EA 170 Week 1a Outline I. Marriage Politics in Heian Japan A. Numbers 1. Heian aristocracy involves about 5000 people out of 175,000 in Kyoto, 5 million in the entire Japanese archipelago (i.e. perhaps .001% of the population of Japan at the time) B. Social Ranking System divided into EIGHT ranks: 1-3: HIGH NOBILITY: Top three ranks of government officials a. divided into junior and senior divisions 4-5: ATTENDANT NOBILITY: fourth and fifth rank, level of provincial governors and ladies-in-waiting a. divided into four divisions each rank (upper senior, lower senior, upper junior, lower 6-8: LESSER NOBILITY: sixth, seventh and eighth rank are basically servants (nurses, C. Marriage politics played by the Northern Branch of the Fujiwara family (click here) Fujiwara Minister takes rank of Regent (sesshô) to an infant Emperor; when the Emperor becomes an adult (13-14), the minister takes rank of Chancellor (kanpaku). But he then often forces Emperor to abidicate after Emperor produces a new Crown Prince so Fujiwara Minister can take the more powerful position of Regent again. D. Questions to consider:1. Why is the marriage system of POLYGYNY necessary to this system? 2. What are the obvious (to us) problems that might develop over time? 3. What role do women play in this system? Are they valuable? 4. Why did this system allow for so many “literary” women of the 4th and 5th ranks? 5. What was the economic and political effect of this system on women? 6. What was the emotional effect? 7. What was the effect on ideals of masculinity? II. William McCullough Article on Marriage in the Heian Period CLASS DISCUSSION: A. What is McCullough's basic argument? B. Discussion: Heian versus American/Contemporary forms of marriage 1. What is McCullough's basic definition of marriage (for marriage anywhere)? a. b. c. 2. What would you consider to be the basic necessary components of "marriage" in the United States? a. b. c. d. e. 3. How are Heian period marriages the same or different from American marriages? a. b. c. d. e. f. Would you call them “marriages”? Why or why not? LECTURE: C. Marriage residence patterns in Heian Japan 1. What are the four basic marriage residence patterns? (p. 105) a. virilocal b. uxorilocal c. neolocal d. duolocal 2. Which marriage residence pattern wasn't practiced in Heian Japan aristocratic society? a. b. Is this surprising to you? 3. What was the most common marriage pattern for main marriages? a. 4. What was the second most common pattern, used most often for second marriages? a. b. What "literary persona" does this pattern create? 5. In what two situations was the NEOLOCAL pattern used? a. b. c. Why was the Neolocal pattern of the husband providing a house considered romantic and frequently used in literature? (eg. p. 114) p. 114. "Poor girls and girls without proper families were probably never in a position to receive aristocratic families in uxorilocal or duolocal marriages, since a girl of this sort either would not have a house where the marriage could take place-- presumably a frequent case among orphaned girls -- or the house would not be grand enough for a high-ranking courtier to reside in or visit as a husband." 6. REMINDER: In analyzing a relationship, always consider the relative class (= political power) and socio-economic status of the man and woman. a. REVIEW: Three kinds of women you could marry: b. Which type is most vulnerably economically? Which most emotionally? 7. DIVORCE: How did you get divorced? Why was it so easy? D. Why did people get married? (McCullough, pp. 124-27) DISCUSSION: 1. Why did men get married? a. b. c. 2. Why did women get married? a. b. c. D. Reasons for relationships change depending on economic background and social status 1. Eg. How were relationships of ladies-in-waiting (nyôbô) different? a. Ranking b. Marriage status c. Relative freedom
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