International Women's Day: Folk Sociology

The Chinese constitution, as amended, covers women's rights in some detail. (Our own constitution does not do so).

In China, women hold important positions in business and government. Same as here. In some professions like medicine, more than here. This is arguably less true in Japan and Korea. Arguably. Its easy to lean into stereotypes when you deal with big categories like gender, nationality, or even language and dialect. When a culture has a folklore about people that it encounters, that's folk-sociology

Different regions of China have different folk-sociology about women. We gringos do this too: you know the drill: "These Wyoming women are tough, mountain women!" "I wish they all could be California girls. . ." etc. What about 中国？

Girls from Anhui? Sexy!

Up in the north of China? Those women are hard-drinking and tough!


Shanghai? Those bossy Shanghai women, always focused on fashion and beauty, make their husbands do the cooking and cleaning while they shop!

(This is a great topic for discussion with cab drivers, by the way; you can keep track of the folk-sociology of gender, region, and nationality; and its okay to dispute and argue! Cab drivers seem to enjoy a good discussion. Just be sure to wear your seat belt as some drivers may turn and look at you and not the road.)

Famous singers like Na Yin are known for where they are from. Na Yin (那英) is from Liaoning Province in the Northwest of China. (The link is to her very famous song, one of many, called "Sharp.")

Na Ying taught me some drinking games one evening, with a bunch of her famous friends. She is sort of a Madonna-like famous singer figure: tough and independent. She married famous footballer, Gao Feng, but things didn't work out. When I tell people I met her and she taught me drinking games, folks always say, "Oh, yes, she's from the North of China! Those women are something tough!" Fun.






So, in a couple days, China will celebrate 3/8; SanBa day. Its International Woman's Day. What? You never heard of that? Everyone celebrates it, right? Its a United Nations Recognized special day, isn't it?

And, of course, there is very interesting folk-sociology about men in China, according to where they are from. Who is tall? Who is henpecked? Where are the shuai ge (good looking) men? Where are the philosophers from; the artists? And, if you want, there are plenty of goofy stereotypes about 老外 (lao wai, foreigners), too. Check this article from The New Yorker for African immigrant's daily live in Guangzhou, if you have a moment. Its a good read. And a reminder that Americans are not the only folks who fall victim to stereotyping and, sometimes, much worse.