EAST 213 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Patrilineality, Yangban, Aristocracy
5 Feb 2018
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Document Summary
What is represents in the present and why it"s so important. Kinship system composed of highly structured patrilineal descent groups (this continues to modern groups) Combined factors of ment and heredity in determining social standing. Lineage play a role in government organization and political process. The majority of those who took higher civil service exams came from a small number of prominent descent groups. Yangban aristocracy- no more than 10% of the population yet they monopolized politics, economics, education (confucian learning) Clear line of aristocracy descent from distinguished ancestors. Thus, elite status was socially defined, not legally prescribed by the state- hereditary aristocracy controlled access to political power. Social organization of choson: yangban elites- scholar officials, learned class, yangmin/sangmin- good people- merchant/farmer. Peasants: carried the burden of taxation: chonmin: base people- slaves and people with base professions. Social class is determined by birth and geneology and is strictly maintained. Pedagogy/education: primary duty of the king is to teach his subjects.
