Thought Reform in Daily Life: Revolutionary Ideology and the Self of a Chinese College Student, 1951–1953

Abstract:This article reexamines China's Thought Reform campaign in higher education through a college student's daily experience. Unlike previous research, which has examined the ideological effects of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on faculty members, we focus on college students' thoughts, emotions, and behavior before, during, and after the Thought Reform campaign. On the basis of in-depth analysis of personal diaries and official archives, this article examines how a college student understood, accepted, and practiced revolutionary values and the conflicts that occurred during these practices. We argue that students selectively practiced revolutionary values following personal motivations, mainly focusing on the specific values that matched their daily concerns and interests. We also argue that, although the Thought Reform campaign consolidated the CCP's power in colleges and universities, it had little effect on individuals' desires to pursue personal interests and happiness in their daily lives.