Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Virtue That Matters: Chastity Culture and Social Power in Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910)

Virtue That Matters: Chastity Culture and Social Power in Chosŏn Korea (1392-1910)

Kim, Jungwon

Hardcover

Series: Harvard East Asian Monographs

General Gender StudiesGeneral LawKorean History

ISBN10: 0674298640
ISBN13: 9780674298644
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Published: Feb 4 2025
Pages: 400
Weight: 1.45
Height: 1.50 Width: 6.10 Depth: 9.10
Language: English

Virtue That Matters is a groundbreaking exploration of the intricate dynamics of chastity culture in Chosŏn Korea from 1392 to 1910, shedding light on its political, legal, social, and cultural significance. In this book, Jungwon Kim demonstrates how an emphasis on female chastity came to pervade society as it intertwined with state ideology and elite interests. By analyzing a copious range of sources including governmental publications, legal records, and women's own writings, Kim unveils the rich tapestry of Chosŏn society's attitudes toward female chastity and argues that extreme chastity culture was not merely a product of Confucianization but was also shaped by diverse social forces and individual agency. Furthermore, Kim reframes the discourse on chastity by focusing on women's experiences and perspectives, challenging the traditional portrayal of women as marginal to Chosŏn history.

Virtue That Matters illustrates the complex interplay between state-led indoctrination, socio-legal changes, and gender relations in Chosŏn Korea. Kim also shows how the discourse on women's chastity evolved over time and continued to influence social dynamics well into the twentieth century. By highlighting the enduring legacy of chastity culture in modern Korean society, Virtue That Matters provides valuable insights into contemporary debates on gender and sexuality.

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Korean History

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