China 4 - social and cultural changes Flashcards
How much did divorce rates increase by in 1963 compared to 1949?
12 x
How many work points did women get compared to men in the Communes?
8 max compared to 10 for men
How many members of the Women’s association by 1953?
76 million members
Before 1949 what were 5 important parts of a woman’s subservient role in society?
- arranged marriages and concubinage
- female infanticide
- foot binding
- no educational opportunities
- ‘3 obediences’ to father, husband and son
Mao quote on women 1949
‘women hold up half the sky’
5 points of the New Marriage Law 1950?
- banned arranged marriages and concubinage
- money/ gifts in exchange for marriage prohibited
- wives could inherit husbands property
- divorce made easier
- husbands and wives to have equal status in the home
What caused a ‘double burden’ for women?
Having to work on collective farms whilst still maintaining domestic responsibilities
Issues for women within the communes? (3)
- during the famine there was very little food provided for women - as food was allocated based on amount produced. Women turned to prostitution for food.
- sexual abuse was common
- pregnant women forced to work throughout pregnancy - increasing risk of miscarriage
What had become very rare by the 1960s?
Child marriages and arranged marriages
What percentage of girls completed their primary education between 1939-49 compared to those starting after 1959?
from 38% to 100%
What percentage of primary school children were girls by 1978?
45%
How did the PLA provide opportunity for women?
Women were encouraged to join up and could even reach Officer rank
Issues of changing traditional views on women? (4)
- men still viewed housework and childcare as women’s work
- many party cadres didn’t enforce legislation such as the New Marriage Law
- arranged marriages and foot binding still continued in extremely remote areas
- Female communist officials such as Song Qingling complained her views were not treated equally
Evidence of the improved status of women?
- propaganda such as ballets (Red Detachment of Women) which challenged traditional gender views
- ability to speak at ‘speak bitterness’ meetings
- rise in divorce rates
- Wearing the Maoist uniform in the cultural revolution was a symbol of equality - and women could gain prominent positions in the Red Guards
What percentage of the Chinese population were illiterate in 1949?
80%
Increase in primary school students between 1949-57?
26 million to 64 million
How many peasants attended ‘winter schools’ in the winter of 1951/2?
42 million - (claimed by the party)
What became the official language of all of China to simplify the complex characters and regional differences?
Pinyin
What percentage of the budget was spent in culture and education in 1952?
6.4 %
What schools needed an entrance exam and who did these schools end up being for?
Key Schools
- mostly party officials children
How many young people did not receive formal education due to the Cultural Revolution closing schools and unis?
up to 130 million
How much training did barefoot doctors receive?
6 months
How many new doctors had been trained by 1973?
Over 1 million
Successes of health care reform in China 1949-76? (6)
- posters and Patriotic Health Movements educated peasants on hygiene, how to catch pests, not using human waste as fertiliser and overall preventing illness
- many diseases such as cholera, typhus and schistosomiasis were eliminated
- life expectancy rose
- infant mortality fell
- anti- drug campaigns reduced use of opium
- villagers drained swamps to prevent malaria due to mosquitos breeding
