CONCUBINES
andFOOTBINDING
Female Subordination in China
Modern Day Examples
Concubinage and foot binding may be old-world practices now, but there are many modern day parallels that remain eerily similar to the practices of the past.
Ernai
In China, wealthy businessmen are displaying their power by collecting women as trophy mistresses, called ernai. Although it is illegal for Chinese government officials to have affairs outside of marriage, laws cannot stop the trend that is creating ernaicun, or mistress villages, which are high class neighborhoods of their first, second, third, and even fourth mistresses.
High Heels
The foot binding age of China is in the past, but a new form of foot restraints have made their way globally sprouting from Western culture. High heels, a symbol of femininity, have been proven to impair mobility and in severe cases, disfigure bone structure. Designer heels are manufactured and worn at free will, yet the health risks that result from the shoes damage posture and feet. So this begs the question, how much are women willing to pay for beauty?
Cosmetic Surgery
Cosmetic surgery has long been associated with wealth; only the rich are able to afford the procedures that require money and time. It is a method for those who have the money to raise their worth in a society that values physical beauty. Just as foot binding was a way of measuring how much a girls' marriage dowry would be, cosmetic surgery is a voluntary procedure that seeks to enhance social value.