ERIC Number: EJ932429
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0010-8146
EISSN: N/A
Hey There Edgar Snow, What Happened to the Red Star over Yan'an?
Boshier, Roger; Huang, Yan
Convergence, v41 n4 p79-101 2008
Edgar Snow scored an extraordinary scoop in 1936 when he persuaded Mao Zedong to tell his story. The resulting book--"Red Star Over China"--was a best-seller in the West and translated editions caused a sensation in China. Adult education was the centrepiece of Communist revolution and featured prominently in Red Star. It is now the twenty-first century. What happened to the Red Star? Is Yan'an basking in Communist utopia? What about adult education? In October-November 2008 the authors went to Yan'an to find out. They spent half their time in the city; half in the countryside. Students at Yan'an University seem satisfied. But there are high rates of illiteracy, poverty, anger and frustration (with corruption and the absence of healthcare) in Yan'an villages. The old Red base is on the "red tourism" trail and a sparkling centre for executive education and leadership training in Yan'an is evidence of Communist determination to improve public administration and rehabilitate their history. In the countryside, learning and education are poorly developed and, there is a need to reconcile with the past. Rather than being a continuous beacon, today the Red Star flickers in Yan'an as Communists struggle with their history and lurch toward democracy. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Democracy, Public Administration, Adult Education, Leadership, Foreign Countries, Social Systems, Social Change, Social Environment, Poverty, Illiteracy, Rural Areas, Politics of Education, Political Issues, Dramatics, Singing, World History, Personal Narratives, Social History
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A