The Contemporary World

Topic:

Compare the Position between
male an female in traditional Chinese society and the Contemporary Hong Kong

 

Group A: 

Amy, Agnes, Anthony, Flora, Janet

 

Outline 

     Film Review

     Family Role and Emotional Orientation Minds

     Minds

     Occupation

     Social Status

     Education

     Conclusion

     Discussion

 Film Studies

 Traditional Chinese society:

       The kings of the masks(變臉)

 Contemporary Hong Kong:

       La brassiere (絕世好bra)

 

Family Role and Emotional Orientation Minds

 The family role I

 Traditional Chinese society:

 

Male is the core of the family.

Female only is an assistant.

Reasons:

 Patriarchy(父權制)

  Men Vs Women

 Male:

   Head master the family members

     Have job and education

     Money

     Teacher of the children

     Heir(繼承人)

 Female: 

     Stay at home

     Take care of the family

     No schooling or job

     No heritage (遺產) 

The family role II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

   The role of male and female are being more closed.

 Reasons:

 Impact of Western Culture

E.g. Feminist (女權制)

 

Men Vs Women

 Male:

      Share household work

 Female:

     Less or no household work

     Job

     Educated

     Have heritage

 The Emotional orientation

 Ø   Sex-outside-marriage

 Ø   Lacks of freedom-----love and marriage

 Sex-outside-marriage I

 Traditional Chinese society:

 Not allowed in the traditional china

E.g. Raise and Red lantern

Reasons: 

Ø  Violate traditional Chinese culture

Ø   Illegal in the society 

Sex-outside-marriage II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

Sex-outside-marriage become common now. 

Reasons: 

Ø   People more open-minded than before

Ø   Prevalent  

Lacks of freedom-of love and marriage I

Traditional Chinese society:

 Male-dominated society. People were lack of freedom of love

Reasons: 

Ø  Their spouses were assigned by their parents

Ø  Only get married once only, long commitment

Ø  No divorce 

Lacks of freedom-of love and marriage II

 The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

   Both men and women have freedom of love and marriage.

 E.g. City of glass 

Reasons: 

Ø  Marriage is not a life-long commitment anymore  

Minds 

The action of minds 

     Fashion and Style

     Body Shape

     Sex 

Fashion and Style I 

Traditional Chinese society:

Men and women have very little fashion and styles. Styles of clothes seldom change.

Only little women in high social status wore fashion like Qi-pao, and these Qi-pao have long straight cut which cover whole body.

Reasons: 

--Conservative

--The society focus more on women's appearance but not intelligence

 Men Vs Women 

Men:  

Straight Cutting,

Mono colour suits 

and trousers

 Women: 

      Clothes covered whole body, high collar, straight cutting, no emphasis in curve shape of female body.

      They sew and cut to make cloths themselves.

      After 40, women insulated with fashion. Just wear black and dull traditional shirts until dead. 

Fashion and Style II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

  Both cloths of men and women are more colourful. Shape cutting. Have own styles. Main target is the population, so made massive production. 

Reasons: 

--Faster pace and busy life

--Individualism

--Ability of women to consume goods increase

--Influence of media

--Fashion equal to freedom 

Men Vs Women 

Men: 

     Colourful shirts  

 Women: 

      No matter how old the women are, they always wear fashion.

      Emphasis shape of body, more open, low cutting.

      Buy from shops, seldom make by hand. E.g. U2, G2000, OPA

 Body Shape I 

Traditional Chinese Society: 

  Men must strong with physical power.

  Women only emphasize on the body shape. They were not thin and some were fat to represent "healthy and wealthy" 

Reasons: 

Masculine… 

Body Shape II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

Men are not required to be strong, some act like girls

Women like to be slim, not “S” shape. 

Reasons: 

--Youth culture from American

-- Youth still not yet finish develop their bodyà slim

-- Slim means fashion (市場年青化)  

Sex I 

Traditional Chinese society: 

--Extremely conservative,

  no sex outside marriages

--Both gender have no way

  to express their need in sex desire 

Reasons:

 --Limitation of traditional culture 

Sex II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

More open-minded, especially women. Both parts can be dominated.

