Expectations Regarding the Role of Women by their Families - Essay Example

In Chinese society, women were supposed to be submissive to their men as exemplified by the tradition of foot binding. While Steele and Major indicate that the idea behind foot binding was not a way of oppressing women, it is essential to point out that this activity is an act of the family’s expectation on women to be submissive to their families. In this case, foot binding was a painful process and the notion in Ancient China that women had to undergo this procedure appears as a way through which women had to submit to the requirements of the society and their families.

In this case, the mother expected their girls to undergo this process while men would not marry women who did not undergo foot binding (Steele and Major 417). On the other hand, Indians expect women to submit to their husbands, and women who appear to be independent find it challenging to get a suitable person for marriage (Nanda 430). In a society whereby most marriages are arranged, Indians expect women to serve their husbands and families faithful without women being independent to make their decisions on the person they marry.

By itself, the act of arranging marriages exemplifies the expectation of the family on women to submit to their family’s requirements, especially based on the family’s choice of suitor. This action is further extended upon marriage whereby the family expects a woman to be submissive and follow their family’s wishes. In ancient China, families expected women to be inferior to their male counterparts. In this case, foot binding was used as an approach of differentiating men from women and providing men with a chance to feel superior to their female counterparts who were crippled as a result of foot binding (Steele and Major 418).

In line with this, it is the expectation of the family that a woman will remain inferior to their men, which boosted a man's ego. On the other hand, it is unlikely for an Indian man to marry a woman who is more educated than the man (Nanda 429).