THE CHANGING ROLES OF WOMEN IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, 1949-1967: WITH A CASE STUDY OF TING LING

The purpose of this dissertation is to analyze the changing roles of women in the People's Republic of China from 1949-1967. This is accomplished, in part, by an analysis of the fictional heroines of Ting Ling, a communist, feminist writer. During this time period there have been distinct government edicts such as the Marriage Law and the Draft Agrarian Reform Act. These laws legally established the equal position of women in Chinese Communist society. However, the issue of practical changes in the position of women has not yet been dealt with completely by the Party or the government.; In order to determine the differences between female equality according to law and according to everyday realities, an investigation of the economic roles of women is included in this dissertation. The roles of women within the family and the Party are also considered.; In addition, the case study of the writer Ting Ling, a noted Communist and feminist, is presented. The introduction of Ting Ling into this exploration of women's roles is undertaken in order to compare the female role models portrayed in her stories with the female of equal status who the government claimed existed in Chinese Communist society. The analysis of the women in Ting Ling's writings of different time periods provides internal evidence of an ever-changing female role model.; Responsible analysis of Chinese Communist sources of information as well as Ting Ling's writings have enabled this writer to draw certain conclusions concerning the position of women in the People's Republic of China. Today, women there have made major strides, especially in light of the staunch patriarchal society from which they came. However, total equality of a political, economic and social nature has not yet been achieved. Therefore, the government's claims and the reality of the situation are still at variance.