Research On Shanghai Women's Political Participation In The Early Stage Of The Peoples Republic Of China(1949-1956)

As women's participation in politics is an important part of women's liberation,the level of it becomes a significant indicator of the equality of men and women.Shanghai women,on the one hand,are oppressed by traditional restraints as women in other cities on the other hand,they accept western culture earlier and become open-minded,Women's participation in politics has a unique advantage.This thesis selects Shanghai,a city with special status in politics,economy and culture,as the object of study and concludes current enlightenment of women's participation in politics by studying the conditions for women's participation in politics in the early stage of People's Republic of China and analyzing the performance and characteristics of their participation in politics.This thesis mainly adopts the method of literature research.On the basis of documents from 1949 to 1956 in Shanghai Municipal Archives,the author refers to newspapers,magazines and other materials at that time,trying to reproduce the basic situation of women's participation in politics at that time.The thesis is divided into four parts.The first part is the historical practices and realistic conditions of women's participation in politics in the early stage of People's Republic of China.The second part,Shanghai women's participation in politics,is the emphasis of this thesis.At that time,women's participation in politics mainly manifested in three aspects.Firstly,democratic participation,which played an significant role in the general election at the basic level in 1953.Secondly,power participation,namely women cadres worked in the state institutions.However,due to the immature conditions,most women cadres only worked for Women Federation and organizations at basic level at that time.Lastly,women's awareness of political participation,namely women were willing to go out of their families and participate in the political call of the country.The third part is the characteristics of women's participation in politics in the early stage of People's Republic of China.Firstly,although women's participation in politics is passive,which means their participation in political life is under the help of external force,women have increased their political awareness in participation and got an effect of active participation.Secondly,working women and housewives are more likely to be mobilized,on the contrary,women in industrial and commercial families as well as intellectual women are less active.Thirdly,there are conflicts between women's social role and family role,and conflicts between women's own conditions and roles given by society.Fourthly,women's participation in politics at that time involves all walks of life,and rural women also participate in.This is a major breakthrough for women's participation in politics under the leadership of the Communist Party of China,signifying participation in politics is no longer just the privilege of elite women.Fifthly,Shanghai Women's Federation plays a vital role of bond in women's participation in politics.The forth part is the enlightenment from women's participation in politics in the early stage of People's Republic of China.This thesis believes that the good political participation environment for women in the early stage of People's Republic of China,which is created by the Communist Party of China and the state,is the most significant condition for women's large-scale participation in politics.Although women's political participation conditions are still insufficient today,women's participation in politics at that time is an significant part in promoting women's liberation and women's progress,and its progressiveness should still be learned today.