중국전통문화에서 본 중국고대여성의 성의식구조에 대한 고찰

Abstract

Since the clan rules formed the core of family in the traditional Chinese society, the role of women in each field defined by marriage between man and woman could only be restrictive. Especially, they had quite passive attitude toward sex and could not express it freely. The male-female relationship originating from marriage may have a great meaning for it provided a very important basis in the context of the change in women's sexual attitude in ancient traditional Chinese society. The role of woman defined among family members in the traditional society was not very important and the position was very low compared with that of man. It is a well-known fact that the authority and role of woman could not equal those of man under the restriction of the clan rule-based society. The role of married women in the social life also was not considered important, and it was only that the woman should not break away from a certain boundary defined by the principle of 'congren (attached person).' Breaking away from this boundary was considered as breaking the rules and subjected to social criticism. In other words, the married women had to stay within the boundaries of ‘neishi (internal affairs)’ and ‘sancongzhiyi (three principles women have to follow).’ However, the change in the family system and political society of ancient China also brought changes in the marriage and sexual attitude of women within the family. The male-female relationship was also considerably influenced accordingly. The fact that marriage and love life of women are the common theme in many literary historical materials of China clearly proves this. For the temperament originating from the male-female relationship is playing a large part within the boundary of important social environmental order as a part of relatively universal life that cannot be neglected or eliminated in human social life whether in the ancient times or the modern times, it shows how important the role and action of women are even in the closed and patriarchal male-oriented traditional Chinese society and also shows an aspect of the sexual attitude of women at the time as a vivid fact as it is to modern women within social, historical, and cultural phenomena of traditional China.