they were expected to fulfill, it forced people to both challenge and rethink their roles. In his article, Zhang writes, “Women’s participation in Mazu’s public activities, such as pilgrimages and temple festivals, served as a valuable channel for them to express deep personal religious piety connected with familial and day-to-day existential concerns”. He asserts that the devotion to Mazu enabled women to have a voice and address their needs, which ultimately created more spaces for women to act upon these concerns.This evidence indicates that women did not outright challenge the Confucian patriarchy but instead found ways to navigate within it and negotiate power within this male-dominated