Throughout Asian history the biological distinction between men and women has created a number of taboos and sets of laws that have restricted women's rights and personal freedom. Confucian values toward women's role in society emphasized  Good Wives and Wise Mothers." The later interpolation that prohibited women from entering the monk-hood in Theravada Buddhism will be considered on the bases of sexual inequality and the relationship between sexual categories and social hierarchies. This course is designed for the exploration of women's experiences in the East and Southeast Asia. The impact of feminist scholarship of the West will be also examined. All the lectures and discussions are to be conducted in English.
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