The purpose of this study is to illustrate the usefulness of Weberian theory in gender studies. More specifically, the study applies Weberian theory to explain the mechanisms for the radical gender transformation in early 20 th-century China and Taiwan. It attempts (1) to show the inadequacy of defining gender solely as a social/cultural construct and (2) to demonstrate the utility of a Weberian-based gender theory for describing the transformation of gender ideology as more than a mere consequence of socio-cultural change, but also as a consequence of political and economic change.; The two Chinese case studies provide a new socio-historical study of changing gender ideologies, roles and relations in China and Taiwan. Based on comparative analyses of the two case studies, the research concludes with the following empirical generalizations: (1) Gender transformation is generally a result of endogenous and exogenous forces; (2) gender is not a mere cultural construct, but a socio-historical construct, conditioned by socio-cultural, economic, and political process; (3) there is no causal relationship between national/socialist movements and women's liberation; (4) colonialism can be an important factor in shaping the (dis)course of women's movements.
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