Cultural Change 1 Flashcards
What did Mao intend for culture?
- Create a form of culture that would APPEAL TO THE MASS of Chinese workers and peasants, not simply the educated elite
- those who contributed to the traditional Chinese cultural activities (art and music) would bereaved into the service of a new culture, accessible to all
- Mao was following the example of Stalin^ (SR)
culture POLITICAL > ARTISTIC purpose
Could be a way of controlling the thoughts of the people, inculcating communist ideology
Many features of traditional culture were…
Simply swept away
What brought an end to traditional festivals such as…..?
Land reforms of the 1950s
Destruction of village life
Lantern Festival,
New Year,
Celebration of seasons
What impact did the reunification campaigns have on culture?
DEVASTATING impact on the ancient cultures of
Tibet (Lamaism)
Xinjiang (Islam)
Both Confucianism and ancestor worship— condemned as BACKWARD SUPERSTITIONS
Agit-prop groups toured the country: tried to convince people to abandon their old traditions, customs, habits, follow Communism instead.
What greatly enhanced the ability of the Communist Party to monitor and control culture?
Forcing the peasants into the communes during the Great Leap Forward.
What did Mao launch in August 1966?
What impact did this have?
The ‘Four Olds’ campaign: old ideas, culture, customs, habits
Religious artefacts/temples destroyed 🕌
Philosophical books burnt 📜
Religious shrines in peasant houses replaced by pictures of Mao 🖼
Street names derived from folk traditions (eg. “Fortune and Longevity Road”) renamed 🌆🌉
Customs (eg paying respects by burning paper money or incense at the graves of ancestors during the Qingming festival) discouraged🌬
When did Mao appoint Jiang Qing to the CCRG?
1966 (his fourth wife)
What was Jiang Qing’s ambition?
Destroy traditional Chinese culture, replace it with revolutionary Communism.
What did Jiang Qing do in relation to music, theatre, art?
Imposed censorship
Banned performances that encouraged ‘feudal’ ideas: romance, aspirations for wealth n property, respect for family
Plays rewritten to include characters who supported Communist ideas.
Why did Jiang Qing feel qualified to rewrite performances?
Previous career as an actress
Sometimes attended rehearsals and gave orders on how the actors should portray Communism more positively
What was Jiang Qing’s role before the Cultural Revolution?
And during?
Not a significant political role
The “Cultural Tsar”— huge power and influence, one of the most important leaders in China.
1969- joined politburo
Later- because a member of Gang of Four (radicals hoping to take over China after Mao)
How did Jiang Qing use the Cultural Revolution?
A cover to purge anyone who knew about her bourgeois past as an actress in Shanghai
Attacked then so they’d wouldn’t be able to ruin her attempt to increase her power
Attempt to intimidate her enemies
Rid anyone who might prevent her rise to power (to survive Mao’s death)
Why did Jiang Qing have power?
Only because of her relationship with Mao
BUT
Mao elderly: needed to develop her own political authority to survive after his death.
USED VIOLENCE for her OWN ENDS
What were Madame Mao’s motives?
Figure of HATE: violent fervour with which she attacked her opponents
YET
“I was Chairman Mao’s dog. Whomever Chairman Mao asked me to bite, I bit”
✅ acting according to Mao’s wishes, certainly
❌ fervour with which she attacked ‘bourgeois’ culture was motivated by a personal vendetta:
- attacked rivals from acting past / associates who knew of bourgeois, embarrassing past (inc rumours she slept with directors to win parts in Shanghai 20s)
