The Role Orientation Research On The Women Of Han Nationality In Traditional Festivals

The traditional Chinese festivals have a history of several thousand years. They are not only the important part of people's life, but also the expression of especial culture of nationality and region. Strictly speaking, everyone has their own relative role in festivals and they are living in this model. As one of the subjects in festivals life—the female, they play an important role.This paper is based on the field research in Datong, Shanxi Province, and takes the women with Han nationality in four traditional festivals as subjects of the research with participation, observation and depth interview. The paper, using the ideas of folkloristic and history, discusses the role definition, division of work in society in festivals, and reasons of the female roles'transformation. And it's also concerned about the role definition under the influence of new age's feminism. The paper would like to enrich the research in female roles of festivals and offer a perspective and point of view for further research in this area.Age is a critical reason for the derivation of roles in festivals. The female minor, "fairy" in festivals, is a guest of the banquet and symbol of the happiness of festivals. Among them, some are called "subadults" who are still considered as children, though they are adults according to the local law. They have lost their happiness as innocent children, yet have difficulty in finding their new role. Hence, they are the special people in the traditional festivals and they often lose their own position. The married women are very important in festivals and represent the division model of work "Man outside, woman inside". But at the some time, they play a trivial and humble role in festival. The older women, as "a treasure in family", are not only respected, but also they are the festival symbols and representatives.The economic model of "Men tilling the land while women weaving at home" decides the social division of labor. "Man outside, woman inside" has a wide influence to the Chinese, the female are supposed to take the responsibility of taking care of family whether in daily life or in festivals. While being the providers of festival necessities, they act as indispensible organizers in families and communities. Besides, the female have unique advantages than the male as the main inheritors of festival culture.Female roles in traditional festivals always vary with the times. It includes:The continuity of traditional role in daily life—as the mood of homework—and in festivals; The otherness of role transformation-the female highlight the main role in traditional festivals by shouldering the special duty with men and they will not be discriminated any more. As for the causes of female role's transformation, it relates to the external factors of economic and social cultural environment and the female's internal factors of the increased level of education and the improved consciousness.Since western feminism was introduced into China in 1980s, traditional female role has changed a lot. The Female own equal right and position with male both in daily life and festival life—Firstly, female have became the festival host of independent personality, and completed the role transformation from service-oriented to enjoyment-oriented; Secondly, female have got rid of male's fetter, realized their value, and turned into a total new role of wife and mother; Thirdly, they have devoted themselves on inheriting traditional festivals stably.