| guys i need help. so i want to submit this paper for an undergraduate convention on east asian studies with the ultimate aim of getting published--that would be so amazingly sweeeeeet!!!! so, there are 2 choices. i know this dorky and probably boring, but if you would take a moment to vote, i'd appreciate it!
(1) PROJECT TITLE: Foreign Friends to China’s Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
Generally, in today’s world, the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) is known for its oppressive nature and its relentless victimization of its own people. It is not uncommon for the CR to be compared with some of the greatest atrocities of totalitarian regimes and thus implicitly critiquing the Chinese people and their communist form of government. However, there was a time when the Chinese Revolution was considered a great inspirational hope for world revolution and a new world order, and the Cultural Revolution stood at the pinnacle of these efforts.
In a world context of uncertainty and also possibility, leftists abroad and foreign sympathizers in China itself held up CR as a shining example of empowering the masses in true democratic fashion. Foreigner after foreigner, sympathetic to communist cause, applauded Mao’s efforts to eradicate bureaucracy, expose corruption in the Party, abolish privilege and elitism in all forms, and give all the power to the people. This paper analyzes the context of the times, ultimately trying to explain the heartfelt fervor of these foreigners and their reluctance to let go of their revolutionary hope and faith in communism, particularly Maoism—something that has since lost cachet. Along the way, this paper explores foreign participation in the Cultural Revolution, Maoist ideology, and the justification for the movement.
(2) PROJECT TITLE: The Role of Calligraphy in Contemporary Chinese Society
This paper analyzes the tensions in contemporary Chinese society, using 21 interviews, conducted in Beijing about people’s views on calligraphy as a way to understand modernization more broadly in Chinese society. This paper contests that calligraphy, an art form considered traditional and emblematic of China’s rich history and culture, has been appropriated as a vehicle for people to participate with the processes of modernity. Contemporary calligraphers who engage in the Modernist movement in calligraphy use the art form as a way of exploring new identities, consciously striving for innovation and new expression. Simultaneously, however, calligraphy is still understood as the paramount pillar of Chinese culture, and figures into a larger conception of Chinese national identity. In the final analysis, I argue that these two roles are not necessarily opposed to each other, but are both part and parcel of a complex and ever-changing society, and calligraphy itself is bound up inextricably with modernization in China.
thanks guys!  |
