Comparing the Han Cultures to Mosuo Cultures: A Study Examining the Social Status of Housewives in China

Abstract

To examine the social status of Han ethnicity housewives in China, it is necessary to look at family structure, economic rights, and personal welfare status to analyze and declare adverse outcomes brought about by culture and urbanization. While the Mosuo ethnicity also practices gender roles like the roles stated in Han beliefs from Confucianism, their family structure is relatively large, and domestic duties are equally distributed compared to those of Han ethnicity. The freedom to allocate economy and distribute inheritance within the household is also drastically different between the ethnicities, as women in Mosuo families are responsible for financial decisions while Han housewives are entirely passive and dependent on their husbands’ decision of distributing allowances. Similarly, the personal welfare of Han housewives correlates with financial passivity, as women are highly inclined to be victimized by domestic abuse. In contrast, Mosuo women -especially mothers- are highly esteemed, and their welfare is highly protected. By comparing the Mosuo (a rural minority) to the Han, this research analyzes three dimensions consequential to understanding the low status of urban Han housewives, which deciphers the vagueness of Han housewives’ negative situation and presents the areas needing future efforts.