Social Changes

• Communist saw religion as superstitious and that throughout history religion had cultivated and exploited people
• Mao saw Christians missionaries from Europe as the Nazi's of germany

• Christians churches forced to close
  • Religious buildings seized
  • Some converted into public/office buildings
• Chinese traditional faiths e.g. Confucianism, Buddhism and other major religions such as Christianity and Islam
• Foreign priests and nuns were banned from China or expelled

• Banned traditional customs (songs & dancing) and replaced them with meetings and discussions
• Propaganda was the main weapon, through posters and loud speakers were used as a way to condemn religion
• Fear of Regions splitting away from china because of different religious societies led to PLA going there to assert authorities in areas of Tibet & Xijiang
• Mass immigration was conducted, sending people into dense religious societies for change, only worked partially

• Arranged Marriages were common in China, usually conducted for business purposes or to link one family to another
• Mao was a dedicate defender of women's rights
• Although the government believed that there was sexual equality in society that had not been the case

• Arranged Marriages were banned
• The practice of Concubinage was banned
• The payment of Bride prices were banned
• Men and Women who were previously forced into marriages had the right to a divorce
• All marriages were now officially recorded and registered
• Buy & Sell Land

• Although communist government claimed that there was sexual equality, not many women worked in the government and the roles they did have weren't important
• Social Values/ Attitudes still didn't change
  • Still a male dominated society
  • Only valued baby boys over girls as girls were seen as a drain of resources
• New marriage laws conflicted with culture,

Reasons for Lack of Educational Progress

• Disruption of education was caused by the cultural revolution

• PRC had great hopes in raising educational levels
• 1949: majority of peasants illiterate

• 1955, new form of mandarin was adopted, which 80% of the country used
• Pronunciation of mandarin was different depending on which area making communication different
• Mandarin has no alphabet

• After Mao's death educational reform had failed
  • e.g. only 35% had received schooling at the age of 12
  • Only 26% received schooling at the ages of 12-1