初痛:女性的穿耳习俗与儒家的性别文化建构

女性穿耳是中国传统社会普遍存在的习俗,这一行为并非由女性自身所主导,而是社会制度和儒家文化框架下的产物.随着儒家文化的不断发展成熟,这种习俗演变为性别认同的重要符号之一.通过考察各地女性穿耳的年龄和时节,对这一行为实践背后的族群差异和文化根源进行探讨.宋代以降,儒家文化的正统性建构进一步加强,渗透到女性身体的修饰方面,穿耳风俗不仅被视作性别认同的符号,也被作为儒家文化与其他族群相比较的优势之一.

The First Pain: Women's Ear Piercing and the Construction of Confucian Gender System

Women's ear piercing was a widespread social custom in traditional China. With the maturing of Confucian cultural system, this custom became an important symbol of gender identity. But ear piercing was not a behavior that conducted by women themselves, it was shaped by the social system and Confucian culture. This paper investigated the timing and age of girls' ear piercing and the cultural roots behind this practice. From Song dynasty, Confucians began to strengthen their legitimacy, including female's body and decoration. Ear piercing was not only generalized, but also taken as a symbol of gender identity. At the same time, ear piercing reflected the superiority of Confucian compared to the culture of other ethnicities.