Sung Hyun Yun, School of Social Work, HRG Fellow

• Wed, 03/21/2012 - 3:30pm

 The Humanities Research Group Presents:

Dr. Sung Hyun Yun (HRG Fellow)
School of Social Work

“A Critical Perspective on Confucianism: From Yin-Yang Harmony with Nature to Oppression Toward Women”

 This study introduces basic tenents of Confucianism and its evolution, and explores its unique contribution to socio-cultural practices on gender-based oppression. Confucianism, one of the most crucial philosophies of Asian cultural norms, has long been studied from the perspectives of intellectual history and philosophical truth seeking; however, only a few scholarly texts are available in the area of Confucianism and its influence on gender inequality in the North American literature. The yin-yang relation is originally a cosmic idea that is cyclical and harmonizing, but not oppositional and contradictory. Despite the complementary nature of the yin-yang union, a confucianized Chinese society consigned yang to male and yin to female, signifying hierarchal gender relations. Particularly, this study attempts to help scholars and helping professionals understand how the harmonious yin-yang concept evolved into the contradictory binary, which further perpetrated gender hierarchy and oppression toward women.

A reception follows the lecture.
Everyone welcome; no admission charge