Marriage and Gender Standards in Tokugawa Japan: Comparative Analysis with Early Modern Europe, Colonial America, and China
Overview
This essay compares marriage standards and women's legal rights in early 17th century Tokugawa Japan with those in France, Colonial America, and China. The paper examines how Japanese women enjoyed more equal legal and economic status compared to their European and American counterparts, while analyzing the role of marriage in property distribution, social status, and gender roles across these diverse societies.
What this essay covers
- Introduction comparing marriage and standards in 17th century Japan, France, Colonial America, and China
- Analysis of women's legal rights and economic conditions in Japan versus European marriage regulations
- Discussion of women's property rights, education, and social roles in Colonial America with reference to Quaker women
- Examination of marriage as political instrument in China and its role in patrilineal inheritance and dowry systems
- Comparative overview of women's agency and status across all four societies
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Assignment- Life in Tokugawa Japan
The marriage and standards in early 17th century compare to standards in Europe, Colonial America, and in China. For example, Hardwick (164) explains that in the early 17th century, French marriages were primarily subjects of state scrutiny, and legislation implemented in the 1560s. During the time, Japan women had Japan women and men had equal legal rights, and their economic condition did not change. In France, women had equal opportunities to men because they asserted their ability to protect themselves (Hardwick). However, men feared that they could not protect themselves from creditors, and therefore salvaged their reputations by voicing their opposition. Besides, the status of women in Colonial America varied greatly among diverse racial groups.
In the United States, women were granted more control over the property. For instance, women-owned items and clothes and were allowed to learn how to read and write (Cornell). In most cases, women were allowed to attend reading lessons to be able to read the Bible effectively. However, they were not taught how to write, and they were required to be submissive to their parents until they were married, whereby they were expected to remain submissive to their husbands. Conversely, marriage in China was involved in the manipulation and political power exercise (Wright). According to Wright, in China, a higher percentage of the family estate was based on patrilineal descendants. Therefore, some properties would still be diverted to women as dowries.