“财”与“德”的纠葛——近年美国学界关于中国妇女嫁妆研究的焦点与趋向

The Entanglement between"Cai"(Property) and"De"(Virtue):The Focal Point and Tendency of the Research on Chinese Women's Dowry in America Academic Circle

美国学界对中国传统社会女性嫁妆问题的研究无疑反映出妇女史研究的演进脉络。女性继承权方面,从囿于法律文本的"继承权"之理解,到法律与社会实践间差距的认知,从不同角度体现出官府与家庭对于女儿继承家产的态度。女性对财产的占有和使用权利方面,从父亲控制女儿嫁妆,到夫家代管,再到妇女独立占有、自由支配嫁妆资产的观点,体现出学者对于妇女家庭地位和财产权利的不同认识。而嫁妆与"妇德"的关系,则通过嫁妆对家庭产生的正负两方面影响,透视女性财产权利对传统道德、家庭伦理以及男性的影响。

The research on women's dowry in traditional China by American scholars had reflected the development of women's history.In terms of female inheritance,the research from the understanding about legal principle to the disparity between law and practice had given expression to the different approaches to daughters' inheritance by government and family.As to women's domination on the dowry,different standpoint from father control daughter's dowry to husband's family control wife's dowry,then to women themselves control and use their dowry independently,reflected the scholars' different cognitions on women's family status and property right.And the relationship between dowry and'wifely virtue'showed how women's property right had effect traditional morality,family ethics and men through the positive and negative influence of the dowry.