China Civil Society Flashcards
What is China’s official ideology?
Marxism-Leninism
What is Marxism-Leninism
Political ideology in which a two-stage communist revolution is required to replace capitalism. A vanguard party organized through democratic centralism would seize power on behalf of the proletariat. The state would control the means of production, suppress opposition and promote collectivism, paving the way to a classless and stateless communist society.
How does the Chinese Communist Party keep the ideology viable and visible?
Control of the media, arts, and education.
How is public opinion influenced through education?
Political study is part of the curriculum and many students are part of either the Young Pioneers or the Communist Youth League.
How is socialization changing in China?
In the countryside, portraits of Mao are being replaced with portraits of folk gods and ancestor tablets. Influence of clans often outweighs influence of the party in villages. In the cities, popular culture is influential on the younger generation. Consumerism is a widely shared value.
How does religion affect civil society?
The constitution guarantees freedom of religion even though it was suppressed during the Mao regime. Organized religion is more prevalent now and operate more freely even though religious leaders are still imprisoned for defying government authority.
How does the media influence civil society in China?
Media is livelier than in Mao’s time but still under either direct or indirect control of the government.
How do the arts affect civil society in China?
The arts have gone through probably the greatest change but books, movies, and plays are still sometimes banned and artists increasingly self-censor.
How is national identity changing?
Party leaders realize most citizens dismiss communist ideology so they appeal to a sense of patriotism with emphasis on the greatness and antiquity of Chinese culture.
What is the ethnicity of the Chinese majority?
Han
What is the influence of China’s ethnic minorities?
They make up less than 10% of the population and reside mostly in the five autonomous regions are very rural and comprise 60% of China’s land, rich in resources, and include strategic borders. Unrest has been sporadic and easily quelled. So, China has not experienced the kind of identity-based conflict experienced by other countries with more radical differences in religion and culture such as Nigeria or India.
What is the most extensive ethnic conflict?
Tibet, in the far west of China where Buddhists are loyal to the Dalai Lama who fled to India in the 1950s after a failed revolt.
Influence of interest groups.
Minimal since independent interest groups and social movements are forbidden. Instead, the government supports mass organizations that must abide by party doctrine.
What is a mass organization?
Organizations in a communist part-state that represent a particular social group but controlled by the communist party.
Limits of protest.
The Tiananmen massacre showed the limits of protest where the government became increasingly concerned about emerging grassroots organizations.
