The Cultivation of Female Talent: Views on Women's Education in China during the Early and High Qing Periods

This article reviews the attitudes of Qing commentators on several issues concerning women's literacy, education, and upbringing for the period 1650-1800. Although there is much evidence to demonstrate that not all male scholars wanted literate mothers, wives, or daughters, many women in this e...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the economic and social history of the Orient 1995-01, Vol.38 (2), p.191-223
Main Author: Ho, Clara Wing-Chung
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
China
Education
Emperors
History
Indexing in process
Learning
Literacy
Literary criticism
Men
Mothers
Poetry
Women
Womens education
Womens studies
Writers
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Summary:This article reviews the attitudes of Qing commentators on several issues concerning women's literacy, education, and upbringing for the period 1650-1800. Although there is much evidence to demonstrate that not all male scholars wanted literate mothers, wives, or daughters, many women in this era did learn to read and write. But there was a strong emphasis on literary learning for moral refinement and the attainment of 'virtue' Female-authored poetry was regarded on the one hand, as indicative of a certain level of intellectual achievement, and on the other hand, as frivolous. In general, the Qing debate on women acquiring talent was part of a wider discussion on the interrelationship of female virtue, talent, and happiness.
ISSN:0022-4995