Social and Cultural changes

Question 1

What was women’s role before 1949?

Answer 1

A patriarchal society, they were second class citizens

Question 2

What was the 1950 Marriage Law?

Answer 2

Arranged marriages and bride prices outlawed
Concubinage and Polygamy outlawed
Equality in divorce
Equal rights for children born out of wed-lock

Question 3

Did the 1950 Marriage Law change much?

Answer 3

Not really, the laws were not fully implemented and traditional resistance was too strong for propaganda efforts
Resistance especially in Muslim areas

Question 4

What was the impact of collectivisation on women?

Answer 4

Women got less rations of essentials
Split up the family
Increased prostitution and the trading of women

Question 5

How did Mao break family bonds and values?

Answer 5

Communes
The Cultural Revolution
Propaganda
This very much reduced women’s societal role

Question 6

What policies were there to reduce illiteracy?

Answer 6

National primary education implemented (1950)

Pinyin made China’s official language (1956)

Question 7

How much was illiteracy reduced?

Answer 7

Very quickly, literacy rates went up 30%

But due to setbacks and distractions, a steady and insignificant increase continued for decades

Question 8

What were the restrictions to improving education?

Answer 8

Distractions such as the Korean War and Cultural Revolution (‘lost generation’ of 130million)
Prioritising the economy

Question 9

How did Zhou attempt to reform education? (1970’s)

Answer 9

Greater emphasis on vocational study

Question 10

What were barefoot doctors?

Answer 10

1 million medical trainees (with 6 months training) sent to rural areas to provide rudimentary medical help.

Question 11

Why did Mao introduce barefoot doctors?

Answer 11

Correlated with his ideology of universal free health care (also benefited him practically and economically)

Question 12

How were barefoot doctors a success?

Answer 12

They provided hygiene education and saved many lives (life expectancy rose from 41 to 62 in two decades)
Although they help in eradicating ‘4 pests’ which unbalanced food chains

Question 13

Why was controlling culture important to the CCP?

Answer 13

Vital for communists long-term survival

Question 14

How did Land reform in the 1950’s break up culture?

Answer 14

Turned people’s daily lives upside-down, replacing it with the idea of the collective good.

Question 15

What was Chen Boda’s campaign against culture? (1966)

Answer 15

To ‘sweep away monsters and demons’ (meaning the privileged)

Question 16

How did Jiang Qing effect culture during the 1960’s?

Answer 16

Commisioned 8 operas that were repeated shown (later made into films)
Big role in the suppression of alternate culture

Question 17

Why didn’t Mao like religion?

Answer 17

Considered it bourgeoisie and their alternate leaders threatened his authority

Question 18

What attacks were there on Buddhism?

Answer 18

Reunification campaigns (1950)
Practice banned and Tibetan language replaced
1959 uprising brutally crushed (Dalai Lama fled to India)
Hit worst by famine (1/4 of population dies)
Cultural Revolution

Question 19

What attacks were there on Confucianism?

Answer 19

Propaganda campaigns
Cultural Revolution ('Confucius and co')

Question 20

What attacks were there on Christianity?

Answer 20

Churches closed (accept 'patriotic churches')
Propaganda and persecution (especially during the Cultural revolution)

Question 21

What attacks were there on Islam?

Answer 21

Reunification campaigns (tactical control of Xinjiang)
Dilution of local identities
Mosques closed
(*Uighur Muslims still suffer restrictions)
Policies implemented that conflicted with values

Question 22

What attacks were there on Ancient Worship?

Answer 22

Condemned as superstition (especially during Cultural revolution)

Question 23

Was Mao successful in eradicating any religion from China?

Answer 23

No, although some effectively suppressed, all made a significant reappearance after his death