The Research On Women Footbinding In Guangdong Countryside Of Qing Dynasty And Kang Youwei's Guangdong Anti-footbinding Society

Under the several-thousand-year feudal system, male chauvinism was worshiped while the marginalized women were relentlessly oppressed. In late Qing Dynasty, the advanced western system and thoughts spread with the invasion of western strong countries. Some advanced intellectuals began to know about western culture and raise opposition to traditional Chinese practice. Guangdong, located in China's south-east coastal areas, is in the first batch of commercial ports opened to other countries as well as the area affected by advanced thoughts in the early time. Kang Youwei, the representative of first modernization thought, plays an indispensable role. On women emancipation, he advocated anti-footbinding first. The Guangdong Anti-footbinding Society by Kang Youwei is relatively early in modern China. Anti-footbinding movement then developed unprecedentedly and pushed women emancipation.Women Footbinding in Guangdong Countryside of Qing Dynasty and Kang Youwei's Anti-footbinding Society of are researched. The thesis consists of six chapters. Chapter one reviewed relative researches both in China and abroad to have general idea of anti-footbinding movement in China. Review of causes and development of footbinding, and characters of footbinding in different places of China are also included. Chapter two introduces the situation of women footbinding in Guangdong countryside at that time and analyzes its effect on women to the deep, including physical effect, spiritual effect and effect on social status. Chapter three makes specific introduction to Kang Youwei, the reason for founding Guangdong Anti-footbinding Society with the effect of growth environment and society on Kang Youwei included. Chapter four illustrates the development history of Guangdong Anti-footbinding Society as well as intolerable hardships. As the chief leader, Kang Youwei was indispensable. Some regulations and views of Guangdong Anti-footbinding Society are narrated in detail and a series of movements by the society are also introduced in Chapter five. Chapter six generally states its contribution to national Anti-footbinding movement.