Confucian philosophy was the ruling political ideology during the Chosŏn dynasty (1392-1910) in Korea. Based on the concept of yin and yang and the ethics of harmony, Confucian-prescribed gender ideology dictated the lives of women and men. It was considered only natural that women would be devoted to their families and willing to sacrifice themselves for them. Accordingly, adherence to “womanly virtue” meant that women were to follow the direction of men and comply with men’s demands. However, there were women who challenged that prescription and aspired to live as masters of their own thought and practice. They simultaneously impressed and disturbed their contemporaries. In this talk, Dr. Sookin Lee will present profiles of women leaders and over some broader insight into the conditions under which women leaders emerge.

This seminar will be conducted in Korean with an English interpreter.