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Life in Mao's China, 1949 to 76
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Communist rule changed family life, education, health and culture. Some changes were real gains; others brought fear and loss.
Communist control
Propaganda posters, films and newspapers praised Mao; censorship controlled all media.
The cult of Mao turned him into a god-like figure.
Thought reform forced people to confess 'wrong' ideas; Reform Through Labour camps (laogai) held millions.
The cult of Mao turned him into a god-like figure.
Thought reform forced people to confess 'wrong' ideas; Reform Through Labour camps (laogai) held millions.
Family life and women
The Marriage Law (1950) banned arranged and forced marriages and allowed divorce.
Foot binding was stamped out.
Women worked in fields and factories, but still did most housework.
The communes took over childcare and cooking, weakening family life in the countryside.
Foot binding was stamped out.
Women worked in fields and factories, but still did most housework.
The communes took over childcare and cooking, weakening family life in the countryside.
Education, health and culture
Education: literacy campaigns; Pinyin (1958) made reading easier; but schools collapsed after 1966.
Health: mass campaigns against disease; barefoot doctors (basic medical training) brought simple care to villages; life expectancy rose.
Culture: traditional culture was attacked; Jiang Qing promoted revolutionary operas.
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and ancestor worship were attacked; temples and churches were closed or destroyed.
Health: mass campaigns against disease; barefoot doctors (basic medical training) brought simple care to villages; life expectancy rose.
Culture: traditional culture was attacked; Jiang Qing promoted revolutionary operas.
Religion: Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam and ancestor worship were attacked; temples and churches were closed or destroyed.
Explain one way the Marriage Law of 1950 changed women's lives.
- Before, many marriages were arranged by families.
- The law banned arranged marriages and allowed women to divorce.
- This gave women more control over their own lives.
Answer: It let women choose their partners and divorce, giving them more freedom.
Control: propaganda, censorship, the cult of Mao, thought reform and laogai camps. Women: Marriage Law (1950), end of foot binding, more work. Education: literacy, Pinyin, collapse after 1966. Health: barefoot doctors. Culture and religion: tradition attacked; revolutionary operas.
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