FOOT BINDING

[seven stars]

pip said:

Kathleen, you wrote that "all these practices center around the desires of men." True, but let's not forget that the women were complicit in acting upon them. If all the women had refused to comply, I wonder if the outrageous demands would have died off quickly for lack of enforcement. The "golden lotuses" produced by footbinding were seen as beautiful by men and women. In fact, peasants' feet were considered ugly because they were "large" and had normal color and shape.

Pip falls victim to his own criticism on this one. I don't think it very fair to place responsibility on women for collective complicity in male dominated societies throughout history. Let's be honest, in many of these periods and cultures women were not positioned to communicate with one another en masse much less unite and demonstrate in response to social ills.

I have to agree that both foot binding and female circumcision are a result of widespread ignorance and misplaced male desire in the settings wherein they ocurred.

[TheBo]

Hmm. So "pip" and "pippibella" are not the same person. LOL.

Continuing with your point, 7S, not only were women isolated from one another socially, but they were--and in many countries, still are--"not positioned" in another very important way to protest such practices. They had no legal rights. They were chattel. Again, in many cases, they still are. The practice of declaring a "difficult" woman insane and locking her up crosses all cultures, at one time or another. A complete lack of power tends to make one reluctant to bring disapprobation down upon ones own head. (Sorry. I couldn't figure out a simpler way to say that. )

Bo

PS - I have to wonder why a thread on "foot binding" would prompt an ad for Bionic Woman. lol.

[BungalowDweller]

Gladys Alyward, an English domestic who later became a Christian missionary to China, was instrumental in the abandonment of footbinding in the district where she founded the mission. Her story was told in the 1953 film "Inn of the Sixth Happiness". She was played by Ingrid Bergman. The "romance" portion of the film was entirely fictitious tho.

[JP Paulus]

Umm..i don't have too much to say on the subject, other than agreeing with points raised her...


i'm glad my wife doesn't look like a waif (or had her feet bound)! She looks great the way she is!

--jp--

[seven stars]

Well, at the risk of offending allow me to delicately and respectfully agree with you JP.

-7S

[Betz]

Hiya Everyone

This is a facinating thread - thanks to
Kathleen and all the members' informative
comments...

Betz in Philly


here are some interesting links:

Shoe Museum, Philadelphia
podiatry.temple.edu/shoe_museum/shoe_museum.html

Shoe Museum, Toronto
www.batashoemuseum.ca/collectindex.html

www.sfmuseum.org/chin/foot.html

www.dynastyantiques.com/2BoundFootShoes.html

www.marlamallett.com/shoes.htm