한말 여성잡지 『여자지남(女子指南)』의 여성교육론과 여성 ‘국민’ 형성

Abstract

In the early 20th century, Korean intellectuals and educators tried to acquire the justification for women's education by raising the theory of gender equality and home education. Along with the theory of gender equality and home education, what they tried to support the justification of women's education and set the ultimate educational goal was the formation of a ‘people’, civilization, and the establishment of a modern nation. The logic of forming a ‘national’ through women’s education was roughly divided into two categories. First, it was that women themselves should become part of the ‘people’ on an equal footing with men and fulfill their duties and responsibilities of establishing a modern state, and for this purpose, men and women should receive equal education. The second was that home education was important to make children, especially sons, future ‘nationals’, and that it was important to educate women as mothers who would be in charge of home education. In Yeojajinam, the formation of feminine national based on the theory of gender equality and the ‘national formation theory’ through home education were raised together to persuade the justification of women’s education. Formation of the ‘national’ insisted on by the theory of home education emphasized the role, duty and responsibility of women to form a ‘national’ through ‘motherhood’ rather than women's independence and acquisition of rights and freedoms. On the other hand, the theory of feminine national that men and women should receive equal education and fulfill their duties and responsibilities as equal ‘citizens’ had the potential to develop into a modern women's liberation movement and feminist movement by emphasizing women's independence, rights and freedom. However, there was no discussion about the social and political rights or freedoms that women can enjoy as ‘citizens’ even in the claim that men and women are equal ‘citizens’. Some female intellectuals and educators made it the goal of women's education to free themselves from men's oppression and restraint, to develop self-reliance, to acquire freedom and rights, and to become ‘citizens’ on an equal footing with men. However, in the crisis of loss of national sovereignty, women as ‘nationals’ were only required to have the duty and responsibility to achieve national civilization and prosperity and establish a modern state.