Mao blamed ruling elites within the communist party and government bureaucrats who were interested only in maintaining their power.
What two steps were involved in Mao's plan to tear down the old world?
The two steps were to have the Red Guard attack the “Four Olds” and to eliminate the “Five Black Elements”.
What evidence did British sociologist Peter Worsley offer to show that Mao's effort at social change was successful?
The evidence he showed was that the Chinese education system was reorganized under the control of peasants and workers and that college recruitment among these classes was greatly increased.
Who were the Red Guard and what role did they play in the Cultural Revolution?
The Red Guard consisted of young people who grew up under Mao and viewed him as a father figure. They followed Mao’s orders, leading the revolution by destroying old culture and forming new governments.
What negative effects did the Cultural Revolution and the inefficient leadership of the Red Guard have on China?
The revolution resulted in the destruction of China’s ancient culture and it destroyed the university system and robbed China of a generation of educated people. The poor leadership of the Red Guard also disrupted China’s economy.
The Cultural Revolution relied heavily on negative sanctions to promote social change. How might Mao have used positive sanctions to promote social change? (1-2 paragraphs)
Mao could have used positive sanctions instead of negative ones in order to promote social change. Instead of destroying culture and hurting civilians, Mao could have worked to promote his ideal culture. He could have provided reward to those who weren’t corrupt or fighting against his plans as opposed to punishing those who were. He could have demonstrated why it would be better if the country were to change so that people would do so willingly instead of out of force. For example, propaganda promoting the change he wished to see as well as the positive impacts that would stem from it may have led to successful change without so much damage to the country.
How are the four aspects of culture shown in this article? Please list and explain all examples. (short essay)
The Chinese Cultural Revolution incorporated all four aspects of culture. Not much was written in this article relating to language, but obviously the Chinese language is much different than English. The language can affect how people think and the culture as a whole. Also, translations may not be exact. For example, the “reeducation” stated in the article may have a slightly different connotation in Chinese. Beliefs played a big part in the revolution. Mao tried to control the beliefs of his citizens by enforcing his own culture upon the land. For example, he had the Red Guard destroy churches and temples. Mao also tried to rid China of Western and ancient Chinese values. This was demonstrated in the elimination of the rich and the destruction of art, books, etc. In addition, Mao tried to create a new system of norms. He tried to rebuild the structure of the government and changed laws such as making drivers go on red and stop on green. All of the aspects of culture were prevalent in the Cultural Revolution.
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