Cultural changes Flashcards
Mao’s view on culture
viewed it as necessary for political goals to introduce proletarian culture on China to protect the revolution
how did Mao achieve his vision of culture pre CR
by destroying old attitudes in the past
for example
Land reforms (1950) brought an end to traditional values and festivals such as Lantern festival, the new year and the celebration of seasons
in leisure time peasants attended political meeting were new values were reinforced by watching shows, propaganda films put on by agit-prop groups
reunification campaigns destroyed culture in Tibet and Xinjiang (Islam and Lamaism)
Confucianism and ancestor worship were condemned as backward
What campaign did Mao launch at the start of the CR
Four old campaign to destroy old culture, old customs and old habits
destroying religious artifacts, temples, philosophical books
Shrines were replaced with pictures of Mao
street names renamed
customs e.g paying respect to graves of ancestors discouraged
was 4 olds campaign successful
customs and traditions were too engrained so no e.g. death of Zhou Enali
what role did Jiang Qing have in cultural change
Jiang Qing was Mao’s fourth wife she was appointed in 1966 to the CCRG and her ambition was to destroy traditional Chinese culture and replace it with revolutionary communism
what were some of Jiang Qing cultural changes
She set about purifying Chinese culture.
A rigid form of censorship was established which prevented art from appearing in public until it met her criteria.
Imposing censorship of music, theatre and art
Romance, aspirations for wealth and property or respect for family
she rewrote performance’s, attended rehearsals critiquing
while most western influences were banned, piano music and oil paintings were allowed because they suited her personal taste
only contemporary Chinese themes permitted, creative artists who were unwilling to produce work were either fired or sent for re education in labour camps
painting, during GLF some women were taught to produce art promoting the GLF during the CR ex-artists were sent to coach them further in order to demonstrate that proletarian art had become a reality.
How did Jiang Qing use cultural change to increase her own power
while she claimed that she was Mao’s dog and who she was asked to bite she bit but her attack on bourgeois culture was on her own as she attacked actresses who won roles ahead of her and those who knew compromising details of her past were purged
increased her own power she needed to develop her own political authority to survive after Mao
result of Jiang’s control
no proletarian art had been developed to replace that which had been destroyed, literature had disappeared only 124 novels published in the period 1966-76
Lack of culture and stifling of creativity e.g. 8 opera ballets were commissioned to symbolise triumph of heroic workers and where only form of theatrical entertainment, they were broadcasted on radio and used in school.
success- ballets were turned into feature films and by 1974 7.3 billion views one had = 7 viewing by every Chinese person, figure shows growth of rural projection units taking films around the country side.
conclusion of Mao and Jiang reforms
as Mao believed culture was a tool to control or remake societies, all culture was showing greatness of party and enforcing commitment to its policies
heroism of PLA, role of ordinary people in national life
pre revolutionary books banned, music and songs were about Mao and party
old customs and beliefs were denounced but not able to be eradicated
policies were exacerbated by both collectivisation and cultural revolution
although Jiang Qing created new ideas old traditions still around and after Mao’s deaths revived
