Role of gender in china in the stages of infancy and adolescense - Essay Example

Role of Gender in China in the Stages of Infancy and Adolescence [The of the will appear here] [The of the will appear here]Role of Gender in China in the Stages of Infancy and AdolescenceThe Chinese society, despite strong western influences, is much like most Eastern societies. Eastern societies till date have different conceptions of the role of both genders in the society. Boys are still given preference over girls since birth. Since their birth, women in the Chinese society are expected to be feminine.

Strong personalities in females are not preferred. Boys generally enjoy an advantage over girls in the form of education, attention, love etc. As girls gain age, they are expected to conform to the wishes to their male caregiver. In their early days, their father or their brothers have the upper hand; and when they marry, their husband is given the upper hand. Women who oppose their caregivers are looked down up in the Chinese society. The responsibility of the family’s well-being rests on the shoulders of the man.

While girls are expected to help their mothers in the household chores, boys mingle more with their fathers or with people of the same gender. Gender in the Chinese society has also been likened to the dichotomy of yin and yang. Yin represents the woman who is expected to be soft, feminine, yielding, receptive, giving etc. Yang, on the other hand, represents males who are expected to be strong, hard and assertive. Both the genders are expected to conform to these personality traits.The Chinese society does not like to see women in powerful positions.

As girls reach the age of puberty, they are expected to develop an interest in marriage and motherhood. Boys, on the other hand, should start taking responsibility of their lives and those who are put under their care. While these views may be changing with time but it is difficult to break many traditions and beliefs that have been around in the culture for centuries.