The impact of Mao’s policies on women and minorities

Women in China Background: pre-Mao Historically, Chinese women had been among the most repressed in the world. Imperial China had been a patriarchal society, Confucian ideals held that a woman must obey her husband: Loyalty of minister and officials to the emperor, respect of children from their parents, obediences of wives to their husbands Very …

Social changes under Mao

Literacy The PRC wanted to raise the education levels for China 1949: 20% literate 1950s: national system of primary educated established 1955: Mandarin language reform (pinyin - standardised) (80% used this) 1976: 70% literate Children’s Pioneer Corps, New Democratic Youth Leagues 1955: New, standard form of Mandarin adopted Before this, there was no one language …

Cultural changes under Mao

The arts Cultural revolution, May 1966 - attack on “Four Olds” ⇒ ideas, customs, habits and traditions Only art that reflected the revolutionary spirit was accepted e.g. Daizhao, posters Depicted strong peasant, soldiers and workers Artists e.g. calligraphers, subject to humiliation, re-education and torture “Black painting” exhibitions of works that did not reflect the political …

Political changes under Mao

Structure of government Highly centralised system of Party Control By 1949 - power rested within the CCP, dominated all political and administrative institution at every level 1960s - 18 million members of the CCP Party politics = Democratic Centralism, CCP “I will listen but my decision has to be obeyed” Local Party < National Party …

Economic changes under Mao

Early changes Agrarian Reform Law, June 1950 Sent CCP to countryside to redistribute land Taught peasants to identify social class “rich” “middle” “poor” People’s Courts, speak bitterness sessions ⇒ denounced ⇒ land confiscated (rich peasants) 47 million hectares of land redistributed, 300m peasants 2-4 million landlords killed and not many poor peasants had the expertise …