OUTLINE FOR ONLINE LECTURE 1 Week 4

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?