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Society in the Joseon Dynasty was built upon Neo-Confucianist ideals, namely the three fundamental principles and five moral disciplines. There were four classes, the yangban nobility, the "middle class" chungin, sangmin, or the commoners and the cheonmin, the outcasts at the very bottom. Society was ruled by the yangban, who constituted 10% of the population and had several privileges. Slaves were of the lowest standing. During this period clan structure became stricter and bloodline was of utmost importance. Family life was regulated by law, strictly enforcing Confucian rituals. Compared to Goryeo practices before, marriage rituals were restructured and aggravated. Noblemen could have several wives and concubines but their children born from commoner or slave concubines were considered illegitimate and denied any yangban rights. The roles and rights of women were reduced compared to previous eras in Korean history. Yangban women were completely hidden from the outer world and every woman had to conform to Confucian ideals of purity, obedience, chastity and faithfulness. Women were subjects of male dominance throughout their lives, obliged to listen to their fathers, husbands, father-in-laws and firstborn sons. Homes were divided into male and female quarters to separate the sexes. ==Guiding principles== Korean society has always been hierarchical and the conscious, government-backed spreading of Neo-Confucianism reinforced this idea. Even though the philosophy originates in China, and Japan and Vietnam also adopted it, Korea integrated Confucianism into daily life, transformed it to fit the nation's needs and developed it in a way that became specific to Korea. Korean society in Joseon was built upon the three fundamental principles (samgang, 삼강, 三綱) and five moral disciplines (oryun, 오륜, 五倫): * ''samgang'': * *chung (충, 忠): loyalty to the king * *hyo (효, 孝): filial obedience to the parents * *yeol (열, 熱): differentiation between men and women * ''oryun'': * * ui (의, 義): righteousness and justice: the relationship between monarch and the people * * chin (친, 親): warmth and closeness between parents and children * * byeol (별, 別): differentiation between husband and wife * * seo (서,序): order between seniors and juniors * * sin (신, 信): trust between friends This means that Korean society placed utmost importance on hierarchy between classes, older and younger people, emphasized family values, the keeping of order and harmony and the inferior social status of women. Rituals became very important, ceremonies, paying respect to one's ancestors and the need for lifelong learning were valued. Neo-Confucians considered hard work, purity, politeness and refraining from improper behaviour as desirable and valuable human qualities. They could be regarded as prudish, since showing passionate emotions was something noble people were expected to avoid. It was important that everyone knew their standings in society and behaved accordingly. The Korean language reflects this notion even today, by the use of honorifics, which signal whether the speaker addresses a senior person or someone of a higher social standing. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Society in the Joseon Dynasty」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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