theme 4: Social and cultural changes Flashcards
What was foot binding?
Breaking and binding of the feet to make them smaller and more attractive
originally banned in 1911
When was the New Marriage Law?
1950
What did the New Marriage Law do?
Banned concubinage, arranged marriage and dowries/ bride prices
Divorce made easier
Men and women equal
Problems with the New Marriage Law
Cadres didn’t enforce it
Advantages for women in communes
Made equal to men
expected to do the same work as men
(ideologically successful)
Disadvantages for women in Communes
Reward/Ration system disadvantaged women
Childcare was poor -> mothers reluctant to use them
Sexual abuse common
What was the traditional view on women in the family
Mother in laws had authority over sons brides
Confucius view on family women subservient to father then husband then son
the birth of a girl was disappointing
Girls not educated as seen as a waste when the family would lose them to marriage
Results of New Marriage Law
reduced child and arranged marriages successfully
Change in women education
1929 - 1949: 38% completed primary education
after 1959: 100%
Women in the PLA
Women could reach officer rank
What was the women association?
encouraged women to partake in political activism
membership of 76 million
What was pinyin?
a universalised language
Result of National primary school system
between 1949 and 1957 increased from 26 million students to 64 million
Literacy level by 1964
64%
Winter school attendance 1951
42 million
Focus of Unis
producing scientists and doctors
Effect of ‘Bombard the Headquarters campaign’ on education
young people encouraged to attack people in power like teachers
led to the closure of schools
lost generation
Education after CR
Red guard sent to the country side - no education
Curriculum had been permanently undermined by the CR
How many young people had no formal education (CR)?
130 million
What were barefoot doctors?
minimally trained doctors offering advice and care in rural areas
how long were barefoot doctors trained for?
6 months
Impact of barefoot doctors
successful
Rudamentry health care better than none
international esteem - praised by healthcare organisations overseas
How were rural areas taught about hygiene?
posters
successes of healthcare reforms
life expectancy rose
infant mortality fell
smallpox, typhoid, cholera and plague basically eradicated
Anti-drug campaigns were successful
Villages mobilised to drain swamps breeding malaria
