Daily actions of domestic women in a Chinese village

Abstract

This paper focuses on women in a village community in the colonial and post-colonial New Territories of Hong Kong. It demonstrates that women are active agents in reclaiming certain aspects of their personal autonomy and they play an active role in influencing the socio-political order. In particular, this paper singles our how women individually and collectively engage the patriarchal rule in relation to the Chinese lineage organization in the New Territories. It is argued that women's domestic existence is never wholly domesticated. Instead, it contains significant elements of self-articulation. The continuity of the patriarchal rule in the New Territories fails to consolidate itself with action consent from most people. Chinese women are often successful in negotiating for their own rights within the patriarchal system.