The Study On The Reform And Influence Of Marriage System In The Initial Stage Of People’s Republic Of China

The Marriage Law of the People’s Republic of China in 1950 marked the beginning of the reform of marriage system the Initial Stage of People’s Republic of China.In addition to the continuation of the reform of marriage system in the base areas and liberated areas during the new democratic revolution,it is also regarded as a comprehensive and in-depth social change to consolidate the new people’s political power and build a new society and country.So far,the social progress and changes brought by it still exert a profound influence on the development of Chinese society and people’s daily life.Despite the academic circle’s concern to the reform of marriage system in the revolutionary base,the liberated areas and the PRC in its early years,as well as a considerable number of academic achievements,most of the studies were limited to particular periods and regions.The researches conducted by some scholars into the internal relationship between the reform of marriage system launched by the Communist Party of China in the new democratic revolution and early period of the PRC,were mainly focus on the social changes of modern China from the perspective of marriage system reform.Restricted by the academic boundaries,there is still a lack of researches on the theory,history and practice logic of marriage system reform in early period of the PRC from the perspective of Marxism in China.The thesis explores the perspectives of ideological,the practice of the marriage reform with its impact and historical experience of the Communist Party of China in the Initial Stage of People’s Republic of China.Based on that,the thesis attempts to discuss the Communist Party of China’s experience of and inspiration from the reform.Starting from Marxist historical materialism and reviewing Marx’s social revolution theory,Friedrich Engels’theory of marriage and family,the marriage theory of Chinese Communists,and the theory,practice and experience of the Soviet Union in marriage system reform in the early 20^thcentury,so as to find out the ideological and theoretical resources that supported the the Communist Party of China’s marriage system reform.Secondly,in the context of social revolution,the thesis re-examines the reform’s historical developments and practical trajectory in revolutionary bases and liberated areas since the 1930s.In this way,the role of the experience of the Communist Party of China in exploring the reform of marriage system in the early years of the PRC’s marriage legislation and practice are studied,with a view to establishing an accurate understanding of the formation mechanism and internal logic of the reform of marriage system in early period of the PRC.Shandong has always been taken as a typical example in the marriage system reform in early years of the PRC.In July 1949,the people’s Government of Shandong Province issued the Provisional Regulations on the Amendment of Marriage in Shandong Province,which was generally in line with the Marriage Law in 1950.Therefore,it might be regarded as a trial of the new marriage law in Shandong Province.Because of the influence of Confucian ethics in this region,the reform encountered strong resistance in the early stage.Nevertheless,the model of building a democratic,harmonious and united productive new family was firstly formed in Jiaodong area,which was set as an example of marriage system reform in the PRC after 1953.Centered on the reform of the marriage system in Shandong and finds that the reform in Shandong showed distinctive periodical characteristics.If the goal of the reform during the period of completing the leftover tasks of democratic revolution from 1949 to 1953 was to abolish the feudal marriage system and establish a new democratic one that was freedom-based,which remained democratic revolution in nature from the perspective of social transformation and institutional reconstruction,then during the period of comprehensive socialist transformation from 1953 to 1956,the goal shifted as the focus of the party’s work shifted to socialist revolution and construction.The primary concern of marriage system reform has also turned to the construction of new productive families with democracy,harmony and unity.Therefore,it assumes the social revolutionary attribute of emancipating productive forces and reforming production relations put forward by Engels.The reform of marriage system makes a lot of changes in the social domain.With the implementation and perfection of marriage registration,dispute mediation and divorce judgment system,marriage is no longer approved by family but recognized by state,the reconstruction of the relationship between society and the state has also been completed.That is to say,in the process of gradual expansion of state power,the social identity to the state has been strengthened.Besides,with the social position of women and their property rights being recognized and protected by law,the institutional obstacles causing gender inequality are moved away.Women contribute to building democratic,united and harmonious family;they also gradually achieve the real gender equality by participating in production and politics.In the long process of history,this reform also encouraged the change of people’s ideas.Chinese society then transforms from traditional to modern,agricultural to industrial.These outstanding achievements of the marriage system at the Initial Stage of People’s Republic of China once again prove the importance of reinforcing the centralized and unified leadership of the party and significance of highlighting the family,leave valuable experience that emphasizing the publicity and education on cadres and the masses must be emphasized,and made important contributions to the creative application and development of Marx and Engels’social revolution,marriage and family theories.