Communication and Social Change in China - Essay Example

?  Communication and Social Change in China Communication and Social Change in China The culture of China is a varied and rich combination of communist, different modern and post-modern influences, and Chinese culture. In the Cultural Revolution, a large number of cultural components of considerable worth were severely damaged or destroyed and the practice of a large number of crafts and arts were outlawed. Therefore, the culture of China remains significantly complicated, incorporating modern experiments and ancient traditions, in what sometimes seems to be a rather vibrant but fragile mix. In the initial periods of the People’s Republic of China, the progress of revolutionary model operas, for example, the Beijing opera was promoted. A large number of new operas on modern and historical themes were created, and previous operas continued to be performed. As a trendy form of art, opera has often been the foremost of the arts to highlight transformations in Chinese policy. For instance, in the middle period of 1950, it was the first to gain from the Hundreds Flowers Campaign. Identically, the November 1965 criticism on Wu Han, the deputy mayor of Beijing and his historical play indicated the start of the Cultural Revolution. In the Cultural Revolution, a large number of opera soldiers were dismissed, scriptwriters and performers were singled out, and all operas apart from the eight model operas endorsed by Jiang Qing and her partners were outlawed. Also, Western-style plays were damned as poisonous weeds and dead drama and were not presented. After the demise of the Gang of four in 1976, Beijing opera was restored and continued to be an extremely admired form of entertainment both on television and in theaters (Chu, 1977). This paper will discuss the role of revolutionary model operas in the 1960s and 70s in the People’s Republic of China. The paper will look at the context in which the case became significant, the content, mechanism, and degree of dissemination of the involved media, and the consequences of the medium on the society. The creation of communication media was connected in complicated manners with several of other developmental processes, which, when combined, were made up of what has come to be known as modernity. Therefore, if people were to comprehend the features of modernity, that is, the life situations developed by the modern societies and institutional elements of modern societies, then they should give a core responsibility to the establishment of communication media and their effect (Thompson, 1995a). In addition, there was a revival of the Western-style Theater following the Cultural Revolution. A large number of works that were created, and banned and revised from abroad and China were restored in the national collection. A large number of the new acts stressed at the perimeters of imaginative freedom and were condemned and commended, on the basis of the political situation. One of the most vocal of the novel class of playwrights was Sha Yexin. He developed a contentious play, The Imposter, in 1979, which dealt unsympathetically with the prerequisites and favoritism given to party associates. In addition, the most widespread entertainment for the Chinese citizens prior to the revolutionary model operas in the 1960s to 70s entailed public gatherings, art shows, and fireworks displays. Individuals felt tremendous happiness and derived inspiration among the cheering crowds. For instance, Yangge stilt walking and performances became admired shows. The people of People’s Republic of China enjoyed engrossing themselves in carnival groups, in which they felt a rousing spirit of unity. In addition, filmmakers erupted into new eagerness to develop novel performances. Also, this period saw Chinese filmmakers developed a sizeable amount of movies (Clark, 2008). Context in Which the Case Became Significant The people of the People’s Republic of China went through a strenuous period during the 1960s and 1970s. The natural catastrophe during the initial three years of the 1960 period led to famine in the nation. In addition, the Cultural Revolution during the 1960s and 1970s led to a chaotic period in the People’s Republic of China, which left scars in the heart of the Chinese citizens. Nonetheless, during the Cultural Revolution, a period referred to as the cultural desert was witnessed. During this period there were eight plays which were largely performed in different stages of the country. In general, these eight plays were referred to as the eight model plays or Yang Ban Xi. These plays contain larger than life heroines and heroes, and revolutionary themes. Also, these eight plays became the People’s Republic of China people’s foremost source of entertainment. In addition, the revolutionary model operas were engineered and planned by Chairman Mao Zedong’s wife, Jiang Qing. These model operas were perceived as modern and revolutionary in terms of musical and thematic features in comparison with customary operas. A large number of model operas were tailored to film. During this period, a large number of model operas with revolutionary and contemporary themes were developed, but were not sufficient to Chairman Mao Zedong’s preference (Chu, 1977). In the early part of 1960, Chairman Mao Zedong grumbled that the stage of the country was still overshadowed by beauties, emperors, literati, kings, chancellors, and generals, instead of the popular heroic models from soldiers, peasants, or workers who had the capacity to serve and teach the large number of people. Chairman Mao Zedong’s desire for a novel revolutionary national art facilitated his wife to begin her work in dominating the arts arena. She began with the modification of several Beijing operas on current themes, for example, Shajiabang and Hongdengji. She continued with Qixi baihutuan and Zhigu weihushan. In 1964, these creations were presented for the foremost time in Shanghai, at an Opera festival. During the period of the Cultural Revolution, these works were regarded as a constituent of what was perceived as a New Socialist Things, which was as a result of the movement (Katz & Lazarsfeld, 1957). Also, the festival exposed her to numerous presentations that fascinated her and that she consequently began modifying in 1964 to 1965. The model operas, including those developed by Chairman Mao Zedong’s wife were found in all places. Nonetheless, after 1976, Beijing opera and other revolutionary model operas were considered to be a significant part of the Cultural Revolution. In addition, older presenters who had survived Chairman Mao Zedong’s expulsion were permitted to convey their knowledge to new learners. There were also new composers who were criticized and new works censored as the political tide changed from one period to another. In the beginning, eight revolutionary model operas were developed. The number of these revolutionary model operas increased to eighteen by the close of the Cultural Revolution period. Instead of the beauties, emperors, maidens, kings, chancellors, and