Hakka Culture and Women's Lives (Studies on Hakka Women from the 12th to the 20th Centuries)

Author: Xie Chongguang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: This book is a specialized study on the living conditions and humanistic characteristics of the Hakka women, a unique group. It provides a brief review of the academic history of Hakka women's studies, discusses the natural environment and distribution of "barbarians" in the ancient Hakka settlements up to the Tang and Song dynasties, and focuses on the evolution of Hakka women's lives under the influence of Neo-Confucian women's perspectives. It outlines the spread of Western religions in the Jiangxi-Fujian-Guangdong Hakka region and summarizes the legacy of traditional religious beliefs and marriage customs in the lives of modern Hakka women. The fundamental approach of this book is that studying Hakka women serves as an important breakthrough for deepening Hakka studies. From the perspective of ethnic integration, Hakka women better reflect the cultural traditions of southern ethnic minorities. From the perspective of the inheritance and evolution of Hakka culture, descendants learn language, accept religious beliefs, life rituals, life taboos, folk tales, and other folk cultures more from their mothers and grandmothers rather than from their fathers and grandfathers, meaning women play a greater role in ethnic cultural inheritance. Clarifying the cultural origins and characteristics of Hakka women will deepen and advance the understanding of Hakka culture.