Overview:
The PRC worked for improvements in a variety of areas in society. Health, education, and in particular, the position of women were some of the areas targeted. The programmes had both positive and negative aspects.
The PRC worked for improvements in a variety of areas in society. Health, education, and in particular, the position of women were some of the areas targeted. The programmes had both positive and negative aspects.
Health and education:
- Get into groups of 4 or 5 students. Each group will be assigned either Health or Education as a topic. Use pp77-79 of the Todd textbook and as a group agree on the necessary notes for your topic.
- Turn these notes into a short propaganda play (as performed in Mao’s PRC) to educate the masses about the successes of the PRC. Have one “rightist” member of the audience who says asides or heckles the actors about negative aspects associated with these programmes.
- Perform your play for the other groups. The others will watch and make notes about your topic. In a “Meet the cast” session after the performance check the audience’s understanding.
| todd_pp77-79.pdf |
This article has some interesting insights into advances in health care (especially about lancing snails!)
| health_in_china_-_from_mao_to_market_reform_by_therese_hesketh_and_wei_xing_zhu.pdf |
This article has some alternative views on the real successes and failures of the Barefoot Doctor programme:
| dikottir_alternate_view_on_health.pdf |
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Women:
- Do the “Propaganda posters” activity.
- Read the “Women in the PRC” worksheet. Set up a 2 column table. 1 column for
After completing the table, write an overall assessment about the position of women
In the PRC.
3. Do the “Alternate perspectives” activity. Also read p74 of Todd for other alternate perspectives.
Below are more alternate perspectives from Benson and Dikottir on women in the PRC. You may like to read these before
moving on to 4.
4. Discuss or write about this question: To what extent did Communism practice the slogan "Women hold up half the sky"?
| propaganda_posters_of_women_in_maos_china.docx |
| women_in_the_prc.pdf |
| alternate_perspective_on_women_in_china.docx |
| dikottir_alternate_view_on_prostitution.pdf |
| benson_about_women_in_china.pdf |