Bound Feet Across China
Bound Feet Across China
The final chapter tests the general hypothesis that continued handwork by girls and women was instrumental in the persistence of footbinding. Aggregating quantitative data from our individual village sites across China and using logistic regressions, we show that when girls performed handwork for income, the likelihood that they were footbound was significantly greater than when they did not do handwork for income. Footbinding declined earlier when girls were not involved in commercial handwork. These findings are placed in the context of China’s industrialization, the spread of textile mills, and widespread displacement of girls’ hand labor in cotton textiles. The study provides solid evidence for a radically different interpretation of China’s tradition of footbinding and its deleterious, life-long effects on millions of girls and women. A major force in its eradication was the expansion of commerce and industry.
Keywords: Footbinding, industrialization, cotton textiles, textile mills, girls’ labor
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