The status of women in Korea and in

ThestatusofwomeninSouthKoreaandinJapan•张腊琴•2009162139•09SocialSecurityNO.1WomeninancientJapan•TheroleofwomeninancientJapanelicitsinconsistenciesduetodifferentinfluencesthatwereintegratedatvarioustimeperiods.theprimaryinfluencethatcontributedtotheseinconstancieswasreligion.IntegrationofthetwomajorreligionsofJapan,Shintoism（日本之神道教）andBuddhism(拂教),createdaparadoxforthefemaleidentity;alteringwomen’splaceinJapan’smatriarchalantiquitytoastateofacquiescentconfinementbythedawnoftheMeijiRestoration.•DifferentconjecturesofancientJapanesewomenwereformedindirectcorrelationtothespiritualbeliefsofthetime.Evaluatingthefeminineidentitieseducedbythesebeliefsillustratesthedrasticchangesthatoccurredforwomen.Throughliteratureandwrittenrecordsawindowtothepastiscreated,allowingmoderndayanalysisonthestatusofwomeninantiquatedJapan.•First,thesereligiondocumentsfacilitatedthediscoveryofafemininepresencethatisrenownedandworshipped.Amaterasuwasastoryaboutpreviouslypreservedbyoraltradition.•Second.Amaterasu（天照大神,太阳女神）isportrayedastheepitomeofperfectionintheShintoreligionexemplifyingintelligence,beauty,fertility,andpurity.WomeninancientJapan•Third.AstheSunGoddess,Amaterasuistheprimarykami（神道教的神）ofworship（崇拜）andherfemininequalitiesareembracedandadmired.Thismythologybasedonfemininity,createda“matriarchalantiquity（母系氏族）”inJapan.•Forth,ThemythologysurroundingAmaterasuwasnotonlythebirthoftheYamatoline,butofafeminineallurethatwoulddictateareputableattitudetowardswomenuntilthesixthcentury.•Apoemisentered:Thinkingoftheworld,Sleeveswetwithtearsaremybed-fellows.Calmlytodreamsweetdreams,hereisnonightforthat.(想想这个世界，湿袖与我同床共枕，静静的梦想甜美的梦乡，这里没有黑夜)•Thisentryillustratesthefrustrationsofherconfinement.Thesewomenwerelockedawayfromtheworld,withnothingelsetodobutthinkandimagineaworldoutsidethewallsoftheirdetainment.•Theirworkswerecooking,takecareoffamily,arrangeflowers（插花）andteaceremony(茶道)•Besides,manywomenorgirlsalsoengagedinwork.Geisha（艺妓）maid(侍女)•SowecanseethatthestatusofwomeninancientJapanisquitelow.AncientwomenTeaceremonyJapangeishaandmaidWomen’srightssituationinmodernJapan•TherearenolegalimpedimentstoJapanesewomen’sparticipationingovernmentandpolitics,buttheyareunderrepresentedinbothareas.Undertheseriouseconomicrecessionwherewomenfacesdifficultiesduetotheworseninglivingconditions.•suchastheretreatedsocialsecurityincludingmedicalandpensionsystemstheyarebecomingmorecriticalaboutpolitics.•Thisgrowingpoliticalawarenesshasmadethemactiveparticipantsinpoliticalprocessessuchaselections.Forinstance,•duringthesimultaneouslocalelectionsheldinApril1999,women.svoterateexceededthatofmeninmostoftheconstituencies,whichhadagreatinfluenceontheelectionresults.Infact,therehasbeenanincrease,albeitslow,inthenumberofwomenholdingpublicofficeinrecentyears.•Atpresent,thenumberofwomencandidatesrunningfortheelectionsandthatoftheelectedrecordedanall-timehigh;atotalof2,400womencandidateswereelectedalloverthecountry.Women’srightssituationinmodernJapan•Womenmakeup40percentofthelaborforce,andwomenbetweentheagesof15and64havealaborforceparticipationrateof51percent.•TheLaborStandardsLawforbidswagediscriminationagainstwomen.UndertherevisedEEOLaw,womenmayworkovertimeshiftsforthefirsttime.•Accordingtoa1998surveybytheManagementandCoordinationAgency,womenheld9.2percentofmanagerialpositions.OthersurveysrevealedthattheratiooffemalemanagersinJapanislessthan10percent,thelowestamongthedevelopedcountriesandlowerthaninmanydevelopingcountriesincludingthePhilippines.Women’srightssituationinmodernJapan•Evenso,Inadditiontodiscrimination,thetraditionalfemaledivisionoflaborathomeplacesdisproportionateburdensonworkingwomen,whoarestillresponsibleforalmostallchild-careandhouseholdduties.•Somereportsindicatethatsomewomenstillareforcedorvoluntaryintothesexindustry.manyothersreportedlyknowthattheywillworkinthesextrade.especiallythe“Entertainer”.suchasSoraaoi(苍井空).•Therefore,thewomeninJapanstillinverylowstatus.Japanwomen•ArrangeflowersWomenofinModernJapanWomeninSouthKorea•IntraditionalKoreansociety,womenwerelargelyconfinedtothehome.Fromayoungage,womenwererequiredtolearntheConfucian(儒家)virtuesofsubordinationandendurancetopreparefortheirfuturerolesaswifeandmother,whilebeingdeniedanyopportunitytoparticipateinactivitiesoutsidethehome.Theirrolewaslimitedtothemanagementofthelargeextendedfamilyandtheproducingofamaleheirsothatthefamilylinemightcontinueunbroken.ThepointissimilartoJapan.•The15August,1945wasnotonlyadayofnationalliberationbutalsoadayofliberationforKoreanwomen.ThesuppressionanddiscriminationsufferedundertheJapanesegavewaytoaWesterndemocraticsystemwhichprovidedwomenwithopportunitiestoenjoyamoreactiveandwidersocialparticipation.•Inthe1960sKoreansocietywasfacedwithaperiodofgreatchangefromanagriculturalsocietytoanindustrialsocietywithnationalpoliciesstressingeconomicgrowth.Theindustrializationprocesswasinitiatedbyexport-orientedmanufacturingindustries.Theselabor-intensiveindustriesflourishedexploitinglowwagelaborofyoungandunmarriedwomen.WomeninSouthKorea•The1970s,increaseinemployedwomen.Althoughwomenactivelypar