Social and Cultural changes Flashcards
What was women’s role before 1949?
A patriarchal society, they were second class citizens
What was the 1950 Marriage Law?
Arranged marriages and bride prices outlawed
Concubinage and Polygamy outlawed
Equality in divorce
Equal rights for children born out of wed-lock
Did the 1950 Marriage Law change much?
Not really, the laws were not fully implemented and traditional resistance was too strong for propaganda efforts
Resistance especially in Muslim areas
What was the impact of collectivisation on women?
Women got less rations of essentials
Split up the family
Increased prostitution and the trading of women
How did Mao break family bonds and values?
Communes
The Cultural Revolution
Propaganda
This very much reduced women’s societal role
What policies were there to reduce illiteracy?
National primary education implemented (1950)
Pinyin made China’s official language (1956)
How much was illiteracy reduced?
Very quickly, literacy rates went up 30%
But due to setbacks and distractions, a steady and insignificant increase continued for decades
What were the restrictions to improving education?
Distractions such as the Korean War and Cultural Revolution (‘lost generation’ of 130million)
Prioritising the economy
How did Zhou attempt to reform education? (1970’s)
Greater emphasis on vocational study
What were barefoot doctors?
1 million medical trainees (with 6 months training) sent to rural areas to provide rudimentary medical help.
Why did Mao introduce barefoot doctors?
Correlated with his ideology of universal free health care (also benefited him practically and economically)
How were barefoot doctors a success?
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
Why was controlling culture important to the CCP?
Vital for communists long-term survival
How did Land reform in the 1950’s break up culture?
Turned people’s daily lives upside-down, replacing it with the idea of the collective good.
What was Chen Boda’s campaign against culture? (1966)
To ‘sweep away monsters and demons’ (meaning the privileged)
How did Jiang Qing effect culture during the 1960’s?
Commisioned 8 operas that were repeated shown (later made into films)
Big role in the suppression of alternate culture
Why didn’t Mao like religion?
Considered it bourgeoisie and their alternate leaders threatened his authority
What attacks were there on Buddhism?
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
What attacks were there on Confucianism?
Propaganda campaigns
Cultural Revolution ('Confucius and co')What attacks were there on Christianity?
Churches closed (accept 'patriotic churches') Propaganda and persecution (especially during the Cultural revolution)
What attacks were there on Islam?
Reunification campaigns (tactical control of Xinjiang)
Dilution of local identities
Mosques closed
(*Uighur Muslims still suffer restrictions)
Policies implemented that conflicted with values
What attacks were there on Ancient Worship?
Condemned as superstition (especially during Cultural revolution)
Was Mao successful in eradicating any religion from China?
No, although some effectively suppressed, all made a significant reappearance after his death