generals of the customary Beijing opera, which was outlawed as bourgeois and feudalistic, they presented tales from the recent revolutionary struggles in China against class and foreign enemies. The revolutionary model operas elevated the bravery of the ordinary citizens and the People’s Liberation Army, and illustrated Mao Zedong and his philosophy as playing a significant part in the accomplishment of socialism in the People’s Republic of China. The Eight Model Opera overshadowed the platform in several areas of the nation during this period leading to the gag Bayi ren kan bage xi. This means that eight hundred million people watched eight shows (Mittler, 2010). The revolutionary model operas comprise the ballets “The White Haired Girl” and “The Red Detachment”, Peking operas “Raid on the White Tiger Regiment”, “The Harbor”, “Sha Jia Village”, “The Legend of the Red Lantern”, and “Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy”, and the symphony “Sha Jia Bang”. The legitimate forms of the model operas were entirely Beijing operas and were created by either the Shanghai Beijing Opera House or China Beijing Opera House, although a large number of them were consequently personalized to domestic forms of operas. In addition, the ballets were either made by the Shanghai Ballet Troupe or Central Ballet Troupe. The Content, Mechanism, and Degree of Dissemination of the Involved Media The revolutionary model operas were broadcasted on the radio, reproduced on posters, they also existed in comic books, on LPs, calendars, postcards, vases, cigarette packages, stamps, wash basins, tea pots, among other mediums and transformed into movies. The revolutionary model operas were the only existing theatrical form of entertainment for the large number of people in China during that period, frequently revised for domestic opera practices. In addition, the model operas were presented on stages all over the nation; they were blasted from speakers or performed in fields, factories, and schools by exclusive performing groups (Castells, 1997). In spite of the design, the revolutionary model operas had to be the same. To make sure every presentation was similar, model opera guides and scores were handed out to different parts of the country. Contrasting European opera, which was fundamentally entertainment for the privileged, the contemporary Beijing opera had turned into a trendy political art. A large number of common Chinese individuals became familiar with the arias in the revolutionary model operas and would intone them on the streets or at home. Nevertheless, Beijing opera is generally a performing art. Initially, the Chinese works that personified the conveying of a story through acting were referred to as bai-xi or Hundred Entertainments. The phrase bai-xi signifies a form of entertainment mixing a large number of elements of performance. They include song, amusement, costume, spirituality, storytelling, dance, and feats of physical strength. More than any other form of art, model operas utilize a range of sign systems to be in touch with its spectators. For instance, Beijing opera employs linguistic, gestures, literary, acoustic, and facial symbols connected into an integrated whole. It is this complex union of skill and purpose that made the model operas the bracing experience it turned out to be. The Legend of the Red Lantern was tailored to a piano supplemented cantata by Yin Chengzong, a pianist. This was fundamentally a cycle of arias extracted from the model opera. In addition, Shajiabang was musically extended to a symphony with a complete Western orchestra. This was a pattern identical to the ninth symphony of Beethoven. The revolutionary model operas sought motivation from customary Chinese operas and got cues from western play structure and stage design. Just like in the Peking opera works, they modified the conceptual stage design characteristic of the Peking opera tradition into actual material setting distinctive of western works. In addition, the works also utilized a symphony orchestra to go with the Peking opera singing in a creative way. Also, the revolutionary model operas adopted a western play design, which was extra compact, and led to other influential works. Subsequent to 1969 a number of different revolutionary model operas were created, including Bay of Panshi, Battle in the Plains, and Azalea Mountain, employing the original model in form and content (Meyrowitz, 1985). Nonetheless, it was the initial eight plays that were most regularly presented. The novel revolutionary theatrical designs were presumed to be shining victories of Mao Zedong ideas and the Cultural Revolution. Consequences of the Medium on the Society All through the 1960s and 70s, the political system of the People’s Republic of China employed works of art to spread and present acceptable thought and behavior. Songs, literature, stage plays, painting, and other artistic worse were developed for the purpose of entertainment. Nevertheless, these mediums were given a significant didactic responsibility. These revolutionary model operas had the responsibility to instruct the Chinese citizens in what was perceived to be appropriate and unethical (McLuhan & Powers, 1989). According to the political ideas abide by at the time, so long as the authority gave examples of acceptable behavior, this would automatically make the citizens believe what was observed as fitting. In addition, the people who were involved in developing the revolutionary model operas were properly equipped in design methods and able to envisage a work in an appealing manner. Also, the mediums were realistic and figurative. The intention was to depict the future occurrences in the present. These compositions developed a form of fiction and fact, laying emphasis on the encouraging and dismissing any negative thing. These model operas had tremendous artistic values making a number of them remain prevalent even at present (Xing, 2004). References Castells, M. (1997). An introduction to the information age. City, 2(7), 6-16. Chu, G. C. (1977). Preface: In radical change through communication in Mao’s China. Honolulu: The University Press of Hawaii. Clark, P. (2008). The Chinese Cultural Revolution: A history. New York: Cambridge University Press. Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. E. (1957). Personal influence. New York: Free press. McLuhan, M., & Powers, B. R. (1989). The global village: Transformations in world life and media in the 21st century. New York: Oxford University Press. Meyrowitz, J. (1985). No sense of place. New York: Oxford University Press. Mittler, B. (2010). Eight stage works for 800 million people: The great proletarian Cultural Revolution in music — A view from revolutionary opera. The Opera Quarterly, 26(2), 377. Thompson, J. B. (1995a). The media and modernity: A social theory of the media. California: Stanford. Xing, L. (2004). Rhetoric of the Chinese Cultural Revolution: The impact on Chinese thought, culture, and communication. 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