The Review of Korean Studies
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- P-ISSN1229-0076
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ISSN : 1229-0076
Feminist Ideas of Intellectual Women of the Enlightenment Period and the New Women
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Abstract
The Korean educated women of the 1900s (the latter part of the Enlightenment period in modern Korean history) shared some similarities with the New Women of the 1920s but also had distinctive traits that differentiated them. This paper attempts to define the concept of New Women through exploring the following aspects in these women’s lives: (1) modern knowledge and education; (2) modern body and consumption practices; and (3) feminist consciousness, values, ideas, and practices. Although the women of both periods shared certain traits of (1) and (2) in common, they showed significant differences regarding feminist consciousness, ideas, and practices. These women during the Enlightenment period were different from traditional women in that they demanded equal opportunity for education, economic independence, and women’s involvement in social and professional activities. They were also differentiated from the New Women of the 1920s who brought the idea of free love and other questions of women’s emancipation to public discourses. The women of the 1900s were influenced by modern feminist ideals and accepted modern ideas and practices through studying abroad. The pressure imposed by the remaining traditions mediated the colonial Korean adaptation of these ideas and practices to take a selective and hybrid form. Patriotism and nationalism, which were major themes of the period, and the inherent limitations imposed by the historical circumstances deeply influenced the formation of feminist ideas among these women. These women were modern liberal feminists regarding their emphasis on women’s consciousness and independence, expansion of education and equal opportunity for women, and women’s participation in social activities and freedom of profession. However, they maintained a conservative attitude towards the issues of sexuality and love and promoted the ideas of chastity and wise-mother-and-good-daughter. In this respect, they were different from the New Women of the next generation. A lapse of two more decades was needed for the appearance of a radical feminist vision and interpretation.
- keywords
- nationalism, feminism, modern education, women's education, studying abroad, New Women
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