subject: The purpose of the foot binding [print this page] We all know that there are different cultures in this world. Many of us even know that these cultures have certain exclusive practices that they adhere to. Like the Samoan culture and their tradition of tattooing their entire body. Or the Long Neck Tribe of the Thai-Burma border, who elongate their necks by fitting it with metal rings. And then there is the tradition of Chinese foot binding. The name might suggest what it entails, but what is it really about and why was Chinese foot binding done? Let us find out.
Why exactly did the practice of footbinding begin? I know when it began and somewhat how it started, but why were people so eager to do it in the first place and who made it into a standard of beauty?
Separating out the real reasons for the origin of footbinding can be difficult because the practice has been, rightly or wrongly, appropriated by groups fighting genital mutilation, repression of women, and, apparently, the wearing of high-heel shoes. The Windows on Asia site for K-12 teachers has a high school reading level brief on reasons for footbinding. Quoting the main paragraph: "This practice ... endured for 600 years for a number of reasons. First, bound feet had sexual overtones, similar to those given to the breast today. Second, it reinforced the "inner" nature of women, as it was more difficult for them to travel out of the house. Third, it demonstrated to the world the wealth of the family, in that the women didn't need to work, or didn't need to work a great deal. This custom, of course, was discontinued in the early 20th century with the rise of the "natural feet" movement..."The real purpose is that the folded and wrapped appendage has very soft skin and is for "pleasuring the man."Well, I've read that small feet were "fetishized" in chinese popular culture. Maybe on par with "breas fetishism" here in the US/Japan. You certanly don't need to bind, and deform feet in order to make the skin soft. Remember bound feet are not just 'small' they are folded in on themselves in a very freaky way.
