The Early Rise of Female Consciousness and Long-Term Female Labor Force Participation

Abstract

In traditional culture, the gender concepts of “men dominating outside the home and women dominating inside the home” have a profound impact on the orientation of female social roles. The intergenerational transmission of these concepts may be an important reason for the low rate of contemporary female labor force participation (FLFP). Based on the publication of female periodicals during the period of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China and the survey data of China Family Panel Studies in 2010, this article finds that the awakening of early female independent consciousness and the breaking of feudal gender concepts are conducive to improving the employability of contemporary women. Research results show that FLFP rate is generally higher in regions where more female periodicals are issued from 1840 to 1949. The reason may be that the general promotion of female human capital and intergenerational transmission of concepts of equality may have important explanatory power as well as enhancement of marital quality. This article provides new evidence for the role of attitudes for local development stated by Max Weber.