Abstract
Within the Maoist era, how did the People’s Republic of China utilize different types of propaganda to enact public health? More broadly, this connects to the development of the three-tiered health system in China. Identifying the local efforts to quell waves of infectious disease in China is invaluable to scholars of medical history as well as public health officials seeking to better communicate and implement context-specific community health measures. While the successful reduction of diseases required a nuanced understanding of infectious vectors for the illiterate populace, an analysis of these sources with a clear understanding of biology is still lacking. Particularly the role of state propaganda in mobilizing grassroots science and public health awareness from the 1950s to the late 70s. Dissemination of propaganda drew on nationalistic, socialist, and revolutionary themes such as war, traditional culture, and women’s liberation, invoking a shared sense of bodily and national identity. Therefore, a visual analysis of propaganda materials detailing the prevalence of infectious disease and valorization of Chinese medicine may reveal the devices used to mobilize the public. Investigating archives from the National Library of Medicine provides a window into the individual motivations of the artist and the overarching policy direction of state propaganda organs. Although there is no causal link, we can conclude that the use of propaganda in this period served to transform the role of healthcare in the eyes of the masses.
Advisor
Ng, Margaret
Department
History
Recommended Citation
White, Alexander W., "Public Health and Propaganda: How the PRC Mobilized the Masses for Preventative Healthcare During the Maoist Period, 1949-1976" (2024). Senior Independent Study Theses. Paper 10882.
https://openworks.wooster.edu/independentstudy/10882
Disciplines
Alternative and Complementary Medicine | Asian History | Biology | Chinese Studies | Diseases | History of Science, Technology, and Medicine | Medical Humanities | Parasitic Diseases | Social History
Keywords
Public Health, Propaganda, Peoples Republic of China, TCM, Mao, Pandemic, Epidemic, Patriotic Health Campaigns, Barefoot Doctors
Publication Date
2024
Degree Granted
Bachelor of Arts
Document Type
Senior Independent Study Thesis
© Copyright 2024 Alexander W. White