From the Publisher: Masculinities in Chinese History is the first historical survey of the many ways men have acted, thought, and behaved throughout China’s long past. Bret Hinsch introduces readers to the basic characteristics of historical Chinese masculinity while highlighting the dynamic changes in male identity over the centuries. He covers the full span of Chinese history, from the Zhou dynasty in distant antiquity up to the current era of disorienting rapid change. Each chapter, focused on a specific theme and period, is organized to introduce key topics, such as differences between the sexes and the mutual influence of ideas regarding manhood and womanhood, masculine honor, how masculine ideals change, the use of high culture to bolster masculine reputation among the elite, and male role models from the margins of society. The author concludes by exploring how capitalism, imperialism, modernization, revolution, and reform have rapidly transformed ideas about what it means to be a man in contemporary China.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Zhou Dynasty (1046–256 BCE): Separation of the Sexes
Chapter 2: Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE): Honor Culture
Chapter 3: Jin Dynasty (265–420 CE): Buddhism and Changing Masculinity
Chapter 4: Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE): Masculine Honor and Women
Chapter 5: Song Dynasty (960–1279 CE): Cultural Capital and Manhood
Chapter 6: Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE): Marginal Heroes
Chapter 7: Late Qing and Republican Eras: Modernizing Masculinity
Chapter 8: Revolution, Reform, and Beyond
Glossary
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