ABSTRACT

China and patriarchy are often thought of together, and for good reason. For thousands of years, Chinese family structure represented a classic patriarchal family system. If that was the case in the past, is it still true today? Certainly, no patriarchal system is unchanging; given the monumental changes that have occurred in China over the course of the last century, we would expect patriarchy to change as well. This chapter explores old and new patriarchies in China and looks at how Chinese patriarchal family structures have been influenced and have influenced Chinese society.