Western missionarys impact on girls education in China.docx
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Western missionarys impact on girls education in China.docx
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WesternmissionarysimpactongirlseducationinChina
Femalemissionary’sinfluenceongirl’seducationinChina
Introduction
MissionariesbroughtabroadmandatetoChinainthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies.TheydisseminatedWesternconcepts,science,institutions,technologiesandproductsintoChina.TheyposedhugeimpactonChina,sinceChinawasundergoinggreatchangefromtraditiontomodernityatthattime.Therolemissionariesplayedinthistransformationprocessisatopic,whichdeservesandattractsmuchattention.MissionarywomenwenttoChinatopreachtheGospel.TheywouldneverhaveimaginedthehugeinfluencetheyposedontransformingChineseeducationandsociety,especiallyforChinesegirls.Thispaperisgoingtoexaminefemalemissionary’sinfluenceongirls’educationtoproveitssignificanceinChina’sfemaleeducationdevelopment.
1.Thebackground
(a)MissionaryinChina
BeforetheOpiumWar,theQinggovernmentsetstrictrestrictionsonmissionaryactivities.However,missionarypreachingstillexistedinChina.Fornearly200yearsfrom1800tothe1990s,therewereabout50,000missionariesinChinaandtwo-thirdsofthemwerewomen.Fromearlynineteenthcentury,missionariesbegantocometoChina.However,itwasnotuntiltheratificationoftheTreatyofTientsin,whichforcedChinatoopenuptotheoutsideworldaftertheOpiumWar,werelargesumofmissionariespouringintoChina.Inaddition,theTreatyofTientsinallowedmissionariestopreachtheGospelandtoattractconvertsinChina.Asaresult,moreandmoremissionariesareattractedbytheluringconditionsandarrivedinChinaand,attheheightofmissionaryinfluenceinthe1920s,about6,500missionarieslivedinChina.
(b)ThestatusofwomeninChina
Attheturnofthecentury,Chinesewomen’ssituationwasverytroublesomebothpsychologicallyandphysically.Psychologically,ChinesewomenwereflounderinggrievouslyinthemoralshacklesoftraditionalChineseculture,especiallyConfucianthought.AccordingtoConfucianism,awomanshoulddevoteherselftothreemales;first,shedevotedherselftoherfatherbeforemarriage.Then,shedevotedherselftoherhusbandaftermarriage,andlastly,shedevotedherselftohersonduringwidowhood.InQingdynasty,womenlivedinahighlypatriarchalsocietyanddependedtheirwholelivesonmen.Inaddition,Confucianismrequireswomentokeepdistancewithstrangemenexceptforrelativesandhusbands.ThisdoctrinelockedChinesewomenintheirisolatedfamilymostoftheirlives,especiallyinupper-classsociety.EvenmalemissionariesanddoctorscouldnotcontactChinesewomen.Intermsofeducation,Confucianismupholdsthat“ttisavirtueforawomantoremainignorant”.AffectedbysuchclichécoupledwiththeincapabilityofmostChinesefamiliestoaffordtopayforeducationbeyondthebrightestofthemalechildren,almostnoschoolspecificallytargetingwomeneverexistedinChinaandmostoftheChinesewomenremainedilliteratetheirwholelives.
Physically,duetothelowproductivity,Chinesepeasantsatthattimedidnothavemanyresourcesinreserveespeciallywhendisastersbefallthem.Womenwereevenmorevulnerablesincethealternativeswereparticularlyfew.Thepainfultraditionoffootbindingeliminatedtheirabilitytowork.FootbindingwasanundesirablecustomthathadlastedformorethanonethousandyearsinChina.InChina,smallfeetwereregardedasasignofbeauty.Amongruralfarmwomen,theanthropologistMargeryWolfhaswritten,suicidewas“notexotic”but“apartoftheirrepertoireofthreats,aconceivablecourseofaction,andforsomethepatheticfinaleoftheirexistence.”Desperatesocialandeconomiccircumstancesmighthaveencouragedawomantoconsider“theChristdoctrine”asanalternativetomoreconclusiveaction.
ThemissionariesweretroubledbytheunbearablecircumstancesofChinesewomen.Theyviewedfootbindingasanactofoppressiontowardwomen.Anarticleof“ChineseCharacter”,publishingintheProtestantMissionaryJournal,mentionedthat,ConfucianphilosophyhasdoneitsbesttounfitaChineseforthepossessionofsuchaheritage,byassigningtowomannothingbuttheprivilegeofdrudgingforherlord.Chinesewomenlivedisolatedfromsocietyanddominatedbymen.However,themissionariesalsorealizedthattheycouldnotchallengeChineseculturaltraditionsheadon.Onefemalemissionarywrote:
Inthebackgroundwesawamostwretchedobjectintheshapeofadaughter-in-law—Imeanoneofthosewretchedcreatureswhoareengagedwhenbabies,andwhocometoliveintheirfuturehusband’shouse.Ineversawanythingsowretchedasshewas—never.Youwouldn’tbelievethatpeoplewithheartscouldallowagirlasillasshelookedtoworkandgoabout.Herfacewasasortofgreencolor,withanexpressionofutterlyhopelessmiseryonit;hertinyboundfeetlookedlargewhencomparedwiththethinnessoftheskinthatappearedabovethemthroughherbatteredclothes.Sheisdying,Iamsure.Theyallknowit,too,quitewell,andsaythattheyaregoingtowaittillshedies,andthengetanothergirlfortheman.Isn’titdreadful?
