Chinese Society and Thought Social Studies Chapter 11.

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1 Chinese Society and Thought Social Studies Chapter 11

2 Section 1 Family and Religion

3 Anticipatory Set Can you name any of your ancestors? Do you know stories about them?

4 Standards H-SS 6.6 – Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of China

5 The Big Idea Family and religion were important parts of China’s social structure during the Era of Warring States

6 Key Terms  Value – thought to be worthwhile by a person or group  Generation – group of family members born and living at about the same time  Extended family – family with several generations living together  Ancestor worship – practice of honoring the spirits of the dead

7 Family and Religion  The Era of Warring states was a dark period in China’s history (481 – 221 BC)  Family and religion helped hold China’s social structure together

8 The Chinese Family In China, loyalty to one’s family was more important than almost any other value

9 The Family Unit  The traditional family in China included many generations  Consisted of children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins

10 Family Relationships  Older family members had more power and privileges than younger ones  Men were considered more important than women  A father was the absolute head of his family  Wife and children were expected to obey

11 Family Relationships  The welfare of the whole family was more important than any one member  Marriages were arranged by parents to strengthen the family

12 The Chinese Family Read The Chinese Family on pages 300 – 302 of your textbook

13 Traditional Religious Beliefs  The ancient Chinese viewed Earth as a flat disk  At the center lay the Middle Kingdom  Above was the sky, the location of Heaven (the supreme force in nature)

14 Traditional Religious Beliefs  Heaven gave Chinese rulers the right to rule  Most common people were more concerned with the spirits they believed surrounded them every day  Heaven was far away

15 A World of Spirits The Chinese believed the world was alive with spirits

16 A World of Spirits  Heaven was home to the spirits of the sun, moon, stars, and storms  On Earth, spirits lived in hills, rivers, rocks, and seas  These spirits ruled the daily lives of people

17 A World of Spirits  Many spirits were good  Dragons could bring rain, as well as help sailors travel safely on the ocean  Not all spirits were so kind  Demons hid in homes to bring back luck to all who lived there

18 A World of Spirits During festivals, the people used bonfires, loud sounds, and paper dragons to frighten evil spirits away

19 The Spirits of Ancestors The most important spirits to most Chinese were those of their ancestors Believed family members lived on after death in the spirit world

20 The Spirits of Ancestors  The spirits of ancestors were viewed as part of the family  Ancestors were honored in family celebrations  Honored with prayers and gifts  Many people believed that if you angered the spirits of your ancestors, they would bring hardships to your living family

21 The Spirits of Ancestors  People looked to the dead for help  Believed the spirits of the dead were more powerful than living beings  Could protect and guide living family members

22 Ancestor Worship Every home had a family shrine (the “red table”) to honor their ancestors

23 Ancestor Worship Over time, ancestor worship became deeply rooted in Chinese culture

24 Traditional Religious Beliefs Read Traditional Religious Beliefs on pages 302-304 of your textbook

25 Guided Practice In China, loyalty to ones ______________ was more important than almost any other ___________. The Chinese believed the world was alive with _______________. The most important ________________ were those of their ______________________. The practice of honoring the spirits of the dead was known as ________________ ________________.

26 Guided Practice In China, loyalty to ones family was more important than almost any other value. The Chinese believed the world was alive with spirits. The most important spirits were those of their ancestors. The practice of honoring the spirits of the dead was known as ancestor worship.

27 Independent Practice Complete Chapter 11 Section 1 Independent Practice worksheet