In history, the Cultural Revolution was an organization started in China in 1966, mainly aimed at preserving the elements of Chinese culture and traditions. It also had the role of educating the younger generation about their cultural beliefs and practices. It was against the modern lifestyle that had cropped up in the country by then. This repressive and inhumane movement was led by Mao Zedong (Harrell, 2020). In this contest, “cultural revolution” is defined as a change that occurs in people’s lives and makes them shift from their norms and beliefs to other beliefs. There are several instances rather than events that can happen and turn people’s views. The event can induce both positive and negative feelings in people and make them change accordingly. In this context, I have chosen two people whom I will interview about some of the cultural revolutions that have occurred in their lives, families, or even the country in general. The Cultural Revolution has produced a significant change in the lives of people, in beneficial and adverse ways, and the people have responded accordingly.
The first person that I decided to interview is a former lecturer at the campus named Professor Alfred. The lecturer was a competent professor who always ensured that his class was enjoyable, and he made us happy during his lessons. He used to give us advice and encouraging words, and he would also counsel us individually when we approached him. I thought his answers would be informative and thoughtful, providing background for my further interviews. Moreover, he is a rational person who thinks critically and makes wise decisions. Hence, my choice was predetermined by the personal characteristics of my interviewee.
The first question that I asked him was whether the cultural revolution had affected his life. He answered positively since there was an event that had occurred in his youth and impacted the lifestyle he further employed. At first, when he was hired on a job, he was forced to relocate from his home place and settle in another area that had different cultural beliefs and practices. This led to a change of cultural change in his life since he incorporated some of the cultural views of his new neighbors.
The other exciting questions he answered concerned technology, family, and recommendations for further generations. As such, he assumed that technological changes in the country could have an impact on the culture of the nation. Namely, when a government adopts the newest technology, the citizens shift their mindset to the technology, and thus they begin forgetting their culture. As for the recommendations, he supposed that we should preserve our culture and traditions, we have to abide by our culture and follow it keenly, and we should not be lured into foreign beliefs in any way. As was mentioned, my fourth question was regarding the Cultural Revolution’s impact on the life of his family. They have adopted new traditions and beliefs of other communities, which has led to unique lifestyles and even new dressing modes that are against their culture and traditions and thus betraying their culture. Some of the cultural traditions have improved the life of his family in that some of the beliefs of other people are of benefit as compared to their habits.
Then the next interviewee was my friend, whom we studied together who is currently a manager. The reason behind choosing him was the way he handles problems when called upon to solve them. When questioned about the impact of the cultural revolution, he said that it has been of importance. I have asked him about the nature of the effects of the revolution, and he declared that they are primarily negative. Moreover, when I inquired about his personal experience, he uttered that cultural change has led to his family adopting new ways of dressing and solving problems.
Finally, I have been interested in his view on the actions that people should undertake when a cultural revolution occurs. He advocates that people should adhere to their culture and preserve it no matter what happens to them since rapid changes and assimilation harms the lives of families who forget about their identity. His reflections are following the previous interviewee who states that environmental factors lead people to adopt new styles to be apt for contemporary settings. However, my friend believes we should try to be faithful followers of our culture and remain in our birthplace, if possible, to avoid mixing our identities with any other.
To summarize, the Cultural Revolution has impacted people in various ways due to the differences in their perspectives. Both of my interviewees have argued that the Cultural Revolution had the most significant effect on the lives of their families; however, while the first person mentioned the positive and negative sides of the question, the second one highlighted the adverse influence. Although the Cultural Revolution has enhanced the technologies and made people adapt to the new settings, both interviewees believe that it was harmful to the culture and identities of their close ones. Hence, they recommend adhering to one’s beliefs and customs, preserving them, and keeping their individuality, to reduce the negative impact of the changes.
References
Harrell, S. (2020). Cultural Change in Postwar Taiwan. Routledge.