EA 170 Week 4b outline

Week 4b Outline

I. Intro to the changes in political structure in transitional Kamakura Period (1185-1336)

A. Basic historical point: women lost ground economically, politically and socially from the

Kamakura period onward.

B. Outline of changes in political organization of society:

HEIAN (794-1185)): aristocracy centered court society, government in Heian Kyo (now called Kyoto).

Towards the end of Heian period, decline of Fujiwara power, eventually provincial warrior family of

Taira (Heike) Kiyomori takes control of government.

KAMAKURA (1185-1336): Defeat of the Taira (Heike) family in a series of battles (the Genpei war) 1180-1185 culminates in Minamoto (Genji) family taking control of government, which is moved to Kamakura. A national network of feudal (lord-vassal) relations develops for both warrior and aristocratic families: whereas before the land was held by the power of the court, now it is held as land grants from the Kamakura military government.

MUROMACHI/MOMOYAMA (1336-1600): government is moved back to Kyoto by Ashikaga Takeuji. A series of civil wars results in a decentralized grouping of warrior families whose power base was independent and land-based.

TOKUGAWA or EDO (1600-1868): a relatively re-centralized power structure with the Tokugawa family in control in Edo (now called Tokyo)

C. How do these changes affect the social position of women?

1. How does it affect their representation?

a. Ideology = normative ways that people think about themselves and others

b. changes in ideology tend to be the result of economic and political changes

1) eg. p. 593 Confucian ideology of proper place of women in society develops in Tokugawa period

2. Effects of decline of women’s education:

3. Who is representing women now?

II. Changes in Economic Structure

A. Comparison of women's basic inheritance rights in Heian and early Kamakura:

1. Heian:

Context: marriage politics centering on control of the Emperor

1) eg. p. 600:

2. Late Kamakura, early Muromachi period:

Context: unstable political and economic conditions, warrior families struggling for power need stable land base.

a. Main goal: consolidation of family fortune:

b. Effect on women’s inheritance rights:

1) Lifetime grants:

c. Other effects:

1) Reproduction for perpetuation of lineage:

a) Marriage concept

b) Chastity; divorce (622)

2) Women stopped being "daughters"

3. How is the loss of inheritance justified?

a. Ideology follows the economics

b. Are men hurting women maliciously?

eg. p. 620 (1342)

"Women would properly inherit nothing because there is so little to begin with and because the Sôryô (head of family) has the obligation to pay taxes...but because it would be miserable not to be self-sustaining they should receive an allotment."

II. How do these economic and political changes affect gender?

A. Late Heian, early Kamakura period context: aristocratic power is put into crisis by the decline of Fujiwara family's power, and the political encroachment of provincial warrior families on the Capital.

B. Political binary becomes provincial warriors versus male aristocrats

1. role of aesthetic sensibility:

C. Result: gender instability

V. Examples from Late Heian, early Kamakura literature

A. Torikaebaya ("I wish that I could change them”; translated into English as The Changelings )

1. Basic Story and Characters: "son" becomes Middle Counselor and "daughter" becomes Lady in Waiting:

2. How are gender and biological sex perceived in this text?

3. How are gender and sexual orientation perceived?

4. How are biological sex and sexual orientaiton perceived?

B. Ariake no Wakare (Parting at Dawn)

1. Basic Story: Book 1 Character (Keene pp. ): Udaishô

2. How are gender and biological sex perceived in this text?

3. Gender and sexual orientation?

4. Biological sex and sexual orientation?

C. Wagami ni Tadoru Himegimi(The Princess In Search Of Herself)

1. Basic Story: Book 4 (Keene p. 16-21); characters: Former High Priestess of Ise, Chûjô, Kozaishô

2. How are gender and biological sex perceived in this text?

3. Gender and sexual orientation?

4. Biological sex and sexual orientation?

D. Summary:

1. Tales' attitude toward biological sex, gender and sexual orientation:

2. Tales' attitude towards politics:

III. Jealousy and Possession in Late Heian, early Kamakura tales:

A. REVIEW In a society in which women aren't allowed to express themselves directly, or have little recourse to active action, what possible function might possession have for women (both the "possessors" and "possessed")?

1. What happens when women can’t express their anger at the real culprits?

2. What kinds of women get possessed?

3. How does possession affect each type?