Good Wife, Wise Mother
Encyclopedia
Derived from an idealized traditional role for women, the ideology
of Good Wife, Wise Mother or Wise Wife, Good Mother (Japanese: 良妻賢母 ryōsai kenbo, Chinese: 賢妻良母/賢母良妻 xián qī liáng mù/xián mù liáng qī) was coined by Nakamura Masanao
in 1875.
It represented the ideal for womanhood in the East Asia
n area like Japan
, China
and Korea
in the late 1880s and early 1900s and its effects continue to the modern day. Women were expected to master such domestic skills as sewing and cooking
as well as develop the moral and intellectual skills to raise strong, intelligent sons and daughters for the sake of the nation.
Childbearing was considered a "patriotic duty", and although in Japan this philosophy declined after World War II
, feminist historians have argued it existed in Japan even as recently as the 1980s.
The view was also possibly shared by Chinese traditional views at the time, like Lu Xun
quoting the traditional view in Grave (墳, included in the compilation's first book, ISBN 7020015247): In female education, the most popular at that time is always the cry of the philosophy of Wise mother, good wife. (“在女子教育，则那时候最时行，常常听到嚷着的，是贤母良妻主义。”) and Zhu Ziqing
's Wife of the landlord (房東太太): She is a traditional wise wife, good mother; One can see the old taste of China. (“道地的贤妻良母，她是；这里可以看见中国那老味儿。”).
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
of Good Wife, Wise Mother or Wise Wife, Good Mother (Japanese: 良妻賢母 ryōsai kenbo, Chinese: 賢妻良母/賢母良妻 xián qī liáng mù/xián mù liáng qī) was coined by Nakamura Masanao
Nakamura Masanao
was a Japanese educator and leader during the Meiji period. He also went by his pen-name of Nakamura Keiu.Born to a samurai family in Edo, Nakamura was originally a Confucian scholar...
in 1875.
It represented the ideal for womanhood in the East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
n area like Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
in the late 1880s and early 1900s and its effects continue to the modern day. Women were expected to master such domestic skills as sewing and cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
as well as develop the moral and intellectual skills to raise strong, intelligent sons and daughters for the sake of the nation.
Childbearing was considered a "patriotic duty", and although in Japan this philosophy declined after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, feminist historians have argued it existed in Japan even as recently as the 1980s.
The view was also possibly shared by Chinese traditional views at the time, like Lu Xun
Lu Xun
Lu Xun or Lu Hsün , was the pen name of Zhou Shuren , one of the major Chinese writers of the 20th century. Considered by many to be the leading figure of modern Chinese literature, he wrote in baihua as well as classical Chinese...
quoting the traditional view in Grave (墳, included in the compilation's first book, ISBN 7020015247): In female education, the most popular at that time is always the cry of the philosophy of Wise mother, good wife. (“在女子教育，则那时候最时行，常常听到嚷着的，是贤母良妻主义。”) and Zhu Ziqing
Zhu Ziqing
Zhu Ziqing was a renowned Chinese poet and essayist. Zhu studied at Peking University, and during the May Fourth Movement became one of several pioneers of modernism in China during the 1920s. Zhu was a prolific writer of both prose and poetry, but is best known for essays like "Retreating...
's Wife of the landlord (房東太太): She is a traditional wise wife, good mother; One can see the old taste of China. (“道地的贤妻良母，她是；这里可以看见中国那老味儿。”).
See also
- ShōjoShojoThe term refers to manga marketed to a female audience roughly between the ages of 10-18. The name romanizes the Japanese 少女 , literally: "little female". Shōjo manga covers many subjects in a variety of narrative and graphic styles, from historical drama to science fiction — often with a strong...
- Yamato nadeshikoYamato Nadeshikois a Japanese term meaning "personification of an idealized Japanese woman", "ideal" in the historical context of the patriarchal, traditional culture of Japan...
- Women in the People's Republic of ChinaWomen in the People's Republic of ChinaSince 1949, the government of People's Republic of China has actively promoted the social, economic and political roles of women in society. While advancing progress in promoting equality among men and women, the efforts met resistance in a traditionally Neo-Confucian society of male...
- Women in JapanWomen in JapanGender has been an important principle of stratification throughout Japanese history, but the cultural elaboration of gender differences has varied over time and among different social classes. In the twelfth century , for example, women in Japan could inherit property in their own names and manage...
- Women in North KoreaWomen in North KoreaAfter the liberation from Japan in 1945, North Korea underwent several significant reforms which totally changed the social and family systems. Women were forced into prostitution for the Japanese troops, a practice continued by Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Because of the harsh conditions like...
- Women in South KoreaWomen in South KoreaWomen in South Korea have experienced great social change in recent years following the miracle on the Han River, the country's rapid economic growth under the capitalist dictator Pak Chung-hee, and resultant increases in women's education and rights...
Further reading
- 小山静子、『良妻賢母という規範』、東京：勁草書房、1991.
- 小山静子、『家庭の生成と女性の国民化』、東京：勁草書房、1999.
- Making Village Women into "Good Wives and Wise Mothers" in Prewar Japan