Women are not controlled by men anymore, independent, can choose to have sex or not.

 Reasons: 

Introduction of contraceptive pills  

Occupation 

Occupation

Ø  Ratio of occupation opportunity 

Ø  Ratio of the working position in company 

Ø  Sexual discrimination in the employment 

Ratio of occupation opportunity I 

Traditional Chinese society:  

Occupation opportunity of female is small 

Reasons: 

Ø   Sexism--Male has greater ideological situation.                     

Ø   Systemize--Social constructed and stereotype. 

Ratio of occupation opportunity II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

The Occupation opportunity of female greatly increase. 

Reasons: 

Ø   Feminist –seeks equal rights for women

Ø  Development of economic and technology

Ø  The percentage of occupation opportunity between male and   women  

Ratio of working position in company I 

Traditional Chinese society: 

   Mostly, male has a higher working position than female.

Reasons: 

Ø   Sexual discrimination

Ø   Traditional Chinese culture, e.g. female    not well-educated.

Ratio of working position in company II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

   Female also has an opportunity to work in higher position.

Reasons: 

Ø  Feminist--more independent

Ø  Impact of Western culture 

Sexual discrimination in employment I  

Traditional Chinese society: 

The problem of sexual discrimination is very serious. 

Example: 

Ø  The type of occupation is limited to the female.

Ø  Most of the occupation is under control by the male.

Ø  The female got unfair treatment in same working position.  

Sexual discrimination in employment II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

   The problem of sexual discrimination is less than before.

Reasons: 

Ø  Feminist – more independent, the position increase

Ø   Legislation from the Government 

Conclusion on occupation I 

Ø  In past, few of women have an opportunity to work, so few of them have an opportunity to work in higher position. These situation will lead to the problem of sexual discrimination due to the lower position of the women.      

Conclusion on occupation II 

Ø  Nowadays, many women have an opportunity to work, and some of them can work in higher position. It is mainly due to the impact of Western culture to Chinese. 

v  -- Feminist

Democracy

Social Status 

Social Status I 

Traditional Chinese society: 

  Male was in high position while

  female was in low position. 

Reasons: 

--Patriarchy 

Men Vs Women 

Male: 

     Employment,

     Master of the family.

     Work in government Official

     King 

Women: 

     Bound in the house

     No education

     Only household work

     Cant enter the government Official 

Social Status II 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

Male and female are more equal. 

Reasons: 

--Sexual discrimination is illegal

Female: Education, employment

Male: No big change

Men Vs Women 

Male:

     The status does not have great change. 

Female: 

     More educated,

     Employment

     Can be Government Officer, e.g. Mrs. Rita FAN HSU Lai-tai 

Other factors…… 

     Equal Opportunities Commission

     Lee Lai-Shan 

Education 

Education I 

Traditional Chinese society: 

  Only boys go to school, Girls and women stay at home  

Reasons: 

Parents are not open-minded

“The married daughter,

just like the spilt water”  

Education II 

Traditional Chinese society: 

 Female low educated

 Only rich people can go to school

 Few girls graduate from high schools or university

 Few go overseas to study

 Consider boys first  

 Reasons: 

 Parents are still not open-minded

 Expensive

Education III 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

Both sex can go to school or go further study overseas 

Reasons: 

9 years free education

universal education 

Education IV 

The Contemporary Hong Kong: 

People more higher education, more intellectual. 

Effects:

Find jobs                 Not depend on men

Career                    Society status

Money                    Marry late

Conclusion 

The position of women nowadays is totally different from the past. 

In family: women no longer act as a pure wife or mother, they can make decision for the family, not just men. 

In society: women have equal jobs opportunities as men they can get a higher position in a company. It is mainly due to the better education that women have received                   

Discussion 

Question: 

If you have only one choice, do you prefer a baby boy or a baby girl?