The Power of Words: Literacy and Revolution in South China, 1949-95

Contemporary Chinese Studies (UBC Press)

by Glen Peterson

This book is a social and political history of the struggle for literacy in rural China from 1949 until 1994. It aims to show how China's revolutionary leaders conceived and promoted literacy in the countryside and how villagers made use of the literacy education and schools they were offered. Rather than focusing narrowly on educational issues alone, Peterson examines the larger significance of P.R.C. literacy efforts by situating the literacy movement within the broad context of major themes and issues in the social and political history of post-1949 China. Following the recent trend toward regional and local history, this book focuses on the linguistically diverse, socially complex, and politically awkward southeastern coastal province of Guangdong. As well, Peterson conducted interviews with local officials and teachers in several Guangdong counties in 1988 and 1989.

Genres: History

260 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Tabitha]

An incredibly dense book, Peterson not only gives a brief history of literacy and the Chinese Revolution but also of the economic and political policies that ultimately shape education. Lacking in the book is a comprehensive summary that synthesizes all the stages of the Revolution (The Great Leap Forward, The Cultural Revolution and post-Mao era) and its concomitant educational systems. The book also pays little attention to gender and minority status when assessing literacy policy.