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Gender Roles In South Korea

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Confronting the Confucian Patriarchal Society in South Korea Through Religion

Women should be in the kitchen and to stay at home. A saying like this is not new, and though it may be considered to be sexist in the United States today that is not necessarily the case for other countries and older time periods. In fact, there are women in South Korea as far back as the late 1900’s who have been forced by their husbands and cultural gender roles to do just that. Korean women have been put under a lot of pressure to marry, bear sons, and support their family from home in what may be a brand new environment(Kendall 34). With no time for oneself, these women turn to an unexpected place for solace and self-expression - religion. This is especially …show more content…

It should be no surprise that since this is considered a woman’s tradition, most of the mansin are women. Regardless, male mansin are more highly regarded, and they wear female clothing(Kendall 33). Why a man would become a mansin is slightly unusual, but there are benefits in the job, and he may not always have a choice as is the case for many of the women. But it is more that they wear female clothing, all the way down to the undergarments that is surprising. For such a patriarchal society, one would assume that male clothing be preferred. It goes directly against the gender roles, and his family might even feel the need to disown him should he be a disgrace for embracing something completely feminine. A man was believed to value filial piety and Confucian traditions, but to believe, practice and yet alone lead the “superstitious” beliefs would be outrageous for a man of the …show more content…

Regardless, women have found their own ways to fight the status quo. Religion, as it is unique to each individual, is an inventive way for women to push against the social norms and find necessary solace for themselves whether it be through spiritual possession or small cell group meetings. Both Shamanistic and Evangelical practices serve as an outlet for suppressed women in the shadow of the Confucian patriarchal society helping to ease the stress of marital and family life even if the slightest

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