Women in South Koreas and it Impact on the Family

Family Law Reform

Briefly describe major features of women's roles and positions in Confucian patriarchal and patrilineal family.

The Confucian patriarchal and patrilineal family had very limited roles for women. This occurred with them serving as second class citizens when it comes to their inheritance and overall place in the family. In other words, the male family members were first in line for power, authority, influence and assets. If something happened to them, is the when women would receive property and play a greater role. In many cases, they were less influential in their ritual responsibilities when it comes to their ancestors. Inside the kin group, they were subservient to males. This meant that they were not educated and served as the nurturer for raising the lineal heirs. While at the same time, they were expected to remain silent in public and perform various duties around the house. (Shin, 2006) This is showing the limited role women played in these areas.

Summarize the major points of three competing discourses on the family law reform during the early postcolonial period (1948-58).

In the early postcolonial period, there were conflicting views about the role of women in society and the family. Many conservatives, supported the larger traditions of women remaining subservient are important in maintaining the family structure. According to Shin (2006), they wanted to sustain this model and adapt it in order to create a new Korean state. Evidence of this can be seen with him saying, "The state wanted to preserve most of the rules that governed family during the colonial period, on the grounds that they harmonized the symbolic function of ancestor veneration with the actual function of family as a modern economic unit. However, for the state, the development of capitalism was the most pressing need. Respect for tradition did not fit into this vision of the capitalist modern nation, and tradition therefore had to be strategically and selectively employed to support the Korean state's needs for economic modernization." (Shin, 2006) This is showing how conservatives believed in creating a family structure that was integrated with the needs of the Korean state.

The government was focused on supporting the ideas of liberalism to a certain extent. While at the same time, they could maintain a hierarchy within the family structure. As a result, the men were seen as the bread winners and are most important individuals in the family. This meant that their son's would receive double the inheritance of the daughter from this role. (Shin, 2006)

Women's groups believed in having equality for all. This requires abandoning the traditional views of them in the family and society. At the same time, they pointed out how the Constitution allowed them to have an opinion. This means that they were challenging traditional roles, by showing their importance and how they can create a more diverse society. (Shin, 2006)

How did each of three parties present the proposals for family law in response to the new era of authoritarian regime and economic development (modernization)?