About This Lesson
During the Cultural Revolution, Chairman Mao sought to impose his doctrines, known as "Mao Zedong Thought," on all aspects of Chinese society. Using the classroom-friendly excerpt found here, students can learn how indoctrination in Cultural Revolution China started as early as three years old and continued throughout grade school. Art, drama, dance, music, and English classes were all devoted to the cult of Mao.
The text is from "After the Cultural Revolution" written by Paul E. Sigmund in January 1973 for WORLDVIEW Magazine. The title of this article is somewhat deceiving, as historians place the Cultural Revolution from 1966 until Mao's death in 1976. However, Mao declared that it was officially finished in 1969, and the author was operating under this notion.
Sigmund was a professor of politics at Princeton. He accompanied a delegation from the U.S. House of Representatives to China. At the time, foreign visitors were carefully controlled and were not allowed to wander around freely. They saw what the government wanted them to see. Nevertheless, this account gives a fascinating picture of what it was like to attend Chinese grade school in 1973.
This is a great worksheet for a world history or global history course.
