Pursuing Talent and Virtue: Education and Women's Culture in China

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Ko, Dorothy. "Pursuing Talent and Virtue: Education and Women's Culture in Seventeenth-and Eighteenth-Century China." Late Imperial China 13.1 (1992): 9-39.
Journal Review of Pursuing Talent and Virtue: Education and Women's Culture in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century China
In this article written by Dorothy Ko, the focus is on women of China during the early centuries specifically the seventeenth to the eighteenth century and the role that education played in their lives and the society. This article was able to educate the readers regarding various factors that influenced the education of women to the kind of evolution that it underwent to progress to what it is in modern times. The main points that were discussed are the roles of women in the family, such as mothers and aunts, in educating the children, especially the women. The discussion in this article is a unique perspective giving light to how the way and type of education given to the women of China are viewed by the women themselves, which the author argues to have a different idea in comparison to the literary works or the recordings from the men in the families. This is an important topic especially because the Chinese culture is known for its rich tradition and beliefs, as well as a hierarchical and patriarchal system that emphasizes the limitations, obligations, and gender-defined roles of women to their families and society. The saying "a woman is virtuous only if she is untalented (Ko)." is famous because it was used to describe the education of women during the earlier years, but in this informative and eye-opening article, the reality of what the education of Chinese women was is discussed in detail. This article is able to prove that women played an active role that is more than the traditional submissive type portrayed when the Chinese culture is talked about, backed by facts and evidence in the literature that is part of the diverse history of China (Ko)
The author was able to present a lot of background pieces of evidence and various sources regarding the topic. It was also presented in a way that will be understandable even to the audience who are not very familiar with the culture and the educational system of China and its women in the earlier centuries (Ko). The author provided some background information, giving enlightenment and a clearer picture of what is being explained in the article itself, adding to the engaging nature of the topic and the article itself. Both the statements of the author in the article and those written in the footnotes provide information that is educational and relevant to audiences from different scales of familiarity with the topic. The references that were used by Dorothy Ko were reliable sources and are articles from famous universities and books.
This article by Dorothy Ko is part of the “Late Imperial China”, a journal for Chinese scholars of the Ming and Qing dynasties. This collection includes articles similar to “Pursuing Talent and Virtue: Education and Women's Culture in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century China” discussing topics regarding the intellectual and political history of the country. The main point ...