The two widows: a comparison of the educational influence of Krupskaya, wife of Lenin and Chiang Ch'ing, wife of Mao
Date
2015-08-18
Authors
Rootenberg, Suzanne Eva
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Abstract
This dissertation studies the educational influence of two women. One of
these women is Nadezhda K. Krupskaya (1863 - ,936), wife of Lenin who was
Premier of the U.S.S.A. The other woman is Chiang Ch-ing fbo m in 1914
and still alive today), third wife of Mao Tse-Tung who was Chairman of
the People's Republic of China. Both Krupskaya and Chiang Ch'ing had
Marxist backgrounds, and both carried out the political ideologies of
their husbands.
Krupskaya was a pedagogist who stressed especially the need for polytechnical
education in the school. She believed that this type of learning
would contribute greatly towards fulfilling the ..pciai and economic
reouirements of a communist society. Chiang Ch'ing, in contrast to
Krupskaya, had little education. While assisting Mao in implementing his
re dims in the schools during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution
her greatest influence was in the area of China's national culture
Having gained supreme authority in this sphere, she turned the performing
arts into a vehicle for Mac's ideas which were to serve Proletarian politics.
Krupskaya's polytechnics! concepts are today stressed at every stage of
the Russian educational system. Despite this, however, it has been found
that Russian schooling produces an inegalitarian society, which is in conlict
with the ideals postulated.
After Mac's death, Chiang Ch'ing, with the other members of the 'Gang of
Pour' of which she was ringleader, was arrested and imprisoned. The new
leaders, while systematically restoring ore-Cultural Revolution policies
used the 'Gang of Four' as scapegoats in their political campaign.
Chiang Cn'ing has been denounced as a traitor, and all vestiges of her
influence have been eradicated.
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education, University of the
Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the Degree of Master of Education.
Johannesburg, 1962.