2.Femalemissionary’spromotionofgirls’educationinChina
(a)TheMotiveofpromotinggirls’education
FacingsuchmiserablesituationofwomeninChina,themissionariesdecidedtopromoteeducationforgirlstoimprovetheirsituation.Thedirectmotiveformissionaries’promotionofgirls’educationinChinawastoconvertingwomendirectlythrougheducation.Althoughattheverybeginning,therehadbeenworriesamongmissionariesthatmissionschoolswoulddistractresourcesandfocusfrommissionaries‟evangelicalwork,butthisfeardisappearedoncemissionariesbegantakingschoolsasawaytoreachtheimpressionableyouthofChinaespeciallythefemale.Ontheonehand,theoverwhelmingmajorityofthefemalestudentswillbeconvertedoncetheyenteredtheschool.Afterbeeneducatedatschool,thegirlscanreadthepamphletsandmagazinesdispatchedbychurches,whichcontributesalottothepreachingofChristianity.Afterbeingconverted,thegirlswillnaturallypassthelegacyofthereligiontotheiroffspringaccordingtotherulesofChristianity,whichwillfurtherreinforcetheteamofChristianinturn.Ontheotherhand,thesechildrencouldgraduallyaffecttheirparents’viewsofChristianityandultimatelyfreewomenfromtherepressiveshacklesofChinesetraditionalculture.Inthearticleof“Woman‟sWorkforWoman”theauthorstatesthateducating“theirchildrencommandstheirrespectandIthinkinmanycasestheirgratitude….Muchofthelessontaughtduringthedayistakenhomeandtalkedof,sothatthereisnosuchutterignoranceofourdoctrineasamongthosewhohavehadnocontactwithus.”Drivenbysuchmotives,themissionarieshopedthattheChinesewouldfeelgratitude,andthus,theywouldconsequentlysupportotherinitiativesofthemissionaries.
(b).Progressofthegirls’education
Fromtheperspectiveoftargetedgroup,themissionariesstartedtheireducationinitiativewiththemostvulnerablegroupinChina—thelowerclassChinesegirlsinruralareas.Thereasonsweresimple.Firstandforemost,mostofthelowerclassChinesegirlslackedmaterialresources.MissionariesfedthepoorandgaveapoorChineseaccesstofood.Suchkindsofconvertswerecalled“RiceChristians.”Secondly,thepoorgirlsinruralareasfeltattractedtoChristianity’smiraculouspowers.Thedisadvantagedpeopleweremorevulnerableandinclinedtoseekspiritualsupportcomparedtoothergroups.SincetheChinesewomenhadfewrightswithinChinesesociety,itmakessensethattheywouldbeattractedtoChristianity.Later,anothergroup,thewesterntreaty-portpopulation,demonstratedanincreasedinterestinChristianityandinmissionschoolingin1890s.Asaresult,missionsrushedtoaccommodatethedaughtersofthisbusinesselitebyestablishingschoolofferingEnglishinstructionandmusiclessons.Inaccordancewithnewopportunities,themissionschoolsystemwasshiftingitsemphasissubsidizingthepoortoreceiveeducationinthescripturestocateringtotherichbyofferingcoursesinEnglish.
Also,themissionaryeducationwasdevelopedatanunprecedentedrate.AnEnglishmissionarywomanopenedthefirstschoolforgirlsin1844,inNingbo.MethodistsandAnglicansopenedinGutianaseriesofelementaryschools,withboardingschoolsforbothgirlsandboysbetween1887and1893.In1923,onlytheMethodistshad42girls’schools,with43teachersand574students.TheProtestantschoolsweretheonlywayforwomentoachievehighereducationinGutianupuntilthe1940s(ofthe162whowerelistedin1942aspursuinghighereducation,157hadgraduatedfromProtestantschools,including40womenwhograduatedfromuniversities,Chineseorforeign).Accordingtostatistics,in1869,therewere576girlsenlistedinChristiangirls’schools.In1877,thenumberofstudentsroseto1307.In1905,therewere7168girlsstudyinginProtestianprimaryschoolsand2761inmiddleschools.Atthebeginningoftwentiethcentury,themissionaryeducationforgirlsdevelopedevenfasterthanboys.From1907-1919,theschoolforboysexpandedattherateof142%,whiletherateforgirls’schoolswas221%.
Inaddition,thescopeofeducationforgirlswasbroadened.ThemissionaryeducationforgirlswasguidedbytheWesterneducationalthoughtsandprinciples,whichemphasizedalotondemocracy,freedom,independenceandequality.ThemissionarycoursesforChinesegirlscanbemainlydividedintothreecategories,namelythereligion,naturalscienceandtheConfucianclassics.
Manydisciplinesinhighereducationfirstappearedinmissionaryinstit
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