Widow’s Family Property Arrangement Strategy and Family Continuity in 15-17th Century Korea

Mei Zhu, Sun Yat-sen University

Family continuity was significant to sustain family socio-economic status in pre-modern Eurasian societies. When facing family crisis like heirless, taking daughters as heirs, remarriage and adoption as well as property inheritance strategies were general strategies used by the family. In the upper class -Yangban- family in pre-modern Korean, these strategies of family continuity were widely practiced when facing heirless crisis. Property inheritance involves not only the distribution of property, but also the continuity of families. As for property inheritance in Korea, previous studies have mostly focused on men. This paper will focus on female agency, especially the role of widow in order to keep going the family and family’s property in the context of the absent of male (father, sometimes even son). In addition to being a daughter, in most common situation women have a relationship with property as widows. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty(960-1912), with the infiltration of Neo-Confucianism, the property rights of widows have undergone very complicated historical changes. One of the major changes was that in the early Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), the law imposed compulsory heirs of nephews, that is, families without heirs had to adopt an heir from their nephews. Korean intellectuals who accept Neo-Confucianism regard Neo-Confucianism as the ruling idea of Joseon Dynasty(1392-1910), and the property rights of women have changed accordingly. This paper will investigate the changes of the property rights of widows through the relevant legal provisions and documents of property inheritance from 15th century to 17th century of Yangban family in Korean southeast rural society; in addition, discuss the family property arrangement strategy of widows in the complicated situation of the absence of male (father, son) in the family and how the strategy influence on family continuity.

No extended abstract or paper available

 Presented in Session 110. Korean Families in Crisis Prior-20th Century