Author’s Preface

A Call For Studies on Women

Author’s Preface

Having published no monograph of the studies on women, my attainment regarding this subject is out of the question. As to the theoretical profundity, mine falls for short of the younger and accomplished theoreticians on the subject, let alone such doyens as Luo Qiong and Dong Bian.

However, I have been engrossed enthusiastically in developing the studies on women in China. I have exerted myself and concerned deeply for it. In the early 80’s, I was invited to speak on the studies on women in quite a few cities, wrote prefaces for several relevant works and published intermittently articles on the subject. The Beijing Women’s Federation compiled “10 Years of Theoretical Study on Chinese Women” (Chinese Women Publishing House, 1992) and pointed out:

“Deng Weizhi of the Shanghai Branch of the Chinese Encyclopaedia Publishing House took the lead in posing the concept of studies on women.” He proposed in his article “The Problem of Perfecting and Developing the Studies on Women” (“Women Work”, 9^th Issue, 1984) that it was an extremely urgent need to establish the studies on women. Having the signboard of studies on women differs greatly from having not such a signboard. Having the signboard or form will more or less impel people to consider and research from the angle or ‘study’; but, people will never consider the subject or abstantiate it consciously from the angle of ‘study’ if there is not such a form. We have the experiences of women movement since the May 4^th Movement, especially the valuable experiences of doing women work accumulated in the struggle.’ Some thought that to establish the studies on women would narrow the study of woman problems which should be carried on in some separate fields. The Social Press of March 25, 1986 published a signed article ‘China Should Have Studies on Women’ written by Tong Tong. The author appealed and said: It is really indiscreet to discuss theories about women but discard the name of studies on women … It tallies with science that we have the discipline of studies on women, publish books of studies on women, establish institutes of studies on women, develop Marxist theories of studies on women and establish socialist studies on women with Chinese characteristics.”

I draw my encouragement from the above words.

It is known to many that the first half of the above – cited was written me. Yet few know that the second half, namely, what stated by Tong Tong, was also written by me. Tong Tong is one of my pen names. These passages show that I have actually gone around campaigning for establishing the studies on women in China. I have been a sheer “Caller” in the circles of studies on Women”.

Among the nearly one hundred pieces in this book, part discuss studies on women in narrow sense, part in broad sense, such as problems of marriage and family; and still another part discuss relevant problems by relating to my own family in other words, I dissect others and myself as well. The book also includes interviews and tidings written by others they reflect piecemeal my views on the subject.

The nearly one hundred pieces are different in length some long and some short, and in elaboration, some deep and some period of socialist construction. Some of the experiences have been raised to the level theory, and many remain to be raised and formulated into a complete scientific system. The discipline of studies on women is the product and requirement of women movement. In recent years, these emerged in the country hosts of theoreticians and women affairs workers engaged in perfecting and developing the studies on women. The All- China Women’s Federation will hold seminars consecutively. A research institute will be founded in Shanghai. The tide of establishing the discipline is coming.

“The introduction of the concept of women aroused great repercussions in society. In her signed article ‘Pay Attention to the Theoretical Study of Women Problems’ (Economic Daily, March 8, 1986), Comrade Luo Qiong disagreed with some statements appeared after the spread of ‘studies on women’ into China. She said: ‘There is now an opinion that the studies on women originated from the American feminine lecture movement in the 60’s and spread into Japan in the 70’s. That is untrue.’ ‘The research work concerning the bourgeois feminist movement originated in the middle and lat 18 century and hat its rise and fall in conflicts and racial riots, there occurred in the U.S. on upsurge of movement for equal rights of men and women, which was deemed the second high tide of feminism. It was the American middle class’ movement for equality of men and women, belonging to the category of bourgeois feminist movement … The useful part of the women movement in capitalist countries should be taken as reference, but our women liberation theories differ from the so-called studies on women of the U.S. and Japan in the 60’s in their ideological system, service objects and objectives of superficial. There are repetitions of sentences and inconsistent wordings. But, I think, they are all past records, under as circumstances will human thoughts be frozen. So I incorporate all these diverse articles to dedicate to the Fourth World Women’s Congress in Beijing. I owe the publication of this book in Macau to Mr. Wu Zhiliang of the Macau Foundation, and express my grateful acknowledgement of his kind help.

Sept. 6, 1994